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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Sweet potato before and Greek yogurt after.
I follow on instagram
I work out first thing in the morning so I typically don’t eat before. After, I refuel with a healthy breakfast with protein, carbs, and fat
YUM! Cherry is the best.
Greek yogurt (plain) and fruit — either grapes or cherries 🙂
I follow on IG
I definitely need to try this!
I like following a workout with a protein shake mixed with fruit and greens.
I will have to try this! My favorite postworkout fuel is a protein smoothie with lots of greens and some fruit!
I would love a fitbit! I do a lot of walking at my work, so it would be nice to see how many steps I actually can rack up in a day!
I’m on insta!
I usually hit up Trader Joe’s right after I am at the gym since it’s in walking distance. I have never really thought a bunch about pre/post nutrition for my workouts until I grabbed a single-source coconut water a couple weeks ago while shopping. I go from exhausted and sore to energetic and alert in under five minutes after sipping on the coconut water. I’m guessing it’s the potassium?
I follow on instagram!
I love an avocado, greens and coconut milk smoothie after.
Rice cake with pb and milk!
I follow on Instagram!
I usually do a banana pre workout and a shake/smoothie after the gym.
I love dates pre-workout for a quick boost…simple & delicious!
I follow on instagram!
Interesting I definitely don’t fuel properly and it is something I’ve been looking into more recently.
I’m still a fan of a banana before working out.
Follow on instagram
looks very interesting!
Toast with peanutbutter and banana for me!
I follow in Instagram too!
I have always wanted to try a fitbit!!!
I love almond butter stuffed into a date right before I work out!
I need to figure out a better recovery snack since I am usually chasing my kids immediately following my workouts. I usually eat breakfast (toast with peanut butter and banana slices, or toast and eggs) before my workout.
I will oftentimes pop an energy ball (or 2… hard to stop at 1!) before a workout for a little boost & something in my tummy (but not so much that I get a tummyache). The ones I make have oats, honey, pb, flaxseed, chia seeds & choc chips. 🙂 Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
I’m pretty boring, I like an apple before and gatorade and water afterwards.
I’m simple! I go for a nice and easy banana for workout. Thank you for hosting! 🙂
I truly need to start fueling before my early workout sessions! I’m up at 5am and at the gym around 5:30..its so hard to eat so early but I think it would help me step up my game a little 😉
I like a protein bar and an apple or some siggi’s yogurt and granola.
Always a little caffeine before workouts…I work out super early (think 4:45 AM!!!) before the kids get up so I need a little something to get me going!
Chocolate milk or a smoothie.
I work in a school so I’m now off for the summer-back to morning workouts for me!!
I follow on Instagram.
I like a banana with pb post workout!!
I workout in the mornings and love to follow up with a breakfast of sweet potatoes, kale, and eggs.
I also work out early in the AM, but try to have protein like eggs, or PB pretty soon after!
right now I am loving an apple and peanut butter as a preworkout meal.
I grew up in MI and love eating cherries! The Alta would be an amazing prize. Crossing my fingers!!
I like to follow my am workouts with breakfast… Usually 2 eggs & some sautéed veggies and some cheese.
I love a protein smoothie after a workout!
Yogurt is one of my favourite post-work out foods!
I follow on IG!
My favourite pre-workout snack: half banana + nut butter. Gives me a great boost of energy
Post-workout: fruit protein smoothie with maple water. Yum!
I have wanted to try tart cherry juice. I make egg cups (baked eggs with cheese and ham) — and eat one right after a long run.
Pre – Peanut butter toast; post – strawberry milk
This post is crazy timely b/c I just picked up a bottle of organic tart cherry juice to drink after my harder weight workouts. I hadn’t thought about using it before as well!