Build The Perfect Post-Workout Smoothie

A couple weeks ago I attended an event on the South Bank hosted by John Lewis for their #MyWellbeing campaign. On the evening itself, we took part in a nutrition talk before heading to the kitchen to try out some smoothie recipes.

With it being so cold the past few months I’d really fallen off the bandwagon with smoothies and business wise (Borrow My Blender) my head had been stuck in finishing my business plan so more writing about smoothies rather than making them.

Hayley Pedrick from The Nutrition Coach talked us through pre-workout smoothies and the benefits, post-gym/workout smoothies and what to include but I wasn’t a huge fan of the recipes we tried out on the night – I personally like to use between 4-6 ingredients maximum and also things you’d find in your cupboard everyday (if you’re like me anyway). So I thought I’d share with you my simple fail safe guide for putting together the perfect smoothie using whatever you have on hand…

Choose Your Base
Almond milk / Coconut water  – I use 1 cup (approx 250 – 260ml)
Banana (1/2 frozen) or avocado is a good alternative

Add a Protein Powder (optional)
I’ve been using vegan Chocolate & Vanilla protein powders

Throw In Some Fruit & Veg (1/2 fruit, large handful of veg)
Blueberries
Mango
Mixed berries
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale

Pimp It With Superfoods 
Cacao nibs (1 tbsp)
Bee pollen (1 tbsp)
Cinnamon (1/2 tbsp)
Flax (1 tbsp)

What Else?
Almond butter (1 tbsp)
Agave (if you need it sweeter, to taste)
Oats (2-3 tbsp)
Natural yogurt (2-3 tbsp)

Recipe Suggestions: 

1. Almond milk, banana, chocolate protein, cacao nibs, blueberries, oats, almond butter

2. Almond milk, banana, vanilla protein, cinnamon, almond butter, oats

After exercise, we have 30min recovery window which is when your body is best prepared to receive & store carbs (uptake is 2-3 times more rapid than at any other point in the day). This is best received as a liquid rather than solid for absorption and hydration so smoothies are the perfect option.

We also got to test out a selection of blenders available from John Lewis; working with Beki (of Miss Wheezy), we used a Kenwood model which took a little getting used to even just to get the lid off! It made me super happy with investment in a Vitamix at home!

Before we tucked into our smoothies on the evening, we took part in a mat Pilates class led by Lottie Murphy. Lottie says that “Pilates is great for anyone and it doesn’t matter what level of fitness you are or how flexible you are, it’s a fabulous form or mind and body conditioning. It’s amazing for your core and we focused a lot on that during the class as it’s an area a lot of us neglect but it’s also amazing for strengthening and mobilising your spine and joints.

The key with Pilates is precision of movement and alignment, so it’s important to really focus on this during each exercise to get the most benefits.

What’s your go to post workout smoothie / snack?! 

Elle