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Vibrant NRGizer: Madi Serpico Whalen

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020 Rick 174 Views 0 Comments athlete, dairy free, dairy-free athlete, game changers movie, go vegan, happy birthday, madi serpico whalen, model, mother, plant based, plant powered, plant-based athlete, plant-powered athlete, pro athlete, triathlete, vegan, vegan athlete, vegan baby, vegan fitness, vegan inspiration, vegan life, vegan lifestyle, vegan model, vegan triathlete, veganhockeyplayer, vegans of instagram, vegfest la, vibrantNRG

She turns 28 on Monday and any day now, Madi Serpico Whalen will become a mother. This vegan athlete has

Vegan Pasta Recipe

December 14, 2020December 17, 2020 Rick 165 Views 0 Comments clean eats, eat smart, eatstagram, family style, foodie, happy holidays, nutrition, pasta, plant based, vegan, vegan community, vegan dinner, vegan eats, vegan find, vegan finds, vegan fitness, vegan food, vegan foodie, vegan friendy, vegan inspiration, vegan life, vegan meals, vegan recipe, vegan share, vegans of ig, vibrantNRG, what vegans eat

Pasta is one of the easiest meals to make vegan. With the holiday season underway, we’ve got a familystyle lentil

“Championship Phase”

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020 Rick 153 Views 0 Comments athlete, championship phase, dairy free, dairy-free athlete, drive, execution, finish strong, hockey, hockey player, ice hockey, inspiration, inspirational quotes, intensity, motivation, own the moment, plant based, plant powered, plant-based athlete, plant-powered athlete, plantstrong, positive vibes, start strong, turnitup, vegan, vegan athlete, vegan fitness, veganhockeyplayer, vibrantNRG

While slogging through an off-ice workout last weekend, I heard a top college football coach talking about his team entering

“Why All The Hate For Vegans?”

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020 Rick 144 Views 0 Comments dairy free, dairy-free athlete, go vegan, hate, healthy, nutrition, plant based, plant powered, plant-based athlete, plant-based diet, plant-based life, plant-based living, plant-powered athlete, Sunday reflection, vegan, vegan af, vegan athlete, vegan community, vegan fitness, vegan inspiration, vegan life, vegan lifestyle, veganhockeyplayer, veganism, vegans of instagram, vibrantNRG, weight loss

“Why all the hate for vegans?” I was asked this question by the friend who I’m coaching. Having already lost

Weight Loss

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020 Rick 128 Views 0 Comments dairy free, dairy-free athlete, go vegan, healthy, plant based, plant powered, plant-based athlete, plant-based diet, plant-based life, plant-based lifestyle, plant-based living, plant-powered athlete, skinny jeans, vegan, vegan af, vegan athlete, vegan community, vegan fitness, vegan inspiration, vegan life, vegan lifestyle, veganhockeyplayer, veganism, vegans of instagram, vibrantNRG, weight loss

27 pounds and 33.5 inches lost. In the 23 weeks since I began working with a friend to help her

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“Legs felt great. Quickness is the best it’s e

“Legs felt great. Quickness is the best it’s ever been. Conditioning is arguably the best in my career. Feel like a solid pro.”

“Felt amazing because I feel like I’m not getting winded despite large increase in output.”

“Endurance and leg strength are significantly improving.”

“Felt incredible: light & lean. Conditioning and endurance dramatically improved.”

It’s a big jump to become a pro athlete after playing in college and requires a major commitment to get to that level - and stay at that level. The smart ones explore and consider any edge that they can get over the competition. The last two months, I’ve been advising a hockey player preparing for his first pro season. Through hours of discussion and consultation, he decided to adopt a plant-based diet to help him be lighter and leaner, and increase his ability to recover faster from games and workouts, allowing him to train harder, longer and more often, therefore becoming stronger, fitter and faster. He went all in on this major lifestyle change even though he called it a “49-Day Vegan Challenge.”

Since day one, he’s been open and receptive to making the nutritional changes required to make him a better athlete as well as a healthier individual in life outside of hockey. He’s adapted to his new diet, stuck with it and trained hard. The quotes from his training diary in this post confirm that he’s experiencing the numerous benefits of becoming a plant-powered athlete. I’m super proud of him and honored that he trusted me to guide his successful transition. - Rick

#veganhockeyplayer #vibrantNRG #pro #hockey #hockeyplayer #hockeylife #hockeyphotography #transition #transformation #vegan #govegan #athlete #athletes #plantbased #plantbaseddiet #vegandiet #wfpb #veganlifestyle #commitment #committed #fitness #workout #train #health #wellness #change #smart #challenge #edge #competition

Someone shifted the conversation in the locker roo

Someone shifted the conversation in the locker room from hockey to inquire about my decision to go vegan for the animals over six years ago after being vegetarian for 25 years for health & athletic performance reasons. What the boys didn’t know is that my activism includes close encounters with animals killed for food, such as pigs.

Although I haven’t attended a pig vigil since COVID broke out, I remain impacted the more I learn about these smart, sensitive and sentient beings.

Pigs are naturally clean and meticulous, only getting muddy in order to cool off. But on factory farms, they are forced to live in their own filth in overcrowded and stressful conditions where they breathe in noxious gas from waste and dust.

Pigs are naturally social, show physical affection and interact via a variety of sounds. But on factory farms, they are confined to tiny stalls with thousands of other pigs but without the freedom to interact naturally.
It’s worse for mother pigs who are crammed and immobilized in gestation crates that do not even allow them to turn around.

Pigs naturally exercise extensively by grazing, rooting, walking and making nests yet on factory farms, they are kept in small enclosures that prevent their natural behavior.

In nature, mother pigs bond closely with their babies and stay together for months. They even have a special grunt to tell the piglets when it’s time to eat. On factory farms, mother pigs are moved from restrictive gestation crates while pregnant into equally restrictive farrowing crates after giving birth. Within two weeks, their offspring will have their tails cut off, teeth and ears clipped, and males will be castrated - all without pain relief - before being taken away for good.

The pigs that I interact with at vigils are around six months old in the final hours before they are killed to become your #bacon #ham #hotdogs and #pork products. - Rick

#veganhockeyplayer #vibrantNRG #pig #pigs #pigsofinstagram #awareness #facts #govegan #vegan #veganathlete #hockey #hockeyplayer #plantbased #plantbasedathlete #veganfortheanimals #friendsnotfood #smart

A follow up to my recent post about the extraordin

A follow up to my recent post about the extraordinary Gabriel Zelico, Cal State Fullerton’s goalie who was bombarded with 96 UCLA shots, a hockey player who plays one of sports’ toughest positions despite a major birth defect. I took Gabe’s remarkable story national and he will be interviewed on Friday’s “NHL Now” on the NHL Network airing from 1-3pm PT.

Not only did our UCLA players not know about Gabe’s deformed arm and hand until after the game, but the SoCal native suffered a minor panic attack prior to the start of the third period, which explains his delayed return to the ice that kept us waiting and wondering.

“I fell back on my sports psych training to calm myself down,” said Gabe who will graduate with a master’s in sports psychology this semester.

Since my post, Gabe shared that he used to put his catching glove on his full (left) arm and hand, and Velcro’d his blocker to his stick for the first eight years that he played goal. About six years ago, he switched to catching with what he calls his “small hand.”

Tune in to learn more about this courageous athlete who will be interviewed by fellow goaltender and NHL Network host Kevin Weekes. - Rick

#veganhockeyplayer #vibrantNRG #nhlnetwork #nhl #nhlnow #athlete #ucla #coldbrus #hockey #icehockey #goalie #hockeyphotography #courage #sportspsychology #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #calstatefullerton #titanshockey #kevinweekes

Going from rink to rink today for the Vibrant Ener

Going from rink to rink today for the Vibrant Energy pickup and UCLA’s home opener. Making sure I have nutritional plant-based food on-the-go is super easy. Packing a sweet potato, carrots, dates, a pear and my favorite plant-powered protein bar. - Rick

#veganhockeyplayer #vibrantNRG #mealprep #vegan #plantbased #plantpowered #fruit #snacks #outrightbars #athlete #hockey #hockeyplayer #veganfood #whatveganseat #veganideas #plantbasedathlete #veganathlete #plantpoweredathlete #ucla #coldbrus #uclahockey #nutrition #healthyfood #health #wellness

Make your plans now for the home opener…UCLA vs.

Make your plans now for the home opener…UCLA vs. San Jose State. This Friday night at The Cube in Santa Clarita. Puck drop at 8:30pm. Let’s go, Bruins!

@uclahockey @thecubesantaclarita

#veganhockeyplayer #vibrantNRG #ucla #bruinshockey #coldbrus #hockey #icehockey #hockeyphotography #thecube #homeopener #letsgo #lfg

“They eat babies” There is some truth to this

“They eat babies”

There is some truth to this claim made by a radical political party although they are just as guilty. Animals bred and slaughtered for food are typically babies.

Chickens are killed at just six weeks old while pigs are killed at around six months of age. Ducks are killed at two months-old while turkeys are killed when they are 5-6 months-old. Male cows are less than a year old when killed to become veal while female cows are allowed to live a few years before they become beef - as long as they produce enough breast milk to be stolen for human consumption. Lamb are killed between at 4-12 months-old and salmon are killed at around two years-old.

So, unless you’re plant based, you eat babies.

#veganhockeyplayer #vibrantNRG #awareness #babies #baby #food #animals #animalagriculture #factoryfarming #eatplants #govegan #vegan #plantbased #plantbaseddiet #chicken #turkey #ducks #pigs #cows #lamb #fish #salmon #beef #meat #dairy #facts #truth

Some lessons aren’t revealed until the end and i

Some lessons aren’t revealed until the end and in this case, it didn’t come until the handshake line after UCLA dominated Cal State Fullerton 9-0 to collect their third consecutive win to start the season.

Before the game, I spotted the Titans goaltender warming up alone in the hallway. As he stretched, I noticed his birth defect: a right arm and hand that were not fully formed. I didn’t say anything to the Bruins and they went out there and peppered this courageous athlete with 96 shots on goal. He stood strong despite the relentless barrage and the score would have been far more lopsided had it not been for his tenacious will to compete.

When the teams met at center ice for post-game handshakes, instead of fist bumping each player with his catching glove, the netminder took it off and shook hands with our squad. It was only then that they became aware of his deformity.

After the Bruins got off to a 4-0 start against a team that was clearly not in their class, between periods I stressed the importance of respecting the opponent. In that handshake line, and throughout the entire arena, we all had tremendous respect for the Titans goalie.
- Rick
@uclahockey
#veganhockeyplayer #vibrantNRG #ucla #bruinshockey #coldbrus #hockey #icehockey #goalie #hockeyphotography #lesson #lessons #lifelessons #respect #courage #win #victory #undefeated #shutout

The beauty of professional athletes is how easy th

The beauty of professional athletes is how easy they make things look. But as we saw on the global stage last summer via Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, and now in the hockey world with Jonathan Drouin, not everything is easy, especially when it comes to mental health.

Long plagued by anxiety that led to three consecutive days of sleeplessness, Drouin bailed on the NHL season last April right as his Canadiens were in the thick of the playoff hunt.

“I had fallen ill to the point where I was no longer controlling my body. That was really the moment when I realized that I needed to take a break from hockey, to take a step back,” said Drouin.

The true nature of his absence was not revealed at the time. While the Canadiens went on to play in the Stanley Cup Finals, Drouin sat out to address his mental health issues privately. Only recently did he disclose the real reason for his absence, challenges for which he got help and took extended time away from doing what he loves in order to restore his health.

“I went to find help, I went to find people to be around me. Now I understand how it happens, I understand the little moments when I feel anxiety. I am now better equipped than I was before. I had made the decision to take care of myself,” said Drouin.

“It wasn't an easy thing to do, and I'm proud of what I've done and I'm happy I did it. I'm 26 years-old so I wanted to do it at that point in my career and feel good for the next years.”

Now better prepared to handle the pressure and stresses of playing in the NHL - and in life, Drouin rejoined his team this month for training camp and is preparing for the new season. As someone who has experience with anxiety, depression and insomnia, I’m rooting for this courageous athlete - on and off the ice. - Rick

#veganhockeyplayer #vibrantNRG #jonathandrouin #canadiens #nhl #hockey #athlete #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #health #wellness #healthy #anxiety #insomnia #sleep #depression #courage #stress #pressure #mentalhealthmatters #mental #mentalillness #mentalhealthsupport #mentalhealthrecovery #mentalwellness #hockeyplayer #hockeyphotography

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