Eureka! I cannot sufficiently express in words my enthusiasm that I have finally perfected this recipe. It has been years. With a perfect combination of ingredients, patience, and love, I have now perfected (and replicated) a homemade veggie burger that stands up to the test of the grill. No falling apart. No oozing through the cracks. No drying out. It does require some preparation though. But I assure you, it's worth it. Enjoy... it's years of love I share with you now.

Warning: this recipe as-is makes a lot of burgers (12). They're great to freeze or if you want to put the big effort in once and then reap the benefits for longer! When you form them into patties, separate them with parchment or wax paper before freezing.

Lindsay's Grillable Veggie Burger 
3 cups black beans (cooked)
2 cups brown rice (cooked)
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
1 cup mashed sweet potato
2 eggs
2 cups large flake oats (raw)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or tamari
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder

In a food processor, combine beans and rice. Blend until sort of smooth or until beans are all mashed into a paste. Either transfer to a large bowl or add the zucchini, mushrooms, and sweet potato into the food processor and then transfer everything (it depends on how chunky or smooth you want your burgers to be). 

In a separate smaller bowl, combine ketchup, worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, and spices. A whisk works well - say that 3 times fast! Add the eggs into the sauce mixture. Add the sauce/egg mixture into the bean mixture and mix well. This should be rather sloppy and runny still. Add in oats (between 2-2.5 cups) and mix. This should thicken the burger mixture. 

Cover and let stand in the fridge overnight or for at least a couple of hours. This enhances the binding power of the oats. Form into patties and brush with oil (coconut works well) before putting on a hot grill. Grill on medium-high for 4-5 minutes each side. Enjoy!

Tips (i.e. what I've learned the hard way): 
The egg cannot be substituted. Sorry. It just can't. 
Canned beans can be easily substituted. Just make sure you rinse well.
The spice mixture can be adjusted to your level of taste. 
The oats really do need to sit in the mixture to absorb the excess liquid and hold them together. 
The zucchini and mushrooms are kind of key as they are big generators of moisture to prevent the burger from drying out during grilling. 

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Often when we first experience acute injury, our first reaction is to stop completely and hobble like a champ. Of course, this is a reasonable approach - to a certain extent. Your ND can help guide you through the healing process and help to strengthen your body and teach you proper technique to avoid injury in the future. Injuries should be assessed and treated sooner rather than later to prevent stubborn scar tissue formation and poor compensation strains.

NDs will often use acupuncture to provide pain relief at the site and also experienced in compensatory muscles. Trigger points (tender spots causing pain at a neighbouring site) and knots are found and released. The needles help to increase the flow of blood and oxygen into an otherwise blocked area. By releasing the tension from the muscles, they can then function efficiently and pain-free with the rest of the muscular system. I often use electrostimulation with the needles, such as TENS or microcurrent, to help with pain management and assist the healing process. Natural remedies for pain management and inflammation control, such as fish oil or turmeric, can aid in decreasing pain.

Having the basic building blocks available to the tissues allows a swift recovery from injury. Ensuring proper amounts of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the diet can help to speed recovery and allow the body to repair collagen with minimal scar tissue. NDs will analyze your diet to ensure you are taking in enough of these building blocks. If necessary, dietary modifications can be made or a supplement can be suggested. 

Your ND will teach proper biomechanics to help ease you back into sport or your daily life and prevent future injury. Active recovery is part of preventing scar tissue formation and helps to speed the recovery process (“use it or lose it” as they say). 

Often when athletes train, they focus on building and tend to be lenient on the recovery side of things. Recovery is the absolute most important part of training - it allows the body time to recover from the microdamage done during the training session and to over-compensate for the additional stress leading to gains. Finding this balance is delicate and takes some skill. It is a fine balance between pushing through building and allowing to rest. But rest doesn’t have to mean sitting on the couch. Balancing strengthening with stretching activities such as yoga or pilates help to build resilience in the muscles to prevent future injury, and rebalances the body. Tight structures need to be loosened and weak structures strengthened in order to achieve optimal biomechanics and balance in the body. This helps to prevent future injury.

In addition to injury management, an ND will take your entire health into consideration. Signs and symptoms of overtraining, for example, extend far beyond lack of performance and fatigue. Disturbances in recovery, sleep, mood, concentration, and immune system function are often seen but may not be addressed by other practitioners. The holistic approach taken by an ND provides complete athletic support to treat and prevent injury, enhance performance, and help you to train smart and healthy.