1. Panz Veggie

With decadent flavours an extensive menu, Panz Veggie hits the spot for chinese food cravings. The menu has something for everyone, and the large portions are perfect for a family style meal. Owner Livia is always happy to share her secrets, like where she gets her delicious soy nuggets, and the best egg alternatives! My favourites: wonton soup and eggplant hotpot- yum!

2. Chickpea

The next level up from the famous Vancouver food truck Chickpea, owners Rotem and Itemar opened up the restaurant of the same name in the summer of 2017. Drawing inspiration (and names) from classic Israeli and mediterranean cuisine, Chickpea puts a plant-based twist on popular dishes that are sure to leave you absolutely full and satisfied. I especially appreciate that the vegetables in the meals are celebrated as just that- vegetables. Their flavours stand out- they’re not cooked to taste like meat- and are made into such comforting meals. We knew right away that their pitas weren’t from Vancouver- they are perfectly fluffy and brought in from an Israeli bakery in Ontario. My top picks: A sabich (the ‘ch’ is pronounced like a hard ‘h’) hummus platter to share with a friend, or the malawach wrap for brunch!

3. Virtuous Pie

Definitely a big name in the vegan scene, Virtuous Pie continues to prove it’s not just a pizza place. Although the pizza is fantastic, the reason VP made this place is for all of their other menu items. Their new mac and cheese dish is wonderfully light, their ice cream flavours consistently surprise me, and their homemade cheese blows other vegan cheese options out of the water. What I love is that the majority of their ingredients are made in-house, including their light dough, cheese, and ice cream. My top picks: Stranger wings and Ultraviolet pizzas, and the Mermaid ice cream for dessert!

Mika Fogelman- Client Care Manager

Mika is passionate about helping others in any way she can. Having danced since she was five years old, she discovered excitement for fitness through teaching Zumba dance fitness classes, and loves to help others develop their confidence through exercise.

The post Our 3 Favourite Vancouver Vegan Restaurants first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.

by Cara Roth – B.Sc. Biology, Holistic Nutritionist

How much protein is enough?

In North America, we often actually eat much more protein than needed. Unfortunately, it’s poor quality protein combined with refined carbohydrates, which leads to a health disaster.

“The typical American diet is defined by a greater intake of red meat, high-sugar desserts, high-fat foods and refined flour. It also usually contains high-fat dairy products, artificially sweetened drinks and eggs. According a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007-2008, this diet provides a net protein intake of 101.9 grams to males and 70.1 grams to females a day—more than double the recommended daily allowance as suggest by national dietary guidelines.”

Article by Shariq Shamim

I’m not including this quote to say that red meat, eggs or high fat dairy is bad for you, actually, it’s the opposite. But there’s more to the story.

What about Athletes? How Much is Enough?

If you’re a serious athlete, elite coaches and ultra endurance athletes tend to side on consuming more protein than the general recommendations for athletes. About 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. While recommendations vary from 1.4 and up, around 2.0 seems to be a sweet spot. So if you are a 100kg athlete, then you will require approximately 20 grams of protein.

Too much protein is broken down into carbohydrates that are stored by the body, not what you want as a weekend warrior at the gym or as a competitive athlete. Too little, and you short circuit your body’s ability to recovery and repair. Ultimately, you need to do what feels good. Do self experiments and keep track of your recovery and performance. To figure out what types of food 2g/kg looks like use a food tracker for a couple of weeks and remember that it’s usually easiest to supplement with a good quality protein plus food each day. Favourites are My Net Diary & FitDay.

Protein Quality Matters

Above all, you must pay attention to quality. Here’s some stellar protein sources (in order of best to less awesome)

Eggs

whole, organic & ideally from pastured and soy free chickens (see below for sources) is the most complete & whole protein on the planet. Eggs are amazing for you in many ways and not only provide nutrient density but they’re also versatile and easy to use. Try an omelette in the morning for breakfast, hard boil eggs to have over salads or as snacks, or make a quiche for dinner.

Good quality whey protein

This does come with a catch though, often the best quality whey cannot be bought in a retail store. To find out where you can get great protein, connect with Nicole at Le Physique or feel free to email me at info@nourishsoulfully.com. When choosing whey it must be organic, ideally you want the concentrate, not isolate and it should be cold processed from New Zealand Cows.

Wild Sockeye Salmon

contains many omega 3’s to help reduce and manage inflammation while being a great source of protein. It must be wild or you’re consuming things like red dye and flame retardant.

Other awesome sources are: fruits & veggies!

Everything has some protein in it, don’t forget about the plant kingdom to. Variety is the spice to life as well as the key to well rounded nutrition.

Organic animal products

Don’t forget about game like bison and duck. Choose which proteins you enjoy, choose variety and generally beef, bison and game is more therapeutic/beneficial than chicken or fowl.

Avoid or decrease Whey isolate intake

Unless it meets the requirements listed about this is often made from the waste produced by making other products. It can be very poor quality

Avoid or decrease Soy

While in the early 2000’s it used to be a wonder food, the continued studies are starting to demonstrate more negative effects an excessive consumption of soy products can have on our health, especially given that soy products practically exploded on the scene and we ate it up, literally. We now know better. It’s best to avoid all types of soy like tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy cheeses etc.

Avoid an excess of beans

Beans, while they can be a great food, are high in carbohydrates and can have an inflammatory effect in many people. Enjoy these in moderation, but do not rely on them solely for your protein needs.

If you’re strictly vegan go for protein sources such as rice & especially hemp proteins and choose lentils more often than beans. Again, it’s probably best to supplement with a good quality plant-based protein shake to both increase and control the quality of protein you take in.

About the author:

Cara’s passion is teaching and empowering others to make simple changes in their lives that create a huge positive impact.  She loves to bake healthy & nutritious desserts that taste better than their conventional counterpart.  Her passion in the kitchen is apparent by the enthusiasm she has in sharing simple recipes and teaching others how to cook food that nourishes the body, mind, and soul.

Resources:

Soy Free, Organic & Pastured Eggs:

1. Sumas Mountain Farms
2. Home on the Range Organics

The post What you need to know about Protein first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.