Eat right before and after your workout

  • By Dr. Shalini Kapoor

To get better results from your workout or training sessions, it is important that you supplement your body with the right amount of nutrition, before and after your workouts.

Energy is the most important thing that you need while working out. That is why it is highly essential that you eat right before your workouts and immediately after. If you eat right, your body gets the right amount of energy for carrying out various exercises so that you can achieve your desired fitness goals. Though many expensive health supplements are available in the market, you should skip those supplements and choose some of the best natural options available. Here are some of them:

What to eat before the workout:

Spicy and fruity whole - wheat toast

Whole-wheat toast with cinnamon and sliced banana is best for getting the right amount of carbohydrates, just before the workout. It is important to have a mix of simple and complex carbs, so that you get a steady energy flow all through the routine. Whole-wheat toast with fresh fruits apart from giving you the necessary carbohydrate supplements, is also very easy to digest. Banana is known for its high potassium levels and is necessary if you are going to sweat a lot during the workout. The spicy cinnamon improves the functioning of the brain and also stabilizes your blood sugar while you aggressively sweat it out.

Greek yoghurt - The super food

Another food that is great for your stomach and energy levels is yoghurt. Greek yoghurt aids digestion and when combined with trail mix, it provides the right energy levels your body needs before the workout. Choose the right mix of dried fruits and nuts in your trail mix and skip the fillers as much possible to keep it healthier. Dried fruits contain healthy sugar that gives a quick energy boost to your body, whereas the seeds and nuts maintain the insulin levels so that your stamina is retained through the workout. However, you must ensure that the trail mix is not in excess or else it can make you sluggish.

What to eat after the workout:

Avocado and veg. Omelet

Eggs are rich in proteins and contribute to the rapid recovery of muscles and their growth. A diet rich in proteins is a must after your workout, so that your muscles can heal and repair fast and get ready for your next workout session. A vegetable omelet, packed with avocados and olive oil, provides your body lots of fiber, as well as mono saturated fats. The dish is also rich in vitamin D, A, E and K, all of which are loaded with antioxidants, essential for boosting the activity level of your body, inside out. Avocados help the body to absorb the fat-soluble nutrients in better way.

Salmon and sweet potato

Salmon is packed with high proteins and contains other health-benefitting components such as bioactive peptides. The small molecules of proteins in the salmon, reduce inflammation, regulate the levels of insulin and provide your joints the needed support and strength during exercise. Sweet potatoes complete this dish by adding the complex carbohydrates needed to pep up the glycogen levels, which are depleted after a hardcore training session.


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