Post workout Nutrition Tips& Collagen Beauty Protein Shake

So lets talk post workout. I get so many messages regarding the importance of nutrition after a workout. What to eat, how much protein, fat, and carbs should be eaten, the metabolic window... the list goes on. If you've ever been one of my clients you know that I believe we are all made in our own special and unique way so our bodies all operate differently. This is why all these fad diets drive me nuts! They are all so cookie cutter and they do not tailor themselves to an individuals specific needs. That's why you see Jenny over there who's been hard core keto for like 2 days looking like a Victoria's Secret model while you've been dedicate to the same cause for 6 months and have only seen small, almost insignificant changes. WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT! And to be quite honest I love that! If we were all made to be the same then how dang boring would things be? I know that's just not a world I wanna live in. ANYWAYS... I got off on a little tangent (but it needed to be said). 

Now back to the reason we are here: Post Workout... What to eat? When should it be eaten? And why do we even care about nutrition after a workout in the first place? Okay, we've got a lot of ground to cover so lets dive in to the first question. After a workout what should an individual eat. As I was saying before it's hard to give general numbers for everyone to follow since our bodies all run differently. A general rule of thumb I have always followed is 30g of protein post workout to repair and rebuild the damaged proteins we just broke down during out exercise (this is called protein synthesis). Next are carbohydrates. While we exercise we are literally breaking down our muscles as well as using up our stored glycogen (carbohydrates) in the muscles. In order to refuel these broken down muscles and restore the used up glycogen we need to consider our carbohydrate intake just as much as protein intake. The magic number for the amount of carbs varies more than protein does in individuals so I'm not going to put a number. I will say I personally eat my higher carb meal right after my workout. BONUS FACT: Did you know that carbohydrates are also key post workout because they enhance the role of insulin in transporting nutrients to the cell! So cool! As for fat, I have not found too much info on the quantity of fats consumed post workout. All the focus is on protein and carbs, however I have found that by pairing your post workout carbs with some healthy fat aids in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, thus keeping you from crashing after a high carb meal. Healthy fat also helps you feel satisfied and full longer than that meal would with just a bunch of protein and carbs. 

On to the next question. When should all of these things? Oh the metabolic window. There is so much out there on this topic. Based on what I have learned over the years is it is key to get your post workout meal in either immediately after you got your swole on up to 2 hours post grind. Now, the opinions on this varies so what I would say is try to get your post workout meal consumed before 30 minutes have passed after you workout. During this metabolic window, your muscles are ready to accept nutrients that will aid in muscle stimulation and repair, as well as muscle growth and muscle strength. 

I feel like I have already answered question number three within the last two questions but to summarize: Why do we even care?

1. You need protein to aid in protein synthesis. You just spent x amount of time breaking down those muscles. Now you need to spend time repairing them by consuming roughly 30g of protein (possibly more for men) after your workout.

2. Carbs are the building blocks of life (literally carbs = life). You need them for energy, brain function, normal every day body functions... basically everything! So when you workout you deplete the body of these amazing little things and so you need to be kind to yourself and replenish your lost stores. This number varies but when in doubt consume a higher carb meal. Your body will thank you.

3. Fats may not be as important post workout but they are by no means irrelavent. Use fat to aid in satiety and keeping those blood glucose levels even. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk

1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (you can find what I currently use here)

1 scoop of Further Foods collagen peptides (you can buy here and use my discount code to save $$$ MEASUREMEWHOLE10)

1 Tbs of chia seeds

1 Tbs of flax seeds 

1 Tbs of fresh ground almond butter (find my easy homemade almond butter recipe here)

a handful of spinach to get those leafy greens 

1 cup of ice

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a high power blender until smooth and creamy. Makes one serving

Macros:

30 calories | 21g fat | 16g carbs | 33g protein

*Macros may vary based on your particular protein powder. 

**This is a very low carb protein shake so to beef it up for post workout add a banana or even some oats to the mix and you've got yourself the perfect post workout meal to go!

All text & images © Copyright Kaili Mills for Measure Me Whole.

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