Fuel your body before and after a workout

Nutrition plays a very important role in your workout results. One of the two most important meals/snacks are 1.5-1 hr prior to a workout and within 1 hr after a workout.

What you eat before a workout is imperative to the type of workout/performance during your workout. You need to make sure you eat in order to have enough energy throughout and to be able to push yourself as hard as you can. I recommend a carb/protein mix. Throughout the week i have my 10am snack and then go off to the gym at 11am. I really need to create some variety with this meal. I don't find it always fuels my workout as much as i want. Today i had my usually frozen fruit, plain yoghurt and cereal (varies between granola, go lean and optimum slim cereal) and 12 almonds (a serving). And i still got hungry and a little weak during my workout. [A little side note is that you have to be VERY careful with the granola you get. Not all granola is as healthy as you think. It is higher in calorie and can be high in sugar as well....so read your labels. Or make your own (i will post a recipe later this week).] So my new goal is to find something else for my 10am snack that will fuel my workout better. I also tried eating a bigger breakfast in hopes that that would help too...it did a little but not that much. I will let you know when i come up with some new snack ideas. If you have any please feel free to share. I find i have better more powerful workouts on the weekend as my breakfast really helps. I usually eat oatmeal and a banana or my protein pancake recipe (see earlier post for the recipe).

After a workout you need to have a protein shake right away to replenish those hard worked muscles and to battle fatigue and tiredness. Protein shakes are a fast absorbing and give your muscles that fuel immediatley. Then within the hour you should have an actual meal to fuel your body further and help repair those muscles. Throughout the week i have my lunch right after. So that varies for sure. I normally have a blend of veggies, protein and carbs. On the weekends i will have some sort of blend of carbs and proteins. One of my favourite things to enjoy after a workout is a a whole grain wrapped covered with natural peanut butter, 2 broken up pieces of low sodium turkey bacon and a banana. Sounds crazy i know. But it is amazing. This is based on the wondering Bountiful Bananas from Cora's Breakfast and Lunch. They use bacon and regular peanut butter so that is one of my cheat meals. I do get it on a whole wheat crepe though. Try it out, you won't be disappointed!