The Veggie Who Cried "Meat" *

I've spent the past 4+ years as a passionate and proud vegetarian who is always thrilled to share the nerdy facts of the trade. For much of that time, I was actually a strict vegan. While I will probably always be a huge nerd about nutrition and building healthy habits, (my clients can all attest to that), my research and experience has taken an unexpected turn.

This week, for the first time in over four years, I ate meat.

Anyone who knows me well knows this is actually SHOCKING and a huge deal for me.

So what in the world made me do it?

It dawned on me recently that my love for being vegetarian/vegan has never been about the foods I was not eating, but it was actually about the foods that being a bona fide vegan lead me to eat every day! It was that solid foundation that brought me to consuming nutrient dense, wholesome foods that made me feel amazing and healthy. And as a result, I became hooked on the veg life.

Erica's List of Vegan Treasures:

Ezekial Sprouted Grain Bread - this not your average "bread". Just take a look at the nutrition facts: 80 calories, 4 grams of protein and 15 grams carbs. 3:1 carbs:protein ain't so bad! Not to mention, it's the most delicious and nutritious bread I've ever come across.

Greens - lots, and lots, of dark leafy greens.

Nutritional Yeast - A generous source of B vitamins and tastes like Parmesan cheese! Great for seasoning.

Coconut Oil - (and when you're done put some on your hands to moisturize ;) it's the best!) Also, a little bit goes a long way. I typically can use as little as half a teaspoon to cook! So incredible.

Avocado - I think this one is self explanatory. This was one of my big "go-to"'s when I first cut out dairy completely and had cravings. (Note: Portion with caution! A whole avocado can be upwards of 300 calories - I stick with 1/4 of the whole thing for a serving.)

Hummus - in the right amounts! I consider it a butter replacement on toast. Also - go find yourself "Good Neighbors - Simply Zero Hummus"which is just hummus without the tahini and  oily ingredients that bump up the calories. At 29 calories for two tablespoons and thicker consistency- it's super satisfying and an amazing option!

Almond and coconut milk - more nutritional quality and value but lower in calories and fat!

Cashew Cream Sauce - also no dairy - but a nut based protein source and a super easy recipe. Blend cashews with your desired spices and just enough water to cover the nuts and voila! Cream Sauce that will definitely fill you up and get you a protein boost. (it literally takes 2 minutes).

Black Bean Spaghetti and Mung Bean Spaghetti - this is now the the only pasta I even cook. At 25 grams of protein and under 20 grams of carbs a serving - it gives you a ton of freedom to put fun interesting things with it and still meet awesome macro goals in a super filling and indulgent meal. Pretty amazing.

And my favorite: Frozen bananas blended with cocoa and/or peanut butter = home made ICE CREAM! (Yes, you heard me correctly.)

And the list could go on. But these are foods that ensured I never felt deprived! I've eaten plenty of creamy, indulgent foods with these options (among others). They're just healthy, organic, and wholesome versions and are great when consumed in the correct amounts.

That is the value that years of being vegan taught me.

However, this is just the foundation on which to build a well rounded diet. However, this was just the tip of the ice berg on my journey to constantly learning and exploring new options that worked for me!

The place where my two worlds collide

Now let's take a look at Sports Nutrition: My work as a trainer has also lead to me a more sports nutrition mindset. It's come to my attention that there is quite an importance in the quality of protein you put in your body and the repair process of your muscles when you are as active as I am. Why would I need to substitute for a protein that may be great in some ways, but not as effective in repairing my muscles? That's silly. I always thought whey protein wasn't an option for me because my body is generally intolerant to any products with milk or lactose in it - but after some research I realized that Whey Protein Isolate generally doesn't have any lactose in it since it's an isolate!

The whey protein adjustment was the first one that came into play. And let me just add that I had no clue what I was missing - whey protein shakes taste a world of a difference better than any other vegan shakes I had been having. Also, I was fuller and more satisfied for such a longer period of time. My stomach is also perfectly happy with it. Win, win, win.

Then I came to terms with my habit of eating about 6-8 times in a day and the fact that I always seemed hungry. So, I became curious if incorporating some of the animal product foods I hadn't eaten in so long would possibly fill some gaps and leave me more satiated for longer periods of time.

And finally, the simple fact that your body needs 3 main macro nutrients to function, and I wasn't sure I was really getting enough protein to stay satiated, recover, and keep my caloric intake reasonable.

Think about your Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats for a second.

Each macronutrient has specific uses for your body. Being vegan meant that my diet was mostly carbs and fats. The problem with a high carb diet, is that your body's main use for it is immediate energy, but if you haven't burned the amount of carbs you've eaten, your body doesn't have much to do with them except store them as body fat. However, proteins and fats do have multiple uses, including immediate energy, making them a better option to get more of my calories from.

I was trying so hard to eat as high protein as possible, but when I looked at the percentage of each of my total calories, it just wasn't adding up. Eating more animal proteins changed those ratios and meant that my body could actively use more of the food I was eating, instead of just potentially storing the carbs I wasn't actually using. Meaning I was less hungry and my body composition was changing much more easily.

Instead focus on your macro nutrients - and getting the highest quality of each: Lean proteins. Good fats. Complex carbs.

It's really quite simple, actually. Know your calorie intake and macros. Understand how your body will use the food and the amount you put into it.

But what about where the food comes from?

Ah, one of the main arguments for vegetarianism and veganism. I'm still very much an advocate for this. There is a lot to say about where your food comes from - especially animal products. If you do some basic research on the mass production on average american companies you will be disgusted and terrified. The chemicals and filth that goes into meat and dairy can be really scary. But with that said, this is referring to the average meat market. What if you could research companies and know where your food is coming from?

Just like getting organic fruits and vegetables, it's important to get organic and grassfed animal products. For me, that's absolutely priority. One of the main reasons I cut it all out in the first place was simply because I didn't know anything about how to avoid getting diseased, chemically induced products. Now, more than ever, there is a huge awareness of where your food comes from. For example, two of my go to places off the top of my head? Bare burger and Chipotle. I know there are more that I have to do my research and discover but it's all about having "go-to" places!

The Bottom Line

I enjoy food more than most people I know - and the one thing that made the biggest difference is understanding the function of food - to feed your body efficiently for the energy it needs.

I decided that I wanted to be the kind of person who doesn't confine themselves to a particular label and knows how to make smart, educated, well rounded choices to get my body the best quality and full spectrum of nutrients as possible.

The Results of the Experiment:

So what happened when I finally ate it? I felt more full than I had in a really long time and my stomach was just fine! I know a lot of people get sick the first time they eat meat but I was able to get through an entire night of clients without getting hungry - huge deal for me!

Since then, I can't say I've been eating a ton of meat. My intention was never to dive head first and make it an every day  thing - it's to supplement and round out my diet. It became obvious that eating high quality meat a few times a week is be the perfect balance for me.

And so, I want to start a new movement:

Get Your Macros. Eat the Rainbow. Stop thinking you need to "cut things out". Look at the nutritional value of what you DO eat, not what you CAN'T eat. And finally, cover your bases and do your research to know where your food comes from. You owe it to yourself and your body.

For fun, here is the documentation of that first step (of course we taped it!):

Now, go out into the world and get those macros ;)

P.S. By the way, it was an organic, grass fed Bison burger. Some things will never change :)

  

Your body is your business

I was so excited this week when I found out that the mother of one of my precious little ballerina students was a nutritionist. She informed me that she actually specializes in juices, cleansing, and working with cancer patients in utilizing both of those. I've heard a lot about the miracles of juicing and macrobiotic diets to shrink tumors and even rid the cancer from the body but that school of thought typically comes from those with a holistic approach to medicine... Something I'm a huge advocate for.

"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." -Hippocrates

So I decided to ask her for advice on a few personal health concerns that I'm still  trying to find the holistic solution for. Her response was simply that she would send me a general juice program for my needs and listed certain things to avoid, most of which I already do.

Now, I love fresh juices. But it's so much freaking work to do it the sensible, cost friendly way at home. Plus, it becomes pricey anyway because you need so many organic veggies to make a glass. And then buying bottled juices individually every day also gets really expensive!

Then I realized... Can there really be a price tag on your health?

I'm a very business minded gal. And thinking of this as a business decision for the quality of my work and rest of my life... Maybe readjusting a budget to incorporate something that could improve my quality of life is worth a shot to see how it will ultimately benefit my "business".

Thus began my decision to consider a juice program in place of coffee. Most New Yorkers feel naked without a coffee attached to their left hand and cell phone in the other, so this is pretty bold. However, in realizing and understanding what replacing coffee with juices could do, it occurred to me, I would be creating my own version of coffee except with much more health and functional benefits and my body would adjust to being without the caffeine. Smart business move and solution. Worth a shot, right?

Just to explain, the whole concept of juicing is to get a powerhouse of nutrients into your system in a way that your body can easily digest them. If you tried to eat that many vegetables in a meal your body would probably get really overwhelmed (not to mention seriously flatulent... Ha! Eek.) So the huge dose of nutrients in liquid form is a really amazing thing to put in your body in the morning, as opposed to a caffeinated, acidy, laxative beverage that ultimately dehydrates you (Coffee). Despite that there are various proven health benefits of a cup of coffee or so a day, I'm pretty sure a nutrient dense juice is a much more solid choice. The experiment would be to see if it can jump start my body in its own way, and hold its own without the caffeine kick. Because my student's mother had mentioned that cutting out coffee would greatly help the issues I was asking her for advice on along with the juices... I figured viewing it as a replacement would be the best way to go.

I don't know how long it will last, if it'll work for me, or if this is total self torture. But I do know that you only live once and you only get one body, and I don't want to miss out on my best.

Which brings me back to the point of your body being your business. If you have a small business struggling to survive in a busy, competitive market place... Would you really be okay with missing out on a potential edge? Don't you think it's important to spend a few extra bucks or dedicate some time/effort on resources that will keep you strong enough to overcome the competition and obstacles?

Now think about your life. You can pound through and keep struggling through the same obstacles, or you can find the edge  for them to make sure your "business" is thriving.

Sometimes it costs a few extra bucks for that marketing, certification, or new business strategy to be implemented. But what about the benefits of producing more business growth as a result of that initial investment?

By being in better health, you maximize your work, your happiness, and your relationships. It's the truth no matter how you slice it. 

For me, my new juicing endeavors would be my latest edge tactic. Reflect a bit on your obstacles. Maybe you're lethargic and know your diet isn't what it should be, or you're out of shape, or not getting the particularly right workout for your needs. Or maybe you have toxic relationships you need to push yourself to cut out. It can be anything physical, mental, or emotional that you need to address in a bold, empowered way. Make a liberating choice to do something about it.

After all, the best business owners are the ones who take responsibility for their own success. Take control of yours.

Are You In?

Hey, hey! I'm Erica. And I'm finally doing it. I'm an actor/singer/dancer/musician and personal trainer who's been on this awesome journey to finding the balance of health and wellness in one of the craziest career paths in the world. And since it's at the point where people are always coming to me for wellness advice, I figure it's time to start a movement. I'm calling it Mind, Body, Soul Food.

Everything Mind, Body and Soul... for the artist and the non-artist who could get a little creative.

How to somehow manage to stay in prime shape in a city like New York that is constantly presenting obstacles. The best on-the-go foods that will actually make your work day better. The constant struggle to stay inspired while juggling a job, social life, other endeavors, hobbies, and time for yourself!

That kinda stuff.

Let's face it: We all know how important our bodies are to our careers, relationships, and overall daily functioning. When we get up in the morning, the state of our minds and bodies determines how we approach what the day has in store for us, and ultimately, what we get out of it.

But somehow we find ourselves too "distracted" by everything going on that we forget to upkeep our bodies, minds, and souls so that we can actually tackle all that other stuff to our full potential! How crazy is that?!

Here's the big secret: it's all connected!

I had always wanted to achieve my absolute "best version of myself" and saw it as some ideal that would happen when I magically developed the time and freedom to devote completely to that. How unrealistic! Call me a dreamer, but after a while, I made it my business to find out how to do that, without majorly compromising anything else in my life.

*Here's where it started... My story (so far) is in these 3 parts:

The Freshman 15 Summer Stock 10:

I had just finished my sophomore year of college, and was working at a summer stock theatre in NH doing 8 shows in alternating rep. This meant 12-14 hour work days of rehearsals and shows 6 days a week, sharing a house with the rest of the company and relying on the company chef for food. By the end of the 3 month run, I had gained about 10 pounds and felt pretty awful. When I got back to NY, I promised myself that I would to whip myself back into shape... Pronto.

As fate would have it, as soon as I got back to the city my musical theatre program was hosting a group meeting for the department with the incredible power team Elizabeth Johnson (wellness coach) and Melissa Pharr (personal trainer) who spoke to us about wellness for the performer. I ended up doing a webinar crash course with them and was so floored by what I was learning that I was cutting out refined sugars, all processed food and flours, became the whole foods queen, and self declared master of the plank (seriously, let's plank duel!)

Now just to be clear, it's not that my diet consisted solely of Ben & Jerry's and Elios or anything. I was always a decent enough eater, and I was always very active as a perfomer. However, our company chef wasn't exactly concerned about refined sugars and whole foods. [For Example: We would come back to the house in between a 2 show day to find that it was "breakfast for dinner", be starving from an already long day, stuff our faces with pancakes, bacon, and eggs frittata, then it was off to another show of "The Producers" - squeezing on that pearl-studded bra and underwear for the big showgirl scene. We'd return from the evening show starving again from kicking our faces all night, go for whatever processed snacks we could keep around and pass out.] So it was more that I was coming from a summer of bad habits and for me, that 10 pounds was an earned and unwanted new friend. It's not much for a lot of people, but considering I'm a petite 5 foot girl, it was enough to make me feel like I was carrying around a little too much extra junk in the trunk. How was I supposed to do my absolute best work when I didn't even feel comfortable in my body?

The changes I made at first were lifestyle changes... Not diet quick fixes. That was the first really big key. And I didn't feel deprived. Sugar or white flour wasn't enticing to me anymore. Neither was going a day without engaging my abs and or doing the body weight bearing exercise that made me feel great. The weight came off with my newfound knowledge and persepctive and as I continued to learn and grow I realized it was only the beginning of my journey...

VEGAN?!? What about chicken?:

In my "Wellness for the Dancer" class my senior year, our professor asked us to bring in a health related article that we could benefit from as a dancer. My friend, Kayla brought in an article on this book called The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. It was all about how animal products are produced, how our bodies process them, and the effects they have on us. I was fascinated. I approached the book thinking,

"I mean it's interesting... But I'm way too italian to be vegan. I just want to see what I get out of it."

Ha! Famous last words. I was horrified by what I learned. And my mother was also horrified when I told her that I no longer could stand the idea of eating meat and I definitely wasn't touching dairy. (When I say I'm italian, I mean that I'm literally the first generation in my italian family to be born here...)

"No meat or cheese?! Are you trying to kill yourself!?!"

I'm lactose intolerant so at least I could justify that to my family... But it was fun how everyone thought I was just losing my mind. But alas, I took pride in being the black sheep and became the "crazy vegan".

...And it was so worth it. If I felt great before with my little whole foods kick, I had officially reached nirvana. My body worked like a reliable machine, I felt lighter, had more energy and stamina than ever, and I also felt more clear headed. Maybe the last part was the hippie in me coming out. But who cares, It was great.

Now, at this point, my athletic endeavors and living in a hectic city like NYC have lead me to be more of a pescetarian who avoids dairy, but this part of my journey taught me so much about balance and incorporating whole foods into my diet in a creative and diverse way.

Dig Deeper!

At this point, I had found the perfect balance, my diet was so much clearner, I got really into yoga and got such a kick out of sharing my new found wisdom with others.

Then I graduated college, wasn't dancing 8 classes a week, and was doing so much yoga that I was barely breaking a sweat in class anymore. I needed to shake things up again. The summer arrived and I decided I was going to do something totally crazy. I was going to do Beach Body's "Insanity" program. It's an extreme 2 month workout program famed for being "the hardest workout ever put on DVD". And it was, without a doubt, one of the hardest things I've ever personally done... but it also changed everything.

I had always HATED cardio. When I say HATED, I mean, I ran a 15 minute mile once in high school. Yeah. No, I'm not exaggerating. It was 15:04 or something. The reason why I adored my beloved plank so much was because it didn't involve running. True story.

But here I was, drooling over Shaun T and practically kneeing myself in the face in some of the crazy moves this man was yelling at me to do. I had never sweat so much in my entire life and simply squatting low enough to get my tush in a chair afterwards was a feat, because I was actually that outrageously sore.

After a brutal 2 months I was so freaking excited at the accomplishment. I had never felt so strong in my life. Like I said before, I just wanted to be in tip top shape, particularly as a dancer. But, despite that I tried to take dance class whenever I could, cross training is still a necessary component to keeping in shape. I'll never forget nailing the first dance call I did after completing Insanity and feeling really incredible. I felt great in my body, and had the stamina and form to really execute it - and that made all the difference.

Thus began my journey into holistic fitness...

The Punch Line:

Essentially, that's what it's been about all along - Being the "best version of myself" so I can get the most out of the important things in life. For me, it's my career that drives my thirst for wellness. I spent years being told that the artist must "take care of their instrument" and for the actor/singer/dancer that means your body. So "you must condition it to weather the circumstances of the life of an artist". That's what I aim to do. For non-artists maybe it's being full of energy or in good health for your children, or getting through a 9-5 work day without feeling like crap. But at the end of the day, your drive to get creative every day to uphold that will make all the difference.

Whether you're an artist for fun, an artist for profession or not an artist at all (how dr.seuss of me!), I believe that the trick to health and wellness is understanding how it directly affects every aspect of your life, how to connect it to the rest of your life, and being open to getting a little creative about it.

Why Mind, Body, and Soul? You can't expect to get healthy or fit without the mind (the knowledge to do  so), Your body is your instrument, and you can't expect your mind and body to go along if you've got no soul or passion for the things going on in your life to be well for!

Maybe this is just some weird hobby of mine, maybe I'm just "talented" at it. OR maybe I'm onto something and it's a simply a matter of coming along for the ride and letting it change your life.

I've got a hunch it's the latter. But you'll never know unless you try, now will you?

Stay tuned.

;)