Weight loss and management can be tough nuts to crack. These demand extensive dedication to remain committed. Fizzling energy levels, plummeting enthusiasm, and a lack of nourishment can derail your workout plans and punch a hole in your consistency. It is, therefore, essential to keep everything in check including your dietary intakes.
To this end, it is essential to track what you eat after a workout session. An intense workout expends all your energy resources and requires you to take proteins and carbohydrates to replenish. These help up the ante of your endurance so that you are ready for another episode of exercise.
However, you cannot simply grab some candy and consider it a good means to replenish your energy reserves. While selecting a snack to refuel, you have to pursue a systematic approach to exclude items that you cannot have after a workout. You can always rely on cellucor products though that are formulated specially for pre- and intra- workout times.
Concerning post-workout times, here is a list of foods and drinks that you should keep at bay:
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Raw vegetables
Vegetables have this aura surrounding them that tells that they are healthy picks for any occasion. However, it might come off as a surprise but raw vegetables are not a reenergizing option to pick after a workout. As a food source for restoring energy, vegetables such as broccoli, celery, bell peppers, and carrots are packed with minimal calories. This makes them insubstantial for refueling. If you are want to have these nonetheless, then make them healthier by having them with protein-enriched dips like a yogurt dip.
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Spicy foods
Spicy foods are difficult to digest. After an exercise session, your body is in a repair state. The focus in on restoring your energy banks. In such a case, it becomes onerous for the body to concentrate on digesting spices. Instead, you need foods that contain protein and some sugar, which are simple to digest and help restore your dropped sugar levels and energy. You should also avoid spicy foods before a workout as they can culminate in heartburn or indigestion when you start exercising.
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Soda
Although a chilled can of coke may seem attractive to pick after a workout session yet, it isn’t a healthy option. The chief aim is to keep away from soda after exercise. It causes bloating and does little to hydrate your body. Coke boasts a high glycemic index as it contains plenty of sugar with minimal protein or fat. Consequently, the sugar spikes provided by the carbonated drink encourage a rise in insulin so that sugar in your blood hits a low. This can leave you feeling weak and shaky.
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Fat-packed fast food
French fries, nachos, and cheeseburgers are some mouthwatering foods to eat. However, they align with foods that you cannot eat after a workout. Fast food works wonders to satisfy your appetite, but it provides little nutrition to power your body after exercise. On top of this, these food items are loaded with fat that slows digestion. Slow digestion isn’t an ideal goal to achieve after all that hard work at the gym. In fact, you have to replenish glycogen and reduce fat stores in your body. This will help you see results for all that hard work you are doing for your fitness.
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Chocolate bars
This one might be challenging to give up after an exercise session, but you will have to overlook chocolate bars. These slow your metabolism while your workout does the exact opposite. Of course, such a clash is not helpful when you are attempting to shed the extra pounds. The author of The Happy Cookbook, Lola Berry elaborates this point. She says, “Remember that training will have sped up your metabolism; use that to your advantage by keeping your diet super clean with whole foods.”
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Salty snacks
Salty snacks such as pretzels are not a good option after your training. These work to reduce the potassium markers in your body. Potassium is, however, of utmost significance for post-workout recovery. The mineral is critical for cellular functioning. It is also a vital electrolyte that your body needs. Since you lose this electrolyte during a workout, it is not that wise to deplete its amount entirely by having salty chips. Thus, say no to salty snacks during this time.
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Processed sports drinks
These drinks are loaded with sweeteners, calories, poor quality oils. Some of these might contain electrolytes or a few vitamins, but their high sugar content is unhealthy. These drinks result in an energy crash in your body. Furthermore, sports drinks also contain artificial flavors that negatively impact your body. You can always make a sports drink if need be by combining cacao powder, a bit of maple syrup, water, and protein powder. It will help you restock your glycogen reserves and make you feel less fatigued.
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Pastries and doughnuts
In the aftermath of your time spent in the gym, you do need carbs to replenish glycogen. You lose much of this muscle fuel after a strenuous session of physical activity. But that doesn’t mean that you grab a doughnut to refuel the needed carbs. Pastries and doughnuts exhibit a high content of fat. Over and above that, these are nutrient deprived, so it is useless having these after a workout. Instead, healthy alternatives include whole wheat toasts or bagels.
Key takeaway
In a nutshell, you have to be mindful to stay away from sugary drinks, soda, and sports drinks. In fact, a survey of 807 adults also revealed that having energy drinks after a workout correlates with health concerns in the long haul. This is mainly due to the high sugar content of these drinks. You also need to avoid pastries, doughnuts, fast food, raw vegetables, and spicy foods. Keep away from chocolate bars and salty snacks too. Ideally, your post-workout recovery snack should provide protein and carbohydrates in a ration of 1 to 4. Don’t forget to hydrate simultaneously.
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