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My Preemptive Strike on Fatigue: A Smoothie
(posted on 03/06/08 at 10:05 am EST) | One of my toughest challenges as a runner has been to stay healthy. I am fortunate to be pretty resistant to getting injured (knock on wood), but I have struggled in the past to avoid getting run down and weakening my immune system. I have also struggled to maintain normal levels of hemoglobin (iron) in my blood. Since July 2007, I have been making sure to mix up and ingest the following smoothie every single day, no excuses! I thought I would share it with you all, as I have managed to avoid my usual bouts of fatigue and long-lasting colds this fall and winter for the first time in years, and it is possible this smoothie has something to do with it:
Blend the following ingredients together:
- 1 tbsp ferrous sulfate elixir
This is my iron supplement, in liquid form
- 1 scoop glutamine powder
Glutamine is an amino acid that is supposed to aid in muscle recovery--it has a major role in protein synthesis--and fight illness. It can be found in powder form at Wal-Mart. More information on glutamine here.
- 1 scoop “greens” powder
This can be found at most health food stores. It is many different types of green foods, such as spirulina, barley, green tea, green algae, etc.--I know, sounds delicious!--in powder form. It is packed with nutrients and despite its contents hides nicely in your smoothie without affecting its taste or texture. If you have a Trader Joe’s near by, get it there because it’s by far the cheapest I’ve found.
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
The stuff I buy--from Wal-Mart again--has about 23 grams of protein per scoop
- A handful of frozen fruit
Blueberries and raspberries are my favorite because they are smaller and blend up better; frozen fruit make your smoothie nice and cold
- About a cup and a half of your liquid of choice.
I like to use Bolthouse Farms smoothies, but any kind of juice or bottled smoothie will serve the purpose. The amount you use depends on how thick you want your smoothie; the more liquid you add, the less thick your smoothie will be. When I travel, I take Welch’s 100% grape juice with me because they sell it in single serving bottles and don’t have to be refrigerated. It also has lots of antioxidants. This way I can still shake up my smoothie in a cup with a lid; I just miss out on the frozen fruit.
Every day when I make my smoothie, I use it to wash down my vitamins, including Vitamin C and B-Complex, which help my body absorb the iron in the smoothie. Keep in mind that nutrition is an essential part of training, along with rest and the actual training itself. But it is not magic; you have to make nutrition a priority every single day. It defeats the purpose to wait to drink a smoothie like the one above until you’re already feeling run down or you’re already sick or injured.
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