How to Eat and Train as a Vegetarian Bodybuilder?

 

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Build Muscle & Lose Fat By Eating Plants

OWNER OF NATURAL MUSCLE MAGAZINE SAYS FITNESS IS EXPANDING

“When consulting with the judges, they offered me some advice, ‘do a few cycles and you will win every show.’ I walked away and from that day forward, I chose to enter only drug tested competitions.”

Debbie Baigrie embodies strength inside and out, and utilizes bodybuilding as a vehicle to self-cultivation.

A few months ago Debbie and I connected because she liked what we’re doing here at VegetarianBodybuilding.com and wanted to publish some of my work.

Through this exchange, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her, and was pleased to discover we share an affinity for bodybuilding that focuses on vibrancy and longevity.

Debbie is a mother, daughter, dog owner, former vegetarian bodybuilder, and the owner of “Natural Muscle Magazine.” 

Her journey is wonderfully admirable (and at times, shocking), and I’m pleased to present this interview with you today.

Q: Tell us the story of how “Natural Muscle Magazine” came about, and how you acquired your passion for bodybuilding.

Back in the early 90s, I wanted to be a personal trainer. My daughters were in preschool, and I thought it would be something fun to do part-time. I took the exam, and to add credibility to my business, I entered a bodybuilding competition. A title would enhance my credentials, I thought, and the preparation would teach me hands-on training and diet.

“My plan was to enter one contest, but after winning the overall title, I caught the bug.”

I continued competing for four more years. A year into my competitive “career,” I entered a national qualifier and won my class, but not the overall.

When consulting with the judges, they offered me some advice: “Do a few cycles and you will win every show.” I walked away, and from that day forward, I chose to enter only drug-tested competitions.

We were being touted in a Florida-based magazine, “Florida Muscle News,” as the best bodybuilding shows in Florida.

Then one day, I got a phone call from their editor telling me that they are not allowed to give us any more coverage.

The NPC had come down hard on them for promoting an event that was not sanctioned by them. So there we were with no coverage and no advertising.

All of our amazing natural athletes needed a platform, and we needed somewhere to advertise our events, so “Natural Muscle Magazine” was born.

“Florida Muscle News” now had competition in Florida, and they were not happy about it.

I was banned from covering any NPC events and escorted out of the events I tried attending.

That was twenty years ago, and we are still going strong.

Q: Who most influenced your trajectory at a young age?

Three people who had the most influence on my career were my maternal grandfather, my paternal grandmother, and my high school principal.

“My grandfather emigrated from Poland with only a fourth grade education and became a very successful businessman using common sense and hard work.”

He could build a house from scratch, and he built several. He could basically do anything. I loved watching him build and still love the smell of sawdust. My grandmother owned businesses dating back to the thirties, something unheard of for a woman back then. She owned a hat business in Europe and made the beautiful hats herself.

She was an honest, outspoken, and driven woman, and lived until she was 96. I like to think I got my drive from her.

Then there is my high school principal, Mrs. Naymark, whose words still drive me to succeed every day to be the best person I can be: “Debbie, you will never amount to anything.” I went to a very small private school, and did not fit into the mold or take my education very seriously.

Q: What advice would you tell your 18-year-old self?

I would advise her to become highly educated in a field she loves. If I could go back to 18, my life might look a lot different now. Back then, nothing was expected of me. I was simply put on this earth to be pretty and marry a man who will take care of me.

My Jewish mother used to say, “If you play your cards right and marry a doctor, you will be set for life.”

So I married an engineer and told my daughters, “if you play your cards right and become a doctor, you will be set for life.” Last week, I watched my oldest daughter graduate medical school! Another piece of advice I would give myself is not to listen to Mrs. Naymark!

Q: Why is compassion so important to you, and how has it made you a stronger woman?

It often takes strength to have compassion. I was shot in the face 25 years ago by a 13-year-old boy. It opened up an entire new world of forgiveness and compassion.

To me, he wasn’t an assailant, he was a child who really didn’t comprehend the magnitude of what he had done. Ironically, I was one of the very few people who believed that.

The judge handed down a sentence of life without parole. At 13 years old, Ian was going to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Everyone was happy. Ian got what he deserved.

“However, I was not happy. I believed they were throwing away a human being. I was not going to let Ian fade away. We all matter!”

What family he had were gone within a few years. I was the only person who cared. I encouraged him to write, so he wrote and wrote, and is still writing. He also earned his GED with very high scores because someone (me) was expecting that. I shared his story anywhere I could, and along the way, others jumped onboard to help him.

Recently, an amazing law firm took his case and got Ian’s sentence reduced. He now has a chance to live. I’m not sure if having compassion has made me a stronger woman, but it has made me a better parent, friend, sibling, and daughter.

Q: What does the first hour of your day look like?

My first hour looks pretty much like the rest of my day. My office is in my home, so I grab my coffee, let the dogs out, and sit down at my desk to begin my day. I feel blessed that I don’t have to do all the prep work (shower, make-up, clothes, and commute) to get to the office.

If you visit my office before noon, I am probably still in my jammies. I like to jump right in because I have so much to do every day.

Q: Tell us about your experience with being a vegetarian and competing in natural bodybuilding contests back in the early 90s.

When I began competing, I was a vegetarian, so I just followed diet plans geared toward that.

“I juiced a few times a day and knew that really helped build quality muscle. I ate plenty of egg whites and plant-based protein shakes. With that diet, I was able to stay close to contest-ready throughout my career and do very well on stage.”

Q: I feel it’s important for vegetarians (especially vegans) to stay open to the fact that not all people can safely eat a vegetarian diet due to their genetics, blood type, etc. What was the reason you decided to incorporate meat back into your diet?

I enjoyed my vegetarian diet but slowly integrated meat back into my diet because my body seemed to want it. I go back and forth depending on what my body craves.

Since I started visiting your website and publishing your great recipes and articles in “Natural Muscle,” I have enjoyed so many vegetarian meals that are easy to make!

Q: If you had to choose only three exercises, what would they be?

• Lunge/squat superset
• Push-ups
• Planks

My three “favorites” are hyperextensions, lat pulldown, and leg press.

Q: If you had to choose only three supplements, what would they be?

• Food-based multivitamin
• EFAs
• B-complex

Q: What are the biggest trends happening in bodybuilding right now?

The biggest trend is the expansion of the competitive arena for both men and woman. There are now many more options available. We can choose a stage where we belong. We don’t have to fit into the bodybuilder mould to compete in the fitness arena. That’s a great thing.

There are, however, three trends that baffle me:

• The first is the growth hormone gut. I believe it is making a mockery of the sport.
• The second one is the long and baggy board shorts worn in Men’s Physique contests. My word, it is not Men’s Upper Body contest, let’s see some lower body!
• The third, and by far the most disturbing trend, is the “rear shot” in the Bikini contests. Who started that one, and why has it continued? It has no place on an athletic stage.

Q: Thoughts on CrossFit training?

I believe that whatever motivates people to get up and moving is a great training method. There are so many training modalities, and they are growing every day. If people are passionate about CrossFit, they are going to get results. The same goes for Zumba or Pure Bar. Just get up and move!

Q: How do you foster inner peace and balance?

I take my dogs for two long walks every day without a cell phone. It is peaceful and energizing at the same time.

“I have three dogs, and they truly ground me.”

I am a Reiki Practitioner, and although I have not practiced this healing modality on anyone in a while, I find it very useful to keep myself in balance.

Q: Three favorite books?

My favorite all-time favorite books are:

• “The Four Agreements” by Miguel Ruiz
• “Living, Loving, and Laughing” by Leo Buscaglia
• “Knight in Shining Armour” by Jude Deveraux

Q: What are you currently working on?

We just completed the June 2015 issue (which you [Chris] are in again). We also recently started the BUFF Box, a box of several supplement samples shipped out monthly to subscribers. It is a great way for individuals to try different products.

There are so many on the market right now, choosing can become overwhelming.

We often leave trade shows with hundreds of different single serving products, which can be even more confusing. This plan allows the athlete to try out 4-5 different products for a week. Every box sold benefits fit2survive.org, a wonderful organization that supports and empowers individuals who have lost limbs.

Fit2survive.org helps these individuals reach their fitness and athletic goals by providing education, assistance, and equipment. I look forward to seeing how much we can raise on a monthly basis for this worthy cause.

A dream of mine down the road is to open a neighborhood high-end pet supply store that will carry only natural products. My business plan is done, and when the right time presents itself, it will be an exciting new adventure.

To get more ideas on how to eat and train as a vegetarian bodybuilder, watch this video – WHAT I ATE TODAY AS A VEGAN BODYBUILDER // SQUATS & AB WORKOUT

Author Bio:

Chris Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.

V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with optimal diet and exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians only.

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.”

To find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding – How to Eat and Train as a Vegetarian Bodybuilder?

What is the Best Way to Improve Cholesterol and Heart Health?

 

Click Here to Find Out How You Can Completely Clean Out the Plaque Build-Up in Your Arteries

Improve Cholesterol and Heart Health – One Coffee Type Prevents Heart Attack—Another Causes It

Studies on coffee consumption and cardiovascular health are very contradictory.

Some studies show extreme benefits of coffee while others show extreme dangers of heart attack and stroke.

So, a team of Norwegian researchers decided to research whether the way we brew our coffee might be what makes a difference.

Indeed, one type of coffee brewing was found to significantly decrease risk of heart attack while another type increased the risk.

From 1985 onwards, the research team recruited a large sample of 508,747 healthy Norwegian adults that was roughly representative of the population regarding age, race, gender, and so on.

They observed these participants for an average of 20 years and were interested to see who would die of cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attacks.

During this period, the team also asked the subjects about their coffee drinking habits and brewing methods and recorded changes, if any.

During the 20 years of follow-up, 46,341 participants died, including 12,621 from cardiovascular disease.

Of these cardiovascular disease deaths, 6,202 were caused by heart attacks, and 2,894 were caused by strokes.

Compared with those who drank no coffee at all, those who drank filtered coffee were 15 percent less likely to die prematurely of any cause. Men were 12 percent and women were 20 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease.

Unfiltered coffee was a different matter, though, and no healthier than abstaining from coffee altogether for younger adults and causing deaths of any cause, deaths of cardiovascular disease, and deaths of heart attacks for those over the age of 60.

So why is filtered coffee healthier for our hearts than unfiltered coffee?

From the available literature, the researchers concluded that the culprits were the chemical substances in the coffee grounds and oils that remained in the coffee if it was unfiltered. These chemicals cause high cholesterol and, thus, cardiovascular disease and early death.

Using the study as a guide for coffee brewing, it means that you should stay away from Turkish coffee, which is yummy but unfiltered. Any other finely ground coffees in which the grains remain unfiltered at the bottom of your cup while you drink the liquid from the top are equally unhealthy.

A French press or any other plunger device that uses a meshed metal screen at the bottom of the plunger is not good enough to qualify as a filtering device either, as it can’t thoroughly filter out the oils from the coffee beans.

The best filters were found to be percolators with paper or fabric filters.

Improve Cholesterol and Heart Health – But coffee habits don’t make or break your risk of heart attack. In fact, there’s another ingredient that you must cut out, one that you didn’t even know you were consuming. I’ll explain this here…

Improve Cholesterol and Heart Health – This Cholesterol Combats Alzheimer’s

An excess of cholesterol wreaks havoc in our blood vessels, and researchers have now discovered it causes Alzheimer’s disease as well.

Canadian researchers examined the brains of patients who had died of Alzheimer’s disease, finding that Alzheimer’s brains contained significantly more cholesterol than non-Alzheimer’s brains.

But that’s only half the story… They also discovered that Alzheimer’s brains and healthy brains do very different things with cholesterol.

And this may hold the key to finally cure Alzheimer’s.

The Canadian team found that Alzheimer’s brains retained cholesterol while healthy brains metabolized it. This study appeared in the journal Neurobiology of Disease.

A few years later, a different team published a study in Molecular Neurodegeneration in which they actually demonstrated what happened to neurons when they loaded cholesterol into their membranes.

These neurons immediately started resembling and behaving like neurons in Alzheimer’s brains.

Compared to non-Alzheimer’s neurons, Different genes were turned on and off, the transport of proteins in those neurons were blocked, and they secreted a lot more amyloid-beta42, a protein that appears in large amounts in Alzheimer’s brains.

But at present researchers still don’t understand the exact role that cholesterol plays in the development of the disease.

Until exact cause and effect relationships can be proven, it’s best to drop cholesterol to healthy levels.

Unfortunately, traditional cholesterol diets are almost useless to improve cholesterol and heart health. Here is the one ingredient I cut out to clear up my 93% clogged arteries…

The great news about this study for Alzheimer’s is that it proves your brain is lacking one ingredient to function properly. And it’s completely free and available everywhere. Learn how to capture it here…

Improve Cholesterol and Heart Health – The Best Diet to Lower Bad Cholesterol

Hundreds of diets all claim to be the best at weight loss, cardiovascular health, and other health benefits.

But which diet works the best?

A study just published in the journal BMJ has answered this question.

There were many candidates for this short-term gain, but only ONE winner for long-term weight loss and cardiovascular health benefit.

A large multinational team of researchers reviewed 121 studies with about 22,000 participants.

In these studies, the subjects were divided into a group that followed a diet and a group that continued to eat normally. They all compared these groups based on weight and cardiovascular health factors.

In general, the diets were divided into low-fat, low-carbohydrate, and moderate macronutrient diets.

The macronutrient diet contained more vegetables, fruits, and legumes than our current diet as well as less fat and carbohydrates.

The team also looked at various popular diets, like Atkins (keto type), Mediterranean, DASH, and Zone.

Within six months of commencing the diets, all participants showed slight weight reduction and improvement in cardiovascular health.

Regarding weight loss, low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets led to a loss of between four and five kilograms (or 8.8 and 11 pounds) over the six-month period.

Moderate macronutrient diets were less effective.

Low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets were also approximately equally effective at reducing both systolic (5 mmHg) and diastolic (3 mmHg) blood pressure by six months.

Moderate macronutrient diets were less effective here too.

Low-fat and moderate macronutrient diets were the best at reducing bad LDL cholesterol, and low-carbohydrate diets were the best at increasing good HDL cholesterol—but again, only at six months.

Atkins, DASH, and Zone were approximately equally effective at reducing weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol by six months.

By 12 months, however, the picture looked quite different. By then, the cardiovascular effects and weight loss benefits of all these diets but one had disappeared.

Only the Mediterranean diet maintained its positive effects on cardiovascular health by 12 months. The largest of these effects was on cholesterol reduction.

There are three things to learn from this study.

First, our normal diet is so unhealthy that any other diet can have positive effects—in the short term, at least.

Second, if weight loss is your priority, then Atkins, DASH, and Zone are your best bets in the short term. However, if heart health is more important—which it should be—then the Mediterranean diet is the only one that maintains its positive health effects in the long term.

Third, dieting alone is not a terribly effective weight loss tool, which is why it is better to combine it with other positive lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, stress reduction, and adequate sleep.

For more ideas to improve cholesterol and heart health, watch this video –These Foods Clean Your Arteries & Can Prevent A Heart Attack

But if you want your cholesterol under control, you actually only have to cut out this ONE ingredient you didn’t even know you were consuming ….

And to drop your blood pressure below 120/80—starting today—do this simple exercise for 9 minutes ….

This post is from the Oxidized Cholesterol Strategy Program. It was created by Scott Davis. Because he once suffered from high cholesterol, so much so that he even had a severe heart attack. This is what essentially led him to finding healthier alternatives to conventional medication. Oxidized Cholesterol Strategy is a unique online program that provides you with all the information you need to regain control of your cholesterol levels and health, as a whole.

To find out more about this program, go to Improve Cholesterol and Heart Health.

How to Eat and Train Like a Vegan Pro Football Player?

 

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Build Muscle & Lose Fat By Eating Plants

VEGAN PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO PRACTICES YOGA

“Since going vegan, I have seen dramatic improvements in my overall health. I’m heavier, stronger, faster, and healthier. ”

Name: David Carter
Profession: Chicago Bears Defensive Lineman
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Height: 6’6’’
Weight: 305lbs.
Website: http://www.the300poundvegan.com

Chicago Bears defensive lineman David Carter suffered from tendonitis and fatigue in the first few years of his NFL career, and in 2014, he decided to switch to a vegan diet.

Carter lost 40 “unhealthy” pounds on his new plant-based diet and then gained lean muscle and eventually got back up to 305 pounds.

Now, Carter says he’s stronger than ever.

Q: Tell us a little about your childhood/life and how you eventually found the vegan lifestyle.

After being released from both the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys, I knew I needed to make a change. My old injuries from college were resurfacing, I was losing weight, and things like nerve damage, tendonitis, high blood pressure, and early onset arthritis were finally taking their toll on me.

“I wanted to heal myself from the inside out, and I didn’t want to be on prescription medication, so I started doing some research about veganism.”

I was no stranger to the concept of a plant-based lifestyle; my wife has been vegan for six years. So after binge-watching all the vegan documentaries, I decided I was going to go vegan.

Q: What are you up to these days besides playing ball? What else would you like to be known for?

I would like to be known for my activism. I hope to be known as someone who helped people to open their minds to the possibility of positive change for everyone: animals, the planet, and people.

There is no reason we can’t all co-exist. As far as what I’m doing right now, I’m currently in training camp with the Chicago Bears, so right now my life is all football, all the time.

Q: Do you meditate?

Yes, I do. Most of the time, I do my meditation at the end of my yoga practice. So it’s really easy for me to just flow into, since the yoga puts me in a calm, peaceful space.

But when I’m sitting down to meditate without having done yoga prior, it’s a little different.

“When I need to feel centered or clear my mind, I just sit, close my eyes, and start to focus on my breath.”

Doing that for 15-30 minutes really helps me clear my head and recharge.

Q: What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome in your life?

I’m always working on evolving. Growing constantly is a challenge, so it’s important to me. In football, in my activism, and in my personal life, I try and keep myself open to learning. Sometimes, people get in a place where they feel like they know enough to be the one teaching.

“I think we should all work on just being the student first.”

Q: What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?

Never, ever quit, because sometimes, when you’re standing for what’s right, it means you’ll be standing alone.

“So no matter what or how big the mountain is, just start climbing.”

Q: What are the dirty little secrets of Pro Ball?

There are no dirty little secrets in the league! Everybody’s business, good and bad, is unfortunately aired for the public, and the show “Hard Knocks” is as close to the truth as it gets. So there’s nothing really for me to give away.

Q: What exercises would you choose if you could only do three?

1. Push-ups
2. Burpies
3. Squats

Push-ups: They are so versatile, there are hundreds of types you can do.
Burpies: They’re an awesome full body workout.
Squats: You can’t forget about working your lower body; plus, they are extremely effective and help with explosiveness.

Q: What does your daily meal plan look like?

Ha! It looks like a lot of food! I’m taking in 10,000 cals/day and around 300g of protein.

“I try to eat 1.2 grams of protein per pound [of bodyweight]; otherwise, it’s hard to gain weight.”

• Breakfast: I mainly have a shake in the morning, then a large amount of rolled oats or millet with nuts and fruit for breakfast. I like having hearty grains in the morning.
• Lunch: Most of the time, it’s lots of veggies and a grain. I love Mexican food, so I eat a lot of rice and beans and cashew cheese.
• Dinner: I also like stir-frys, so for dinner, sometimes I eat a noddle stir-fry with veggies and spring rolls. There is so much variety in my food, I can’t give a specific look into what I eat. It’s different every single day.
• Snacks: I have a big snack or shake in between each meal.

Q: What advice about fitness in general would you give that you don’t commonly see in magazines? Your “secret sauce”?

Come on now, Chris, I can’t give away everything.

Q: What uncommon activity do you schedule into your daily routine?

Well, it’s not uncommon for me, but I like to add a little martial arts and yoga to my routine.

“It’s important for me to be a well-rounded athlete. Martial arts helps with my hands, and yoga is great for flexibility and distressing and resetting the body.”

Q: What are some common misconceptions about veganism?

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about vegans is that they believe removing animal products will make you weak. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Since going vegan, I have seen dramatic improvements in my overall health. I’m heavier, stronger, faster, and healthier.”

My recovery time and endurance have improved after becoming vegan, so I actually train even harder than before.

Q: What advice do you have for people who are thinking of becoming vegetarian?

The best advice I can give is to take it easy on yourself. Set yourself up for success. Preparation has been really important for me. I did my research, so I knew what I was getting myself into, and kept it simple.

“Making the switch to vegan or vegetarian shouldn’t be complicated.”

Q: Best piece of advice for people just trying to live a good life?

Being true to yourself is so important. Having peace and happiness for yourself first is the only way you can bring peace and happiness to others.

So working on being the best you is the first step to living your best life.

“The more real and honest you are with yourself, the easier life becomes.”

To find out how to eat and train like a vegan pro football player, watch this video – I Ate Like Cristiano Ronaldo For A Day

Author Bio:

Chris Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.

V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with optimal diet and exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians only.

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.”

To find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding – How to Eat and Train Like a Vegan Pro Football Player