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Post Workout Foods for Women

Just as a snack before a workout can give you energy and stamina, foods consumed post workout should replenish your energy and hydration. Feed your body right to help repair muscle tissues and replenish glycogen stores.

Keep post workout meal between 200-400 calories and 6 to 18 g protein. For instance, a 1500 calorie weight plan would include two meals each of 500 calories and two mini meals each 250 calories. Of this, one mini meal could be post workout.

Post Workout Snacks

Protein shake and banana

A whey protein shake, water, and half a banana are a great choice since your body quickly turns it into energy.

Hummus and Pita

This is a great carb/protein combo with hummus and whole wheat pita.

Yogurt and fresh berries

Muscles in your body are depleted of amino acids after a workout. Consume an adequate amount of proteins. 1 8 ounce container of plain low fat yogurt with ½ cup of berries for carbohydrate driven energy is a great post workout food.

Peanut butter and banana on rice cakes

If you want something substantial to eat after a heavy workout, a healthy peanut butter and banana sandwich should suffice. Smooth the peanut butter onto two brown rice cakes for extra fiber and take a banana.

Turkey and cheese with apple slices

Spread a soft cheese wedge over two to three slices of lean turkey and then roll up for a quick high protein eat-on-the-go snack.

Refuel and recover after a workout

Follow up your workout with meals that combine proteins, and carbohydrates – while the former helps to recover muscles, the latter replenishes energy stores.

For best results, eat 30 to 60 minutes after exercise when muscles are most receptive. An increase in enzyme activity makes your body more efficient in storing glucose for energy and building protein in fatigued muscles.

Best post workout meals

It is essential to follow a post workout meal that combines protein, carbohydrates, and electrolytes such as potassium which replenish energy stores.

Protein shakes are easily digestible and quickly absorbed.

Eggs and orange juice are the best of protein ever and there is protein both in the yolk and white of an egg. Orange juice provides carbs and vitamin C.

Bananas are nature’s perfect post workout food. One large banana contains four grams of fiber and 36 grams of carbohydrates, half a gram of fat and 602 milligrams of potassium minus cholesterol. A banana can be eaten with a cup of yogurt or cottage cheese for protein hit.

While salmon is packed with omega 3s, it can be paired with spinach or green beans for vitamins and minerals. Sweet potato provides slow-burning carbohydrates and can be consumed with salmon and green beans.

Turkey wraps are a great lunch break meal. Wholegrain wraps which are loaded with carbohydrates with the lean protein source in turkey can make a great duet. Top this with salad and tomatoes for a boost of vitamin C.

Tuna and whole wheat crackers provide 42 grams of protein and tuna provides niacin, selenium and vitamins B6 and B12. Crackers are a great source of carbs and fresh lemon juice can be added for taste.

Smoothies are refreshing and tasty. A yogurt based smoothie provides essential amino acids necessary for muscle recovery.

Chicken stir fry with skinless chicken breasts make an excellent protein source. Combine with brown rice for a healthy post workout meal.

Dried fruits and nuts are a simple post workout solution. Nuts provide a dose of protein and fats and fruits give you a shot of simple carbs to replenish muscle glycogen quickly.

To quote from a University of Michigan researcher Jeffery F Horowitz, “….exercise doesn’t occur in a vacuum and it is very important to look at both the effects of exercise and what you’re eating after exercise”.

What is a Body Fat Percentage ?

As this year 2011 draws close to its end, most Americans are pummeled by statistics to show that as a nation, Americans have an increased rate of prevalence of obesity. Sample this slice of statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – States like Mississippi, West Virginia and Alabama topped the chart with over 32 % obesity rates. And the statistics for the rest of the world is not encouraging too. The WHO is concerned that by the year 2015, there will be about 2.3 billion overweight people from the total world population of 7 billion and about 700 million of them will be obese.

According to a survey in the UK, English women added about 6.5 inches to their waist measurement in the last 50 years.

The causes attributed to this modern malaise are the meteoric rise in sedentary jobs, motorized transportation, labor saving devices and convenience foods.

Increased obesity has a correlation to increased prevalence of heart disease, type II diabetes, osteoarthritis, stroke, deep vein thrombosis and even cancer. Associated emotional problems like low self-esteem and depression too may go unrecognized.

Now that we have placed some statistics to show the gloomy nature of this burgeoning issue, we will see ways of tackling this issue closer at home. For people like you and me, radical options like ditching the car or starvation diets are not alluring and practical.

The most common way to classify overweight and obesity is the Body Mass Index or BMI as it is commonly known. Women are more predisposed to higher percentage of body fat when compared with men for the same BMI. The female hormone estrogen contributes to about 5% more body fat in women than men. BMI calculation does not indicate the amount of body fat but instead throws light on the relative percentage of fat and muscle mass as compared to the height. BMI or Body Mass Index is one of the indicators of a person’s overall health condition. The BMI chart must not be viewed in isolation but along with the person’s age, lifestyle and other related issues.

But, a drawback with BMI is that it doesn’t take into account a person’s body fat content. There are possibilities that BMI may overestimate body fat if the person is muscular or athletic and report a high BMI. Likewise, if the person has low muscle mass it may underestimate body fat and report a low BMI.

What are the facts associated with Body fats ?

What is a Body Fat Percentage ?

How do you reliably measure the Body fat percentage ?

Our editorial researchers have delved into this quintessential subject and have come up with answers to the questions raised above.

We will point you to one such page here: Body Fat Percentage

Greek Yogurt

Yogurt has always enjoyed the reputation of being healthy, cool and wholesome. It is extensively used in all parts of the world and relished for its taste and nutritional benefits. But the regular yogurt is bit runny and may not suit a dish that requires thick consistency. Greek yogurt is an interesting variation to the plain yogurt and is favored for its thick and creamy texture.

Native to Greece, it is made by filtering yogurt in a cloth or paper bag or filter, to remove the whey, giving a consistency between that of yogurt and cheese. It is widely used in Greek cooking and is typically made out of sheep or cow’s milk, however Americans prefer cow milk to prepare Greek yogurt.

Greek yogurt can be eaten plain or can be enriched by adding fresh fruits or honey or maple syrup. It also makes an excellent substitute for sour cream. It is used for yogurt dips, salad dressings, sauces, smoothies, desserts or any dish that can absorb the taste of the yogurt very well. It is readily available in the market but it can be made at home too. The good news is that you do not require great skills to make it but you certainly require patience as it consumes quite a bit of time.

How to make Greek yogurt at home

Here is a simple recipe for homemade Greek yogurt using full fat milk. To make Greek yogurt, you need 4 cups of whole milk and 3tsp of plain yogurt (homemade or bought).

Boil the milk and set it aside to cool down.
Add three tbsp of plain yogurt when the milk is slightly warm. Cover the pot and do not disturb or move the container.
It takes 7 to 8 hours or overnight for the yogurt to set. Yogurt needs to be refrigerated once it is set or it may turn sour.
To make Greek yogurt, take a large sized bowl and place a strainer on it.
Line the strainer with cheese cloth and pour the yogurt in it.
The whey starts dripping in the bowl and after few hours (5 to 6 hrs approximately) you will find the thick yogurt remaining in the cheese cloth. (Since filtering process takes quite a long time it is better to keep the bowl inside the fridge while the whey is dribbling through the strainer.)
Now delicious Greek yogurt is ready to eat.

There are many ways to eat Greek yogurt. Eat it plain or flavor it according to your choice. Greek yogurt can be savory as well. Tzatziki is a popular Greek dish that is prepared with strained yogurt. It is an appetizer dip that is made by combining Greek yogurt, cucumber, olive oil herbs such as garlic and dill.

Greek Yogurt

Benefits of Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is an excellent source of protein. To make one cup of Greek yogurt, you may require 3 to 4 cups of plain yogurt which means one cup of Greek yogurt provides the goodness of 3 to 4 cups of yogurt in a concentrated form. A six ounce serving of Greek yogurt approximately contains around 15 to 18 grams of protein.
Apart from protein content, it also contains all the nutrients, calcium, bacterial cultures of yogurt in a concentrated form.
Smoothies and dips made with Greek yogurt are an excellent option for those who are intolerant to lactose. The lactase which is present in the yogurt (but missing in the body of those who are intolerant) may help break the lactose which causes the discomfort.
Greek yogurt is lower in carbohydrates than most standard commercial yogurts and hence keeps blood sugar levels under control. You can also cut down on fat content by opting for low fat version.
Greek yogurt contains lesser sodium and refined sugar when compared to other yogurts available in the market as the straining process will remove much of the salt content from the yogurt.

Greek yogurt nutrition

Greek yogurt is a rich source of calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids and phosphorus. The calories, fat and cholesterol content of the Greek yogurt depends much upon the kind of milk used to make the yogurt. The full fat yogurt scores high on calories compared to low fat or no fat version. The calorie count goes even higher if the yogurt is sweetened or flavored. Therefore, if you are picking the yogurt off the shelf, do look for nutritional values provided on the package.

The low fat version of Greek yogurt contains the following nutritional values. The values mentioned below are according to 2000 calorie diet and a serving size of 1 Container (6oz or 170g).

Greek yogurt smoothie

Make tasty healthy smoothies with Greek yogurt. Use fresh strawberries, melons, peaches, bananas, blueberries or mangoes – alone or in combination. Blend together 2/3 cup Greek yogurt, 1 cup milk, sliced bananas, mixed berries. Drizzle a few drops of honey.

A quick protein pick-me-up is a berry and banana Greek yogurt smoothie with ground flaxseed. Blend with orange juice and its ready in a jiffy!

An ideal low-fat snack is Greek yogurt dip. Keep hunger pangs at bay by whipping up an interesting dip. Grate peeled and deseeded cucumber. Mix with Greek yogurt, chopped fresh mint and dill and minced garlic cloves. Season with salt and squeeze in a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.