Working out causes tears and breakage in muscle fiber which allows muscle to strengthen. Protein is important to consume before and sometimes after a work out because it builds and repairs those damaged muscle fibers allowing muscle to rebuild. If you aren’t consuming protein before exercising, then you could be burning muscle instead of gaining muscle. This is a valuable lesson I learned four years ago when I was in physical therapy. I got in the habit of doing my physical therapy exercises in the morning after stretching but before eating. I felt completely depleted of energy after going through my routine. Since my exercises were quite simple, I knew something wasn’t right. My friend who was a lacrosse coach explained the importance of protein to me and suggested I eat a complete breakfast with both protein to build muscle and carbs to keep my body energized, before doing my PT and see if I noticed a change in my energy level. I immediately saw an improvement in my post recovery time after adopting my new eating regimen. How I could I have not known this and why did no one ever teach me this growing up, especially since I played a lot of sports?
Fast forward two years later when I started hiking. At the time a simple 2 mile hike was so taxing on me I had to nap after. I noticed the same symptoms of energy depletion I experienced after completing my physical therapy exercises without taking in protein beforehand, only this time I did consume protein before the hikes. I realized that my body needed protein and carbs not only before my hike but after as well. Since hiking was a new work out for me and I was engaging muscles I haven’t used in awhile, this type of strength training was more strenuous than my regular work out routine. Everyone’s body is different and reacts differently to various workouts. This brings me to the second valuable lesson I learned: listen to what your body is telling you after exercising. If you start to feel energy levels dip that means you need more fuel!
Now that we have established how important it is to consume protein before and sometimes during or after your work out, what protein brands are good for you and also taste pleasant? I don’t know about you, but I have tried numerous brands and spent a lot of money on trial and error.
Here are the top factors that should guide you in finding a heathy protein brand:
- Organic
- Plant- based Protein (easier to digest, vegan)
- Simple Ingredients (watch out for hidden sugars)
During my search for the perfect protein powder, it was important to me to choose an organic brand since consuming pesticides and genetically modified food is dangerous and unhealthy. I also realized that whey protein was tough on my belly and I process plant-based protein with no issues just like a lot of other people. After ordering some other Sunfood products and enjoying them, I decided to give their Organic Chocolate Rice Protein a try because it checked all the boxes: organic, plant based and simple ingredients. I was pleasantly surprised how good the flavor is and super excited about the absence of that unpleasant chalky taste you get with most protein powders. I was also equally excited that there are no hidden sugars in this product.
I mix the Sunfood Chocolate Rice Protein with maca root powder for extra energy and homemade almond milk. Sometimes I add a little bit of organic chocolate syrup for more chocolate forward flavor. There are only 3 ingredients in this protein powder: sprouted brown rice protein, coconut palm sugar and raw cacao powder which, is not only a superfood packed with powerful antioxidants but also a great source of energy. With the combination of protein, maca powder and raw cacao, I feel super energized for my hikes and my work outs!
When I go for my longer or more arduous hikes, my body starts losing fuel and I need to add more protein during the middle or towards the end of the trail. I am really loving Aloha Chocolate Fudge Brownie Protein Bars. They are not only organic, non GMO and plant based they are also gluten free and dairy free!
Since I have personally found it challenging to find plant based, organic, dairy and gluten free protein products and had to go through a lot of trial and error to find some brands that I love and that are healthy, I wanted to share my findings with you! Throughout my years exercising, I am happy that I learned the importance protein plays in building muscle strength and discovered some healthy protein-based products that aid in muscle recovery so I can focus on my work outs and keep getting stronger!
