The Thrive Weight Loss Plan

“Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life” and the follow-up volume “Thrive Fitness” outline the nutrition plan developed by the Canadian endurance athlete Brendan Brazier. The Thrive plan is based on the concept of alkalizing the body and reducing biological stress with raw, unprocessed plant-based foods. Brazier’s writing uses positive language; he doesn’t prohibit any foods, but instead explains the negative and positive effects of different foods on the body.

History

As Brazier recounts in the Introduction to his first book, he developed the Thrive eating plan to support his intense Ironman triathlon training. Searching for the nutrition plan that would best support muscular recovery, he tried several popularized diets. When he found success in none of them, he became a self-taught nutrition expert by consulting scholarly articles and texts. As his own guinea pig, Brazier experimented with the effects that various foods had on his recovery time and energy levels. The result of years of experimentation and experience became the Thrive diet plan.

Theory

According to Brazier, when you're stressed, your body burns carbohydrates rather than fat, causing you to store excess fat and crave carbohydrate-rich foods. A body that is too acidic causes the same stress response as emotions or an illness. Not eating enough nutrient-rich foods and digesting processed, cooked and animal-based foods stress the digestive system and cause the body to turn more acidic. Although some foods lower the body’s pH, alkalizing foods—mostly fresh fruits and vegetables—reduce stress hormones and raise the body’s pH.

Method

Brazier advocates eating an organic vegan diet. He discourages cooking foods at a high temperature. He explains that high temperatures break down enzymes, making them less available to the body and stressing it during digestion. In his books, Brazier provides a variety of recipes to his readers and explains the virtues of unfamiliar foods. Brazier’s Vega nutrition products are also available at some U.S. health food stores.

Benefits

The Thrive diet plan provides more than the USDA-recommended minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Fruits and vegetables provide essential phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Many people considering a plant-based diet are concerned about reaching their daily protein requirements. The Thrive diet derives its protein from whole grains, legumes, raw nuts and sprouts. Brazier assures readers that eating a variety of these protein-rich plant foods can provide the essential amino acids that your body needs to meet its protein needs.

Considerations

Few restaurant menus include Thrive-recommended options, so eating away from home requires some extra planning and time to put the Thrive principles into practice.The Thrive menu plan calls for a number of ingredients that are not available in most supermarkets. Organic produce and specialty ingredients are also more expensive than their traditional alternatives. Finally, plant-based foods are generally less calorie-dense than processed foods, so you can expect to eat a larger volume of food on the Thrive diet. All these factors make the Thrive method of eating expensive and occasionally inconvenient.