Nutrition to enhance performance

Enhance your training with the right refuelling

By Lisa Sherman, Nutritionist and regular Rejoover

An important, but often overlooked, part of any training plan is ensuring we are providing our bodies with the right nutrients to optimise both our recovery and performance. A key way to do this is with your post workout meal. Ideally, you want to consume a balanced and nutrient-rich meal within 30-60mins post your training session. This meal should have good quality protein, plant based and complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. It doesn’t need to be fancy or take a lot of time to prepare. I have a few go to meals that I alternate as variety is also important. We need to consume lots of different types of whole foods as this provides more nutrients forour body.

Here are three of my favourite post workout meals and all take less than 10mins to prepare.

Omelettes - eggs are a complete protein (needed for muscle repair and growth, plus numerous other health benefits), will help you to feel full for longer and are low in calories (good for those looking for weight loss or maintenance). With eggs being so versatile, you can include any number of fillings with your omelette (a great way to get more vegetables into your diet). My favourites are sliced tomatoes (numerous health benefits including helping to regulate blood sugar and strengthen bones), kale and spinach (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and good source of magnesium, a must for good recovery and energy production), chives and avocado (a good dose of healthy fat).

Mushrooms - another good protein source and high in other nutrients such as selenium, zinc and vitamins B2, B3 and B5, promoting optimal health and supporting the immune system. Slice the mushrooms and fry with some garlic (great for the digestive system and cardiovascular health), basil (also beneficial for cardiovascular health, anti-inflammatory and helps reduce stress) and spinach, serve on seeded sourdough with small amount of goat’s cheese (high in calcium for strong bones).

Oats - these are a great superfood, and a good source of protein, fibre and complex carbohydrates. Oats are important for digestive health, controlling blood sugar and will keep you feeling full until lunch time. I cook my oats with water on the stove and then add sprinkling of cinnamon (anti-inflammatory and can help fight fatigue), some almond milk (good source of protein and calcium), and a mix of berries - whatever is in season, great source of vitamin C (for immune support), antioxidants and anti-inflammatory. For a little bit of sweetness and nutrient boost, add a couple of chopped dates (aids the immune system, digestive system and good for stress relief().

There are lots of other great options for post workout meals - I have plenty of recipes to share - happy to chat at training or drop me a line at wholelifenutrition1@gmail.com