Rocket Fuel, Tart cherry energy elixir + GIVEAWAY
This post is sponsored by the Cherry Marketing Institute.
I’m always looking for ways to improve my workout fuel game. Back in the day, I’d head out for a long run the night after a few cocktails, skip breakfast, and wonder why I hit a wall at mile 6. I’d feel frustrated that I couldn’t lift heavier weights for my deadlifts. And, I couldn’t understand why my energy was hit or miss while teaching classes. Finally, I started to dig in and learn about sports nutrition, and was shocked to see how much proper fuel positively affected my workout experience.
I fell in love with the sports chews and gels, and found that many of my favorite store-bought workout fuel items could easily be made at home using healthy ingredients. Here’s something I made recently, using one of my favorite recovery tools: Montmorency tart cherry juice.
Here are some of the benefits of this delicious little fruit:
Montmorency tart cherries have a high amount of anthocyanins, which are beautiful in color and have been demonstrated to protect the body against inflammation and various diseases. You can check out more of the benefits here. You can find tart cherries in frozen, dried fruit, capsule, and juice form.
To be effective, some sports nutritionists suggest using Montmorency tart cherry juice as a “precovery” drink.
All of the exercise-related studies have had athletes drink Montmorency tart cherry juice or consume tart cherries in other forms at least several days or a week prior to an event – as well as the day of and after. Soreness after a workout is caused by a combination of inflammation, muscle damage and oxidative stress – and researchers suggest the natural compounds in Montmorency tart cherries, including anthocyanins, may help with all three when consumed prior to working out, as well as after.
This little energy elixir is modeled after the energy gel you’ll find in the pouches at sporting good stores. The best part: it uses ingredients you may already have on hand and has the added benefits of tart cherry juice!
Other benefits:
Salt: electrolyte replenishment
Honey: carb replenishment (energy!). Increased energy can lead to increased performance! It’s also antibacterial and can boost the immune systems
Blackstrap molasses: vitamins and minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium, B6, and selenium
It’s a delicious mix of tart and sweet, with a slight kick of salt, following a sweaty workout. You can store it in little sport gel bottles or even reusable baby food pouches.
Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!
My friends at Tart Cherries sent me a new cookbook with lots of healthy recipes you can make at home to support your active lifestyle: Rocket Fuel. The author, Matt Kadey, is a Registered Dietitian and has created a cookbook packed with amazing recipes and new cooking ideas. I can’t wait to implement many of these in my rotation! All whole ingredients and super easy to make.
Here’s what you’ll find within the pages of Rocket Fuel:
126 recipe ideas for power-packed foods, snacks, and light meals including bowls, puddings, wraps, sandwiches, bites, balls, squares, bars, drinks, patties, cakes, stacks, drinks, smoothies, shakes, soups, muffins, sliders, pies, rolls, DIY energy shots, and all-natural sports drinks
33 Before, 43 During, and 50 After Exercise recipes
79 dairy free, 85 gluten free, 76 vegetarian, and 33 paleo-friendly recipes
Smart-yet-simple sports nutrition guidelines for before, during, and after exercise
Complete nutrition facts for every recipe
I also love that he really breaks down sports nutrition into a format that’s easy to understand and follow. I can’t wait to share it with a lucky reader friend!
Tart Cherries kindly offered a copy for a lucky winner, and I’d also like to share one of my latest fitness faves: a Fitbit Alta. I’ve been using it for about a month now to encourage activity throughout the day, track my sleep, and it’s my favorite Fitbit because of the smaller, sleek design.
Enter via the widget below! The lucky winner will be announced Tuesday morning.
I’ll see ya later today with Friday Faves!
xoxo
Gina
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A glass of chocolate milk or piece of bread with peanut butter.
The Rocket Fuel sounds amazing! And the Fitbit Alta is so much sleeker than the others!
I love sweet potatoes after my workout!
I follow you on IG!
Toast and peanut butter pre-workout, anything I can shove in my face post 🙂
I love dates before a run or yoga class — and coconut water after!
I love cherries in all forms, and I’ve never tried tart cherry juice. I know what’s going on my grocery list!
My fave pre-race fuel is a plain frozen waffle – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it! I would imagine that will have to change as I train for my first marathon ever!
I love tart cherry juice for recovery, so I’ll def have to try this recipe
I like bananas as pre-workout fuel. Would love to check out this book and have a FitBit Alta! I currently use the FitBit One and have been thinking about switching to a wristband.
Great recipe! My baby is 6 weeks old so hoping to get the ok to exercise and I’ll definitely try this drink. I love a banana with almond butter before i workout.
I love edemame after workouts!
I eat a banana before almost every workout- my stomach seems to reject almost anything else!
I follow you on instagram!
Prior to long workouts (think half-Ironman long!) I like rice cakes, nut butter and banana. Once the workout is done, I love refueling with as savory bowl of eggs, sweet potatoes and veggies!
My fav post workout fuel is vegan chocolate Shakeology with a banana and school of PB 🙂 The Fitbit Alta is on my wish list! Would love to read the book also!
My fitbit flex just bit the dust and I am looking to replace it–would love to try the Alta!
I usually have a protein shake post workout! I have never tried tart cherry juice but I would love to.
I follow you on instagram!
I like coconut water and/or greek yogurt after depending on what time I do my workout.
I have never owned a fitbit, but have always wanted to try one! I love half peanut butter sandwich after workouts.
I’m starting classes on sports nutrition this Monday! I can’t wait to learn more about it
I love chocolate milk as a pre- and post-workout drink!
I love chocolate milk or a smoothie after a workout, especially when I get just the right ration of banana to milk and it’s almost like a milkshake.
Amazing giveaway!!
I love a protein shake- Vega being my favorite!
I can’t eat before a workout but I love a good smoothie after
Rice cakes and almond butter, all day every day.
My Fitbit’s screen cracked and a chunk came off earlier this week! I still wear it because it’s just a cosmetic break but I’m also super about it
I LOVE tart cherries!
Chocolate milk or avocado and eggs works great for me!
I love overnight oats after a hard morning workout!
Protein smoothie – lately I’ve been adding a shot of cherry juice concentrate. I love the taste!
I love chocolate milk after a good hard workout!
I love a spoonful of nut butter or some chocolate milk. YUM!
I like eating dates for energy during workout!
I love cherries and have been wanting a fitbit (though I’m nervous what I’ll find out since I have a tied to your desk type of job!).
I follow you on Insta and Snap!
My favorite post workout fuel is usually just lunch or a banana and cashews.
I love half a glass of orange juice before a long workout! I really can’t eat anything within 60 minutes of a workout (and let’s not discuss what happened when I tried to have milk pre-workout), so this is a nice compromise.
I always have some bites or protein cookies (all homemade) before!
I also follow on Instagram 🙂
I follow you on insta
I love love love bananas with chia seeds or sesame seeds and honey after my yoga session
Peanut butter is a great post-workout snack!
I love Honey Stinger waffles.
I follow you on Insta
I like to have dates or banana before a workout, and something cold (like a smoothie) right after!
I love chocolate almond milk after a run!
i love almonds or a larabar after a workout!
i also follow you on ig 🙂
I have been wanting to check out that Fitbit!