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What Is the Thrive Diet?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

The Thrive Diet was created by Brendan Brazier, athlete and author of the book Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. The Thrive Diet focuses less on strict eating plans and more on changing the way a person eats for the benefit of health, fitness, the earth, and animal life. The creator of the diet says a person may achieve better health by eating plant foods that have stress-fighting characteristics.

Many diet plans include the consumption of lean meats. This diet differs dramatically. Those who follow this diet eat only plant-based foods. The diet plan is vegan, which means a person who follows it will stop eating not only meat, but also eggs, dairy products, and fish. Even honey is excluded, as it comes from bees.

Coconut is allowed on the thrive diet.
Coconut is allowed on the thrive diet.

A person who follows this diet plan is supposed to consume lots of fruits and vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Legumes and whole grains make the menu for someone on this diet as well. The Thrive Diet also incorporates next-level foods, so called by the diet’s creator, which are supposed to provide the body with enhanced nutrition. An example of this type of food is coconut. Followers are also supposed to exercise for the best results.

A person on the thrive diet is supposed to consume a lot of fruits and vegetables.
A person on the thrive diet is supposed to consume a lot of fruits and vegetables.

The Thrive Diet includes a 12-week meal plan that provides recipes as well as tips for continuing to eat healthy during travel. The focus remains on keeping fit and improving energy rather than on counting calories and losing weight. Those who start the diet may do well to spend some time stocking up on foods listed in the book. As some of the ingredients suggested in the plan aren’t common household staples, stocking up may reduce trips to the grocery store or health food market.

Advocates of the Thrive Diet say that it helps the dieter lose excess body fat.
Advocates of the Thrive Diet say that it helps the dieter lose excess body fat.

Besides improving overall health, the Thrive Diet is said to offer a range of other benefits. For example, the diet plan is said to improve a person’s ability to sleep well. It’s also supposed to help a person crave sugar less and shed extra body fat. This diet is even said to reduce a person’s negative impact on the environment.

While the Thrive Diet can be beneficial for a person’s health and may even produce weight loss, some people may have a hard time following it. For example, processed foods are not included in this diet. Giving them up, along with animal food sources, may be hard on some people. Busy individuals may also have a difficult time with the amount of preparation required for the meal recipes included with the plan.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

bythewell

Being vegan will really reduce your environmental impact. It takes huge amounts of water and space and nutrients to grow cattle and other animals for food. I think it is something like one thousand cups of water for every cup of milk.

But, if you really want to cut down your impact, you should also only go for seasonal vegetables and fruits, so that they don't have to be transported long distances.

Unfortunately that tends to be difficult on a diet which may specify particular foods at particular times.

Mor

I wonder how this diet deals with the fact that there are a couple of nutrients which can only be obtained through eating animal products. Like vitamin B12. Vegans can only get this vitamin through supplements.

Generally I think it is a good thing to cut back on animal products, because they can be very unhealthy, but I think diets that propose they be cut out all together are not sustainable. If someone has a moral reason for being a vegan, that's different and I wish them the best though.

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    • Coconut is allowed on the thrive diet.
      Coconut is allowed on the thrive diet.
    • A person on the thrive diet is supposed to consume a lot of fruits and vegetables.
      By: Profotokris
      A person on the thrive diet is supposed to consume a lot of fruits and vegetables.
    • Advocates of the Thrive Diet say that it helps the dieter lose excess body fat.
      By: MilsiArt
      Advocates of the Thrive Diet say that it helps the dieter lose excess body fat.
    • In addition to a vegan diet plan, regular exercise helps get the best results from the Thrive Diet.
      By: Andres Rodriguez
      In addition to a vegan diet plan, regular exercise helps get the best results from the Thrive Diet.
    • The Thrive Diet purportedly causes the dieter to crave sugar less frequently.
      By: librakv
      The Thrive Diet purportedly causes the dieter to crave sugar less frequently.
    • Honey and dairy products are not allowed on the vegan Thrive Diet.
      By: Nitr
      Honey and dairy products are not allowed on the vegan Thrive Diet.
    • The Thrive Diet may actually help someone to sleep better.
      By: Karen Winton
      The Thrive Diet may actually help someone to sleep better.