December 29, 2019: Smoothie Social
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The smoothie has become like its own food group. The popular delight is a great way to obtain nutrients, anti-oxidants, and calories. But do you think about what you’re putting in your smoothie, or are you picking and choosing what sounds tastiest at the time? This week, we’re going to talk about how great smoothies are when you’re intentional about what goes in them.
When you grab a smoothie with your buddies before or after your workout, you need to put a little thought into the smoothie you want. You need to determine factors like what kind of workout you’re doing, your nutritional needs for the day, and when you’re consuming it.
Things to Consider
Strength and resistance training is all about the muscles, and they rely on the goodness of carbohydrates and protein to fuel them prior to your workout. A good tip for a pre-workout smoothie when strength training is to have 75% carbs to 25% protein and a small dose of fat, since your body will be burning fat during long, low impact routines.
High-glycemic foods like mango, cherries, and watermelon, give you a natural sugar rush, or an instant boost of energy, which you’ll need if you’re an early riser.
Protein is broken down into amino acids and sent to the tissues that need it most, in this case, your muscles. Having protein before your workout is a good way to aid your recovery process.
Ideally, you should consume a pre-workout smoothie an hour before working out.
Ideally, you should consume a post-workout smoothie no more than 2 hours after your workout when your muscles are primed and ready for the relief.
Pre-workout Smoothie Recipe
This tropical smoothie from myprotein.com is a delicious pre-workout meal designed to give you the boost of energy from the high-glycemic fruits, mango and pineapple, and it helps keep your energy levels up with the carrot and peach, while giving you a good recovery dose of protein with the whey.
Ingredients
1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1 ¼ c fat-free plain yogurt
¼ c grated carrot
¼ c frozen peaches
¼ c frozen pineapple
¼ c frozen mango
Ice, if needed
Water, if needed
Post-workout Smoothie Recipe
Post-workout, protein should be a primary focus of your smoothie. Your muscles have undergone some intense conditioning and have been damaged during the process, and while that’s a good thing, your body needs to adapt to this damage. Protein is the building block it needs. Your body also needs carbs, but post-workout, you’ll want a low-glycemic food so you don’t have the sugar crash and you can maintain your energy levels. Carbs also increase your insulin levels which help move the protein to those aching muscles.
This chocolate peanut butter smoothie is not only a great way to recover after a workout, but it tastes delicious. With protein from the milk, peanut butter, and protein powder, as well as the low-glycemic banana, you’ll help not only help your muscles recover, you’ll aid in their growth.
Ingredients
1 scoop chocolate whey protein
1 c milk (dairy, almond, or soy)
1 frozen banana
2 Tbsp peanut butter
Ice, if needed
Water, if needed
Next Sunday, we’ll talk about making a healthy lifestyle change the right way.
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I hope you have a wonderful week,
Kelly
Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.
Tsirona - www.tsirona.com
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