Fruit smoothies

By Martin Malo, triathlete

What should you eat to help your body recover after exercising? Intensive daily workouts tend to cause muscle pain and stiffness. As an athlete, it’s important to choose the right foods to get the energy you need to optimize your training sessions and ensure a fast and effective recovery.

The body stores very small amounts of carbohydrates as glycogen, which is quickly burned while exercising. Maximizing glycogen storage will help you prepare your body for your next workout and rebuild muscle tissue. Glycogen-storing enzymes are more active after you exercise and remain active for only a short time afterwards.

To support muscle repair, it’s important to consume the right amounts of protein and carbohydrates as soon as possible after exercising. What you eat after a workout is just as important as what you eat before, and consuming the right foods at the right times means a faster recovery and better performances.

Practical and nutritious, fruit smoothies are a great way to ensure that your body gets all the nutrients it needs by combining calories, carbohydrates and proteins. As a rule of thumb, your nutrient intake should be 3:1 carbohydrates to proteins. Easy to digest, a smoothie made from a variety of ingredients is a simple way to achieve the right balance.

I like that smoothies are practical. Delicious and so quick to make, they provide a daily serving of fruit and vegetables and the nutrients I need to start my day off on the right foot. They’re also perfect after a workout.

I really push my body, and smoothies are an amazing source of energy that really keeps me going. It’s important to remember that the physical stress caused by an intense workout increases cellular oxidation. The antioxidants contained in foods like fruits neutralize this effect.

My smoothie recipes are simple. In the summer when home-grown fruits are in season, there are tons of choices! I like to mix things up: some fresh fruit, ice cubes or cold milk and I’m ready to go. In the winter, frozen fruit works great. All you need to do is use hot water instead of ice. Some people add tea instead.

It’s best to drink a smoothie right out of the blender to really benefit from the nutrients and enzymatic activity, before oxidation starts to change the colour of the drink. Also, nutrients in liquid form are absorbed more quickly because they’re easier to digest.

The fruit and vegetable combinations are endless and depend on what I’ve got in the fridge or freezer. My taste buds just love it…most of the time! Smoothies are explosions of colours, complex carbohydrates, fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants. I especially like mixing in:
• blueberries,
• strawberries,
• peaches,
• raspberries,
• mangoes,
• yogurt.

I’ve tried a lot of recipes! I’ve even discovered that adding fresh spinach doesn’t really change the taste but definitely increases the nutritional value.

And don’t forget yogurt! It really enhances the quality and texture of any smoothie, and the magnesium it contains helps with protein and carbohydrate absorption. New in stores, Liberté’s Greek yogurt is especially great in post-workout smoothies. It’s full of protein, fat free and delicious and helps my muscles recover after a workout. The Vanilla Greek yogurt totally transforms a plain smoothie into a fantastic one!

You can also increase the nutritional value of your smoothies and turn them into meal replacements by adding healthy foods. Here are some ingredients known for their nutritional benefits that should inspire a few new recipes or amp up some familiar ones:
• bee pollen,
• brewer’s yeast,
• chlorophyll,
• oat bran,
• nuts (Brazil nuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, peanuts, etc.),
• wheat germ,
• goji berries (wolfberries),
• kefir,
• fresh ginger,
• hemp seed, flaxseed, ground sesame seed,
• soft/silken tofu,
• mint leaves,
• honey.

The last two ingredients will change of the taste of your smoothie, which comes in handy when your recipe doesn’t turn out so great! A banana will also do the job, and the potassium that it contains will help reenergize tired calf muscles!

Enjoy your smoothies and have a great workout!