Today I’m sharing some information on diet and hydration, healthy homemade snacks and wanted to share a simple recipe for my go-to energy bars.

Ignore the hype on hydration

Have you checkout out the wide variety of specialty waters being sold these days? Waters that promote the idea that we need electrolytes, protein, sugar, caffeine and vitamins added to our water when we work out. WHAT?!

We know we need to hydrate, that’s a given. Staying properly hydrated helps us perform at our best, fight fatigue and prolong our endurance. And we’ve all heard of replenishing our electrolytes while we workout.

So what’s the deal? Is adding a package of sugar, artificial flavours and sodium to our water really necessary?

NO! Experts agree that sticking to simple H2O is the best bet for hydrating before, during and after your workouts. Keep it clean and natural. If you need sweetener then add honey to warm water, stir and keep in the fridge. If you feel that you need electrolytes, choose organic coconut water. Avoid all the powders with added sugars and artificial flavors and ALWAYS stay away from energy drinks!

 

SPORTS NUTRITION

 

Real Food is Best

There has to be over 50 different brands of protein/energy bars on the market. Some are high protein/low carbs, others are gluten free, low glycemic and some are all natural. We grab them when we are on the run between workouts, picking up the kids, and heading to work.

We think that we are choosing a healthy and fast option to re-fuel our bodies, but when you look at the ingredient list of these bars you might want to choose a better alternative—REAL FOOD! Raw veggies, fruit, and nuts make great energy snacks and, for a real boost, try dried fruits like dates and figs.

And here is a list of my favourite go-to snacks (all vegan and natural)

 

Rebecca’s Favourite Snacks

• Fruits that are easy to carry around and available year-round like apples, bananas, strawberries
• Dates and peanut butter (trust me this is a heavenly match)
• Homemade trail mix
• Green smoothies (because options are endless and they count as a salad right?)
• Half an avocado with salt and pepper
• Bowl of granola (but check the labels on your granola as granola can be high in fat, sugar and artificial ingredients and go for organic all-natural)
• Smoothies: date, almond butter, cocoa, almond milk, or banana. Tastes like dessert.
• Hummus and anything (I seem to eat hummus every day)
• Homemade bliss balls or power cookies (see recipe above)
• Chia pudding
• Roasted chickpeas
• Mango oat smoothie ( ½ cup oats, 1 cup mango, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, pinch of cinnamon and blend)

 

Then there’s the option of making your own energy snacks. Now I know this sounds time consuming but if you choose a recipe that doesn’t require baking, all you need to do is mix the ingredients together and then make balls or bars that you can store in your fridge. Here’s one of my favourite recipes:

 

Rebecca’s Energy Bliss Balls

10-13 Medjool dates (pitted)

½ cup Adams crunchy peanut butter

½ cup shredded coconut

¼ cup almonds

¼ cup coconut oil

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp hemp hearts

 

Whiz all ingredients in the food processor, then roll into balls, then put them in the freezer to really set. These balls provide the protein, electrolytes and fibre needed to either fuel a workout or to help recover afterwards.

So what about those power bars?

Store-bought power bars are not all bad, but check the ingredients and try to buy bars that are made with all-natural organic ingredients and that have an expiry date! My favourite are Prima bars because they are made from real food and they are really delicious!

So don’t buy into the hype that you need a million additives in your food or water to perform better athletically or that a drink filled with chemicals with give you “natural’ energy. Stick to real food and good old fashioned water to stay energized before, during and after a workout:)

xoxo

Rebecca