Ashley Glenn On the Go : Fueled by veggies

I was born to love me some food, and I have always felt fortunate that I have a love of veggies. I have tried going vegan/vegetarian many times over the last decade, however I always seem to fall off the wagon. I can't deny that I love a good hamburger, a nice cheesy slice of pizza, and delicious chocolate-peanut butter anything. So much YUM! It's hard not to love the comfort foods that I have literally nourished myself with my whole life, but on the flip side, I can't deny how great a vegan diet makes me feel. There is just something magical about a fresh green smoothie, a luscious green salad full of colorful, raw toppings, hearty homemade soup full of whatever I have left over in my fridge, or a filling pasta of any ethnic taste. I eat much more variety as a vegan. I get a lot of crap from people who love to question anything different. "Where do you get your protein? You're a runner, you need protein..." Well, smarty pants, our society eats a lot more protein than we actually need; and as a woman I only need about 53 grams daily, which is easily attainable in all the beans and greens I consume. Trust me when I say that vegan's are tired of people knocking us for what we choose to consume. I don't pester anyone for what they chose to consume, and I don't appreciate it when people try to lecture me. It's very irritating that people don't chose to educate themselves before telling me that I'm not doing it right. I think the proof is in my chia pudding... I feel excellent; and when it comes to running it's hard to ignore those benefits, especially seeing what it has done for my favorite athletes.

I first met Scott Jurek in one of my favorite books Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. When I discovered he had written his own book, Eat and Run, I had to read it; it sounded like book that was written for me. I love to eat and I love to run. How could this book not be awesome?

Scott shares many experiences he has had as a runner, and he shares secrets to what makes him one of the best ultra distance runners in the world: a vegan diet. I had attempted going vegan years before reading his book, but I had done it all wrong. I ate all the fat vegan food I could find. I didn't do it because I wanted to eat a healthier diet, but because I hated knowing that consuming animal products meant absolute torture for the animals I was consuming. The one good thing that came out of my first vegan attempt was that I learned all the best vegan junk food. After reading Scott's book, I was in a different place in life. Now I was a runner, and it was important to me to eat healthy so I could sustain my body and run for as long as possible. It made complete sense to me that putting clean fuel in your body would help your body burn the fuel longer and more efficiently. Same idea behind putting bad gas into your car's gas tank; it burns quicker and it will ruin your car overtime.

Then I read Brendan Brazier's book, Thrive. A much different book, but so informative and very well written. I definitely learned a lot from that book. I even started taking his online classes so I could watch the short video lessons he has to offer on his site. If I could have afforded it I would have loved to incorporate his Vega protein shakes into my diet for daily consumption. Unfortunately I couldn't afford it, so I bought small packages when I could, but I still think I would see great benefits from drinking his shakes on a regular basis. I want to read his book again. It's one of those books that you could read many times again, and earn something new each time. I had originally check out that book from the library, but I loved it so much I had to go buy it at Powell's Books so I could read it over and over again.

So many benefits came from reading Scott and Brendan's books, and their knowledge helped get me through my first marathon.

Unfortunately, a new job in the mall and a summer full of traveling and weddings knocked me off the wagon. It started as a one-time, perfectly innocent indulgence in a guilty pleasure: cake. "Just this once," I thought, "I'm in the wedding party, therefore I HAVE to eat the cake!" I started making small sacrifices like these here and there, and before I knew it I was a burger eating, cheesy puff munching, egg gobbling, consumer of all things animals once more. Not only did falling off the vegan wagon open up the gate for a poor diet, I also broke my 1 year and 8 month sobriety streak and gave in to my soda problem again. Although, I have recently jumped back on the vegan wagon, I am sad to say that the alcohol and soda remain present in my life... For now...
I had made some really great things, and I have made some really horrible things. I am constantly finding new recipes to try, and practicing the good ones that I have nailed. The naggers ask me why I give up the amazing foods, like bacon. I'm not really giving up anything. I am opening myself up to try new and exciting raw foods that can totally enrich and add great flavor to my favorite dishes.

Veggie stir fry... So much color