Recovery Eating 101: 3 Lessons From A Registered Dietitian

We work out. 

We move throughout the day. 

And we constantly do normal, human things (like blink, breathe, think, and speak). 

Through it all, we are constantly burning calories (aka energy). 

Which means RECOVERY (or replenishment) in the form of food/water, sleep and stress relief, become imperative. 

RECOVERY IS WHAT GENERATES FITNESS RESULTS IN BETWEEN WORKOUTS

Aside from just keeping our bodies going, recovery is also extremely important to our fitness results. 

What most people don't realize about fitness is that it is a three-headed beast: training, nutrition AND recovery. 

Synch the three and you generally have the best case scenario for maximizing results. 

Most clients that come to us at Functional Elements want personal training. They want to workout, or have a personalized program designed to use on their own.

That's great. Very important to move and strength train. 

But what we also try to instill is that it is actually what happens in between workouts that affects results the most. 

This is when the body recovers ... where it replenishes what’s been lost. And how it builds itself back up, ultimately even better than before. 

MY EXPERIENCE AS A DIETITIAN AND PERSONAL TRAINER: WHAT I PREACH TO MY CLIENTS

I could talk forever about recovery. But there are three main lessons I like to teach my clients that are simple and go a long way. 

1) Post-workout NUTRITION

It's what I get asked about the most. "Hey Jaime, what should i eat/drink right after a workout?" 

Typically, most people I speak with want to focus singularly on protein. It seems to be the 'sexiest' of the nutrients these days. 

However, to  optimize muscle recovery (through protein) and replenish our muscle energy in the form of glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate in the muscles), we could use a nice combination of both PROTEIN & CARBOHYDRATES. (Yes, i said it ... the 'C' word!)

In fact, I often recommend a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein. 

What does this look like? 

Reach a minimum of 20-25g of protein with 40-50g of carbohydrate (i.e 4oz salmon + 1.5 cups of sweet potato or 1 scoop of whey protein + 1 slice of Dave's Killer toast with 1T peanut butter and a banana).

Oh, and does it have to be in the magical one hour window after training/exercising? Not necessarily. Within 2 hours is perfectly acceptable to allow the body to do its thing!

2) REHYDRATE

This isn't just about replenishing your water intake. Especially after a particularly intense workout or training in warm weather, I often recommend drinking 150% of the total weight lost from the workout (this means you'll have to weigh yourself before and after training), plus the addition of an electrolyte to your water. For example, if you lose 1 pound (16oz.) of weight pre-workout to post-workout, you’ll need to consume 24oz of fluid.

Adding electrolytes rehydrates the body better than water alone. 

Some of my top choices include 1st Phorm Hydration Sticks, ReLyte, and Nuun

3) SLEEP

Remember this ... no matter how well we eat and train, not getting enough sleep will affect recovery and results negatively. 

Yep, remember what I said above about fitness being a three-headed beast? When you take one of the three elements out (in this case sleep), things can get derailed. 

Seven to eight hours per night of good quality sleep is what the body needs and wants. And that's what we need to give it on a regular and consistent basis.

Ya, ya, no brainer, right? We've all heard this before.

Right, it is a no brainer. The trouble is that most don't adhere to it, and their bodies, brains, stamina, results, etc. suffer because of it. 

Don't take this advice for lightly. Turn the screens off, turn the lights out, and make a habit of getting a solid 7-8 hours per night. 

Make a deal with yourself to try it. Then, do it. My guess is you won't believe how much better you'll feel, both physically and mentally.

As always, 

GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT! 

If you'd like a little more help putting all the pieces together with a specific game plan, we're here to help. Check out our 14-day 360° kickstart, here.