Recovery Smoothie of the Week!
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For this week’s (and for the first ever) “Of the Week” segment, I’m diving into the world of post-workout treats and bringing to you my Recovery Smoothie OTW–Raspbanana Chocolate!
There will continue to be an ongoing debate on post-workout protocol in the fitness world until the end of time. Myths will get debunked, and new theories will be created while research continues to grow and more resources become available to us. I am not a health professional of any sort, just an athlete who has tried everything that’s been thrown at them. I’ve developed my own preferences along the way that I feel work for me, and realized mostly that every person is unique and prefers different proteins or means of recovering. Some people react well to Whey protein– a fast acting protein that digests quickly, while others like Soy protein–a plant based protein proven to have similar effects to Whey and is packed with all of the essential amino acids. The majority of people, however, really have no idea what the difference is and just want to live a healthy lifestyle while caring for their bodies and muscles.
My workouts are highly specialized towards soccer, and are mostly explosive with certain days dedicated to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT for the fitness peeps reading this). I don’t use a ton of weight in my work outs, rather I tend to focus on power and explosiveness for my lower body and toning my upper body and core. The goal is for me to stay lean and powerful, and most importantly to remain healthy! Taking care of your body after a work out is extremely important. It is easy to get lost in a GNC or the health aisle at your local grocery store…there are SO many options. I suggest you dive right in and start seeing what works for you. My go-to post workout fuel is usually some form of deli-meat (New York has the best delis), preferably roast beef. I know it sounds weird, but I just really like it! It’s easy to roll up and eat, it has a ton of protein, and has a little more substance for my on-the-go lifestyle. I do use (and love) protein powder as well, and have taken a particular liking to Isopure (chocolate flavor). It is very low in carbs and sugars, which is good for me because I do a lot of damage with explosive workouts and I just want a pure protein that is going to repair my muscles and get the job done quickly, with no added sugar or carbs to weigh me down. I’ve tried other protein’s like Optimum Nutrition: Gold Standard Whey, Syntha-6, and the generic GNC brands, but I always go back to Isopure for some reason. I like how easy it mixes either on its own with water or in my smoothies/shakes: it doesn’t clump up and it doesn’t have that intense proteiny taste (in my opinion). AND after I drink it I don’t feel bogged down or tired which is the best part! But like I said, everyone is different and you should really just test out some things to see how your body feels.
On special days when I have extra time and have had more of a mild workout, I like to reward myself with an easy to make fancy protein smoothie. I present to you, my Raspbanana Chocolate Protein Smoothie!
Ingredients for 1 smoothie:
- ½ frozen banana
- 1 generous handful of raspberries
- 1 scoop of Chocolate Protein powder (whichever one you use–I use Isopure Dutch Chocolate) **You can adjust the amount of scoops depending on what your protein suggests
- 1.5 cups of Almond Milk or Chocolate Almond Milk if you’ve got an urge for more chocolate….I have that urge.
- 1 heaping spoonful of Almond Butter (and an additional spoonful for you to eat while your smoothie blends if you’re like me…)
Feel free to add in any other mix-ins: different berries, flax seeds, chia seeds or oatmeal!
Directions: Put the ingredients in a blender, blend to your liking, and enjoy your chocolatey, salty, sweet creamy post-workout cup of heaven!