Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life

the Thrive Diet, they are a good addition to any eating plan, especially when you are feeling rundown. By following the Thrive Diet 12-Week Meal Plan, you will reap the benefits of healthy eating; these foods simply offer additional support.
     

açaí
     
    Most noted for their exceptionally high antioxidant level, açaí berries are native to the Amazon. Similar to blueberries in size and texture, açaí berries have a deep purple tint. Also rich in essential fatty acids and fiber, these berries are slightly more protein rich than most. Trace mineral levels are high and phytonutrients are rich. In North America, the most common form of açaí is as powder or in frozen packs. The powder is ideal for adding to pancakes, mixing with juice and nut milks or adding to smoothies. Frozen açaí packs can be eaten as a more nutritious alternative to frozen juice bars or substituted for the fruit component of a smoothie.
     

chlorella
     
    One of the finest superfoods in nature is chlorella, a single-celled freshwater microscopic green algae. I could write a whole book just on chlorella’s amazing attributes and practical applications. Capable of reproducing itself four times every 24 hours, chlorella is the fastest growing plant on earth. It also contains more chlorophyll and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) than any other known plant. It’s no surprise that chlorella is the number one food supplement in land-scarce Japan, where it is used regularly by 10 million people.
     
    Chlorella is being investigated in the West as a “land saver.” Its amazing rate of growth has made it a subject of study for scientists who aim to improve yields of food-producing land. Chlorella is 65 percent protein, making it by far the most environmentally efficient method of protein production. Contrast this to whey protein, for which grazing land is needed for the cattle and farm land is needed to grow grain to feed the cows; the cows must then be milked, the whey extracted from the milk, the protein extracted from the whey, and so on—all a draw on resources. Plus, since chlorella has the highest level of chlorophyll of any organism, the protein remains alkaline, thus speeding recovery from daily wear and tear and after exercise.
     
    Chlorella is a complete food; it can also be considered a vitamin and mineral supplement. Nutritionally, chlorella is a true superfood, containing a high amount of protein, essential fatty acids, and a plethora of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. As well, chlorella contains the elusive (at least, in the plant kingdom) vitamin B12, which is extremely difficult for vegetarians to find in forms other than manufactured tablets. Chlorella provides it, naturally.
     
    Chlorella possesses 19 amino acids. Among them are all 10 of the essential ones (those that must be obtained through diet; the body cannot manufacture them). Therefore, chlorella is a complete protein. These amino acids, in conjunction with naturally occurring enzymes, are the most easily absorbed and utilized form of protein. The ease with which these amino acids can be utilized means this is an easy task for the body. Many other complete proteins are much more energy intensive to digest.
     
    So complete is this wonder-food that, when consuming nothing other than chlorella, human life can be sustained for an extended period. This was discovered by NASA when the space agency was looking at ways to sustain astronauts for space travel.
     
    Chlorella’s detoxification properties, another key component of the plant, has recently garnered attention in the West. As we know all too well, our air and water quality is declining, and there really is no practical way to avoid our exposure to it. I choose chlorella as a daily body detoxifier. It helps reduce stress on the system from environmental pollutants. At times, I have no choice but to ride my bike on streets with heavy traffic, en route to more suitable training grounds, meaning I must pass through polluted air. Chlorella helps reduce cellular damage caused by free radicals produced by vehicle emissions.
     
    Daily consumption of chlorella is a perfect example of a preventative measure to build better health via a stronger body. Directly enhancing the immune system at a cellular level, chlorella treats the cause of any possible breach—as opposed to fighting the onset of sickness (as is all too often done with pharmaceutical drugs).
     
    Nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) and chlorella growth factor (CGF), a