If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to fuel up before your run, boost your recovery post-run, and improve your overall nutrition, smoothies are the answer! Here are six reasons to become a smooth operator…
1. TIME SAVER
There are some mornings where eating a proper breakfast feels impossible, especially if you have kids and/or you’re trying to squeeze in a run before work. But smoothies are made for busy mornings. They’re quick to make, quick to consume and, whether you have a traditional jug blender or you’ve upgraded to the snazzy Nutribullet style cup blender, they make minimal mess and dishes.
2. EASY WAY TO GET FIVE – OR 10 A DAY
You can pile in the nutrients and smoothies are an easy way for busy people to consume five a day. With all the good intentions in the world, it’s sometimes easy to miss out on fresh fruit and vegetables through a busy day. Feeling tired and training hard, can lead to cravings for quick-fix carbs, or protein snacks, like bagels, or hard-boiled eggs – fine but we need our fibre! Starting the day with a smoothie not only means I’m covered for the day, but it puts me in the mind to choose fruit and vegetables, over chocolate, or bread snacks through the day.
3.DIGESTIBLE PRE AND POST-RUN NUTRITION
Smoothies are ideal when you don’t feel like eating, common either first thing in the morning before a run, or when you get back in from a long run. To fit in training, many of us have to run early in the morning, or late at night. Preparing a smoothie the night beforeand consuming an hour before your run is ideal and will help keep energy levels high. And DIY recovery drinks using performanceenhancing ingredients, like those below are healthy and cost savers.
4. HYDRATION
Most of my drinks will include water-rich fruit, and vegetables, such as spinach, cucumber, celery, apples, melon, as well as almond milk, coconut, apple or vegetable juice, ensuring that my hydration levels are where I need them to be whilst I clock up the miles.
5. A HOME FOR SEEDS!
Smoothies are the perfect home for extras such as chia seeds, green powders, and super-food supplements. As a fitness writer and journalist I’m often sent samples of supplements, seeds such as chia, hemp, flax –rich in essential nutrients and antioxidants us runners need, but very often I forget about them, anddon’t remember to add them to my soup, porridge, or sprinkle on my salad. These days I have my chia seeds, nuts, and green powder next to my Nutribullet which means I never forget to add them –and they get blended in nicely!
6. HEALTHY FAMILY
My kids don’t like my green concoctions, but I’m happy to see them both consuming frozen berries, banana, yogurt, nuts, Manuka honey for breakfast. It’s comforting to know they’re getting fed well – the equivalent to the 1980s advert offering the reassuring ‘Ready Break’ glow!
