How to Do the Thrive Diet

The Thrive diet, created by triathlete Brendan Brazier, is a vegan diet that enables athletes to perform at their top level. However, anyone can follow the Thrive diet, not just athletes. It's based on whole foods and the idea of nutrient-dense foods--foods that pack a large amount of nutrition into a small number of calories. It's not a suitable diet for those that insist on eating meat and junk food. But the Thrive diet can help you feel better and avoid the degenerative diseases that often come with age.

Instructions

1

Eliminate meat, dairy and other animal products from your diet. These foods often contain a high number of calories and fat per gram and provide relatively little nutritional value in the form of vitamins and minerals.

2

Stock your kitchen with nutrient-dense foods. Primarily, you should purchase fresh produce. Start by buying foods that you know you like to eat, which will help you to stick with the diet. As time goes on, you can try new foods and experiment with new recipes.

3

Aim to eat a high percentage of raw foods. According to Brazier, cooking destroys some of the digestive enzymes that are naturally present in food. Raw food is easier to digest and retains more nutrients. Brazier's book Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life, includes several recipes to make this easier.

4

Incorporate legumes into your diet. Legumes are a valuable source of vegetable protein. You can use them in salads or cook them in stews.

5

Make Thrive energy bars for on-the-go snacks and meals, using recipes for energy bars made of whole foods. You can make these ahead of time and easily take them with you wherever you go. This ensures that you will always have something to eat when you get hungry.

6

Incorporate exercise for best results. Because Brazier is an athlete, you can expect his diet plan to recommend a hefty amount of exercise. If you are new to exercising, start slowly to avoid injury.