Physical activity uses a lot of energy and burns a lot of calories so it’s important to replenish our energy levels and restore the glycogen levels that were depleted during our workout.
We spoke to Jemma Thomas, Personal Trainer and Founder of Jemma’s Health Hub, an online community focusing on helping her ‘hubbers’ feel supported and mentally stronger through regular fitness workouts, to find out when and what we should be eating post-work-out.
When is the best time to eat after a workout?
The best time to eat post-work-out is around half an hour after exercising so that your body can refuel and help your muscles recover.
What do you recommend eating after exercise?
It should be a balanced meal or a snack and you should make sure it includes protein as you’ll need it if you’ve worked hard! That protein can come from all kinds of sources – nuts, Greek yogurt, poultry, greens or eggs – whatever you prefer. You should also be careful not to ignore fiber post work out either. That’s super important to keep the gut functioning well. Go for wholewheat foods and fruits like berries, pears and melon which are all rich in fiber.
Chia seeds are also great to sprinkle on yogurt and they have tons of fiber. If it’s the morning, you could have a bowl of Greek yogurt, topped with berries and chia seeds and that will be a fantastic balance of what you need.
Do you have a favourite post-workout snack to share with us?
One of my favourite post-workout foods after I’m done at The Hub is a coconut chia pot – it’s quick to make and you can even prepare it the night before.
Coconut Chia Pot recipe
Ingredients:
Main Mix: 4 tablespoons of chia seeds / 250 ml coconut milk / 2 tablespoons agave nectar / 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the topping: 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt / sprinkle of flaked coconut / handful of raspberries and strawberries.
Method:
1. In a bowl, mix the chia seeds with the milk, agave and vanilla
2. Give it a good mix, cover with foil and leave to set in the fridge overnight or for at least a few hours.
3. Scoop half the chia mix into a bowl and top with the additions.
4. Serve and enjoy!
Membership to Jemma’s Health Hub is £29 per month and for that you receive three or four workouts a week taking place on facebook live at 6.30am. (Monday – leg day, Wednesday – arm day, Friday – cardio day, and kettlebells thrown in for good measure!). However, if you can’t make the 6.30am wake up call, you can log in and do it when it suits you. You also receive a downloadable ‘How To’ guide including over 35 wholesome recipes to try out, as well as a downloadable ‘tick chart’ for you to print up every 4 weeks and stick to the fridge so you can see your progress. But, most importantly, it gives you an amazing support network and an instructor who will be there for you, helping you feel supported and mentally stronger as time goes on.
For more information visit www.jemmashealthhub.com
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