Recovery starts from the second you walk in the door after your run or workout. Smoothies are a great way to boost your recovery because they get nutrients into your body quickly and even on-the-go. Often we find ourselves running directly from a workout to work, meetings, and carpools. And this means recovery becomes an afterthought, if at all. I am all about making things easy and simple so that this doesn’t have to happen. No need to over complicate nutrition. It can be as simple as this smoothie!
It’s no secret – I’m a big Nuun fan! I spend a lot of time at high altitudes and getting in extra hydration is a constant effort. I find that if I’m not hydrated enough my muscles cramp and I feel lethargic and tired. Adding Nuun to water or a smoothie like I did here is a great way to get extra hydration in. And lest you think that with winter on the horizon you won’t need extra hydration, trust me – you are losing more water than you think, even if you are hardly sweating. Nuun recently came out with a new product with vitamins. If you are anything like me and are always forgetting to take your supplements, this is a great way to get all the essentials in. The new vitamin tablets include vitamin E, C, A, calcium, magnesium and much more.
My personal favorite, and the one used here, is Blueberry Pomegranate. It compliments the ingredients in this recovery smoothie and doesn’t have an overpowering taste like many sports drinks do. In fact, most sports drinks are just glamorized sugar-water, whereas Nuun uses real ingredients and focuses on hydration, not calories. This way you can get your calories from food instead.
Each ingredient in this smoothie has a purpose and helps with inflammation. I like to place all the ingredients in a blender before I leave for my workout and when I get home I whip it all up and sip it while I get ready to head out the door. It’s packed with vitamins, leafy greens and whole foods! Remember – if there is an ingredient you hate in this recipe feel free to swap it out. Hate cherries? Try blueberries! Both are rich in antioxidants!
Serves 1-2 hungry runners
- 1 Small Beet or 1/2 cup of Beets (raw)
- 2 Cups of Leafy Greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard, romaine)
- 1 Cup of water mixed with 1 tablet of Blueberry Pomegranate Nuun Or 1 Cup coconut water
- 1 inch fresh Ginger peeled (optional)
- 1 Serving of Plant-Based Protein Powder
- 1/2 Cup of Frozen or Fresh Pineapple
- 1 Cup of Frozen or Fresh Cherries
- 1/2 Green Apple
- ice
Directions:
In a high speed blender add beets, leafy greens, water, ginger, protein powder. Blend on high speed until everything combines and you have a smooth texture. Now add pineapple, berries, and ice. Blend again until everything combines.