Shakes can be especially useful after a workout when your body is starving for simple carbohydrates and protein to optimize its recovery. Shakes can also be easy ways to improve your fruit and vegetable intake and serve as great snacks or small meal replacements if better options aren’t readily available which is especially helpful during a Whole 30 Challenge. For those participating in the Whole 30 beginning tomorrow, the challenge is all about learning ways to make eating clean easy, creative, and enjoyable. One different way to get a fast convenient snack or post workout recovery is with a homemade shake using either a blender or the Magic Bullet pictured above. I first learned about the Magic Bullet from here when Invictus coach and nutrition diva Michele Vieux posted on it. The “magic” of the Magic Bullet is that it is powerful enough to crush ice cubes and it works fast while also being really compact so it doesn’t take up a lot of counter space in your kitchen or office. They typically run about $50 or so and I’ve been using mine almost everyday since Marcus blessed us with one as a wedding gift. Ruth and Marcus have both touched on the importance of being prepared during a Whole 30 Challenge because it helps to have an easy way to get sustenance into your body before you go off the deep end and wind up eating something you wish you hadn’t.

Whole 30 approved items that I like to include in my post-workout shakes include but aren’t limited to:

• Simple carbs like sweet potatoes, fresh or frozen berries/pineapple, bananas, carrots, etc.

• Protein like raw eggs or egg protein powder (Michele recommends Rose Acre Farms’ Egg Protein powder
  
  
  becuase it has no additives like most others)

• Liquid to ensure everything blends well together, typically water does just fine

• Anything to improve the flavor like vanilla extract (without sugar), cinnamon, cardamom, mint, etc.

You can include fattier options in your shakes but they typically take longer to digest. Although this isn’t ideal for a post-workout shake, it definitely comes in handy when you are looking for a good snack or something to carry you through to your next real meal if real food isn’t available.

• Fats I like to include in my shakes are avocado, coconut milk, shredded coconut, coconut butter, coconut oil, fish oil,

Here is one of Michele’s favorite shake recipes for a breakfast type of shake taken from the same post linked above:

Ingredients:

• ½ frozen banana

• 1 pear

• ¼ c. egg white protein (I get mine online from Rose Acre Farms
  
  
  )

• 2 ice cubes

• ½ c. coconut milk

• ½ c. water (or cold coffee)

• ½ t. vanilla

Directions:

Put all ingredients into drink cup. Screw on blades. Place drink cup in Magic Bullet, twist to start motor. Wait 10 seconds and voila!

WOD 1.3.12

W30 Challenge Baseline Workout
1 Rep Max Deadlift
Max Strict Pullups (Chinups if necessary)
1 Lap Run for Time