Specific foods your body needs after exercise

Last time I discussed eating after your workouts. To get down to it, I’ll give you specific foods to eat after different types of exercise.

If you’ve just performed aerobic exercise: focus on the carbohydrates. Your body needs to burn some fuel, and fast. This can be done by eating carbs. It’s always good to pair them with a protein as well. If you’re working out in the morning, you might want to eat ½ cup of oatmeal and a couple egg whites (I’m not opposed to the occasional egg yolk either), or some whole grain bread, cereal or bagel. You could also eat some yogurt with strawberries and a banana.

If you did some lifting, eat PROTEIN. You need the protein to repair the tears in your muscle fibers; this is how you tone or build your muscles – by fueling them after your exercise routine! A protein shake, especially whey protein, is the fastest way to get it into your system as it’s liquid. Try eating some carbohydrates as well to build back your energy levels.

You could also eat chicken and a salad, tuna with balsamic vinegar and ½ cup of brown rice, a yam and some turkey breast (not processed), or some eggs and toast. The point is to focus on the protein to rebuild the muscles.

Tune in next time as I discuss emotional eating and how to overcome it.

Credits:
Protein shake: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yongjiet/ / CC BY-NC 2.0
Salad: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0