An article from the Men’s Journal on North Vancouver’s Brendan Brazier, a “raw” triathlete. Written by Gwen Kilvert.

Once just for hippies and Hollywood personal chefs, the raw food diet is becoming the latest adventure performance fuel.

As a competitive runner and a hardcore vegan, Brendan Brazier had a pretty good idea what was behind his lethargy and chronic muscle soreness. So he took a radical step: He stopped cooking. Two years later, fueled by a 90 percent uncooked, plant-based diet, the 30-year-old from Vancouver, British Columbia, not only feels great, but is also a top-tier Ironman and blistering 2:29 marathoner. In the process, he’s become one of the leaders pushing the boundaries of the raw (or “living”) food movement beyond the crunchy realm of hippie communes and into the sweaty world of timed splits, intervals, and anaerobic thresholds. “I haven’t used my stove in over a year,” says Brazier. “In fact, I’m thinking of selling it.” Not ready to give up your microwave just yet? Don’t worry. Most of the athletes similarly learning to turn off the heat aren’t anywhere near as extreme as Brazier. These guys — including seven-time Western States 100 ultramarathon champ Scott Jurek and members of the Norwegian national cycling team — simply try to work more uncooked vegetables, nuts, and seeds into their diets in the same way other jocks might pile on the grilled chicken breasts. “I know plenty of guys who are incorporating aspects of it,” says Jurek. “It’s a lot easier than you think.”

BACK TO YOUR ROOTS
The invention of fire two million years ago may have coincided with the growth of our brains, but it’s not like it didn’t come with some downsides. Although heating foods to 160 degrees kills bacteria in meat and poultry, it can sap vegetables of vital nutrients and dilute the power of grains. A bowl of raw oats, for example, has seven times the iron and potassium of hot oatmeal. (Iron deficiencies can be a source of fatigue for athletes and potassium is crucial for balancing fluids and preventing muscle cramps.) Kale — a staple of Brazier’s — loses about half its iron, fiber, and folic acid, another key along with iron for maintaining stamina. In addition, raw veggies, seeds, and nuts are packed with antioxidants that may help reduce muscle and joint inflammation and potentially save you a bunch of money on ibuprofen.

WHAT ABOUT PROTEIN?
You probably wouldn’t go on a raw diet if you were big into weight lifting. On the other hand, the evidence suggests that, for endurance athletes at least, a combination of raw beans, nuts, grains, and other plant-based sources of protein might provide a more than adequate alternative to animal and dairy products for muscle strength. And the news on bones is even better. It’s a little known fact that uncooked, unprocessed foods tend to be less acidic, which may help bones stay healthy by keeping your body from having to leach as much calcium from them to buffer excess acid in your system. In a study that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine last year, Washington University scientist Dr. Luigi Fontana found that although raw foodists were leaner and had lower bone mass than the average American, their bones were equally strong and their inflammation was 65 percent lower — and that’s going fully raw. A moderate approach, like the suggestions at right, says Fontana, “has nothing but upside.” Marathon runner David Neuman is certainly sold. “When I first met Brendan I wondered, ‘How could anyone race at the elite level on plants?’ ” he says. “Now it’s the only way I can think to keep up with him!”

How To Go (Semi) Raw
A raw food diet doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing regimen. By including a few uncooked foods in each meal, you can ignite your energy level and speed up recovery time.

BREAKFAST UPGRADE: Blend a scoop of chocolate-flavored Vega Complete Whole Food Meal Replacement with a banana, a pear, raw almonds (soaked overnight in water), and half a cup of water as a tasty alternative to your typical breakfast shake ($70 for 36-oz canister, above; 866-839-8863, myvega.com).
WHAT YOU GET: A 95 percent raw shake that is 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbs, 30 percent essential fats, with no refined sugars, and a nice boost of folic acid, iron, and potassium.

LUNCH UPGRADE: Add alfalfa or radish sprouts to sandwiches.
WHAT YOU GET: Folic acid, potassium, and calcium.
UPGRADE: From a juice bar, order a blend of celery, carrot, apple, and cucumber to have with your midday meal.
WHAT YOU GET: An energizing, hydrating, and alkaline cocktail loaded with potassium and beta-carotene.

SNACK UPGRADE: Replace your regular energy bar with the delicious Cherry Pie LäraBar ($1.70; 877-527-2227, larabar.com).
WHAT YOU GET: Similar amounts of protein and carbs as in popular bars, but with essentially just two ingredients — fruits and nuts — instead of a long list of multisyllabic synthetic stuff.

DINNER UPGRADE: Replace cooked brown rice with raw barley (dried, soaked, and sprouted) or quinoa (ditto).
WHAT YOU GET: About five times as much protein and up to nine times the potassium.
UPGRADE: Add chopped raw kale or broccoli to a salad.
WHAT YOU GET: Fiber, iron, beta-carotene, folic acid, and calcium.