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Thrive Diet
The Thrive Diet reduce body fat * diminish visible signs of aging * boost energy and mental clarity * enhance mood * increase productivity * eliminate junk food cravings and hunger * build a stronger immune system * lower cholesterol * improve sleep quality * stay healthy for life The Thrive Diet is a long-term eating plan that will help you achieve optimal health through stress-busting plant-based whole foods. It’s an easy-to-follow diet that will help you understand why some foods create nutritional stress and how other foods can help eliminate it, giving you a lean body, sharp mind, and everlasting energy. Fully researched and developed by Brendan Brazier, professional Ironman triathlete, The Thrive Diet - the best whole foods - a 12-week whole foods meal plan - over 100 easy-to-make recipes with raw food options that are all wheat-, gluten-, soy-, corn-, refined sugar- and dairy-free, including exercise-specific recipes for pre-workout snacks, energy gels, sport drinks, and recovery foods - an easy-to-follow exercise plan that compliments The Thrive Diet - environmental preservation—learn how The Thrive Diet can help
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
80 people are currently reading
1045 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Brazier
19 books133 followersBest-selling author (The Thrive Diet, Penguin 2007) and professional Ironman triathlete, Brendan Brazier is the founder and creator of a raw, organic, whole food health optimizer nutritional porduct called Vega.
As one of the only professional athletes in the world with a solely plant-based diet, Brendan advocates the benefits of plant-based foods for both environmental and physical wellbeing. He was chosen as one of the 25 Most Influential Vegetarians by VegNews Magazine, the Top 40 Under 40most influential people in the health industry by Natural Food Merchandiser and has been nominated for the prestigious Manning Innovation Award twice for creating VEGA, his environmentally friendly and ultra-healthy line of natural food products made from plant-based superfoods. He modeled his products after the meals and snacks he made himself everyday, which were the key to his success as a professional vegan Ironman triathlete.
Brazier’s intentions of spreading the news on an ethical, environmentally friendly, and healthy lifestyle through plant-based foods have taken him across North America, speaking at events such as the Chicago Green Festival and to audiences such as the United States Congress. Brendan was also invited to speak at the 2008 Democratic Convention.
Among Brazier’s other achievements are his active involvement with healthy, ethical, and environmental initiatives such as a new exploratory adventure movie on health and wellness, ‘Back from the Edge’, and a photo feature alongside the likes of Barack Obama and Bill Maher in the Charity book ‘A Rare Breed of Love’ (Simon & Schuster) recently featured by Oprah Winfrey. brendanbrazier.com thrivediet.com myvega.com
As one of the only professional athletes in the world with a solely plant-based diet, Brendan advocates the benefits of plant-based foods for both environmental and physical wellbeing. He was chosen as one of the 25 Most Influential Vegetarians by VegNews Magazine, the Top 40 Under 40most influential people in the health industry by Natural Food Merchandiser and has been nominated for the prestigious Manning Innovation Award twice for creating VEGA, his environmentally friendly and ultra-healthy line of natural food products made from plant-based superfoods. He modeled his products after the meals and snacks he made himself everyday, which were the key to his success as a professional vegan Ironman triathlete.
Brazier’s intentions of spreading the news on an ethical, environmentally friendly, and healthy lifestyle through plant-based foods have taken him across North America, speaking at events such as the Chicago Green Festival and to audiences such as the United States Congress. Brendan was also invited to speak at the 2008 Democratic Convention.
Among Brazier’s other achievements are his active involvement with healthy, ethical, and environmental initiatives such as a new exploratory adventure movie on health and wellness, ‘Back from the Edge’, and a photo feature alongside the likes of Barack Obama and Bill Maher in the Charity book ‘A Rare Breed of Love’ (Simon & Schuster) recently featured by Oprah Winfrey. brendanbrazier.com thrivediet.com myvega.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
September 21, 2011
This book describes how a vegan diet can indeed fuel someone to do something as intense as the Ironman and other intense physical feats. While I am 100% on-board with this whole concept, and am convinced that a plant-based diet is even better as fuel than meat and other animal products, this book still came off as kind of a commercial to me. He just kept hawking his protein powder, for sale in health stores! That turned me off. Plus, he came off as very "science-ish" to me--in other words, I'm not sure I was convinced of the statistics and data and other scientific statements he was pulling out of his hat. He'd say things like "40% of the sources of stress to the body are dietary"--maybe it was my Nook edition, but there was no footnote or any kind of evidence to support this number. Isn't that kind of a vague concept, that 40% of stress is due to dietary issues? I just wasn't sold on the science of it, although my gut tells me the gist of everything he was saying is correct. Bottom line: he has me on his side--but I'm just not going to go quoting his numbers and statistics to anyone.
Also, this book is full of recipes, so be aware of that if you're expecting more of a typical non-fiction narrative. It's about half narrative and half recipes and meal plans.
Also, this book is full of recipes, so be aware of that if you're expecting more of a typical non-fiction narrative. It's about half narrative and half recipes and meal plans.
May 16, 2016
Brendan Brazier claimed on Twitter that he is not a scientist, and that his Thrive Diet formula is just what worked for him. Kind of hard to take it too seriously after knowing that. He is not a nutritionist or a scientist; he is a vegan athlete. If you are considering a plant-based or mostly plant-based diet while working out, this book will still benefit you. There is a lot of helpful information.
One complaint I do have is that about two-thirds of the ingredients he lists are unavailable where I live or within a thousand kilometres of where I live. Hemp oil, pumpkin seed oil, etc. A lot of it is overly expensive or just inaccessible to most people. I would have liked an alternative batch of ingredients that might have worked out similarly or "second-best" ingredients for those of us who can't afford his lifestyle or who live in the heart of Colombia.
I also find his "fatlogic" claim that using up more calories than one consumes does not necessarily make them lose weight more than dubious. I'm pretty sure simple math and science have already proved him wrong on that one.
Otherwises, it's interesting and if you take in aspects of the diet step by step you will notice an increase in energy, decrease in lethargy, and an overall better lifestyle.
One complaint I do have is that about two-thirds of the ingredients he lists are unavailable where I live or within a thousand kilometres of where I live. Hemp oil, pumpkin seed oil, etc. A lot of it is overly expensive or just inaccessible to most people. I would have liked an alternative batch of ingredients that might have worked out similarly or "second-best" ingredients for those of us who can't afford his lifestyle or who live in the heart of Colombia.
I also find his "fatlogic" claim that using up more calories than one consumes does not necessarily make them lose weight more than dubious. I'm pretty sure simple math and science have already proved him wrong on that one.
Otherwises, it's interesting and if you take in aspects of the diet step by step you will notice an increase in energy, decrease in lethargy, and an overall better lifestyle.
July 8, 2023
I originally purchased this book because I was training for my first half marathon and was worried that my semi-vegetarian diet wasn't going to cut it. Someone suggested I get this book because Brazier is a vegan triathlete. This sounded like an oxymoron to me, so I was intrigued. I haven't followed Brazier's exact diet plan, but use several of his exercise-specific recipes and have eliminated/added some foods to my diet per his suggestions. I've been completely vegetarian and about 90% vegan for the past month and I have been MORE than happy (and quite frankly, incredibly surprised) with how great I'm feeling during and after my runs these days. Better than when I was semi-vegetarian.
July 13, 2009
While I generally like the theory Brazier presents, and I think he has a wealth of knowledge based on his own experiences of high intensity training on a whole food diet, this book is very poorly written. The book presents a whole theory of health, but offers no scientific evidence for any of the nutritional ideas. Ultimately, I think this is a shame because I believe Brazier is right on. I would like to see his perspective as legitimate, but I think this shoddy piece of writing does not help his cause.
February 25, 2009
My thoughtful and supportive meat eating husband picked-up this book for me knowing that I'd like to balance out my vegetarian diet with some healthy proteins and oils. He thought that I would appreciate the well thought out and easy to understand vegan program. I read the book and went -mostly raw- vegan overnight. I started this a month ago and already I feel 200% better than before. I feel healthier and less sluggish. It's strict - but, so far worth it.
September 27, 2010
The kind of book that makes you feel like your diet is incredibly shitty, even if it isn't. Brazier's diet is so intense, healthy, crazy, delicious, that your diet just doesn't stand a chance. So for the time being it's inspired me to work on eating more raw foods, cutting back (or maybe even cutting out) the coffee, refined sugars and carbohydrates, etc.
I don't buy everything in Brazier's book though. He subscribes heavily to the whole alkaline food theory, and I'm not sold on that one at all. But, even though I hesitate with that one, I have to admit that eating the foods that fall into the alkaline forming category, will do nothing but make me healthier.
The back third of this book is all recipes and a twelve week meal plan. Which rocks. He even includes recipes for healthy energy bars and sports drinks and gels. All things I'm really interested in making for myself since it doesn't take a genius to notice that most of the sports stuff on the market, is pretty damn close to being junk food.
I don't buy everything in Brazier's book though. He subscribes heavily to the whole alkaline food theory, and I'm not sold on that one at all. But, even though I hesitate with that one, I have to admit that eating the foods that fall into the alkaline forming category, will do nothing but make me healthier.
The back third of this book is all recipes and a twelve week meal plan. Which rocks. He even includes recipes for healthy energy bars and sports drinks and gels. All things I'm really interested in making for myself since it doesn't take a genius to notice that most of the sports stuff on the market, is pretty damn close to being junk food.
Read
February 12, 2010Search vimeo for "Brendan Brazier" and watch his 45min series - it's pretty much the same as this book (excellent). Eating all the bread at restaurants before the meal totally resonates with me - that was the hook that got me in. Recipes and meal plan are really good but I haven't tried anywhere near as many as I'd like.
July 11, 2012
A very palatable approach and argument for veganism. Rather than beating you over the head with how evil you are what you should not eat, Brazier emphasizes how a vegan diet is the least stressful and the most conducive to performing optimally as an athlete or healthlete. Some great ideas and easy take-aways, staples, and some easy recipes that I will be making. Still, as another reviewer wrote, some of the recipes are borderline "crazypants" at least compared to a typical North American diet.
March 12, 2010
Will give any vegan all the goods for eating healthy and any ammo needed to debate naysayers on the vegan diet.
February 5, 2013
This was a great book about vegan nutrition for athletes. Brazier includes useful and practical information as well as a number of recipes for food to fuel workouts and recovery.
January 22, 2023
Some of the recipes in this book are delicious. And while there are tremendous benefits from what I prefer to call a plant-centric diet, the half-truths in Braziers philosophies and the fact that he has such confidence in what he clearly doesn’t truly understand puts a real downer on things.
I’m certain that his methods work for him and would most athletes (humans) benefit from more fruit and veg? Definitely. But beyond that, this book unfortunately does little to educate folks about true nutrition and the recipes, while creative and truly awesome, are far too involved to be practical (this coming from someone who will spend an hour peeling the skin off chickpeas for the perfect hummus…).
I am disappointed, however, that his restaurant chain idea never took off because I’d certainly eat there with frequency and goodness knows we need more convenient nutrient-dense food, but yeah. Sadly, this book was a bit of a let-down (though I’ll continue to greedily flip through the recipes, drooling).
I’m certain that his methods work for him and would most athletes (humans) benefit from more fruit and veg? Definitely. But beyond that, this book unfortunately does little to educate folks about true nutrition and the recipes, while creative and truly awesome, are far too involved to be practical (this coming from someone who will spend an hour peeling the skin off chickpeas for the perfect hummus…).
I am disappointed, however, that his restaurant chain idea never took off because I’d certainly eat there with frequency and goodness knows we need more convenient nutrient-dense food, but yeah. Sadly, this book was a bit of a let-down (though I’ll continue to greedily flip through the recipes, drooling).
January 30, 2020
This well-written and authoritative introduction to the Vegan (plant-oriented) diet is tackled from the point of view of nutritional density. Excellent examples with smart examples including the basic explanation for situations people fact in their day to day diets.
I heartily recommend this book as a transitional way to step away from meat towards nutritional health, not vegan health ... there is a difference.
I heartily recommend this book as a transitional way to step away from meat towards nutritional health, not vegan health ... there is a difference.
March 5, 2023
Well written, down to earth and no dogma. Might be unfair but, as I read most things on a kindle, this suffers from having too much space for recipes and work out plans which would be better placed as additional resources at the end of the book. Probably wouldn’t be the case if I had a paper copy but comes across as filler in the electronic version
May 23, 2017
Brazier guides you through the murky world of nutrition and fitness with an expert hand. He proposes a simple question: could you live a healthier diet by becoming vegan and eating more whole foods?
By setting out a clean road-map and an accessible scientific rationale, the answer surely is yes.
By setting out a clean road-map and an accessible scientific rationale, the answer surely is yes.
March 16, 2018
Did not resonate with me. Skimmed it, but plan to return to the exercise chapter to reread it more thoroughly.
July 2, 2018
Thinking of going vegan? Or running a shit ton or a singular Iron man Race? This book will aid you in your endeavors.
August 25, 2019
This is a great go-to guide for getting optimal tips for nutrient-dense net-gain eating. Both of which Brendan explains in a very simple stress framework!
November 25, 2020
This book has excellent infornation for athletes and those wishing to clean up their eating. Great book that talks about the hows and whys of plant based eating.
November 23, 2022
One of the best lifestyle books I've read, though Brazier never outlines why meat is a no-go.
February 2, 2010
I read this book in order to find some healthy vegetarian recipes to support building muscle. And I did find recipes that seem appropriate for my purposes. The first batch of nut/fruit bars that my husband made didn't turn out quite right (probably due to cook error), but they are still edible and convenient for post-workout snacks. I'm looking forward to trying some of the sport drinks, smoothies, pancakes, and recovery pudding.
Some of the ingredients seem pricier than necessary/unnecessary/strange to me: for example, agave nectar, which, from what I've read, is over-hyped. I'll probably substitute cocoa powder for carob powder in many of these recipes. I'm not terribly thrilled with the hemp protein powder, either, but this is probably just a personal quirk: I'm trying to eat a mainly whole-foods diet these days. It does seem to be difficult to achieve what's commonly considered adequate protein for building muscle without some kind of protein powder or meat, however, so I guess I can't be too critical of the hemp.
The non-recipe part of the book, where Brazier describes his diet, is interesting, but wasn't terribly useful to me because the main evidence for his diet seems to be his personal experience--and his personal experience seems to be so different from that of many other athletes. It does provide some ideas which may be worth experimenting with, however.
Some of the ingredients seem pricier than necessary/unnecessary/strange to me: for example, agave nectar, which, from what I've read, is over-hyped. I'll probably substitute cocoa powder for carob powder in many of these recipes. I'm not terribly thrilled with the hemp protein powder, either, but this is probably just a personal quirk: I'm trying to eat a mainly whole-foods diet these days. It does seem to be difficult to achieve what's commonly considered adequate protein for building muscle without some kind of protein powder or meat, however, so I guess I can't be too critical of the hemp.
The non-recipe part of the book, where Brazier describes his diet, is interesting, but wasn't terribly useful to me because the main evidence for his diet seems to be his personal experience--and his personal experience seems to be so different from that of many other athletes. It does provide some ideas which may be worth experimenting with, however.
March 23, 2010
I like it but I'm concerned by the lack of footnotes. I'd like to know where he's getting the information from. Also, I'm a bit concerned by statements such as "oats contain gluten" when they are simply not true. Oats are often contaminated by gluten, being processed in the same facilities, but they do not themselves contain gluten.
I also wonder about his anti-vitamin supplement stance. He contends that they cause the body to be acidic, a state that lends to illness. I can understand why nutrients are not ideal in pill form, but I wonder about being able to get all you need from food alone these days. I could see it either way.
All that being said, I'm not even half way done the book and I like it so far. I've definitely learned some new ideas. It's easy for me to be picky as I'm already following a diet that is very close to what he's suggesting. Overall, I think the book has the right idea.
**Ok, I'm done reading and I was pretty damn impressed. I'd recommend it.
I also wonder about his anti-vitamin supplement stance. He contends that they cause the body to be acidic, a state that lends to illness. I can understand why nutrients are not ideal in pill form, but I wonder about being able to get all you need from food alone these days. I could see it either way.
All that being said, I'm not even half way done the book and I like it so far. I've definitely learned some new ideas. It's easy for me to be picky as I'm already following a diet that is very close to what he's suggesting. Overall, I think the book has the right idea.
**Ok, I'm done reading and I was pretty damn impressed. I'd recommend it.
March 5, 2010
I went to see the author of this book speak at Central Market a few weeks ago and found his insights on being a vegan professional triathlete to be rather interesting. His book is recommended by Neal Barnard --- who wrote the Diabetic Diet which I've loosely followed in the past --- so I figured the content wouldn't be too far out there. Unfortunately, although he includes a list of references, he doesn't provide direct citations for his assertions. And I'm definitely going to skip his recommendation to add coconut oil to my diet (as you all know I'm no athlete so adding saturated fat to what I eat does not seem wise). But he does suggest a number of different foods which I don't currently consume, and I'm interested to see if they have any effect. For those you interested in tweaking your vegetarian/vegan diet, this may be a worthwhile read.
April 20, 2012
Paleo minus meat. A thought provoking defense of 100% plant based nutrition written by a successful Ironman tri-athlete. Good summary of the evils of grains, dairy and caffeine but often a little light on science (although the references at the back are pretty solid—just not woven into the text). The problem with meat: difficult to digest and inflammatory (acid producing). Simpler amino acids from plant sources like spirulina, hemp, chlorella and lentils produce a much lighter load on the body and can speed recovery. Additionally the high load of nutrients, vitamins and minerals from salads, veggies and fruit boost the immune system and aid long-term health—especially when the body is not forced to cope with inflammatory foods. Hoping to find a book that unlocks more of the science.
May 7, 2012
Ignore the preachy buy vega stuff and the sketchy stats, its his first book and it reads like it but the principles are great for overall health.
I like the workout specific section, that really is his area of expertise and is fantastic help when you start incorporating exercise into your whole foods lifestyle.
As a practical intro to whole foods diet the principles are basically the same I read everywhere. The meal plans are ridiculously lengthy and take lots of prep, which is rewarding because they really are fantastic but I wouldnt recommend this for a busy lifestyle starting out on a whole foods diet.
I use this book as a recipe book and workout meal planning tool more than anything. His recipe only book has some amazing dishes in it as well.
I like the workout specific section, that really is his area of expertise and is fantastic help when you start incorporating exercise into your whole foods lifestyle.
As a practical intro to whole foods diet the principles are basically the same I read everywhere. The meal plans are ridiculously lengthy and take lots of prep, which is rewarding because they really are fantastic but I wouldnt recommend this for a busy lifestyle starting out on a whole foods diet.
I use this book as a recipe book and workout meal planning tool more than anything. His recipe only book has some amazing dishes in it as well.
September 22, 2014
Recipe-wise, this book requires some major buy-in - meaning, you need to be prepared to replace your current pantry staples with unfamiliar raw-vegan focused staples (i.e. there are not too many recipes in here that you can make with ingredients you probably have in your refrigerator right now). I have not yet made a recipe from this book, though there are many that look interesting/good to me.
Where this book really stands out in my mind is the section devoted to comparing ingredients on the basis on sustainability/total cost (e.g. lentils vs. chicken). This is not something one sees in the typical cookbook and is extremely useful for someone who wants to be conscious of his/her footprint.
Where this book really stands out in my mind is the section devoted to comparing ingredients on the basis on sustainability/total cost (e.g. lentils vs. chicken). This is not something one sees in the typical cookbook and is extremely useful for someone who wants to be conscious of his/her footprint.
October 14, 2014
Brilliant book by a vegan Ironman Triathlete. I appreciated his recipes and recommendation to add certain foods to your diet to increase your athletic endurance and overall health. I don't quite agree with the addition of caffeine (or his own Vega protein powder), but like the recipes that make up half the book. This won't make me turn a 180 and go completely vegan, but I see his argument that a plant-based diet is the best one for you! I found it fascinating to read about the stress put on your body when it is trying to digest processed, refined foods - therefore leaving less energy for you to live (and perform athletically, in his case), to sleep well, to regenerate the body's cells (thereby making you age quicker), etc. Bottom line: a vegan diet puts less stress on your body.
December 22, 2014
A great book for those serious about eating for optimal performance. In a straightforward, neutral and logical way the author explains the principles behind this approach to eating. It's easy to understand and simple to implement. It does however require a mindset shift away from eating for pleasure towards food being fuel for optimal performance. That in itself can provide pleasure I guess. Whilst I can imagine this being a primer for some I do think the message is easier after having read a little about nutrition before launching into this book. I recommend a print copy for ease of access to the recipes. It will also serve as a great reference book.
October 16, 2019
This book has been incredibly useful to me. I don't think of it as a diet as much as a healthy eating manual. The majority of the recipes have been delicious. There've been a few failures but that could be due to my error for sure. I'm not following the meal plan but a couple of times a week I'll make recipes from the menu. I always feel like I'm doing my body a favor while preparing them and after eating them. I also just learned a lot about nutrition from spending time reading the book. It's not one to just sit down and read straight though - more of a reference I'd say!
August 15, 2007
I was really hoping to learn something new from this vegan ironman. But...it was sort of like reading another raw food book. I like the fact that he didn't really push his own product line (he actually includes a recipe for power bars instead of telling you to buy his). But his secret for athletic success didn't seem that new to me. It was well-written and included interesting recipes. I think I just had too high of expectation.
June 14, 2009
Unlike normal diets of restriction and denial, Brazier, educates the reader about the positive and negative impact of different foods and how to improve one's diet by incorporating healthier, more vital elements of food into one's normal diet. He doesn't proselytize or try to convert you into becoming a raw vegan; he's a big proponent of eating fresh and simply made meals. I now try to eat chlorella, seaweed and flax seed daily. He provides recipes to get you started.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews