Thrive Fitness

Guayaki yerba maté is shade-grown under the natural jungle canopy, thereby shielding its leaves from direct sunlight, keeping them supple. Unlike yerba maté that is produced in plantation-style farms, Guayaki is grown with the jungle, not instead of the jungle. This type of agriculture helps preserve the natural ecosystem and is good for local farmers since they can make more money by selling maté than they could by clearing the land to graze cattle. I use Guayaki yerba maté in several of my recipes; it’s particularly good in the exercise-specific ones. Available in most health food stores and online.

Maine Coast: sea vegetables

With a focus on sustainability, Maine Coast harvests wild organic sea vegetables by hand off the coast of Maine. I use many of its seaweeds in my recipes because they are premium quality and free of toxins. The company’s wide variety of sea vegetables are available in most health food stores, many grocery stores, and online.

Mum’s Original: hemp

Mum’s Original grows premium quality hemp, turning it into hemp raw protein powder, hemp seed, cold-pressed oil, and flour — all also top quality. Never using herbicides or pesticides on its products, Mum’s Original is a first-rate model of sustainable agriculture. The company uses a low temperature milling process that preserves all the natural goodness of the plant, further increasing its food value. Available in most health food stores, many grocery stores, and online.

Mizuno: shoes, clothing

I wear Mizuno clothing and shoes while training. Their fit and quality is unsurpassed.

Monkey Bar Gym: training equipment

Monkey Bar Gym was founded by Jon Hinds, former strength coach of the LA Clippers, advisor to MLB and NFL teams, and personal trainer to numerous fit celebrities. His website is a bountiful resource of training and nutrition information. It also offers numerous innovative fitness products for sale, including the Jungle Gym. When ordering products from www.monkeybargym.com, enter the code “thrivefitness” at checkout to receive a free sample of Vega nutritional products.

O.N.E.: coconut water

O.N.E. is 100 percent natural coconut water, with no preservatives. It’s naturally filtered for nine months through the fibers of the coconut, creating a pure isotonic beverage — a convenient and practical alternative to hacking open fresh young coconuts with a machete. O.N.E coconut water is bottled at the source in Brazil; therefore the rest of the coconut doesn’t need to be transported, which saves energy and therefore fossil fuel. I use O.N.E. as the base of my sport drinks and in several other recipes. Available in most health food stores and some grocery stores.

Organics Unlimited: bananas, plantains

Organically grown on carefully cared-for farms in nutrient-rich soil, Organics Unlimited bananas and plantains are premium quality. The GROW Foundation — Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers — is a non-profit organization started by Organics Unlimited that’s dedicated to helping farm laborers make better lives for themselves and their families. Available in some health food stores and select grocery stores.

Salba

Salba is the most nutritionally dense form of chia available. Salba is grown in the extremely nutrient-rich soil surrounding the Amazon Basin in Peru, where it flourishes. Salba white chia has a higher percentage of both protein and omega-3 than standard chia. I add salba to many of my salads. Available in health food stores.

Sambazon: Açaí

These importers of high-quality açaí berries from Brazil pack them within two days of their harvest to maintain top nutrient value. They are then frozen or freeze-dried and shipped to the United States so their nutritional value stays at its peak. Sambazon helps preserve the Amazon rainforest by paying small family farmers fair wages, thereby making it more lucrative for the locals to harvest açaí than to sell the trees for lumber.

Sequel Naturals: maca, chlorella

Along with my Vega products, Sequel Naturals produces MacaSure and ChlorEssence.

MacaSure is made from 100 percent organic maca root, grown traditionally in the nutrient-rich volcanic soil of the high Andean highlands of Peru. The gelatinization process used to remove the starch from the maca improves the maca’s absorption and concentrates the active ingredients (note that gelatinization does not include the use of gelatin).

ChlorEssence-brand chlorella contains the highest CGF concentration of any brand of chlorella, with values ranging from 18 to 25 percent. ChlorEssence is grown outdoors in rich, spring-fed freshwater ponds on subtropical Japanese coral islands. Unlike some chemically cracked cell chlorella, ChlorEssence cell walls are jet-sprayed to achieve over 80 percent digestibility without compromising potency or shelf life.

I use MacaSure and ChlorEssence in my Vega formulation. Available in most health food stores, some grocery stores, and online.

Thrive in 30

Thrive in 30 is a free 30-day online program made up of concise written and video segments that I created to help busy people transition to a high-performance, plant-based diet. It also includes training suggestions based on what brought me success as an endurance athlete. Extracted from THRIVE: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life, and on this book, the information provided can be seamlessly applied to any lifestyle for significant results.

Touch Organic: green and white tea

Touch Organic’s Green Tea Series consist of high-quality organic tea blends that are produced at the source in southeastern China. I use these teas in several of my recipes to infuse them with flavor and extra nutrition. They can be found in major grocery, health, pharmacy, and specialty stores.

Vita-Mix: blender

Blending and processing in a Vita-Mix machine maintains the natural state of food and, at the same time, improves the bioavailability of nutrients by liquefying. I use a Vita-Mix when making many of my recipes, including soups, sauces, smoothies, and energy gels. This machine features a powerful motor and top-quality materials and workmanship, and is designed to last. Its sharp, stainless-steel blades easily cut through all kinds of vegetables — even harder ones such as carrots. The Vita-Mix is the most versatile and most reliable kitchen appliance I have. Available online.

Vega: plant-based whole food products

Guayaki: yerba maté

Maine Coast: sea vegetables

Mum’s Original: hemp

Mizuno: shoes, clothing

Monkey Bar Gym: training equipment

O.N.E.: coconut water

Organics Unlimited: bananas, plantains

Salba

Sambazon: Açaí

Sequel Naturals: maca, chlorella

Thrive in 30

Touch Organic: green and white tea

Vita-Mix: blender