Food / 19 May, 2019 / My Baba

5 Natural Drinks To Boost Your Workout

Looking for an all-natural drink to replenish your body during workouts? Here are five great suggestions.

Most of us reach for a bottle of sports drink in order to rejuvenate our bodies after a tiring exercise. But do you know that there are plenty of natural drinks that you can turn to in order to boost your workouts?

These drinks are made with all-natural ingredients. You can be assured that you won’t be drinking any preservatives or chemicals that may be harmful to your health.

And these homemade energy drinks are so easy to concoct! You don’t need to spend a fortune to be able to make them.

Cherry Juice

Cherry juice is a favourite of mine because it is so refreshing. It can also be a good replacement to Gatorade because it can boost post-exercise recovery.  It has high levels of potassium, a mineral that conducts electrical impulses. In fact there are about 330 milligrams of potassium for every cup or about 10 percent of the daily requirements for this mineral.

Cherry juice is also high in antioxidants. One type of antioxidant found in cherry, flavonoids, can help the body fight off infection. It can also improve the body’s immune system. There are also studies indicating that cherry juice can help you sleep better.

Green tea

Many of us know that green tea is an excellent beverage for speeding up metabolism and weight loss. Did you also know that it can be a good alternative to Gatorade?

Green tea can boost your endurance so you can work out more.  One study conducted in 2005 and published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory showed that green tea extract supplementation can boost exercise performance by up to 24 per cent.  The study, conducted by experts at the Biological Sciences Laboratories of Kao Corporation in Japan, noted that the increase in endurance as accompanied by higher fat oxidation rates and lower respiratory quotients.

If you can’t drink hot green tea before a workout, why not try making iced green tea? Simply boil water over green tea bags and let it steep for 5 minutes in a sauce pan. Remove the tea bags from water, stir in two cups of cold water and add honey. Stir until the honey has been completely dissolved. Serve over ice.

Ginger and pineapple juice

There’s no question that pineapple juice is a refreshing drink that you will love to have before or after a workout. But to pair it with ginger—doesn’t that sound a bit off?

Ginger has been found to have lots of compounds that can accelerate muscle strength and recovery following an intensive exercise.

Meanwhile, pineapple gives you carbohydrates that you would need so that you won’t easily get tired when working out.

You can make your own ginger and pineapple juice. Simply combine a cup of fresh pineapple with a tablespoon of fresh ginger. Whisk in cinnamon if you want.

Green Banana Smoothie

I have mentioned potassium earlier as an important mineral that helps our body fight off fatigue. Cherry isn’t the only fruit that is rich in said mineral. Banana is also an excellent source, aside from being rich in vitamins B and magnesium. The B vitamins can reduce tiredness and improve physical endurance while magnesium can nourish the muscles and nerves.

You can make your own banana smoothie by blending bananas with Romaine lettuce. This is a vegetable that is also packed with potassium.

Ingredients:

• Four ripe bananas
• One head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 3 cups of water
• Ice

This is very simple and easy to make. Pour 3 cups of water into the blender. Add ice and chopped romaine lettuce. Blend for one minute. Add the bananas and blend again.

Lemon lime coconut drink

Have you heard that coconut water is nature’s answer to Gatorade? Yes, that’s true. It has lots of electrolytes that can nourish your tired body. It is also rich in potassium, magnesium some B vitamins and antioxidants.

Lemons, on the other hand, are rich in antioxidants. It can also protect the body against free radicals while boosting the immune system.

We are also adding ginger in this lemon lime coconut drink that I’m going to share with you. Ginger is also rich in potassium and manganese, the latter being effective in maintaining electrolyte balance.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of coconut water
• Two tablespoons of fresh lime juice
• Two tablespoons of lemon juice
• ½ cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• Half teaspoon of ginger root, grated
• Sea salt

Like the other drinks I have shared with you, this beverage is so easy to make. Add the lime juice and lemon juice to a blender. Then add the coconut water, honey, ginger, and water. Blend.

These five natural drinks are proven to quench your thirst just like any other sports drink. And more importantly, drinking these juices will nourish your body without exposing you to potentially harmful chemicals.

Recipes provided by Susan Conley from Cook the Stone

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