When it comes to working out and breaking a sweat, recovery is just as important. Recovery includes a variety of support including stretching, sleeping, hydrating and refueling with healthy food. This where anti-inflammatory foods are your friend; they can help speed up the recovery process and reduce inflammation and soreness in your body. An easy vehicle for these foods include my Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie for Runners, developed by my intern, Mallori, a student athlete!
What does anti-inflammatory mean? After working out, your muscles experience a natural healing process making them sore and tender. To help this process of recovery, anti-inflammatory foods packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can be ingested after workouts; such as berries, green vegetables, nuts/seeds, beans/legumes, whole grains and spices such as turmeric and cinnamon. These foods provide support for the body by restoring cellular health and quenching free radicals.
Tip from intern Mallori: After a workout, I love to refuel quickly with smoothies. It’s quick, easy and refuels my body with all sorts of calming foods that start my recovery process. This holds me over before I get solid foods and always cures my cravings for sweets. Here’s my go to post-workout smoothie; an Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie for Runners.
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup strawberries
- 1/2 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup fresh kale or spinach
- 3 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (fat % of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- dash of ground cinnamon
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water (regular or unsweetened coconut) if needed for consistency.
- Enjoy!
- Fresh or frozen berries or banana are ok!
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