Posts Tagged ‘Athlete’

High Energy Diet

July 30th, 2010

There are a lot of people out there who could greatly benefit from a change in their diet to a plan that would give them a lot more energy and some great health benefits. If you are an athlete, for example, a high energy raw diet might be just the thing you are looking for to give you an added edge in your sport of choice. And while you might be thinking that this sort of dramatic change to one’s lifestyle would only be for those elite athletes who earn their living in their sports, think again. Every person who is active can benefit from eating for energy. It does not matter if you are a weekend warrior, a part-time participant, a rec league roller or someone who simply goes out to have some fun and stay active. It does not matter if you run, jump, stretch, hit, shoot or catch. If you are active, there are ways to change your diet – some of them more involved, and some with more obvious results – that will improve your performance. It’s all about the raw power.

A high energy raw food diet can provide you with new sources of energy and personal power that you might be able to find in other, more expensive and more artificially produced foods, but the power of the rawness in this eating plan will give you more of the good stuff, without all the by-products.

For one thing, eating a raw high energy diet will likely include a lot of nuts and seeds. In traditional diets, these are food items that many people deprive themselves of, due to their high fat content. But the natural fats found in many nuts and seeds are incredibly beneficial to your body, and the calories they provide are important for those who lead an active lifestyle. Their naturally high fiber also helps to regulate your body’s digestion, meaning less energy is wasted in the processing and elimination of foods, leaving more power for your next athletic endeavor.

Another important aspect of eating a high energy diet is the hydration factor. Normal diets will tell you to drink plenty of fluids, but for someone who is about to lose a lot of water weight in sweat, the normal amounts will not suffice. And rather than subjecting yourself to another high sugar sports drink, why not take advantage of an option you can make yourself, using only raw ingredients, that will help to push you , provide you with energy, keep you well hydrated and cost just pennies a glass?

Tribes in Mexico have been consuming iskiate, also known as chia fresca, for a very long time, and it has helped to power then through runs that can last all day long, over very difficult terrain. This drink is simple to make – simply combine two teaspoons of chia seeds, the juice of one half of a fresh lime, and a half teaspoon of honey in a glass of cool water. Stir and enjoy – it’s as simple as that. It might not be in the recipe book for any diet you have ever tried before, but there are a lot of things about a raw high energy diet that are likely to be completely new for you.

Bananacavo Energy Smoothie

March 24th, 2010

Let’s say you’re an athlete. You’re not a professional by any means, but you get out there a few times a week and really build up a sweat. Maybe you run, maybe you play a team sport, or maybe you just hit the weights and give your muscles a good thrashing.

Regardless, you come home happy but tired. You’ve left it all out on the court or the path or the gym floor, and you have no energy left. You know you should eat something, but man, it’s tempting to just flop down in the chair and relax. Who wants to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen preparing a tasty snack at that point?

So, maybe you reach for one of those chocolate bars that tosses a bit of protein into the mix and calls itself an “energy bar”. Sure, you get some fuel for your system, and it’s easy, but is it really what you want to put into your body? What if I told you there was a simple and easy snack that would take less than three minutes to prepare, but would give you an amazing amount of energy, help repair those overworked muscles, and taste great to boot?

That, my friends, is the beauty of the Bananacavo Energy Smoothie. Not only does it have a great name, it has a taste to match, and benefits beyond your expectations.

First of all, let’s go through the ingredients…

First, you have bananas. If you have seen a marathon or even run in one, you know that pretty much the only solid food they hand out at the water stations are bananas. Not only are they nice and mushy (so very easy to eat), but they are full of all sorts of things that a hard-working runner needs – right now. There is a ton of potassium in bananas, and potassium goes straight to your poor muscles, helping to break down the pockets of lactic acid that build up in your overworked muscles.

That lactic acid is what brings the pain, so bananas are like aspirin for your legs on a long run, and you’ll be thankful for it later. But on top of that, bananas contain natural sugars that help to fuel your body right now, rather than later. The mushy texture means that those sugars are digested quicker, and are available to your body faster. All good things, when you’re working that hard.

The other main ingredient in this smoothie is avocado. This fleshy green fruit might not be your first choice to pair with bananas, but the fats contained within are truly beneficial to the hard working body. These healthy fats are essential to maintaining proper health, and besides, they taste great.

To make the Bananacado Energy Smoothie, combine a whole, peeled banana with a half of the flesh of an average sized avocado in a blender. To complete the mix, add in a cup of cold water, the juice of half of an orange, a pinch of salt and a handful of previously soaked and softened almonds. Blend until smooth, and consume immediately.

I guarantee you, you’ve never tasted anything like this before, and once you go Bananacado, you’ll never go back.