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Super Healthy Eating and Quick Fitness Tips

A morning smoothie is a simple way to start your day with a strong nutritional foundation. It's an easy way to ensure nutrient density, and keep you satisfied until lunch, and is a much better option than other sugar-laden options on shelf.
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young fitness woman runner running at forest trail
lzf via Getty Images
young fitness woman runner running at forest trail

I love eating healthy and try to incorporate quick heathy tips to every meal.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to speak with Brendan Brazier. Brendan is a former professional Ironman triathlete, bestselling author and formulator of the award-winning plant-based Vega nutritional products.

Brendan shared his top tips on eating healthy and quick fitness tips for a busy schedule.

What are the healthy eating options celebrities are using these days?

Celebrities that I am working with are mostly transitioning to a completely plant-based diet for health, fitness and athletic performance reasons. My thrive journey to help others choose purpose-driven, clean, plant-based foods has really gained momentum in the Hollywood spotlight the last five years.

What are the top celebrity fitness tips?

Just like us, celebrities are limited with time. I have been doing an incredible amount of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts with my friends and clients, because you get in a strength building, cardiovascular improving workout in a very short amount of time by increasing the intensity.

What advice would you have for a person wanting to start healthy eating habit?

A morning smoothie is a simple way to start your day with a strong nutritional foundation. It's an easy way to ensure nutrient density, and keep you satisfied until lunch, and is a much better option than other sugar-laden options on shelf. Dark leafy greens, unsweetened non-dairy milk, low-sugar frozen fruit and shake mix are my go-to smoothie ingredients.

How to start daily exercise in a busy life?

My best advice is to find an activity that you love. For me, running and cycling are my outlets. I just really like getting out for long runs or bike rides. There are great hills where I live in the mountains and it's just amazing cycling. I started doing this just because I like it, so I never had to push myself into training. It's always just been something I wanted to do, so I guess that makes it easy.

Finding time for either biking or running isn't a chore; it's something I look forward to in my daily schedule.

Is it possible to perform at a top level on a vegan diet?

Absolutely. Making the shift towards clean, plant-based nutrition allowed me to fuel my better and forge a seven-year profession as an Ironman triathlete. I was not born an athlete -- I had to work hard to reach an elite level. But over and over again I found myself plateauing even though I was putting in the hours of training. It wasn't until I took at closer look at my diet, and started to incorporate more nutrient dense, high net-gain plant-based foods that I was able to recover faster and perform better.

Are there any foods that can act as a great pre-workout snack?

Of course. My favourite sources of pre-workout fuel include:

· Dates: High-glycemic and easily digestible carbohydrate, best eaten 30 minutes before a workout. You can eat them dry, or blend with coconut oil and agave to make a spread for toast, or toss them in a smoothie.

· Coconut Oil: Try using coconut oil instead of butter one to three hours pre-workout, or blending with dates immediately before you work out.

· Green Tea: Caffeine from green tea feels steadier and less jittery than the spike and crash with caffeine from coffee. This is likely because green tea contains L-Theanine, an amino acid found in tea that helps promote relaxation. Drink hot or cold pre-workout.

· Yerba Maté: Rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients and electrolytes. Drink hot or cold pre-workout.

What is in your morning smoothie?

If I am travelling, I will grab a shaker and shake mix with water for convenience. If I am at home and have more time on my hand, my go-to morning smoothie is french vanilla mix, raw almond butter, almond milk and a handful of frozen blueberries.

Your suggestions are always welcome as I continue on my journey to enjoy life to the fullest. Let's have the very best 2015!

Visit Sacha daily at SachaD.com

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