Chris Willitts a Vegetarian Body Builder

I am always intrigued by other peoples diets and how that integrates into their lifestyle. You know how we tried our fully raw challenge with Kristina well today I wanted to share with you a friend I came across that is vegan and one lean body building machine. Chris's formal education was acquired from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Public Ivy League), with concentrations in consciousness studies, positive psychology, meditation, and Asian studies. He also took marketing and entrepreneurial studies from the Ross School of Business (University of Michigan) - ranked one of the top business schools in the country.

Chris is a proud alumnus of the LeaderShape Institute, a highly regarded leadership development program where he joined the ranks of another alumnus,Google co-founder Larry Page. A year after successfully completing the program, he applied to be a facilitator, and was selected for two consecutive years (considered to be a high honor).

One of Chris’s current social experiments is called Mindful Muscle. The focal point of this project is self-cultivation using mindful practices to invoke positive action in our daily lives (mindful living). Mindful Muscle went online in 2009, and the success of this website inspired him to create Mindful Strength - a mind-body system that transforms strength training into a moving meditation. He also teaches a meditation class that blends positive psychology topics into a course called Meditation Illuminates.

Chris's newest venture is VegetarianBodybuilding.com, where he advocates plant-based fitness and a form of bodybuilding that leads to thriving health (not just big muscles). His underlying sentiment is that eating more plants and fewer animals is generally a good idea for humans and the planet.

Traditional bodybuilding tends to sacrifice one's health in order to look good and get ahead, but because of the mountain of empirical evidence surfacing, many of us are realizing that eating plants and creating harmony within the body is the new, ideal frontier in fitness. From this platform, Chris created a three-month online program called "V3," in which bodybuilding and fitness join forces with plant-based nutrition. The result is a hybrid lifestyle that's supremely effective for complete health and aesthetic.

Chris shares with us today his Fitness Food and Style ethos;

1. What fitness activity do you schedule into your daily routine to keep healthy?

Meditation, usually in the morning or evening. This is the one thing I do daily without fail.

2. Describe your dream meal - what could we expect to find on your plate?

I thoroughly enjoy this dish I make with quinoa, cubed butternut squash, spinach, served with two eggs over-         medium layered on top.

3. What’s a childhood habit or mannerism that has followed you into adulthood?

Persistence and willingness to try new things.

4. Name three things you can’t leave the house without and why?

• iPhone – it’s connection
• Ear buds – it’s positive energy on tap
• Wallet – it’s resources

Here are some of Chris' popular recipes;

How amazing do these meals look? I love the pumpkin almond butter;

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw almond butter
• 2 cups pure pumpkin puree, canned
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp organic maple syrup
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon (or to your liking)
• 1/4 cup ground chia seeds

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir together all of the ingredients well. Add vanilla almond milk to adjust the consistency if it’s too thick.
2. Taste, and add flaky sea salt if desired.
3. Put the pumpkin almond butter into sealable jars, and refrigerate.

Thanks so much Chris for taking time to let us get to know you better. Come back again real soon!

Have a happy and fit Friday.

xxDani