I often get asked what I eat following workouts over the lunch hour. Keeping in mind that what you eat needs to be easy to carry and consume as you will most likely be eating at your desk, I choose the following. A beet juice recovery drink and a protein enhanced fruit smoothie. What follows are the recipes for each.
You probably wonder why I choose beet juice over a simple V8, and why I mix it with almond milk. Beet juice has many benefits and here are few examples which were researched in scientific studies.
1. Beet juice for lower blood pressure.
Drinking just over two cups of beet juice daily may help keep your blood pressure in check, according to a 2008 study. The study's authors suggest that nitrate—a nutrient found in green, leafy vegetables in addition to beets—may be responsible for beet juice's blood-pressure-lowering effects.
2. Beet juice for better stamina
In a small study published in 2009, scientists discovered that drinking beet juice may boost exercise stamina.
The researchers also observed that study members had lower resting blood pressure after drinking beet juice.
3. Beet juice to fight inflammation
Beet juice may benefit obese people by curbing inflammation (a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer), according to a study published in 2009. The study also showed that beet juice may fight free radicals (chemical by-products known to damage DNA).
The reason I mix it with almond and coconut milk is to raise the fat content without increasing the carb load in the drink. I choose a higher fat content and lower carb load is that I have trained my body to utilize fats during exercise, and generally eat a high fat, moderate protein, low carb ketogenic diet.
The second drink I will consume is a protein enhanced fruit smoothie. This smoothie contains a mixture of fruit, almond & coconut milk, flax, cinnamon, and protein powder. I utilize this drink for several reasons. The first of these is that the protein powder aids quick muscle recovery. The macronutrients from the fruit also aid in recovery and cell maintenance. The flax and almond milk contain good fats which help with recovery and appetite satiation.
