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It’s important to eat before you work out because food consumed before exercise won’t be stored in your body but will influence the fuel mixture to your muscles before your workout, says nutritionist and health writer Anita Bean.
“Your pre-exercise meal should include foods rich in carbohydrates as well as some protein and healthy fat. The combination of these macronutrients will provide sustained energy to help you get through your workout. Both protein and fat slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates so the closer your meal to your workout, the less you should eat. Eating too much fat before a workout (think burger and chips or bacon sandwich) can slow digestion and result in stomach discomfort. On the other hand, eating a meal devoid of fat and protein (think jam sandwiches) could leave you hungry and lacking energy,” says Bean.
These two smoothies have the perfect balance of nutrients to fuel your workout.
Exercise smoothies with fast and slow release carbs
Pear kick
- ½ pear
- 1 frozen banana
- 4 tbsp oatmeal
- 1 tbsp Möller’s lemon flavoured Cod Liver Oil
- 0,175 pt apple juice
Caffeine shake
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 4 tbsp oatmeal
- 1 tbsp Möller’s lemon flavoured Cod Liver Oil
- 0,350 pt coconut milk
Blend everything together with a powerful blender. You can mix in extra water until the consistency resembles a thin soup. This way you also get more liquid.
Drink one of these smoothies about 30 minutes before exercising. Tired of sports drinks? If the smoothie is thin enough and your stomach can tolerate it, you can also enjoy this smoothie during your workout.
Post-exercise smoothies
A good rule to follow after every workout is the “3 Rs of recovery” – rehydrate, refuel, rebuild, says Bean. Rehydrate with fluid, refuel with carbohydrates and rebuild with protein, she explains.
“Your post-workout meal should, ideally, include 0.25-0.4 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, depending on the type and intensity of exercise you’ve done,” adds Bean.
The next three smoothies have the 3 Rs covered. Crushed flaxseed is a rich source of protein. It also contains additional healthy fats (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and is high in fibre. Quark and cottage cheese are also rich in protein. If you want a more savoury taste, use chickpeas and brown beans, which are rich in carbohydrates and proteins.
Carb and protein smoothies for recovery
Green well
- ½ avocado
- 1 pear
- ½ banana, preferably frozen
- 10 almonds
- 1 tbsp flaxseed
- 2 tbsp low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 tbsp Möller’s lemon flavoured Cod Liver Oil
- 0,175 pt apple juice
Mango sweets
- 1 mango
- 1 carrot
- 2 tbsp flaxseed
- 10 hazelnuts
- 0,175 pt strawberry & rhubarb curd
- 1 tbsp Möller’s lemon flavoured Cod Liver Oil
- 3½ tbsp water
Protein bomb
- 8 diced kohlrabies
- 12 blueberries
- 1 raw egg
- 1 tbsp flaxseed
- 1 tbsp low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 tsp honey
- 0,175 pt water
- 1 tbsp Möller’s lemon flavoured Cod Liver Oil
Hot tip! When bananas begin to turn brown, peel, cut into pieces and freeze them instead of throwing them out. After a round in a powerful blender they have the taste and consistency of soft ice cream!