Following any exercise, it important to eat within 30 minutes of finishing, to enable your body to refuel the energy it has just used, and to help to repair any microdamage to the muscles. This food should be eaten in addition to any regular meals and snacks, to ensure your calorific intake is maintained.
A handy snack is usually the easiest way to replace and boost energy supplies, however, what you eat is almost as important as when you eat, with the best option being a healthy mix of protein with complex carbohydrates. Unfortunately, most post workout snacks available to buy are not good options for LAL-D sufferers as they usually contain too much fat due to the inclusion of nuts, seeds and /or coconut.
Snack ideas:
Egg white, vegetable frittata or omelette
Mixed bean and quinoa salad (fat free vinaigrette only)
Chicken or turkey wrap with tomatoes cucumber and rocket
Pitta with red pepper dip
Overnight Oats
Smoothie – Frozen fruit of choice with skimmed milk, quark or fat free yogurt
Toasted sweet potato slices (just slice and pop in the toaster as you would do with a slice of bread) topped with naturally fat free yogurt, quark or fat free Greek yogurt and berries
Home-made ‘naked’ popcorn made from real corn kernels and sprinkled with cinnamon or vanilla powder, is a better option than the microwave ready varieties you can buy, which often contain hidden/bad fats.
Fluids are particularly important when exercising, as proper hydration helps to transports nutrients into the cells to aid recovery and can also help to reduce muscle soreness and tension. Most people need around 1.5 litres of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids a day, but more when in hot climates and /or when exercising.
Cèlia Rodríguez-Borjabad
Written by Cèlia Rodríguez-Borjabad a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at Vascular Medicine and Metabolism Unit. University Hospital "Sant Joan". Rovira i Virgili University. IISPV. CIBERDEM. Reus (Spain)
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