What To Eat To Recover Faster From Your Workouts. Increase Your Performance With These Foods and Supplements

Want to know what to eat to recover faster from your workouts? Increase your performance and impress yourself with results by adding these foods to your diet.

Fitness is not just about how fast you can go… but about how quickly you can recover. Proper post workout nutrition promotes faster recovery, reduces muscle soreness, builds muscle, improves immune system functioning, and replenishes glycogen—all key building blocks in priming you for future workouts.

Just a friendly reminder that everyone’s needs are different and there is NO one size fits all diet.  Always consult with a doctor / nutritionist before changing your nutrition plan or adding supplements.

Recover Faster From Your Workouts. Eat These Foods And Supplements To Increase Your Performance.

Following an anti-inflammatory, high quality, nutrient rich diet is a powerful way to support your body in recovering from hard workouts and achieving results. Eating the right foods after a workout is just as important as exercise itself.

As a general guideline: a quality recovery diet consists of lots of nutrient dense anti-inflammatory foods, vitamins, and minerals. It’s important to stay away from foods that tend to be overly acidic, conventional meat and dairy products, alcohol, excess sodium, and sugar. Those will acidify your body and actually leach minerals out of your body and cause the recovery process to slow down.

These all natural supplement and food choices will help you recover faster to see increased results in your fitness, body, and health.

• Vitamin D. Vitamin D strengthens your bones and immune function, helps reduce high blood pressure, and can even help you lose weight. It is an essential vitamin required by the body for the absorption of calcium, bone development, immune functioning, and alleviation of inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a weakened immune system, increased cancer risk, poor hair growth, and more.  The best way to get vitamin D is directly from sunlight – I make an effort to go out by the pool and get sunshine on a regular basis! During the wintertime, investing in a Sun Therapy Lamp can help in recovery (and seasonal depression). You can also take 5,000 IUs of vitamin D twice a day to help boost bone health. I take Spring Of Life Vitamin D daily (because let’s be honest… it’s always foggy in SF). Use the code “CJCREW” for 20% off on Amazon here. By improving muscle recovery after exercise, vitamin D just might make you a better athlete.
• Calcium. Calcium is an essential structural component of the skeleton, which makes it vital for recovery and repair. That’s why a calcium deficiency can contribute to broken bones — and why eating more calcium rich foods can aid bone healing naturally. You can get calcium from green leafy foods like spinach, broccoli, kale, arugula, and raw fermented dairy products. In addition to eating calcium rich foods, I like to take a calcium supplement to ensure I’m getting enough.
• Magnesium. In order for your body to even use calcium, you also have to have magnesium because research shows magnesium and calcium metabolism are closely related. Eat magnesium rich foods like green leafy vegetables, flaxseeds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef, swiss chard, almonds, avocados, and black beans. You can also add a magnesium supplement, I take the Source naturals magnesium daily.
• Vitamin C. Many studies tout the benefits of vitamin C on recovery. Eat foods rich in vitamin C like vegetable juices, orange juice, true oranges, lemons, bell peppers, kiwis, broccoli and asparagus.
• Protein. Getting enough protein is always important, but especially when you are hitting the gym hard. Protein is ESSENTIAL for skeletal health, muscle strength, immune response, and bone renewal. Because there is no one size fits all diet, it’s important you make sure you know how much YOUR body needs and work to meet your daily protein requirement with high quality nutrition. I follow a healthy, clean diet and track my protein intake online at livestrong.com/myplate to ensure I’m getting my daily protein. It can be hard to meet your protein requirement (esp. if you follow a plant based diet), so I also suggest supplementing extra protein in recipes with all natural, plant based Spring of Life protein powder. Having protein powder on hand and ready to shake up post workout is so helpful! You can use the code “CJCREW20″ for 20% off the Amazon price on this delicious, all natural, protein.  When you eat enough protein body has what it needs to repair and restore to see great results in the gym!! 
• Collagen. I was really skeptical about collagen at first, but then I purchased a bottle at Whole Foods Market, and have been hooked ever since. Collagen is the mechanical strength of bone. It helps to build bone matrix, repair connective tissues for improved elasticity, improve blood vessel circulation, and promote wound healing. I take 6 capsules of Super Collagen+C Type 1 and 3 in the morning before breakfast. I also put Nunaturals collagen in my morning shake for an extra dose. It doesn’t have a taste, but makes recipes super thick!
• Turmeric. Turmeric supports a healthy inflammatory response and heart, joint & liver function. You can add turmeric spices to foods / recipes or take a supplement to promote faster recovery + healing. I take the Spring Of Life Ultimate Turmeric 3 times per day with meals (use code CJCREW20 for the 20% off discount!). I’ve also tried taking Curamin (main active ingredient in turmeric) directly. I feel both have made a difference in my workout recovery and results. 
• Bone broth. Bone broth contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients that play an important role in healthy bone formation. It is a rich source of chondroitin sulfate, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and has been found to also help alleviate joint pain, improve blood circulation, promote intestinal healing, help in calcium- or- magnesium-deficiency-related insomnia, irritability, fatigue and anxiety. I prefer this brand because it’s low in sodium, but there are a lot of options to purchase at your local market and healthy ways to cook up your own at home.
• Apple Cider Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is considered to be a potent remedy for illnesses and overall health. You can read all about it’s diverse and incredible health benefits here. I drink an apple cider vinegar detox drink every day and swear by it’s magic powers.
• Probiotics. Your gut health plays a role in your immune health and inflammatory response. Try adding foods like pickles, kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, or keifer to your diet. These gut boosting foods and supplements may promote a faster recovery and reduce post exercise muscle inflammation. If you’ve been sick, traveling, taking antibiotics, or just want healthy gut insurance, taking a daily probiotic supplement ensure your gut stays happy, healthy, and moving right. Spring of Life’s Pure Probiotics Supplement is highly concentrated, effective and totally natural, use code “CJCREW” for 20% off here.
• Get Your GREENS. Making sure to power up your diet with as many nutrient dense foods as possible is the best way to reach optimal health and recovery. Get your greens and eat the rainbow at every meal. You can also take a daily greens supplement like the Spring of Life Daily Energy Natural One A Day Superfood Solution, which is loaded with over 60 raw and nutritional whole food ingredients, restores your health on a cellular level, and gives your body the micronutrients you need for health, energy, immune system and weight maintenance support. 

Diet is the best way to keep your body in great shape, recover faster, and fuel yourself with confidence, strength, and power. Give your body what it needs to feel its best and I promise you, you’ll see great results. What is one food or supplement you believe helps you recover faster from workouts? Let me know below in the comments.

Results in the gym are cooked up in the kitchen. Think about how you feel after eating a lot of sugar or heavy foods – headaches, tummy trouble, and fatigue (not fun). Now think about how you feel after you eat healthy foods – light, energized, and powerful! Don’t you deserve to feel good? I know the diet piece is often the hardest part, but I also know you CAN do it. You don’t have to overhaul your whole diet overnight. Start small and make little changes. Eat more vegetables, watch portion sizes, cut back on the sugar. Incorporate some of the above healthy recovery foods and supplements into your eating routine and feel the positive changes begin!

Here’s to you and a healthy, vibrant life.

Caroline

Other things to check out:

• Having a tough time making dietary changes, recover right, and see RESULTS? That is EXACTLY why I created the Strong Body program – to give you information, accountability, and support to make positive diet changes that last. We have an online support group where we share healthy recipes, tips, tricks, and cheer each other on during challenges. No matter where you are in your wellness journey, this program will help you take it to the next step. I’d love to be your coach. Lets get started. 
• How to stop binge eating late at night. 
• Foot and ankle workout videos.