Eight Shakes when Running Late!

Photo from Eat The Gains

Summer is here and the weather has been great for training. In London, it has been sunny and really hot. I love this weather, my body trains well in it and overall it makes me really happy. With my race coming up this October my training is just staring to peak, so life is starting to get really busy. Even though the days are long, I am still having trouble fitting everything I want to do before the sun goes down. My workouts are ending late at night and I don't feel like eating a big meal before bed so I have been opting for meal replacements or shakes/smoothies. If I finish up my workouts after 8:30pm then I opt for whole food shakes/smoothies because they are packed full of nutrients and the food has been broken down making the meal much easier to digest so that I can absorb the vitamins and minerals that I need to repair my muscles.

My favourite shake lately has been a Chocolate Chunky Monkey. A gym that I went to when I was in high school in Tecumseh, Ontario inspired the name of the shake.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 - 1.5 cups of water

4 ice cubes

1 tsp of raw cacao powder

1/4 cup cooked lentils, any colour

1/4 cup oats

1 banana, raw or frozen

1 tsp natural peanut butter

Instructions:

Add ingredients to blender and blend

I am loving this shake because it is quick and easy to make and it's packed full of nutrients. Here are some of the reasons why this shake is good for athletes:

Cacao powder is full of antioxidants and is known to help with muscle recovery.

Lentils are high in protein which is a macro nutrient needed for muscle maintenance and recovery.

Oats are great for Athlete's because they are a good source of iron, protein and magnesium all are important for athletes for optimal performance.

Bananas are high in potassium which is an electrolyte and important for muscle development and recovery.

Natural peanut butter is a good source of healthy fat and protein

I have rounded up a few other whole food smoothies from other food enthusiasts for you to try on your busy days. Check them out and try something different this week. Not only are they nutritious they are easy to make!