FEATURE PRODUCT: SUNWARRIOR PROTEIN

Sunwarrior Protein: Chocolate

Its only fitting that I review a vegan protein powder called Sunwarrior on my vegan sports blog that shares almost exactly the same name, right? Well, just for the record, I did not rip the name for this blog from a packet of protein. That being said, it is a cool name. To set the record straight, the title of my blog - The Warrior Sun - was inspired by the mythology of the Aztec Sun God. There were many sun gods in Aztec mythology because they represented the ages but my favourite is the Hummingbird. The god of war, the sun god and the god of death, the story says Huitzilopochtli was born full-grown and came out fighting. He would fight the darkness every night to bring the sun for the next day and while I'm not religious, I was extremely impressed by ancient Mesoamerican stories when I visited the ruins of their civilisations.

Sunwarrior protein is great. It has a smooth texture that blends well and the taste is really good. I had the chocolate one and it even passed the test of having it alone with water - a test other vegan proteins have failed for me. Its 80% protein (apparently the highest non-soy vegan protein on the market) and ticks all the usual suspect boxes like gluten free, non-GMO, soy-free and of course, lactose free and vegan. In fact, its made from sprouting and fermenting whole grain brown rice and its raw which means its made with low temperatures and without chemicals. Wow.

Hats off to these folks because they've nailed a really healthy, all natural product in a super tasty format. The packet says "Sunwarrior: Transforming the planet one warrior at a time". I am definitely one converted warrior.

Check out their website at www.sunwarrior.com.au to read more about their products and give them a try!

Gig this weekend

My band, Bloody Hammer are playing this weekend with Depression (30 year anniversary), Counter Attack and Hailgun. Starts at 8pm at The Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood.

FEATURE FANS #1 Sarah and Jacqueline

Introducing...

 Sarah Jans and Jacqueline Melia

Two of my biggest fans, my sister Sarah (right) and one of my best friends, Jacqueline (left). Yeah, I know, its a bit of a no brainer but my sister Sarah - or Papa Janno, Janno Snr, Lord Jannus as she is also known - is awesome, probably my number one fan. I can talk to her about anything, she's a very good listener and - thankfully for me - she pretty much always has good advice. We debrief, trade stories and generally talk shit on a Sunday morning before the sun rises at the fruit and vegetable stall where we both work. I know that at the market I wont have to peel her away from the elaborate kingdoms and realms she conquers in the world of computer games. Just kidding, well not about the fantasy nerd factor but she definitely has the ability to put things in perspective for me and gives me a solid base to always go back to. Dont know what I would do without her.

And Jacqueline. An old and beautiful friend. If I don't tell her about an upcoming fight I know I'm in trouble. Living in each other's pockets for the better part of our mid-teens, we did our first band together, her on bass and me on drums. We travelled Europe together (along with Sarah) at the age of 20, tried unsuccessfully to do a record distribution company and even spent a lazy few months together on the dole! She never failed in her subtlety of letting me know when I got a little too much though...Emily its probably time to go back to your own house after a week of stealing someone's blankets at night and causing more damage to the bathroom drain after dropping your nose ring down the plug and trying to fix it! 

Jacs always sits with my family ringside, she even flew down to Tassie with them for the Australian Amateur Boxing Champs. I'm very lucky to have a friend like her that is so interested and supportive of me to the extent she is.

This one's for you guys, thanks for all the support!

FEATURE RECIPE: Lemon-Lime Recovery Drink

This is a drink I try to make as often as possible to have after a long run, a hard training session or directly after weighing in for a fight. Don't get me wrong, I drink your average sports drinks - heck, I love lemon-lime Gatorade - but when push comes to shove, those drinks can contain extremely high levels of processed sugars and not much else. This is a home-made, unprocessed recipe from Brendan Brazier's book, 'Thrive' (pictured below) and it definitely works for me. It has roughly four parts carbohydrate for every one part protein - more than your average sports drink - speeding recovery immediately after exercise before a protein-rich meal is consumed. It will keep in the fridge for a few days and some settling does occur so shake or re-blend before drinking. Some of the ingredients may be hard to find like the hemp products so I often substitute flaxseed oil for the hemp oil and my regular protein (Vital Protein's, pea protein) for the hemp protein. You could also use maple syrup instead of agave.
 

RECIPE:

Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/4 lime
4 dates
2 cups water
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp hemp protein
1 tsp ground dulse flakes
1 tsp hemp oil (or flaxseed oil)
1/2 tsp lemon zest

In a blender, combine all ingredients, process until smooth. Keep it in the fridge!
You can also substitute 1 cup young coconut water for 1 cup water to increase electrolyte and simple carbohydrate content.