A Post-Workout Shake

By Chris

As you can tell, I haven't had much to say lately; obviously, this being my first post. Sooo, I am posting the post-workout shake that I created and use to recover from my workouts or competitions. Each of the ingredients that I use has a reason it is being used within the shake, but don't mistake that for 'scientific' by any means; the first ingredient in the shake goes against what science and every food department in America says, sooo...enjoy!

 Now, I must put the disclaimer out there before writing any of the ingredients down: I am NOT saying this is a recovery shake that you must try and, if you do choose to try it, I will assume no risk; this shake is something that I make for me and is intended for informational purposed on this blog -not as a recommendation.

Ok, now we can move forward. First up on the list of ingredients is _____________________? Can anyone guess it? Eggs! That's right, the first ingredient is four raw eggs -like in Rocky! When I buy the eggs, however, I do buy the higher grade farm raised eggs. When I still lived in Oregon I would buy my eggs at a Co-Op and I could choose my eggs based on what they ate, drank, calcium source was, ect. I will admit, that was pretty great, but I do know and understand that I was spoiled and it is not like that everywhere -such as in Illinois where I am at now. Something else that I have always looked for, personally, was brown eggs; it is just a preference, but I have found their shells to be harder which, to me, is a desirable quality.

There are a couple of reasons that I put eggs into my shakes that I will cover. I enjoy eating them cooked, but have felt they affect my body differently than they do when I eat them raw (I know, probably the most scientific thing you have ever read). When I began eating them raw I noticed improvements in my digestion of the eggs, as well as the health of my skin and hair; to me these were all positive things, so I decided to keep going with it. I also use the entire egg -cholesterol and all! I know, again, not going by the scientific health recommendations that the American public is used to hearing. My thought process with this, however, is simple: Eggs are meant to start a life, God and nature didn't mess up. What I mean is that I actually use eggs as my multi-vitamin, my post-workout protein source, and my fat and cholesterol source. Eggs have nearly every vitamin and mineral that you need in them except for Vitamin C. They are also loaded with six grams of protein a piece and lots of fat and cholesterol; my thoughts on those are simple as well: since my hormones are made of cholesterol, such as testosterone, than what is the point in being afraid of it and excluding it from my diet? and fat doesn't make me, or anyone for that matter, fat -so why avoid something that tastes so good and is so good for you? God didn't create the eggs for chickens and design them the way that they are so that a chick would hatch obese with high cholesterol; if he did, maybe the American people are right on track (haha)?

Now, I know that eggs can go bad and they could have all sorts of fun things in them that makes your stomach hurt and that is why you are supposed to cook them; however, I haven't gotten sick once from them in the last three years that I have been doing this. Not once. That doesn't mean it is a 'for sure' safe thing, but I don't feel it is any more dangerous than many of the things that are eaten regularly by Americans...case in point: deep-fried Twinkies.

The next thing I use in my shakes is a nice big helping (about a cup to be slightly more exact) of coconut milk, A.K.A.: pure saturated fat! What?! I know, I will have a heart attack as I am drinking this, right? No. Wrong. I don't believe that garbage at all. There have been multiple studies out there (he's using science?) to have shown that replacing refined carbohydrates in a diet with saturated fats -yes, like butter- and every single risk factor for heart disease went down. Hmmm... Anyways, back to the delicious shake and its ingredients. I use coconut milk because it is very tasty, mixes well and adds a nice consistency to the shake, and it is calorie-dense -about 140kcal per one-half cup. Even if you are not wanting to gain weight, I would still recommend using this in the shake, just cut it down to a half-cup as well as cut back on some ingredients to come.

After the eggs and coconut milk are in the cup, I like to add a nice handful of spinach. Yes, I understand this sounds interesting and maybe somewhat gross to some people, but it does not change the flavor one bit -just turns it green. The other plus side to this is that spinach is an alkaline-enhancing food which is great after a workout because the body's pH rises, well actually drops, considerably after a during and after workout; restoring that alkalinity is a great way to help yourself recover from a tough workout. I sometimes also dice up carrots and then put them in the blender with everything else. Why do I do this? Same reason as I put spinach in... and sometimes I would just rather drink my lunch-time salad instead of eat it.

I use a few spices in this post-workout concoction as well to enhance the flavor and to help you feel better. I don't know that they have any real recovery-enhancing effects, but I do know that they have a few health effects that make them worth drinking. The first I use in cinnamon (1 and 1/2 teaspoons) and other than its great flavor, it is also a very potent anti-bacterial which is the main reason that I use it. The second that I use is turmeric (1 teaspoon); I use this because of its anti-inflammatory properties within joints, it is an anti-septic, and it promotes skin health and wound healing. The third that I use is cayenne pepper (1/4 teaspoon) and I use it for its anti-inflammatory properties. I know, I know... not the most exciting reasons, but they are what they are. Something else that I throw into my shakes that isn't necessarily a spice is lemon flavored cod liver oil (1 or 2 teaspoons). I prefer the brand Dr. Carlson's because it is a great, reputable brand; remember to refrigerate it after opening so that the oil doesn't go rancid! It is a great way to get a lot of Omega-3 fatty-acids into your diet -which can help in inflammation reduction- if you can't eat or afford a lot of fish as well as add a great lemon flavor to the shake (no fish after-taste, I promise).

Last, but definitely not the least in any sense, I add pure, raw honey -the only food on the planet, that is nature-made, that does not go bad. Yes, you heard right, it doesn't go bad! How cool is that? Other than that cool fact about honey, I use it because it is really very good for you and I usually use about a tablespoon or a bit more. Honey plays the role of an antibacterial (it has been shown to kill of bacteria as strong as salmonella!), has more than a few antioxidants that can be found in plants as well -and one in particular that is thought to be unique to honey: pinocembrin-, and promotes the growth of the 'good' bacteria in your gut! To reap all of these benefits of honey, though, you must have pure, raw, preferably unfiltered, honey; you also will not want to heat it for extended periods of time (such as cooking with it; it is still ok to flavor hot things such as tea or squash out of the oven.

Now, you can end the shake there and have a delicious, moderate-calorie shake for after a workout OR... you can add more stuff to make it a post-workout-meal-shake! To be honest, I use the above as a base for a variety of different shakes. I usually take what you just read, then I add about two good scoops of plain vanilla ice cream to it; sometimes I will also add eggnog or heavy whipping cream if we have some or I am wanting a few extra calories that week. If I am looking more for a drink that I will sip on for a while, I will take a couple pages from my wife's shake book and add some fruits and berries and maybe even some avocado (yes, I know it's a fruit).

Now that everything is in your shake, blend it all together for a while until it is good and creamy. I use a magic bullet for traveling convenience, but any blender will work as long as the blades are sharp and spin fast ... you know, like most working blenders do.

Anyways, there is my shake that is healthy, natural (if you leave out the ice-cream), and a great (especially) post-workout shake as well as a great snacking drink. Don't be scared of the raw eggs, but if you are then you can make the shakes without them and I'm sure they will still taste good, they will just be lacking protein and vitamins. Also, the same thing I said earlier applies, I am by no means recommending you go out and eat raw eggs... I just have nothing against it. If you have any questions or comments email our blog with the headline "Chris" or just post a comment below.

Bottoms up! (I just drank one while writing this. Mmmm...)

Chris.