This week’s new product is from Sequel Naturals.  Brendan Brazier, Canadian and Ironman Triathlete, has had an amazing career as an endurance athlete.  He won the National 50km Ultra Marathon in 2006 and has competed many times in the Canadian Ironman,  Brendan’s story is unique in that he is one of the few professional triathletes who competes at the highest level of his sport as a vegan.  You can read his bio here. Branden is the author of the Thrive Diet available for purchase on Amazon (dying to read!)  Branden wrote his book which is largely based on a plant-based diet while recovering from a car accident in 2004.   Later he partnered with Canadian company Sequel Naturals to replicate the smoothies he had been making in his kitchen for years.

Since I don’t know much about Hemp Protein, I contacted the PR person for Sequel Naturals on the reasons and benefits of hemp protein versus whey.  I also wanted to know as an athlete when is the best time to use the product- as I’ve read that whey protein is great for recovery but soy protein is better for during your workout or before.   Soy and Hemp are both plant based proteins- so I’m assuming that both would be fine before or after.

Here is some info from Sequel Naturals:

• Vega is made from whole, plant-based foods filled with natural essential nutrients, whereas whey typically includes additives and preservatives.
• Vega is highly alkaline, whey is acidic (as are animal proteins). A highly acidic diet has been shown to lead to illnesses and disease such as cancer.
• Vega has just as much protein per serving as whey so it makes a great addition to your post-workout recovery
• Vega is nutrient dense so it provides your body with what it needs without any additional energy being used for digestion (ever notice you get tired after a big meal?)

Smoothie Infusion: Designed to add wholesome nutrients to your smoothie recipes.  Below is the ingredients and you won’t find any added sugars or artificial flavors.  It is definitely GOOD for you! Although, I should say that I need a whole banana, nonfat yogurt, berries and juice or soy milk, and ice to cover up the taste of the grass.  I have been enjoying it but it’s one of those things that you can taste the goodness in it!

Yellow pea protein, organic hemp protein, organic sprouted flax seeds, organic brown rice protein, organic green food blend (spirulina, organic wheat grass, organic alfalfa grass, organic barley grass, organic spinach, organic sprouted broccoli, organic kale, organic kelp, organic dulse), inulin (from chicory root), natural flavors, xanthan gum.

Next Product: Vega Complete Whole Food Optimizer:

Of the three flavors tested, I enjoyed the chocolate flavor the best.  It’s pretty amazing what this product has in it!  Check this out: It’s equal to 4 slices of whole wheat bread, 1 serving of Salmon, 3 cups of spinach and 4 large eggs- just to name a few.  This is a WHOLE MEAL at 240 calories when mixed with water.   For raw vegans, I would expect this product to be a hit!  In my household, we just used half a serving size in a smoothie recipe.  This, I just realized, is an incredibly high fiber product (15 grams) so it may cause some unexpected NOISE.

WHOLE FOOD ENERGY BARS:  These were great!  My husband eats two bars a day and loved these!  They have a similar taste and texture as a LARABAR with added nutritients; such as

• 10g of complete raw protein for easy digestion
• 6g of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber
• 6g of sprouts, rich in enzymes and phytonutrients
• 4.5g of omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids

All the products we’ve tried, we loved.  Brendan was born in ’75 and he has all these amazing products his’ created, a book, The Thrive Diet A Whole Food Way of Life, Reduce Stress and Stay Healthy for LIfe, The Thrive Dieta nd one more coming out next year!  That’s a pretty amazing accomplishment for a young guy!   As an athlete myself,  I find it incredibly difficult to get as much protein as I should on a daily basis and these products would be a great addition to any athletes diet.  Brendan also writes for several different magazines and has a blog here.  I thought the whole body weight workout looked perfect.

These products can be found in your local health food store as well as online.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?