If you’re apart of the Good Sweat fam, you know that I train in the morning. It sets my tone for the day and I love hopping out of bed motivated by crushing it in the gym. One question I get asked all the time is what I eat before I workout, so I thought I would share some of my go-to’s… 

PRE-TRAINING

Pre-workout nutrition helps support the activity of your muscles and brain, decreases risk of low blood sugar, and gives you energy to push harder. My first step is Rootz pre-workout for added energy (code ‘Rachael’ to save 20% on their site). I don’t drink coffee too often, so my pre-workout wakes me up and helps get me hydrated for the day. Try a half scoop to start, then work your way up to a full scoop as your body gets used to it. I throw it in a mini shaker bottle with water and ice drink it about 30-minutes before a workout. I love the ingredients because they’re completely paleo, contain 120mg of caffeine coming from matcha green tea, yerba mate, and guarana. It’s also loaded with vitamins and minerals, unlike most pre-workouts out there, including anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, ginger and beetroot. It took me some getting used to the flavor, but now I crave it most mornings. Rootz also doesn’t leave me feeling jittery at all.

I typically eat within 30-minutes of training, so prior to training it’s usually something easy and light to not weigh me down. I like fast, digestible carbohydrates like fruit, honey, and gluten-free toast, in addition to some protein. My favorites below:

1. My paleo granola – just a handful or a small bowl! 
2. RX bar — I’m a strict chocolate peanut butter and vanilla almond butter flavor girl
3. Paleo toast or waffle with peanut butter
4. Fruit – banana, berries, a few slices of apple

POST-TRAINING

After my workout I’m usually starving, so my go-to is a smoothie because it’s super quick and you can pack a lot of nutrition in it to refuel your body and muscles after a hard workout. I include minimal fruits (around 1/2 cup), quality protein for muscle recovery and satiety, fiber, healthy fats like unsweetened nut butter, and usually two handfuls of frozen spinach for added micronutrients. 

1. PB&J smoothie – this one has been on heavy rotation lately. Seriously so good.
2. Snickerdoodle chip – decadent without being too sweet. Very satisfying
3. Glow-to smoothie – I got hooked on this smoothie years ago! Superfoods galore.
4. Tropical green smoothie – strawberries and pineapple, the perfect combo, my god. You need to try this one
5. Tropical protein smoothie – peachy and perfect after a workout

I can’t get over how important it is to fuel, recover and rest. Learn to think about the foods you’re putting in your bodies and how those foods give you fuel. Any questions? Drop them below in the comments and also let me know what other posts you’d like me to write about 🙂