Diet & Exercise

Raw_ChocoholicRaw_Chocoholic Raw Newbie

What does everyone eat before/after exercise? I’ve been exercising about 90mins each day at either swimming or yoga and was reading how what we eat pre/post workouts is basically as important as the workouts themselves. Do you pay attention to ratios of carbs/proteins/fats, or eat instinctually? What’s worked for you best in terms of muscle gain, fat loss, and speeding up recovery time?

Also, Brendan Brazier has some energy bar recipes in his book which I’ve tried to make. They’re quite tasty but I can’t take them anywhere because they end up way too squished. How is it that the commercial bars can be so much more solid when the ingredients are basically the same? Is anyone concerned about energy bars not being a good food combo?

Comments

  • I usually do a banana 1-2 hours before…any closer to my workout and I get stitches and my stomach doesn’t feel so good. Right after that I go home and eat a nice big dinner…usually some kind of zucchini noodles with a sauce that has some good fat in it like oil or avocado. I stay away from bars, even raw ones, because they have SO much sugar! I’m not usually affected by sugar too much but those things make me feel like I’m going to pass out. I know it’s fruit sugar, like the ones made from dates and stuff, but it is still very concentrated in that little bar.

  • BeTheChangeBeTheChange Raw Newbie

    I find that if I eat some avocado after my heart rate is back to resting after working out, I get a sudden burst of energy all over again, because everything in it is going to use! The protein, while not an immense amount, starts building in your muscle fibers, and the fat lubricates your joints and muscles so you don’t get as sore later (even though you should be stretching, of course!) Occasionally I’ll feel that overdose-on-fat feeling, but then I just balance it out with a dense sugar, like a couple dates, and I feel good as new. If you eat avocado before a workout, you’ll find yourself uncomfortable as they take a while to digest etc etc. If you want a refreshing zing, add just a squeeze of lime or lemon to replace electrolytes.

    Bars are ok for me as long as I eat them with some dark greens. Spinach is great wrapped around a larabar, because not only is spinich protein packed, but the greens balance out the fats and sugars and help to push everything through the system more efficiently! As long as you add greens to say, an apple pie larabar, you have the sweet, the fats, and the chlorophyll that compose the Sunfood Triangle, and you will find them to be much more pleasing.

    Beware of Garden of Life energy bars—they have probiotics cultured in dairy. They are labeled vegan, so stupid me didn’t evne think to check, but lo and behold, meat-endorsing Jordan Rubin struck again…on energy bars! They are raw, but sooooo not vegan!

    Raw Revolution bars are pretty good, but really filling, I wouldn’t reccommend them unless you’re looking to gain weight and/or muscle bulk.

    Fats eaten too closely to a workout will just make you tired and your endurance will lack. The good ol’ trail mix adge is a great idea, and eeasy to make, carry, etc, but just make sure you eat it at least an hour before your workout! a bloated feeling on the treadmill is never good.

    Coconut water is incredible after a workout!!!! In facr, so is the meat…sprinkle some nutmeg and cinnamon on it and you’re golden. Also before and after a workout, kombucha will make you feel like you can wander the earth’s circumference in one day amd one night.

    xo chelsea

  • AKAAuburnEyesAKAAuburnEyes Raw Newbie

    I have a green smoothie before a workout. In that there are chia seeds for hydration, kale or some other green du jour, apples or pears and a mango to make it smoother, and lastly a good amount of water to get it all going.

    After a strenuous high intensity workout I make a banana smoothie to replenish glycogen stores and start the rebuilding process which is always followed by a recovery day. In that smoothie I put about 4 stalks of celery for sodium, 4-6 bananas to balance my electrolytes, 1 tablespoon of maca, some dried berries (goji, incan, mulberry) or dates and water to blend it all up smooth.

    After reading “On Nutrition and Athletic Performance” by Dr. Douglas Graham it really changed how I look at fueling myself pre- and post- workouts. I try to avoid fats during the morning and day, although the chia seeds do contain some fats. I wait until dinner for my healthy fats (nuts or seeds or avocado mainly) and I do feel more energetic for it.

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