This month’s Sexy Bad Ass vegan is from Sunny California… when he is not helping people realize their true potential as a vegan athlete you will find him testing his own body and pushing it to the limit. Make sure you check out Mr. July: Graham!
Name: Graham Ryan
Where do you live and where are you from? Oakland, Ca
Age? 27
What do you do for a living/profession? Director of Cosmic Unfolding of a Berkeley-based transformative lifestyle nutrition company; Synchro Nutritionals
What do you like to do for fun? My semi-obsessive hatha yoga practice. Cross training/strength training. Cycling. Playing piano. Exploring the limits of human potential, musing on the future of societies and humanity
How long have you been vegan? Since 2006
Why did you become vegan? An early step (albeit a huge one) in the ongoing pursuit of eating the most powerful and transformative foods on the planet
How was your transition? The transition was easy. I had been vegetarian since 2003 and moving increasingly towards a plant-based diet before committing in full. That being said, I view it as an ongoing process and I know I’m always getting “better” at being a vegan. I was convinced early on that the performance potential for the human body was far greater with a plant-based diet – but it took a couple years of research and experimentation before I knew with certainty that my diet was doing more to push my performance than any diet based around animal products.
What is the funniest misconception(s) that you have heard about vegans? Vegans can’t compete as elite level athletes
What is your Favorite thing(s) about being a vegan? Feeing strong, light, energetic and generally awesome almost all the time.
What do you think makes a Sexy Bad Ass Vegan? Someone who has made the move to veganism not solely for their own well being; but so that they are moving towards becoming a more powerful and capable person – with the intention to inspire others and create the world they want to live in going forward.
What is your the best vegan dish that you make in your kitchen?I eat some version of a raw kale and lentil-sprout salad atleast 6 nights a week, so I’ll share the recipe for the one I just ate: 1 big, bad ass bowl of shredded raw kale 1 cup sprouted green lentils (sprouted at home) 1/2 cup cooked quinoa Dressing:: 3tbsp reduced fat veganaise 1-2tbsp tamari shredded ginger Toss the salad. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast if desired. I usually will wrap the salad in nori to make “sushi” and eat it that way. It’s f’ing delicious and I highly recommend it.
What is the best Vegan Restaurant you have ever had the pleasure of eating at? I ate at Quintessence in Manhattan recently and the raw indian food plate was really impressive. But the best vegan food I ever eat comes via my friend and supremely talented raw chef; Jillian Love. (jillianlove.com) Her raw truffles are from another planet. Probably the closest I’ve come to orgasm from a food. 😉 
What advice do you have for those that are thinking of transitioning to a vegan lifestyle? Yeah, drink Synchro Genesis. Seriously. This may sound like a shameless product plug, but it’s also honest. Getting super-high quality proteins and insanely nutrient dense superfoods will make it feel not like a transition but a “level-up” in health, energy, strength and well-being. I wish I’d had this product in my early days as a vegan.
Do you have a website to share with the BAV nation? www.facebook.com/SynchroNutritionals www.synchronutritionals.com