The Best Smoothies to Enhance Your Post Workout Recovery

After you’ve hit the gym for a complete body workout or you’ve focused on your core in an intense Pilates class, your body is ready to regain its power and energy through different nutrients. One of the best ways to ensure you’re receiving the necessary nutrients your body needs is drinking a smoothie.

However, this doesn’t mean you should go out and buy a smoothie from your local juice bar. Smoothie places can sometimes be the worst for you as they’re typically packed with sugar, calories, and sometimes don’t even have real fruit in them.

Rather than buying a smoothie with questionable ingredients, a superior way to ensure your post-workout drink is full of fresh nutrients is by making it on your own. This will help you restore glycogen levels in your muscles, replace lost carbs, and reduce inflammation so your body can recover properly and achieve the fit physique you desire.

What to Incorporate in Your Post-Workout Smoothie

When it comes to making your own smoothies at home, it’s good to know some general health tips that will guarantee you’re including all the right ingredients. Some things to consider when buying supplies for your next post-workout beverage include:

-Use unsweetened liquid base like coconut milk

-Buy whole, fresh fruits

-Try including green leafy vegetables

-Pack it with a good protein powder

-Include healthy fats, like almond butter

-Consider the option of using superfoods

Smoothies That Benefit Your Post-Gym Body Best

Once you have all the necessary ingredients for your smoothie, you can begin exploring different kinds that best suit your specific workout. By drinking your nutrients right after your exercise instead of indulging in a heavy meal, you’ll soon be able to notice the incredible benefits these delicious smoothies are providing to your overall health and appearance.

The Green Machine

In a green machine smoothie, the ingredients may vary based on your personal preference, but just as you would guess, it’s packed with tasty greens. Once recipe to follow as a good base for your green machine smoothie to ensure it includes all the necessary ingredients for your post-workout are:

-Water and/or coconut water

-Kale or spinach

-Green apple

-Banana

-Pineapple or mango

-Chia seeds

By increasing both your fruit and veggie intake with this shake, you’re receiving enough fiber, vitamins, iron, and energy to tone up your muscles. Chia seeds are also loaded with other nutrients like fiber, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids which can help fight depression.

Nut/Seed Butter & Banana Oat

Nut and seed butter have continued to grow in popularity, first starting with traditional peanut butter and now to anything as delicious as almond butter or sunflower seed butter. Including nut or seed butter is a great way to blend in healthy fats and protein into your post-workout smoothies.

Almond butter is one of the best kinds of nut butter for you that has 7 grams of protein in just 2 tablespoons. A great smoothie recipe that goes well with almond butter also has almond milk, bananas, rolled oats, non-fat Greek yogurt, and a dash of cinnamon.

Using banana is a great way to give your shake a sweeter flavor, while also delivering you with a sufficient amount of potassium. Potassium can help lower and control your blood pressure which, in the end, can help improve your drive and performance when working out.

Berry Medley

A classic post-workout fruit drink that many people love is one with berries. Whether they’re blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries, these fruits will be sure to add a natural sweetness to your drink and offer a ton of health benefits.

Berries have a high concentration of antioxidants in them which can help neutralize disease-causing bacteria in your body. Local dentist, Dr. Ralhan, even says berries can help fight against infection in your mouth, like gum disease. Berries also help your immune system because they’re rich in vitamins A, C, and E.

Create your own smoothie with your choice of berries and these additional ingredients:

-Almond or coconut milk

-Almond butter

-A banana or peeled orange

-Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

-Protein powder

-Topped with chia seeds

Cleansing Superfood Smoothies

Many people love a good detox smoothie, especially ones that contain enough of the right ingredients that help boost your energy, clear out any toxins, and act as a great meal replacement.

A cleansing smoothie that’s packed with plant-based proteins and other superfoods that you should incorporate in your next post-workout meals are kale, avocado, banana, nut butter, hemp seeds, vanilla, and coconut water. You can also add in a plant-based protein powder for added flavor and nutrients.

After drinking this detox beverage, your bones and muscles will strengthen, inflammation will diminish, and you’ll feel more revitalized than before.

Is Your Favorite Smoothie Really Good for You?

Making a smoothie that’s actually good for you is crucial for your health after a workout session. Don’t be fooled by some of the smoothies at your local juice bar. You always want to ensure your post-workout drink is packed with protein and other useful nutrients that will help your body recover, build muscles, and help you attain the fit figure you desire.

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