Finding Ultra (37 page)

LUNCH
KEEP IT LIGHT

Once I stabilize my system, it becomes important to replenish glycogen stores with some whole-food (as opposed to liquid) complex carbohydrates. But I don't overdo it (particularly with respect to starchy, nutrient-poor foods), preferring to keep things relatively light so my energy remains high and consistent for the afternoon. So a typical lunch might be lentils, mung beans, quinoa, or steamed vegetables over a modicum of brown rice. Other options might be a salad with mixed veggies and an olive oil–based dressing—and maybe a sweet potato sprinkled with Celtic or Hawaiian sea salt. Why sea salt? In contrast to typical table salt, sea salt is unrefined and high in trace minerals that help balance electrolytes and promote optimal biological functioning.

What else do I eat? Sometimes a veggie burrito—steamed brown rice with black beans, guacamole, fresh salsa, and some veggies such as spinach and peppers lightly sautéed and wrapped in a gluten-free tortilla (Udi's makes a fine version) or mixed in a bowl. And to drink? Water and maybe a detoxifying kombucha tea—I love that stuff.

SNACKS
STOKING THE METABOLIC MACHINE

To avoid lethargy, fatigue, and a loss of mental focus between meals, it's important to continue to feed yourself light snacks to keep your metabolism churning at its peak. Develop a habit of
light grazing
—eating small snacks throughout the day. Nuts are brain food, so a handful of almonds, almond butter on gluten-free or sprouted grain toast, or a healthy trail mix is great, provided you don't overdo it on these fats. And try sipping on that thermos
smoothie blend we talked about earlier—always the best snack food option in my opinion, and a solid insurance policy against the onset of cravings that can lead to a sudden unhealthy choice. If you have time to pack a snack, some cold lentils or black beans with hot sauce is a personal favorite. Trader Joe's—a continuously expanding low-cost national grocery store chain—sells (among many other great PlantPower-friendly items) precooked lentils that I often simply eat cold right out of the package, thereby requiring
zero
prep time.

Nonetheless, at least once a week I cook a large amount of brown or basmati rice, black beans, and lentils and store them in the refrigerator. Then I pack a Tupperware bowl with some combination of these items and bring it with me for the day. It's a cheap and easy regimen that keeps me on track should I find myself unable to locate healthy food options during my workday.

And, of course, fruits are a favorite snack. Nothing beats an apple, a banana, or some berries to keep your blood sugar up. Whole foods are always best, but in a pinch, a WildBar, ProBar, Vega Sport, or Clif Bar (again, vegan) are all fine options.

DINNER
MIX IT UP

I tend to eat a large dinner, going heavy on the vegetables. For example, a large arugula salad with avocado, leeks, fennel, cucumber, sprouts, and sesame seeds or pepitas sprinkled with chia seeds and a light olive oil– or apple cider vinegar–based dressing. Also, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leeks, spinach, artichoke, and asparagus routinely make the list. Maybe I'll have a beet soup with kale chips or a nice warm vegetable broth to warm me up in the winter months, with walnut pâté spread over a baked yam—but I'm careful not to overcook, since excessive heat can destroy much of the nutritional
value. And I eat plenty of legumes, such as black beans, sprouted mung beans, lentils, chickpea hummus, and black or kidney bean chili with homemade guacamole and salsa.

What else? Well, I'll eat a sparing amount of starches and grains—brown or basmati rice and quinoa (technically a seed) top my list. Other favorites include vegan mashed potatoes with Julie's tasty mushroom gravy—or her homemade tamales, tempeh-based veggie burgers, or squash-based vegan lasagna. And I allow myself the pleasure of brown-rice (gluten-free) pasta, best with Julie's homemade tomato or vegan pesto sauce—an almond-based recipe that tastes so much like regular pesto I don't even miss the Parmesan. And if you've read the previous chapters in this book, you know I'm a big fan of Vegenaise, a grapeseed oil–based mayonnaise replacement that goes great on avocado sandwiches or in Julie's mashed potatoes and potato salad made with Bubbies brand sugar-free dill relish.

DESSERT
DAIRY-FREE DELICIOUSNESS!

Contrary to popular belief, great-tasting desserts don't require milk, butter, and eggs. How about Julie's Mayan Black Thunder Shake? A fantastic blend of coconut meat and oil, banana, cacao, and kale that rivals the best chocolate milk shake you ever had. If I've trained vigorously on a given day or am feeling overly fatigued, I might add a scoop of Jai Repair Performance Recovery Supplement to the shake to help rebuild my muscles overnight. And the kids' favorite is chia seed pudding. Despite the fact that it contains avocado, you'd be amazed at how much this superfood delight tastes just like the chocolate pudding you're used to. Other favorites: raw cookies, coconut milk–based ice cream, vegan pumpkin pie. These days you can even buy vegan marshmallows, which are surprisingly good. The list goes on and on.

I'm not advocating anyone go crazy on desserts. I'm simply saying that just because you're PlantPowered doesn't mean you should be deprived of the pleasure of a mouthwatering dessert from time to time. There are a wider variety of delicious options available than you might realize. The dessert recipes described above—and more—can be found in our
Jai Seed Vegan eCookbook
. And for information on an array of store-bought dessert options, see
Appendix III
, Resources.

Just before bed, I often eat a few Brazil nuts. As mentioned previously, this food is high in the trace mineral selenium, a powerful antioxidant activator that has been shown to naturally boost testosterone levels in men, thus aiding in the maintenance of muscle mass and the promotion of general vitality. That's particularly important given that testosterone production in men naturally diminishes with age.

A WORD ABOUT RESTAURANTS

I'm lucky. Living in Los Angeles, I'm surrounded by countless vegan- and vegetarian-oriented restaurants that offer a wide variety of PlantPower-friendly selections and exude a certain “left coast” openness to preparing “off menu” dishes to suit my taste. I realize, though, that not everyone lives in such an environment. Although plant-based and gluten-free menu options are a popular and expanding restaurant trend nationwide, they're hardly pervasive. Therefore, chances are you'll find yourself in an eatery with absolutely no acceptable or appealing entrée possibilities. What then? I'm not immune from this scenario, particularly in a business situation, where I don't always hold sway over what restaurant I'm at. And personally, I hate to make a stink. The last thing I want to do in a restaurant is draw attention to myself. We all know “that guy.” The pain in the butt who just can't eat anything and drives the waiter and those he's dining with crazy with annoying requests.
So if you're imagining yourself in just this predicament, I'm sympathetic.

With a little artful and delicate handling, however, these treacherous waters
can
be navigated. First and foremost, if you're polite—and maybe even a bit self-deprecating as opposed to self-righteous—you'll find (as I have)
that people just don't care
. It's the preachy sanctimoniousness that turns people off. So I always try to handle these social situations with a bit of humor and aplomb. What often follows is a reaction of curiosity rather than defensive annoyance. My special requests or exclusions sometimes create an intrigue that spawns a surprisingly dynamic and interesting dinner-table conversation. In the best circumstances, I leave my friends or business acquaintances rethinking their own assumptions about food. The key is to be gracious. If you stand in judgment—or try to rescue or convert—people will run for the hills.

Don't want to cause a fuss? Me neither. So pull the waiter aside when it's time to order and speak quietly with him or her so as not to be “that guy.” Or simply excuse yourself from the table and approach your waiter out of table sight. Have a friendly discussion about what you might be able to order off the menu. You may be surprised by the willingness to help.

Even in the most challenging culinary environment, I'm generally able to order something palatable: veggie sushi and vegetables such as spinach, sautéed mushrooms, and seaweed salad at Japanese restaurants; rice and veggies when eating at Chinese or Indian establishments; a veggie burrito or burrito bowl at a Mexican restaurant; a salad, baked potato, and side of steamed vegetables at a steak house; pasta and tomato sauce when dining Italian (although be careful; some homemade restaurant pastas contain eggs, so be sure to ask); and large salads with vinaigrette virtually anywhere.

Veggie burgers also seem to be everywhere these days. The worst-case eating scenario for a vegan? French fries. Obviously,
some of these foods are far from ideal. The point is to do the best you can, then move on.

As previously discussed, my best strategy is to be prepared for these scenarios by always having nearby a thermos of home-brewed smoothie, maybe a bowl of rice and lentils, or various healthy snack items. That way I can nourish myself just prior to entering a restaurant that is unlikely to offer proper fare, eat light from the best option available, and leave content.

JAI LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Roll, Rich, and Julie Piatt
.
Jai Seed Vegan eCookbook
,

www.jai-lifestyle.com/cookbook

A digital coffee table–style e-book download for the iPad generation,
Jai Seed
contains seventy-seven pages of PlantPower nutritional information and easy-to-prepare recipes that Julie and I have developed and refined over the last five years, many of which are referenced throughout this book. Containing a delicious array of Vitamix blends, appetizers, meals, sauces, and desserts,
Jai Seed
is a cookbook for athletes and families alike.

Jai Repair Performance Recovery Formula,
www.jailifestyle.com

A plant-based athletic recovery supplement I formulated in cooperation with microbiologist Compton Rom of Ascended Health, Jai Repair contains a complete amino acid profile comprised of the purest and most bioavailable pea, brown rice, and hemp proteins required for proper muscle maintenance and development. Enhanced with a robust and entirely unique blend of endurance-promoting Cordyceps mushroom extracts and further augmented with L-glutamine, vitamin B
₁₂
, and an array of powerful antioxidants such as resveratrol and more, Jai Repair is a proprietary PlantPower blend scientifically devised to expedite maximum physiological repair induced by exercise stress and promote optimum wellness.

Jai Renew Detox and Cleansing Program,
www.jailifestyle.com

A comprehensive plant-based detoxifying protocol specifically conceived and formulated to assist the body in making the transition to a PlantPower lifestyle. Nourishing and 100 percent natural, Jai Renew is intended as a gentle bridge to kick-start the changing role of food in your life on the road to long-term optimum wellness.

Jai Release Meditation Programs,
www.jailifestyle.com

Thirty-minute instructional guided meditation practice audio programs with musical accompaniment and mantras, produced, arranged, and recorded by Julie Piatt. Beginner and advanced versions available for download.

Jai Lifestyle website,
www.jailifestyle.com

Founded by Julie and me in 2009, Jai Lifestyle is a wellness company focused on promoting optimum sustainable wellness through PlantPower nutrition, exercise, yoga, and meditation. The website features PlantPower nutritional information and newsletters, instructional cooking videos, recipe updates, and related products and services, including PlantPower workshops and retreats.

SriMati,
www.srimatimusic.com

The debut album of Julie (aka SriMati). All songs written by SriMati; performed by SriMati and our sons, Tyler Piatt and Trapper Piatt.

ADDITIONAL PLANT-BASED NUTRITION PRIMERS AND COOKBOOKS