Raw vegan NHL player stays muscular with these foods

I recently had the chance to sit down with former NHL Right Wing for the Montreal Canadians, Georges Laraque, at the Raw Aura restaurant hosted by Chef Douglas McNish.

Georges shared that he’s a strict 100% vegan and 80% raw, and he was this way even when he was on the ice.

I asked him how he is able to maintain enough muscle mass while competing in the NHL on a raw vegan diet.

His advice: “Tons of kale. Lots of goji berries, as they’re a complete protein, full of amino acids. It was very important for me to eat a lot of cooked quinoa when I was on the ice. Vega protein powder helped me as well.”

Georges went vegan for animal rights purposes, but now reports that he’s never felt better, and he wishes he had made the decision years ago. A quote from his official website states, “my energy level is stronger and my strength has increased too. My health has never been better in all areas.”

He goes on to say, “If you want to try to be a vegetarian, but are under the impression that you will not get enough protein or that you will look skinny, rest assured that there is tons of protein in vegetarian products that are much better for your health because vegetarian products aren’t filled with the cholesterol that animal protein is filled with.”

“Some of the greatest athletes in the world are vegetarians like retired four-time NBA champion John Salley, Carl Lewis (who was named Olympian of the Century by Sports Illustrated), NFL’s Tony Gonzalez and the MLB’s Prince Fielder among others.”

We love Georges tremendously for his compassion towards animals, his passion for activism, and the fact that although he was the most feared player on the ice, he was one of the kindest ones off the rink.

Have a look at his campaign for Haiti, view the film Earthlings which converted him towards veganism, or book a spot on a raw vegan retreat to learn how to go vegan yourself.

Follow Georges on Twitter here.

53 tactics to stay healthy at work

Tiny, tactical changes in the way you live at work can have a significant impact on your health if repeated 365 times a year.

If you increase activity for just 4 minutes a day, over a year, that could be a pound of fat you kept off. Does a pound sound insignificant? Hold a pound of butter in your hand. You don’t want that on your body, do you?

Here are some ways that you can make minuscule changes to see results.

During your commute

1. Park at the farthest end of the parking lot
2. Get off one station before your subway stop and walk the rest of the way
3. Stand up on the subway instead of sitting down – it burns more calories and strengthens leg muscles
4. Always take the stairs over the elevator or escalator
5. Put a small weight or heavy object in your briefcase and lift it a few times as you walk
6. Strap velcro weights to your ankles
7. Walk back and forth while you’re waiting for your train instead of sitting down – an extra 200 steps a day equals pounds per year
8. Leave your heels or dress shoes at work and walk or bike home

At the office

1. When you first arrive, fill up 2 pints of water and keep them at your desk
2. Print to the farthest printer from your desk and walk the extra steps
3. Instead of calling or emailing a co-worker, get up and walk to their desk
4. Sit on a swiss ball instead of a regular chair to build core muscles
5. Offer to help anytime someone is moving or lifting anything (safely – use your legs, not your back)
6. Put a small aloe or cactus plant on your desk to improve air quality: CO2 in, O2 out
7. Crack a window to let some fresh air circulate – outdoor air is cleaner than indoor air and helps you concentrate
8. Clean out your desk of clutter – it’ll help you clear up mental clutter and focus on the moment
9. Eat 15 minutes earlier than you normally do – when you’re starving, you’re more likely to make poor choices
10. If you work late, go for a stroll around the block at 5pm when emails die down
11. When cookies are floating around at the office, make sure they don’t park at your desk. Out of sight, out of mind
12. Plan meetings with colleagues off-site at a local café – anything to get outside and walking
13. Strive to meet with superiors over a game of squash, tennis, or golf instead of in a boardroom
14. If you have input into the office social, suggest an activity like rock climbing, soccer, or volleyball
15. Keep your healthy snacks on your desk within arm’s reach. How often have you eaten a bag of chips simply because the bowl was beside you at a party? Leverage that effect in a positive way
16. Ditch the tray. If you eat at a cafeteria, using a tray makes it more likely for you to pile on items that you don’t need, just because you have the space. (Source)
17. Avoid chairs like the plague. Stand up while you wait for someone in the lobby instead of using a chair. Offer your chair to others when there aren’t enough. Studies show that those who have to be on their feet at work have similar levels of cardio health as those who sit all day but work out at night (Source)
18. Pack a healthy lunch. No time? Buy a bag of groceries and assemble it in your work kitchen
19. If your workplace provides snacks, ask them to substitute healthier options in place of pastries without changing the budget
20. Always keep lemons in the fridge to add to your water. This increases your vitamin C consumption and you’re more likely to burn more fat when you end up working out (Source)
21. Set visual reminders: leaving post-it notes on your steering wheel or computer screen can increase motivation. Try: “book a tennis date”, “drink water at 2pm” or “pick up kale tonight.” (Source)
22. If you have to buy your lunch, choose healthier restaurant chains such as Freshii, Fit for Life, Cruda or Fresh
23. Reward yourself with a spa day after every batch of 20 workouts or 20 consecutive healthy lunches
24. Make a deal with your manager where you may work-out during lunch for a hour, take lunch, and stay an extra hour at work. It also makes for a more productive afternoon
25. “Keep the lid closed:” One study found that on days where a cafeteria left the lid open of their ice cream cooler produced twice as many sales of ice cream. When the lid was closed, sales were cut in half. Find ways to make it inconvenient for you to indulge

Using a health buddy

The buddy system – that is, getting a friend to partner in you in your health commitment – is a proven way to exercise more and eat healthier. Here are some ways to leverage it.

1. Take turns making lunch. You make a healthy lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and they get Mondays and Wednesdays. The more people are involved, the better this gets
2. Call each other once a week to ask how much they exercised. One study showed that those who reported how much they exercised increased their activity levels
3. If you keep delaying booking an appointment with a trainer or food allergist, book your friend’s and have your friend book yours
4. Set gym dates or jump on the #morninglife trend: Wake up early, work out together, and share breakfast
5. Buy a subscription to a health magazine for your buddy on their birthday. Have it delivered to the office so you can both enjoy the health inspiration
6. Sign up for a triathlon together. If you back-out, you have to pay your friend’s entrance fee.
7. Start an office competition — contribute a dollar every time you do not work out and top 3 contestants split the cash
8. Start an office sports team

At home

1. Drink a pint of water as soon as you wake up and before you go to bed to clean up your system
2. Set your alarm 5 minutes earlier to do 4 minutes of crunches and push-ups
3. Get a mini trampoline: 10 minutes of jumping is the equivalent to 30 minutes of running (Source)
4. On Sunday night, create Ziploc bags full of healthy snacks for the week
5. Make a green smoothie in the morning – it kills cravings all day (Source)
6. Carry a basket instead of pushing a cart at the grocery store to help build muscle
7. Whatever’s on your shopping list, always fill half of your basket with produce
8. Bring fresh workout clothes to the office so you’re always prepared for the gym
9. Sleep in complete darkness to ensure circadian rhythms aren’t disrupted and thus, food cravings at a minimum (Source)
10. Get your organic groceries delivered to your door. Discouraged by the delivery charge? Think about what happens if you don’t buy groceries and end up spending the $10 on junk food at work
11. Get healthy meals or snacks delivered to your desk
12. Studies show that willpower can be replenished and depleted. Replenish your willpower by delaying chores for an hour while you catch up on your favourite blogs or play with your kids (Source)

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