Regular exercise is one of the aspects of my health I try to be consistent with. A beer may pass my lips on a hot summer afternoon. A crispy slice of pizza will very occasionally mysteriously find its way into my mouth. I probably get stressed over small unimportant things far more often than I should. However all these things leave very little impression on my overall health if done only from time to time. If I miss a few days of exercise though, I start to feel my batteries de-charge and my health suffer. Exercise is possibly one of the best prescriptions for health there is:
- It improves insulin sensitivity
- It increases lean muscle mass and reduces fat stores
- It modulates and balances hormones
- It elevates mood
- It increases endogenous antioxidant production
- It up regulates the immune system
- The list goes on and on….
I also feel that the right nutrition is very important after an intense workout (see my post on Tabata for a good example of one of these). My favourite (and fastest) option is usually a shake, and I thought I’d share my recipe with you here:
- 1 banana
- 600ml of almond or rice milk
- 20g of quality whey protein powder (preferably WPC – I like the Australian Protein Supplies brand)
- 1 tablespoon of Great Lakes Hydrolised Collagen (to balance the amino acid profile of whey)
- 1 tablespoon of coconut or MCT oil
- 1 heaped teaspoon of raw cacao powder
- 1 handful of oats (if you tolerate them)
I blend this all up for about 30 seconds, and it’s usually drunk in the same amount of time. It really hits the spot, and I’ve noticed my recovery to be much better when I drink this post-workout on a consistent basis. It also tastes really good!
In wellness,
James
