The Thrive Diet: The Whole Food Way to Losing Weight Reducing Stress and Staying

Sounds a bit over the top, but I'm an actress in Hollywood with an athletic build. I've always found it hard to stay really lean, even though I'm a hard-core athlete, and that makes it hard to compete with the waifs. I bought Brendan's book two months ago and for the first time I am shredded without starving myself. I feel better than I ever have in my entire life and I honestly can't believe it. I love the diet, love the food, love the philosophy. (I'm also an environmentalist) I read the book cover-to-cover, excited by the philosophy but dismayed by the foreign foods that I needed to learn to locate, sprout and soak in order to start. This was just initial panic. I got over it. I started with the smoothies and energy bars. I bought the Vega Complete Whole Food Optimizer he recommends and I found that making the smoothies was super-fast (throw my fruit, water, optimizer in a blender and go) and that while the energy bars took a little time, I could make a 2-month supply at a time, and then have a quick, easy snack always ready. I like them best frozen, so I'm not worried about spoilage. That was week one. Week two I did my big shop (it was a bit pricey to start, but it's been very cheap ever since) which took a little to psych up for, washed and sanitized my fruits and veggies, and started sprouting. As soon as my sprouts were ready (a few days later) I took a full day and made pizza, burgers, crackers, sauces, salad dressings, etc. I basically made a little of everything. The joy was that I then could eat all week without doing anything but opening up the fridge. Since then, I've run out of things one by one, but since I've done it before, I had all of the ingredients on hand and it was no big deal to replenish; getting started was the hard part. I was glad I just bit the bullet and did it all at once. Sprouting and soaking have become part of my routine and I actually find it kind of fun. It's very fast and I get the "farmer's joy" of seeing the first shoots every few days. I keep Brendan's book on the table and I read part of it every day while I eat. I'll probably keep doing that until I feel like I have fully absorbed it and can really remember what nutrients are in which food. Last night I did I bathing suit scene in my acting class and didn't think twice about stripping down in front of everyone. That's a first. I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to look in the mirror and feel great about my body, without having to punish myself to get the look I want. When I told my husband he said, "I never thought I'd hear you say those words." Yeah, neither did I.

This book is exactly what I was looking for. A whole foods plant-based diet for athletes. Usually all you can find in this category are books for losing weight but this one is all about getting the fuel you need to excel in sport and in life. It's also a great nutritional education on whole foods and the physiological effects of stress in all its forms and how good whole foods can support the body. Brendan's recipes are really creative. I was originally suspicious of how the 'pizzas' would taste what with their base being made out of things like chickpeas and ground sunflower seeds but I have already made one and can report that it was delicious! The smoothies are also fantastic and I have already seen the amazing endergy gains. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to altheletes, weekend warriors and stressed out corporates - you will feel the difference.

Thrive Diet is a relatively easy to follow program for athletes that have food allergies, are vegan, or just want to get their nutrition from whole foods. The hardest thing of going plants only is accepting you can get solid protein and nutrition. Thankfully, the author knows how to research and presents his findings dispassionately and with reason. The page on protein powders is worth the book itself. No where else have I found this information, and I've been looking through all vegan, vegetarian, and bodybuilding books. Keep in mind that this book is soy and tofu free, due to the author's concerns with allergies. That's a good thing. Tofu/Soy products are used MORE in N. America. I'm not anti-soy. Just pro-variety (and frankly soy hasn't gotten me to where I want to be anyhow.) An important part of this book are the early chapters on different types of stress and how nutrition can assist recuperation. The author is not a big supplement taker, and focuses on nourishment rather than calories/protein/carbs counting. The recipes are simple to prepare. It's actually, dare I say it, kind of lazy food prep, minimal tools (food processor & blender), and maximum return. These are positives. Other vegan cookbooks have 20 steps, consume an hour of time and the end result is just a side dish. Of potatoes.... Now, the book is affordable, but there's a sticker shock that comes from going whole foods whole cloth. Thankfully I have a Whole Foods within 8 miles. They had most everything on the list, except yellow pea protein powder. The clerk said the co. that made that went bankrupt, so it's put a lot of folks in a lurch. My total bill? $227.00 The protein powders are about $15 each, the oils are around that price point, and maca and chlorella cost $15 a bottle. AND THIS IS WITH ALMOST NO PRODUCE OR VEGETABLES. $227. The upside is the convenience of Whole Foods having all this stuff. Nutrition costs... I copied the shopping list to a pdf at orlandont dot com. Click on the Thrive link. Again, it's costly to just jump into it, so maybe transition using the energy bar recipes and grow from there. Still, this book is awesome and if you're serious about training or casually interested in losing weight or just understanding HOW your body functions, get this book.

This is an excellent book all the way around. I lift weights, run, and do the elliptical. This diet provided me with an immediate increase in energy coupled with loss of fat. I also loss my general taste for coffee and was able to decrease my caffeine intake with barely any effort at all due to the increased energy I felt from this diet. For those who excercise an hour or less per session to those training for triathalons, this is a great read.

This cookbook handles all my concerns and interests: vegan, food sensitivities, whole foods, super foods, fueling my body for weightlifting. The recipes are quick to make, super-nutritious, and vegan. My body is feeling awake again after feeling lethargic for a long time. I understand now why my body would simply rebel after two months of intense activity, and I understand how to feed my body for steady energy and plenty in reserve. Bravo Brendan! Your reasoned approach to nutrition is long overdue!