With our regular gyms closed and some public recreation areas not open to the public, getting healthy movement in can be tough. If you're working out at home (like we did on our IG stories today) recovery is crucial after a good sweat. What we don't realize is that when we're moving regularly it's also important to dial in our post-movement nutrition. Enter RDN and Whole30 Coach Whitney Stuart. A diabetic educator and nutrition expert, Whitney believes that we can gain strength through our fork and that's what she's sharing with us today.

ABOUT WHITNEY STUART

Holding a Masters in Clinical Nutrition, Whole30 Coach Whitney educates the masses about real-food-rooted nutrition with an emphasis on balance, grace & evidence-based facts. Delivering personal, one-on-one attention to every patient to develop customized programs based on specific barriers, lifestyle and individual goals, Whitney incorporates both intuitive eating and functional nutrition with patients. Education always comes first with Whitney and she focuses on covering the basic principles of intuitive eating to move away from titling foods "good" and "bad." When she's not at work you can find Whitney sipping on a cold brew with her husband or running with her mini Australian Shepherd.

The common saying "Abs are made in the kitchen" isn't far from the truth. "Gain strength from your fork" is the Whitness Nutrition belief. As a nutrition expert, I know that your body's performance in the gym is largely related to the fuel you provide it! Use the following post-workout recommendations to nourish your body and reap maximum benefit. 

1st- Hydrate. The most essential post-workout choice? Water! With a vessel made of more than 60% water, it’s best to keep it topped off for signaling to work properly! That’s right, chronic dehydration causes one to overeat and crave salt. Replenish what you lost in your sweat towel! Consume 16 oz per every 30-minute sweat session. Use electrolyte-enhanced water if it’s been over 90 minutes and you’re running in high heat and/or high humidity circumstances; NUUN, Replete, or Lyteline work great. 

2nd- Restore your muscles! After a resistance workout, your body is depleted of all the energy and strength you burned to burn fat and build muscle. Those energy stores have to be replaced to be utilized in future workouts. Protein, with the help of carbohydrate repairs and, refuels your muscles. Within 15 minutes to 2 hours after your workout, you’ll want to consume a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein as a recovery meal.  Avoid heavy oils (pure fat sources) here which slow digestion. 

 Here are some ideas for excellent post-resistance workout nutrition:

• • 3 egg whites + 1 egg scrambled with half a shredded sweet potato and shredded kale. 
  • Model Meals Harvest Breakfast Hash + yolky egg
  • Ground turkey sauteed with white rice, spinach, peppers, and mushroom. 
  • Smoothie: ½ cup berries, 1 serving collagen peptides, cinnamon, 1 tsp almond butter, 5-6 ice cubes, 1 cup almond milk. 
  • Organic pressed tofu crumbled and sauteed with nutritional yeast and spinach. 

Finish up a cardio workout? Focus primarily on electrolyte replenishment first and then follow it up with a normal meal within 2 hours. 

On the go? I use the following easy options:

• • Meat stick + banana 
  • Low-fat Greek yogurt with fruit
  • Apple + 2 HB eggs.