Last Updated: April 25, 2017
After some discussions about fitness and health, my good friend and training partner Ken decided to go on the vegan diet, provided that I lend some help to the cause. We thought it'd be a fun project to film as a way to showcase the potential benefits, struggles, and all else involved in making the transition to an entirely plant-based diet.
He kicked things off on Feb. 1st, and is committed to going at least 10 weeks without meat, dairy, eggs, or any other. Here are the first few videos. My goal will to put 1-2 videos up every Tuesday from here on out.
I'll post here with notes, tips, etc. but you can also just watch the videos here: http://bit.ly/GoingVeganSeries
Feel free to leave comments and questions - for me, but also Ken - below.
Video 2 - We sit down with Ken to discuss what he's got going on and why he's interested in trying the vegan diet.
Video 3 - We do a quick walk-through of Ken's kitchen to see what he has and what he needs before kicking off the vegan diet on February 1.
Video 4 - Ken and I make a trip over to the supermarket to stock up on the food he'll need for the first week of being vegan.
Here's the GROCERY LIST that we used while at the store.
Video 5 - Prepping food for the week.
Here's a rundown on what we're cooking up along with recipes: WHAT I EAT & HOW TO MAKE IT - SUPER DANK & EASY VEGAN RECIPES
Video 6 - Ken & Shelby talk through strategy and potential challenges Ken will face with the vegan diet on the eve of kicking things off Feb. 1.
Video 7 - Phone call with Ken discussing how week one of the vegan diet went.
Video 8 - Now well into week 2 of the vegan diet, we head back to the grocery store to restock essentials and pick up some new items.
Video 9 - Prepping some vegan tacos (squash & zucchini) and talking through how the first two weeks on the diet have gone.
About the Brazil nuts... I told Ken to eat three before bed and three in the morning every day, which he's been doing. Here's why: Not only do Brazil nuts help curb appetite, they also are high in selenium which helps boost testosterone levels (particularly when consumed before bed & in the early AM). Best to have them raw, organic and with skin -- here's my go-to brand: Now Foods Organic Brazil Nuts. I keep them in the freezer since that helps maintain the selenium. Shout out to Tim Ferriss for first turning me on to Brazil nuts in Four Hour Body.
VIDEOS FROM THE EMJ VEGAS TRIATHLON CAMP
It was pretty cool to see how many guys on the team are either vegetarian or close to vegan. At least four guys are vegetarian (out of 70) and one - Kevin Denny, who's in video 12 - is dairy-free (and gluten-free). Anyway, managing the vegan diet at camp was pretty easy. I've gotten used to navigating in pretty much all scenarios, and Ken is getting pretty good at it as well. We were 15 minutes from a Whole Foods which made life a lot easier too.
If you want to read more about the EMJ Vegas Camp and see pictures, etc., click here.
Shoutout to Talbot Cox for his killer videos of the camp, clips of which are included. Check out Talbot's Vlog for the full videos here.
Video 11 - Ken and I are at a triathlon camp put on by our team, Team Every Man Jack. We hit Whole Foods to load up on vegan essentials and some burritos so that we're covered on food during the camp.
Video 12 - Hanging out and getting updates from Ken on the diet while at the Team EMJ triathlon camp. Still eating burritos... a daily occurrence while training in Vegas.
WE'RE AT THE ONE MONTH MARK...
Video 13 - Ken's nearly a month into the diet. We catch up over the phone while he's still in Vegas and I'm in Tucson.
LA MARATHON WEEK
When we first started filming about 6-7 weeks ago, Ken mentioned that he's been training for the LA Marathon. We're now just a few days out from the race, which takes place Sunday, March 19. Wish Ken luck!!
Video 14 - Ken is now seven weeks into the vegan diet. Here he gives an update on how things are progressing both with the diet and his training for the 2017 LA Marathon.
Video 15 - Ken shares a quick update on how the LA Marathon went.
10 WEEKS DEEP!!
Video 16 - Ken is now 10 weeks into the vegan diet. We decide to cook up some recipes from Rich Roll & Julie Piatt's cookbook, The Plantpower Way.
Again, The Plantpower Way has some killer recipes, particularly for bowls, sauces and vegan cheeses. While some of the sauces/cheeses will take a little bit of effort to prepare, they go well with a lot of different dishes and are awesome to have on hand when looking to pull together a quick grain bowl.
Video 17 - Ken is now 10 weeks into the vegan diet. We decide to cook up recipe from Thug Kitchen.
I had heard a lot about Thug Kitchen but had yet to dive into the cookbook until a few days prior to us filming this. I'm now pretty obsessed with it. It's funny, has some great info on all things vegan, and is filled with bomb recipes. Highly recommend picking this one up.