VegetarianBodybuilding.com primarily focuses on the health benefits, but in this article I want to illuminate another valid reason to consider if you haven’t already … how animals are being treated and medicated for the purposes of our consumption.
First allow me to get one thing off my chest, I think it’s beyond silly to judge meat-eaters, they are not the enemy. And believe it or not, meat itself isn’t the enemy either.
The bigger point I want to make is that we would all be doing better if we didn’t judge others for any reason. Even within the vegetarian tribe, some vegans turn their noses up at vegetarians … and some vegetarians turn their noses up at pescetarians and semi-vegetarians. To this I say:
Different things work for different people
We are all doing our best with the level of awareness we have at any given time
Love and tolerance is a strength, not a weakness
Let’s change the conversation to a more open, less extreme tone
It’s not about who’s right or wrong, we all have a personal truth and the ugliness that goes into any judgmental dynamic weakens everyone in the dynamic. Not to mention, not all of us can be vegetarians/vegans… it is simply unhealthy for some; we have different genes and biochemistry.
What if… we explored the idea of eating more plants and less animals for the purposes of compassion; even if it expresses itself as a semi-vegetarian practice?
We can argue what is the healthiest diet until we’re blue in the face, you can find an article that says even water is bad for us to drink – in fact, my guess is that there are small percentage of people that can live a long and healthy life from a cheeseburger/chocolate cake diet, however…
The sad fact is that animals are being subjected to needless abuse and inhumane suffering.
Is your average meat-eating consumer a bad person because they are the target of the meat industry? No. It is the practices of that industry that need to be looked at. The reality is animals experience pain just as humans do, so we should ask ourselves what would it be like to live how they live, how they are treated, and how they are killed… even tortured at times.
My energy is directed at the methods of the modern-day food industry in terms of what they do to produce meat at maximum profit. The good news is that there are still privately owned farms that produce healthy, organic, non-GMO meat using humane practices. The bad news is that they are a dying breed, and are being systematically crushed by the monopolized food industry.
My second point is … if we are going to eat meat it’s important to know exactly where it’s coming from and how it’s being produced.
For those of us who experience the world in an energetic sense, like myself, there’s another thing to consider… the negative energy that resides in the animals being tortured and killed. It’s probable that this toxic energy-cocktail of fear, pain, and suffering is being absorbed by those who are consuming the meat. Just a thought.
The argument that eating animal meat is the foundation of our evolution as a species, that we need it for human survival, and that we can’t get enough protein without meat are misleading half-truths perpetuated by an out-dated cultural paradigm. I can’t tangibly argue against the first two proposed truths, however I know of some vegetarian bodybuilders who can physically disprove the protein myth.
Let’s Come Together on These 4 Points
We don’t have to necessarily have to eat only plants to be healthy
A lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising its progressiveness and efficiency.
The program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Instead of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”
“A whole food vegan diet is the way to go. You will have more energy, much less risk of disease, and rarely get sick. I interview vegans all the time, and all of them tell me they wish they had done it sooner.”
Name: Brenda Carey Occupation: Editor-in-Chief/Founder of Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine City/State/Country: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Age: 46 Height: 5’9″ Type of Training: Triathlete (swimming, running, biking), as well as weight training and yoga. Weight: 122 lbs. Fitness Accolades: Former lifeguard, Ashtanga Yoga instructor, 4th female finisher at CrossFit Games in Santa Monica in 2013, first place overall 5k in the 2013 PowerMarathon in Austin, Texas, first female finisher at 50k Saturn Day ultramarathon on 7.5.14 in San Antonio, Texas, ran 17 miles in the Vegan Global Run on 4.4.15 in Miami Beach, Florida, daily victories in getting stronger and faster, breaking old PRs…
Modern/Living: Ellen, Oprah, Kathy Freston, Alexandra Paul, Leilani Munter, Fiona Oakes, Andrea Kladar, Pope Francis. All of these people have used their lives to make a statement that is changing the world for the better, involving compassion, athletics, education, intelligence, and humor.
Historical: Krishna, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Joan of Arc, St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lennon. These people all used their lives to make the world a better, more compassionate place, also.
Q: Tell us the story of how you became the founder of Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine.
The short version is that I spent years trying to find my path to a career that makes the world a better place for animals, promoting a compassionate lifestyle. I became vegan as a 20-year-old model. Shortly thereafter, I put myself through college and law school with the idea that I’d be an animal rights attorney.
By the time I graduated, I realized that was not my path. The law is not very animal-friendly, and I don’t really like fighting, especially when it is a losing battle.
So I tried using the law to help animals by starting a Humane Society in California that consisted of Humane Officers that were trained very well in the law (by moi).
“There are no exemptions under the animal cruelty laws for farm animals in California. So we busted a slaughter house and with a warrant and aided by the LAPD, we seized animals and took them to sanctuaries.”
Shortly thereafter, we were faced with a lot of frivolous legal challenges (seems that we made the status quo nervous), and after a year of very little sleep and witnessing a lot of animal cruelty in investigations and fighting in court, I folded that organization.
After that, I moved to Hawaii for two years and became an Ashtanga Yoga instructor and a professor of Communication Studies at Hawaii Pacific University. I also got into improv comedy acting and standup comedy.
From there, I ended up doing standup comedy in NYC for eight months. From there, I moved back to LA and created a sort of silly online TV show on the paranormal.
At the same time, I met Robert Cheeke after reading his bodybuilding book.
I was searching for my way to make the world a better place for animals and was inspired by Robert to start a blog called “Female Vegan Bodybuilder.”
I got so much positive feedback that I decided to start the magazine.
“At the time, I knew nothing about graphic art or publishing.
Fortunately, I had a background in photography and a very supportive boyfriend (Brian Acree) who helped me teach myself everything and start this magazine all by myself on my laptop.”
At first, I thought I’d make a few and give them out for free.
Then I called the distributor who handles the magazines for Whole Foods Market and sent them some emails with images and information on the first issue, and they ordered several thousand copies right away!
And we were off and running!
We were quarterly from the Summer 2012 (first issue that featured Robert Cheeke on the cover with Koya Webb) until the November/December 2013 issue (that featured John and Ocean Robbins and family on the cover), when we went bi-monthly. That was also the first issue where we went international, into eight countries.
We are currently working on expanding our digital reach and starting a book publishing branch.
Q: What are your personal passions outside of fitness?
Vegan nutrition and science! I love researching the tough stuff. I spend days obsessed on scholar.google.com. Some of the articles I have written (or helped research for other writers) literally represent hundreds of hours reading intense scientific journal articles.
It’s important for me to get a complete understanding of plant-based nutrition so that I can explain it in simpler terms to our readers and share life-improving information.
The magazine always includes the citations to the articles, too, so that our readers can see the science for themselves.
Sometimes I get so excited about an article or two that I find on a controversial topic, that I have shared it on social media. This can get me into trouble, as people will often react with disdain against something that brings new information that they don’t understand.
I encourage them to read the science, but a lot of people are intimidated by the medical jargon and don’t feel comfortable reading science for themselves. Instead, a lot of people will “follow” a certain doctor or nutritionist and take their word for what is scientifically true. I think this is dangerous.
Often, trusted doctors and nutritionists sell supplements and other products, and even though they mean well, they have bills to pay like everybody else.
“Any time the [doctor/nutritionist] has a vested interest, there is a tendency to be biased towards what will help them make a living.”
Only what we are willing to research and understand on our own can truly be trusted.
Q: What uncommon activity do you schedule into your daily routine?
I suppose that putting together a magazine is rather uncommon. Every day, I spend quite a few hours on the computer developing articles with my contributors and scheduling photos shoots and overseeing them, etc.
Other than that, I spend time preparing (and gathering) organic vegan meals for myself, my dogs, and sometimes our whole staff.
Since we moved to Miami, we don’t have an office, we all work from our respective homes. But when we had an office in Austin, TX and had a staff there daily, I enjoyed making everybody big salads for lunch almost every day. I love nurturing others with nutrition. It’s my maternal instinct or something, I guess.
When I was a little girl and I found out what meat was, I didn’t want to eat it. I grew up in Mississippi and had never heard of a vegetarian, so I was on my own.
“I tried to eat plates full of canned vegetables and clearly did not get enough calories. Without support from an adult, I became very weak and fainted a few times.”
This scared us all, and I was told that if I didn’t eat meat, I would die. So I reluctantly ate it after being reassured that the animals did not suffer, etc. When I was nineteen years old, I was finally out of Mississippi and modeling in Miami Beach.
“I went to a Macrobiotic convention with a photographer friend and sat at a table full of people who had healed themselves from cancer and heart disease, etc. with their (mostly vegan) diets.”
At the time, I also had an acquaintance who was an angry vegetarian who challenged my supposed love of animals and my food choices. As rude as she was in her approach, I could not deny that she was right and I was being a hypocrite.
Now that I knew of the health benefits of eating vegan, it was a no-brainer to go vegan.
I gave up chicken and fish first, because a cow is a larger animal. I read about 20 books that summer (that I got at the library in Mississippi— this was in 1991, who knew those books were even there!) when I went home to visit family.
I learned about the animal cruelty of factory farming and about the nutritional benefits of the vegan diet.
I gave up beef about a month later, then eggs and dairy within another month. Then I gave up all my leather clothes because I was being challenged by non-vegetarians for being a hypocrite for refusing to eat animals when I was okay with wearing them.
“Again, I hated their approach, but I knew they were right.”
I gave thousands of dollars’ worth of leather clothing to the homeless, because I read that giving animal skins (leather and fur) to the poor helps take the status symbol away. Nowadays, I don’t even like to wear fake leather for a similar reason. I don’t want anybody to think that wearing leather looks cool and want to buy it to copy my look.
By the way, I’ve been vegan for about 24 years now and have never taken supplements of any kind. I dabble with chocolate protein powder because I like the taste, but I try to limit that, too.
Unfortunately, most vegan processed foods are fortified with vitamins, so I can’t say that I don’t get dosed with vitamins occasionally. I try to avoid processed foods, eating mostly raw.
As for the athletics, I took ballet as a kid and dabbled in that again in my teens, twenties, and thirties for short periods (along with jazz and tap), but never took it very far. My first job was as a swimming instructor (age 15); shortly thereafter, I became a lifeguard, which required a lot of testing of my athletic ability in swimming laps, etc.
I became an aerobics instructor in 1989 (you should have seen my colorful, crazy 80s aerobics outfits). I played a little softball and volleyball on teams in school and did a little running (5k) with my dad and brother as a teen. Again, nothing very serious.
I dabbled in fitness after that as I modeled (and mostly starved myself to stay thin, until I went vegan and found out I could eat fruits and vegetables all day—by then, I think I had caused a lot of muscle atrophy, which is unfortunate). I did a little yoga, starting in law school in 2000. I had a gym membership for years and would go months without walking in the doors.
But I didn’t get serious about fitness until recently (2011). Right before I started the magazine, I got pretty serious about bodybuilding because of Robert Cheeke’s influence. But since I am so tall and thin, my muscle is hard won.
It has taken me almost four years to put on enough muscle to be seen. It amounts to about eight pounds of solid muscle, which is about right for four years of training, but when you spread it out over a long frame, it doesn’t look like much.
I started running to burn off some of the fat that I put on with my massive protein diet I experimented with my first year of bodybuilding. Now I realize muscle growth does not require such massive doses. Dating Austin Barbisch has influenced me a lot.
When we first met, I hired him (and paid him a lot of money) to train me in the gym.
It was worth every penny. I put on more muscle training with him for six months than I’d put on the prior two years. He is also an ultra-marathoner, and I’ve covered a few of his races for the magazine.
That influenced me to want run a 50k. Brian Acree actually ran it with me, and his support was instrumental in getting me across that finish line.
Nowadays, I am continuing to put on muscle in the gym and keep the fat off on the running track. It is the most efficient means of getting that fit look that I need when I make public appearances and speak on behalf of Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine.
Someday when I have more time, I’d love to do a triathlon and play team sports.
Q: What does your daily meal plan currently look like?
Breakfast: Fruit smoothie, a cup of tea, and a couple large glasses of water (often with lime or lemon juice).
Lunch: Large salad for lunch with tons of raw veggies, sprouts, olives, and Bragg’s Mango dressing (I love it because it’s organic, vinegar based, and oil-free).
I snack on fruit all day (apples, mango, raspberries, whatever is organic and on sale).
Lest you think I am an angel, I will admit that I do occasionally eat dark chocolate, peanut butter, vegan baked goods, and other vegan junk foods and treats. I just try to keep that fattening, processed stuff to a minimum and eat them rarely (once a week or less) as a treat.
Q: Philosophy on supplements?
“I don’t take any supplements (no, not even B12, as I often get asked). Supplements are not necessary if you eat a variety of whole plant foods.”
The vegan diet, when it is unprocessed, organic, and varied, provides everything the body needs to be optimally healthy, with no need for synthetic, laboratory-extracted pills and potions.
If you look into the science, you will see that taking supplements is also quite harmful. Many cancers have been related to taking vitamin pills and even oils.
Read my favorite book, “Whole,” by T. Colin Campbell for more on that. For more on the B12 controversy, see the VHF website, as we love to delve into that controversial topic and have a couple articles on the science posted there.
Q: Favourite butt exercises and describe the form you use.
This is a great (and very specific) question! Wow! Okay, I have scoliosis so I cannot do squats or deadlifts with heavy weight.
“If you are lucky enough to have a straight spine, squats and deadlifts are the best exercises to grow/tighten your glutes. Just start with light weight, and keep your spine straight (neutral) as you move.”
I recommend working with a trainer until you get the form down, as it can be complicated, and if you don’t do it right, you can really get hurt. If you have an imperfect back like me, you have to get more creative.
But I can do lunges with quite a bit of weight without hurting my back. I also do thrusts laying on my back on the floor with weights on my hips.
I also do cable kickbacks (I even have my own ankle strap since the ones at the gym are often missing or really dirty). I use the abductor machine at the gym. My trainer taught me to do way more sets and reps on this machine than I had ever done before. Sometimes, we hog that machine for half an hour as we do our reps to failure over and over.
Just when I think I’m done, he will say “Give me five more.” Then he will say, “Five more” or “Ten more.” It’s gruelling at that point, and sometimes I will call him names, but he knows it’s just the muscle fibers talking, and I apologize later and thank him for pushing me harder.
I think it’s a huge benefit to have a workout partner pushing you past what you thought were your limits (check out all the big, muscular guys at the gym who do that, and you will see what I mean.) I also do indoor rowing (which is a killer butt workout) and run long distances on the track (any time I run for more than 30 minutes, I feel it in my butt later).
As someone who had a pretty flat butt before I started working out, I can attest that these moves work. In all of them, I am very aware of keeping my spine neutral and not arching or curving out.
Q: Describe your training regimen: favourite exercises, weekly training schedule, etc.
I do yoga every morning for anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on my schedule, to get my spine in alignment and get ready for the day. I work out at the gym about six days a week for about an hour a day, sometimes two hours, if we have time.
When I am preparing for a running race, like the Vegan Global Run, I will alternate running at the track for an hour one day with working out at the gym for an hour the next day. Sometimes it gets to be too much, and I am just exhausted and have to take a day or two off of running and lifting weights.
On those days, I just do my yoga, hydrate really well with water and electrolyte blends (recipes in several issues of the magazine), and take a power nap to help my body recover faster. I also take an Epsom salt bath every night and add turmeric to my food as often as possible to help recover faster.
My smoothies have fruits like cherries and pineapples, which also help recovery. Finally, I eat lots of greens in salads and munch on seaweed, which helps reduce inflammation and speed recovery, also.
Q: If you have to pick only three exercises, what would they be?
That would be tough. I do so many different exercises and keep mixing it up all the time so I don’t plateau. If I have to choose:
Push-ups
Lunges
Pull-ups
This would hit every muscle in the whole body if you varied the angles a little and did them right. Note that yoga utilizes push-ups and lunges. There are lots of benefits to these moves.
Q: What tips can you share about fitness that you don’t typically read in magazines?
“Going vegan is the best thing you can do to be a better athlete and/or get more fit! That is something you don’t read in other magazines (besides Vegan Health & Fitness).”
We are seeing some other mainstream magazines acknowledge the vegan diet and its health benefits recently. I know it is because they see our publication on the shelves and they know we’re selling and they want to compete. Whatever it takes to bring veganism into the mainstream!
Q: What are the biggest trends you see in fitness right now?
People want excitement in their workouts, so they are doing obstacle courses and CrossFit type workouts where you don’t know what you’re going to have to do until you get there. It’s more mentally stimulating than doing the same old thing in the gym every day.
The camaraderie people are experiencing in these new styles of workouts is also wonderful. We are social creatures, and we like to compete with other people and have someone to high-five when you do something really well.
“If you don’t sit (or lay) still for a few minutes every day and/or pray, or just get quiet and clear your mind, you will never be your best self.”
Life is stressful. We need to turn off occasionally, and not just by passing out and sleeping. We need to learn to control our minds and relax. I am a spiritual person, so I pray. I heard someone say once that meditation is actually when you stop praying (talking to your higher power) and listen.
I love that. We so rarely listen.
If you’re not religious, you can just sit still and turn inward to connect with your inner compassionate nature.
Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to try a plant-based diet?
Do it! Do it now!
You can truly maximize your life when you go vegan because you are more productive and you just function better.
Tons of bodybuilders and athletes know it, and they are at the tops of their fields.
Tons of people have turned around diseases like cancer, heart disease, immunological, and inflammatory problems. Not only that, but who wants to be a part of the horrible animal torturing and slaughtering meat industry?
It’s a great feeling knowing I’m not a part of that. It’s a perfect example of good karma. When you choose to do the compassionate thing, you benefit greatly in your own body, too!
A lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising its progressiveness and efficiency.
The program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Instead of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”
I became vegan for pure moral and ethical reasons. I never really liked to consume animal products. Just like most people, I was brainwashed to believe that I HAD to eat meat if I wanted to do bodybuilding.
But there came a point, especially after watching “Earthlings”, where I just thought: That’s it. I’m done with meat, I’m done with milk, eggs, or any animal products. I couldn’t support the inhumane treatment of animals any longer.
Q: Describe what you eat in a day.
My meals are also pretty simple. I’m neither a great cook, nor do I have the time to create fancy dishes.
I prefer to have a few big meals instead of several smaller ones. So usually I’ll have the typical three meals per day and eventually some snacks in between, mainly fruit.
Breakfast: Half a package (250g) of oatmeal, with cinnamon, bananas, and some soy or rice milk.
Lunch: Rice, couscous, quinoa 250g (uncooked) with some peas or kidney beans in tomato sauce or with curry, and some fruit after that.
Dinner: Huge salad and another portion of grains and legumes.
I always train early in the morning on an empty stomach. But even if i train in the afternoon or in the evening, I won’t eat for at least 3 hours before the workout. I feel better and more awake that way.
Q: Philosophy on supplements and which ones you take?
Supplements should simply be what the term indicates. They shouldn’t be the foundation of your diet, which is actually the case with a lot of athletes nowadays.
The supplement I will always take on a daily basis is B12, anything else is more or less optional. But I use kelp tabs, sometimes zinc, depending on what I eat.
For bodybuilding, I like creatine, glutamine and bcaa/leucine. Especially when in a calorie deficit during contest prep. Sometimes I use citrulline before my training to get a better pump.
Basically there are only two training setups that I use:
Full body workouts, with 1-2 days off in between
Push/pull split
Most of my training sessions take me about 80-90 minutes, and I rest 2-3 minutes between sets (depending on the exercise). The volume can vary a lot, depending on the exact training routine and goal.
Of course, the volume will be a lot higher when I do split training. For full body workouts I usually prefer a low volume approach that’s more geared towards intensity, like HIT.
Over the years I learned that a lot of completely different routines and approaches can and do work if you train properly. So it’s also question of personal taste in my opinion.
“A training routine should not only work, it should also be fun to you. That’s more important than anything else in my eyes.”
Because enjoying what you do will give you the long term motivation. Of course that doesn’t mean a training shouldn’t be hard or exhausting.
Q: What tips can you share that have led to your success in bodybuilding? How does that carry over into your life?
“I think consistency is the most important thing in bodybuilding.”
You won’t get anywhere without.
Why? Because you need constant training for YEARS, if you really want to reach your full potential.
You can train and diet as hard as you want, but if you’re only willing to do that for a few weeks/months per year, you won’t build the physique of a champion.
You have to hang in there year round, if you don’t:
You won’t have good days and workouts all the time.
You won’t always be in the mood for a tough training session.
You won’t always be happy when you have to restrict your calories or ditch your favorite foods.
“But hey, that’s part of the game! Nobody said it’d be easy. If it was, everyone would look like a top athlete.”
But if you have the will to stick with your plans, you will reach your goals one day. If you really want something, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find excuses.
It’s a lot easier to achieve other things in life, if you apply the same kind of mentality.
Q: What are the three biggest trends you see in fitness right now?
Crossfit is certainly a huge global trend at the moment.
Natural bodybuilding also gets a lot more attention.
Wherever you go, no matter which federation or contest, the physique class will always be the one with the most athletes! Sure, for some athletes it’s just the first step into bodybuilding, but I think a lot of the competitors really like and prefer this kind of look, instead of the mass monster look of modern professional bodybuilders.
Q: What are the next big goals you have for yourself?
Well, the most important thing to me right now is certainly to be a good father for my little boy! Besides that, I wanna improve my physique to place better in future competitions so I can be an even better example for what you can achieve as a vegan bodybuilder. I wanna reach as many people as I can, to show them that there’s no need for animal products.
A lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising its progressiveness and efficiency.
The program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Instead of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”
Name: Ella Magers
Occupation: Vegan Diet and Fitness Expert, Published Author
Location: Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Age: 35
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 122lbs.
Type of Training: Functional Fitness, Muay Thai, General Strength and
Conditioning, Bodybuilding
Fitness
has been a part of my life since I was just five years old.
I feel so fortunate that my
parents got me into sports so early. I started with gymnastics and swimming.
By the time I was in fifth
grade, I could out-pull-up the guys at my school on field day!
“I loved the feeling of
being strong and energetic. I got into the fitness industry because I wanted to
help everyone get to that place of feeling strong and unstoppable physically,
as well as mentally.”
I also have a clean, plant-based diet to thank for all the
energy I had from such a young age.
My journey to adopt a vegan diet began when I was seven years
old. We learned about Daniel Boone in school, and I came home and told my mom
what a mean guy Daniel Boone was because he shot and ate animals. Her reply
changed my life forever. She told me that we were just fortunate that we have
grocery stores now, so we pay someone else to kill the animals for us to eat.
It was at that point that I
connected the food on my plate with the animal it came from and I told my mom I
would never eat an animal again – and I haven’t!
My deep sense of compassion for
animals led me to seek out information on the meat industry at a young age.
When I learned that the dairy and egg industries were equally as cruel, I
became fully vegan. I was 15. I felt so strongly, I organized groups and led
protests and campaigns to educate people about the truth behind the closed
doors of factory farms throughout my teenage years.
“I even won the Bill
Rosenberg Award given by F.A.R.M., which honors a young person under the age of
18 who has made a substantial contribution to ending abuse of animals raised
for food.”
Given that my two deepest
passions were fitness and animals, I began researching the health aspects of a vegan diet and I was thrilled to find all
the hidden research showing just how healthful a whole food, plant-based diet really is! “Why isn’t this
information more accessible to people?” was my next thought.
It was then that I decided I
wanted to spread the word and help as many people as possible take their
fitness to the next level with the right exercise and even more importantly, a
better diet. My vision brought me from North Carolina to Miami Beach, where I
fell in love with the warmth, the sun, and the sexiness of the city.
WEC (World Extreme
Cagefighting) champ Patrick Assalone shot straight from the hip and told me to
get my ass to class. This was exactly what I needed – someone to crack the whip
and snap me out of feeling sorry for myself. I’m not exaggerating when I say
that he kicked my ass. I was black and blue the whole time we trained together.
He didn’t believe in shin
guards, so there was no padding for protection from kicks. It may sound
sadistic, but the physical pain forced me to take control of my mind in order
to push through training sessions – as they say, “mind over
matter.”
“Muay Thai turned out to be
a form of active meditation that gave me my emotional strength back and allowed me to
take charge of my life direction and eventually develop my own brand, Sexy
Fit Vegan®.”
Q: In September 2013,
you were featured with a spread in BodyBuilding.com as the
Personal Trainer of the Month. Also, in 2014, you were named in Shape
magazine’s Top 50 Trainers in America. How did each of those opportunities
come about?
My boyfriend submitted me for a
shot at BodyBuilding.com’s Personal Trainer of the Month. I had no idea
until I got the email that I had been chosen. I was honored!
And to be honest, I have no
idea how I got on the Shape Magazine’s Hottest Trainers in America
list, but I’m very lucky to have been featured.
It was because of the
recognition in Shape Magazine that I was invited by the Sheraton to lead a
workshop at their largest hotel in Macao, China, which was super awesome!
Q: What is your
greatest achievement? What are you most proud of?
I would say that my new
book, The Six Weeks to Sexy Abs Meal Plan, is what I’m most proud of. Not so
much because having a book published is a great achievement, but because of
everything I overcame to get to a place where this book became a reality for
me.
“It’s like my entire life,
through all the ups and downs and twists and turns, was building up to this
chance to have something tangible to share my passions, experiences, knowledge,
and excitement with the world … something that can help people look and feel
their best while helping save animals and the environment.”
Q: Who has inspired you
the most in your life?
Wow, there is a long list of
people who have played important roles in my growth as a person and as a woman.
My parents come first, because
they have always given me the unconditional love, freedom, and support I’ve
needed to be myself and stand up for what I believe it.
They not only had my back when
it came to my strong and passionate side, they have been there for the troubled
side of me, too.
“I struggled with anxiety and depression starting in my teenage years and
compensated with drugs, put myself in dangerous situations, and dated abusive
guys from the time I was 15 until I was 21.”
If it weren’t for my fitness
addiction being stronger than my addiction to drugs and bad boys, and the tough
yet unconditional love from my parents, who knows where I would be right now.
As for inspiration, my first
Muay Thai coach, who believed in me and saw me for the strong woman I am, and
Ingrid Newkirk and President of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals), who I saw always standing up for what she believes in with
conviction, were some of my earlier inspirations.
At this point in my life, I feel
especially inspired by John Salley (four-time NBA Champ turned vegan), who
wrote the forward for my new book; Brendan Brazier, Ironman triathlete and
founder of Vega; vegan bodybuilders Torrie
Washington and Robert Cheeke; vegan calisthenics phenom Frank
Medrano; 87-year-old Dr. Fred Bisci, who is my favorite speaker of all time;
detox specialist Dr. Gil Jacobs; Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org; and
so many more people who have devoted their lives to promoting a healthy, fit,
vegan lifestyle.
Q: Tell us about
working toward your Doctorate in Holistic Sports Nutrition.
I actually have my Master’s in
Social Work, which I earned in my mid-twenties in order to have more skills
working with people and helping change lives. It was through my social work
education that I learned it’s essential to take people from where they are at
that moment; as the awesome Dr. Fred Bisci says, “You can’t take people from
penthouse to outhouse.”
“Everyone is at a different
point in their journey and has a different level of awareness and openness, and
tuning into that as a fitness trainer and nutrition coach is how to find success with clients.”
As for the nutrition degree, I thought, “I do research
on nutrition all the time anyway and have a
lot of knowledge, why not learn even more and get a degree to back it up?” I’m
in a go-at-your-own pace program and have a way to go. Getting a book deal last
year and having success with my website, ebooks, and blog have kept me
incredibly busy the past year!
I’m in no hurry though; getting
the information out there to as many people as possible takes priority over
putting “Dr.” before my name.
Two of my best friends when I
was a teenager were competitive bodybuilders, so I know all about the
traditional “chicken and broccoli” dieting and how to make “protein powder
pudding.” I also witnessed the effects steroids and supplements can have – from
gynecomastia to death.
“One of these best friends
was found dead in his apartment earlier this year; the cause technically
unknown, but I’m sure it had to do with toxemia from all the supplements he was
taking.”
Hanging out with bodybuilders
and being as fit as I am, I heard the comment, “You should compete” for all of
my adult life. I had no desire until finally in 2007, I saw that FAME World
Championships was coming to Miami, and it had a more playful vibe than NPC
competitions.
So I said, “What the hell!” I
figured doing well in a show would be a great way to promote plant-based eating. It was also a great
goal that I needed at the time to push myself harder at the gym. I was
competition ready in less than a month and ended up winning the bikini division
and receiving second place in the fitness and fitness model categories. Plant
strong!
1. Cross-training is
huge right now. One common misconception is that you have to lift as much
weight as possible, because, watching the CrossFit Games, you can easily get
that impression. I love watching the XFit games by the way – wow.
Cross training is just a method
of training that is highly variable in the ways you move your body, the muscles
you use, and the amount and type of stress you place on your body. It’s a great
way to get in shape fast and maintain a high level of fitness. I teach a class
that combines Muay Thai (heavy bags), spinning, and bodyweight exercises that
can be considered cross-training, for example.
I am working on unwinding and
relaxing – not my strong suit! But I do enjoy taking my dog (rescue Chihuahua)
paddle boarding and to the beach as healthy ways to chill. I love watching UFC,
football Sundays, eating vegan wings, and drinking strong dark Belgium beer as
my “cheat” time.
Also, I started doing yoga
consistently several years ago, and it is definitely an activity that not only
stretches my tight muscles but also expands my ability to “let go” and breathe,
which relaxes me.
Q: What one piece of advice
can you give to those who are struggling with the decision to try going plant-based?
“Don’t worry about making
the decision to become plant-based for the rest of your life. Make the
commitment to go vegan for six weeks and then you can re-evaluate. In the
grand scheme of things, six weeks out of your life is a blink of the eye.”
We are capable of anything we
put our minds to. Plus, after the six weeks, when you feel and look better
than ever eating delicious plant food, you won’t even want to go back!
I actually wrote my new
book, The Six Weeks to Sexy Abs Meal Plan for the purpose of helping
people get through six weeks of healthy, plant-based eating successfully.
The plan is easy to follow, and
there are 100 simple, delicious recipes to go with it. I also talk about what
you can expect, and give you guidelines and shopping lists at the start of each
week for convenience.
There is a bonus workout
program to go with the plan, but the focus is on diet, because what you put in
your mouth will mean the difference between a flabby and a sexy midsection! I’m
excited for this book to get in peoples’ hands because it really does give you
the tools you need to have an amazing vegan experience.
A
lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of
professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising
its progressiveness and efficiency.
The
program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your
potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this
system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any
carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in
your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of
proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Instead
of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and
bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a
plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to
prove it.”
