Lasting Energy

There are so many resources out there with tips on how to eat for big workouts/races/competitions. It can be a bit overwhelming! I think I have a pretty good grasp at it, but I think every "body" is different. So I did a bit of trial and error when it comes to eating before and after my longer workouts. I'm by no means an expert, this just works for me!
 
Last week...

Before: Last week I did a 2 hour spinning class, it was brutal (but I loved it!). An hour before I had a big protein/fruit shake and a few handfuls of homemade granola.

During: One hour into the ride I had a 100 calorie juice box.

After: When I got home, I had lunch about 1/2 hour later. This did not work for me! I found 3/4 of the way into the ride I was HUNGRY! To the point of distraction. My body was craving calories that I didn't have.



This week...


So here's what I tried for my hour and a quarter workout today (15 minute skipping session + 1 hour spinning class). 

Before: Oatmeal, fruit, flax and nuts 1 hour before the workout

After: Banana, Peanut Butter, Milk and Protein Powder shake 10 minutes after. An hour and a half later I had lunch. Much better! (below is the BF's epic lasagna. Hands down, best thing he makes!)

The difference?

In the morning I ate a complex carb (oatmeal) that provided lasting energy and simple carb (fruit/honey in oatmeal) that gave me my initial boost. Afterwards I was able to replenish all my lost blood sugar (sugar in the banana and protein powder) and help start muscle repair with protein (protein powder and milk). Voila! My winning combo for lasting energy!

Emilie

lean and green

I've read so much about adding spinach to a shake but I've been afraid to try it for a variety of reasons (I love spinach, but will it taste weird in a shake?).

I got the courage to try one and here's how it turned out!

 It blended up pretty well once I added a bit more milk to the top.

 I served my shake along side a homemade banana nut muffin!

The verdict: as you can see my shake is green (one of the things I was scared of). The ones I saw on other blogs weren't green, so I'm not sure how this happened. You can't taste it though! Which is great.

The Lean Green Shake

1 cup skim milk (more or less depending on how you like your shake and how it's blending)

1 dash cinnamon

1 tbps freshly ground flax seed

2 tbsp rolled oats

1 frozen banana

1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder

1 large handful fresh baby spinach

Blend until smooth!

Have you ever tried spinach in your shake?

Emilie