Operation "Feed Me" : Gaining Muscle on a Gluten-Free, Vegan Diet - Part 3

This is the final part of a 3 part series on how a super-busy, skinny guy like me was able to gain weight and lean muscle mass on a gluten-free, vegan diet.  I'm sharing it in response to several requests.  The title is an homage to one of my favorite musicals, "Little Shop of Horrors," and the mantra of the alien plant in its quest to grow bigger.

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Well, here we are, finally at Part 3 where I will share with you my diet, not only the things that I ate, but also why I ate them, throwing in a little nerdy biology/chemistry, a dash of wisdom, and a few more photos charting my progress.  So back to it.

Operation "Feed Me" : Gaining Muscle on a Gluten-Free, Vegan Diet - Part 2

This is Part 2 of a 3 part series on how a super-busy, skinny guy like me was able to gain weight and lean muscle mass on a gluten-free, vegan diet.  I'm sharing it in response to several requests.  The title is an homage to one of my favorite musicals, "Little Shop of Horrors," and the mantra of the alien plant in its quest to grow bigger.

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Hey!  Sincere thanks for coming back to read more.  So as promised, today I'm going to discuss 'how' I was able to gain 10 pounds of additional muscle mass in 7 weeks.  Breaking it down to its bare bones, the formula was quite simple.  Increase my workload in the gym with an emphasis on weight training and boost my calories to match and exceed my caloric expenditure.  But of course, when it came to the execution of that formula, particularly upping my food intake and creating time for the gym beyond the times I was there to teach, it was much easier said than done.  But when motivation combines with having the tools to carry out a vision, anything is possible.

Operation "Feed Me" : Gaining Muscle on a Gluten-Free, Vegan Diet - Part 1

This is Part 1 of a 3 part series on how a super-busy, skinny guy like me was able to gain weight and lean muscle mass on a gluten-free, vegan diet.  I'm sharing it in response to several requests.  The title is an homage to one of my favorite musicals, "Little Shop of Horrors," and the mantra of the alien plant in its quest to grow bigger.

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At the beginning of each new year, there are almost always changes that we'd like to make.  Whether we name them "resolutions" or "goals," they share in common the desire to make a difference.  To see something differently, feel it differently, to begin a transformation or to maintain the effects of one - we often find renewed energy and motivation in the first months of the year to make it happen and hold ourselves accountable.  

And for me, my goal was to gain 10 pounds by the middle of March. 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries & Curried Coconut Milk Dip

This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite childhood food memories.  I know I have a lot of them, but if you recall, I was definitely not thin in my younger years.  And a big reason for this was my love affair with food of the fast and junk varieties, particularly french fries.  You wanted me to do my homework or mow the lawn?  Promise me french fries and you wouldn't have to ask twice.

Spirulina Pineapple Juice with Herbs: Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I've never been much of a drinker.  I will partake once in a blue moon for special occasions, like toasting to a couple at a wedding or ceremony.  But on the whole, if there's a non-alcoholic option, trust that I will take it.  So today, on a day where people are expected to start drinking as part of their morning meal, I decided to come up with a quick and easy drink you can chug with abandon with no regrets.  It provides a spring in your step as well as boost for your health with loads of vitamin C, anti-inflammatory enzymes, and antioxidants galore.  Other added bonuses?  It may decrease your chances of having to call a cab, laying blame on beer goggles, and/or retracing your steps the next morning to find your wallet, your keys, or your car.  

Marinated Adzuki Bean & Radish Salad

I love beans.  In earlier, pre-gluten-free years, they were fine, but not something I ate on a regular basis.   They simply were not on my radar.  But today, they're a daily staple, and my pantry is well stocked with a wide variety of dried beans and pulses, ranging from chickpeas, lentils, black-eye peas, black beans, fava beans, mung beans, and today's star: adzuki beans.

Tinola-Style Cabbage Stew

When it comes to comfort food, I always bring it back to the Filipino foods my grandmothers and parents used to make for us as a child.  Filipino cuisine is replete with soups and stews, so it's no wonder that most of my favorite foods fall into that category.  Ginataang kalabasa, lugaw, ginisang munggo, kare kare - my heart warms and my mouth waters just thinking of them.  Beyond how delicious they are, it's also that sense of family and communion that I feel goes hand in hand with Filipino cooking.  That sense of nourishing more than just the body, but the spirit as well.