Natural Fuel for Everyone: Fresh fruits and vegetables as an alternative to artificially made enhancers.

It’s hard to believe we once fueled our bodies using only natural food sources to push us through tough workouts. Whether competing in a triathlon or doing a 45-minute session at the gym, many of us opt for sports drinks, energy bars and protein powders to help us through physical activity.

Why? It’s easier of course.

Let’s be frank, a chocolate flavored protein shake is a much more tempting option after an intense training session than grilled chicken with broccoli and sweet potatoes.

While we believe breakfast to be the most important meal of the day, a very close second is your post-workout meal. After all, a tough training session will deplete your fluids and glycogen levels, and break down both muscle and red blood cells.

What you chose to replenish your body with after your workout will have significant impact on your rate of recovery, achievement of goals, and how you perform during future sessions.

Because of today’s fast-paced lifestyles, it’s rare to see people eating whole foods after a workout instead of ripping open a cookies and cream protein bar or shaking up a post-workout protein shake. But, just like junk food companies, the masterminds behind energy drinks and meal bars have poured big bucks into marketing their product. Their marketing leads you to believe that with each sip or bite of their sweet treat, you’ll become stronger, faster or leaner. While some of their ingredients may help in achieving your goals, other ingredients, such as artificially made enhancers, may very well do more harm to your body in the long run than good. There are many more cleaner options available to help your body recover.

Isn’t the more authentic option usually the best one? Especially when it comes to fueling our bodies and minds?

Whether you’re focused on overall health, getting leaner or building muscle, well-sourced meats, vegetables and fruits are packed with vitamins and minerals to assist your immune system when coping with the stress brought on by exercise.

For example, Natalie’s Orange Beet Juice is a great post-workout juice containing large amounts of nitrates that occur naturally in beets. Nitrates help improve muscular performance by increasing the size of blood vessels and allowing more oxygen to flow throughout the body. Another great option is a handful of blueberries which will assist in eliminating waste products produced during exercise that are linked to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). When it comes to carbohydrate and protein sources, opt for complex carbs such as sweet potato, wholegrain rice and pasta, as well as authentically sourced meats.