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Veganism from the Latino's Perspective.

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Personal Trainer

Decisions in Vegan Nutrition

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Many of us have the bad habits of trying to eat things that might not be as healthy as we think they are. In the perfect world everything edible, with moderation, would bring nutritional value. Reality is everything, edible by humans does not necessarily mean nutritious.

I have been vegetarian for 6+ years and at almost one year of being vegan, I can say that I can still find many ways to improve what I eat.

My enemy Sugar

Every once in a while my archenemy, Sugar, starts to battle with me and more times than I want to admit, she wins.

I have found many healthier options when it comes to cookies, but I can still eliminate those options completely.

Vegan Beer and Spirits

Every once in a while I will have a drink or two making sure it is a spirit or beer that is made in a vegan friendly way. I use the Vegan is Easy app to help me decide which ones are vegans and which ones are not. But I would be better off not having any drinks.

To learn more about Vegan friendly spirits and beer, feel free to go to Barnivore Vegan Alcohol Directory and download their iPhone app.

Organic Farmer’s Market is Very Important

For quite some time we have been visiting the local Organic Farmer’s Market and making sure we get as much fresh, organic foods while supporting our local farmers.

My biggest commitment to nutrition is tied to giving a good example for my daughter to follow. In her case at 21 months old she is still breastfed and vegetarian.

As individuals we are prone to take the less healthy route when eating. But when we think about our role as parents, our minds shift and make sure we make the best choice; not only for our daughter but for ourselves as we are the primary caregivers.

Our biggest Challenge is the Family our Dog

I also see the importance in keeping our dogs healthy and the great options of dog food that are available for them. I started thinking on how to improve the quality of lifestyle of my Labrador Juanga. What I find curious is how people would sometimes feed their dog a more strict and healthier diet than what they feed their kids and themselves. In our house it is the opposite and we might need to fix that.

Nutritious and Healthy Drinks

At our local farmer’s market, we purchase juices from Martin and Itege, our Rastafarian Vegan Friends, who are encyclopedias of nutrition. Martin and Itege have a unique way of offering vegan and even medicinal drinks that have great taste and are nutritious.

Leading by Example

As parents we need to lead by example. Seeking options for kids that are fun to eat, with a high nutritional value, and with great taste is a challenge everyone should sign up for.

I try to give my daughter the best and there is a lot more to learn. I think we have done a great job, but we still have many more years of learning and exchanging information with those who care about nutrition.

In what ways do you identify and find great tasting food options that are healthy for your family?

A Veglatino supporter & collaborator needs your Votes for SXSWi

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A Veglatino supporter & collaborator needs your Votes for SXSWi

Our friend and collaborator Pamela Hernandez needs your vote on her proposed panel for SXSW (South By Southwest) interactive.

Pamela has always shared our tweets and has also done guests posts here on veglatino.com.

She always has great information to share and who better than her to give tips on how we call can take care of ourselves.

Vegetarian Personal Trainer

Pamela is vegetarian and a Personal trainer and also a small business owner. She is always willing to help and share. So I ask of you to go by SXSW panel picker and give Pamela Hernandez your vote.

“Your most precious capital is you”

I want to see more topics related to managing a business without forgetting to take care of us, which sometimes as a small business owner becomes so difficult.

Please support Pamela with your vote!

Description

What would happen to your business if something happened to you? Most entrepreneurs take great care to plan and care for all aspects of their business except for the one that may be the most important of all: their own health and wellness. The most important investment you may make is in your fitness. Learn how get more energy and be more productive by adding fitness to your business plan. We will discuss fitting exercises into a busy schedule, how to workout anywhere and how the technology we love can help us be healthy.

Questions Answered

  1. How much exercise do I need for good health?
  2. I’ve got 30 minutes to exercise, what do I do?
  3. I don’t have money for a gym membership, what do I do?
  4. I’m on the road most of the time, what kind of workout can I do on the road?
  5. What are the best fitness apps and technology tools?

Vote for Pamela

Not Your Average Personal Trainer

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I like to think of myself as not your average personal trainer.

For one, I was not an athlete growing up. I was the “fat kid” who would rather be in a corner with a book than outside playing. I didn’t find fitness until my early 20s. Thankfully, I have been hooked ever since.

Another reason is because I am a vegetarian.  I have met more than one prospective client who’s also a vegetarian who breathed a big sigh of relief when they found out I am one as well. It seems when you mention this to some other trainers, they either insist you must eat meat to be healthy or give you a blank stare because they know nothing about a vegetarian lifestyle.

Due to their lack of knowledge or unwillingness to find out more, it can become a very awkward relationship.

The beginning of my own fitness journey actually started when I became a vegetarian for the second time. I was a vegetarian for a couple of years in high school, but not in a good way. Believe me, a vegetarian diet is not inherently a healthy one. I lived off of bread, cheese, french fries, pizza, and any other number of carb laden fast food options.

In college, on my own for the first time, I drifted back to eating meat. Over time, though, I could tell my body didn’t feel right.  So when I made the resolve to get healthy and fit I knew meat had to leave my diet again.

Despite what some trainers might think, my health and fitness improved without meat in my diet.  My energy level immediately improved.  I ate a more varied diet because I couldn’t rely on the staples of chicken, tuna and salmon. I became more creative in the kitchen, especially as the years went by and I moved away from many of the processed vegetarian options like veggie sausages and veggie frozen meals.  I believe my health and fitness level owe a great deal to being vegetarian not in spite of my vegetarian lifestyle.

If I am working with a client who is a vegetarian, or who is interested in making the transition, we always cover some basics as part of their nutrition plan.

  • First lesson: Eliminating meat from your diet will not automatically cause you to lose weight. As I mentioned, from my own experience, you can still eat plenty of junk non-meat foods.  Eating too much of anything, including bread, fruit and nuts, can make you unfit and overweight.
  • Second lesson: You still need plenty of protein. Many proponents of a plant based diets advocate a pretty low percentage of calories from protein. For an athlete, I typically recommend 1 g of protein per lb of bodyweight. My personal goal is around 110-140 g per day.
  • Third lesson: Where do I get my protein? Most foods have protein, just some more than others. If you’re still eating eggs they are, biologically speaking, one of the best sources of protein out there. Tofu, seitan, beans, nuts, nut butters, lentils, peas, edamame, quinoa and tempeh are all excellent sources of protein.