Looking for a
caffeine-free morning boost?
Try our Powerful Woman Green Smoothie!
Blend together:
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks,1/2 - 1 banana, 1/2 apple,1/2 small English cucumber,
chopped and peeled if not organic, 1 stalk celery, chopped, 1 cup chopped kale
or baby spinach, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave nectar,
water to thin. Optional add-ins - a big handful of pea or buckwheat sprouts,
1 tbsp finely ground flax seed, 1 tbsp hemp protein, 2 cubes frozen wheat grass.
This makes 2-3 servings or enough for one person to sip on all morning. Lots of nutrients, lot of flavor and low in calories - in just seconds; this will keep you going all morning!
The three nutrients our bodies need are carbohydrates, protein, and fats. There has been a lot of debate regarding the best ratio of these nutrients. The combination of these macronutrients really depends on your training cycle. Your carbohydrate needs may be higher if you are training for a marathon rather than if you are weight training or have just started running.
The key is really to eat a variety of foods from all the food groups to ensure you are getting all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs. Eating a variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, fish, low-fat meats and unsaturated fats will ensure a healthy and energized mind and body. Eating foods in their fresh natural state, not over cooking them and cooking with as little added fat as possible will ensure the nutrients in the food are also available to you with no added fat.
Complex carbohydrates are stored as glycogen and broken down in the body to become glucose. Glucose is necessary to fuel our brains and muscles. Protein is essential to build and repair body tissues. Fats contain essential fatty acids, they aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and the 'good' fats can reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
Vitamins and minerals are also essential for a healthy body and mind. They promote healthy skin and eyes, build strong bones and teeth, act as antioxidants, release energy from the nutrients we ingest and transfer it into our cells, help form blood cells, tissues and are basically the building blocks of our bodies. If the food we eat is not supplying the nutrients we need, or we are eating harmful foods, we can experience any number of ailments, from feeling tired and lethargic to a whole host of degenerative diseases like high blood pressure and heart disease. For times when we are not eating properly and as preventative medicine, nutritional supplements make good sense. Medical research has shown that various vitamins and minerals, some in higher quantities than we could consume through food, play a significant role in supporting the immune system and heart.
Nutrition Tip - getting enough antioxidants in your diet.
Use the above suggestions as guidelines, fiddle with them a bit to find the combination that works best for you.
Nutrition Tips
Adding healthy fats to your diet
Many athletes focus highly on carbohydrates, and rightly so since carbohydrates fuel our muscles, but this can lead to not consuming enough protein or 'good' fats.
The Nutrition Tip Archive has information on adding healthy fats to your diet, click on the nuts and the flax links.