The Intelligent Workout

Guaranteed to spruce up your energy and recovery these beverages are all intelligent additions to imbibe daily. Having less liquid calories is usually solid advice but these drinks and teas are nutritional powerhouses. Besides, conventional fitness wisdom is for Quakers anyway. Matcha |Antioxidants Galore| - A tea that is unique to Japan, one cup of matcha is said to have nearly ten cups worth of the nutrition from regular green tea. Earthy, robust, and old school. This is what the ancient Japanese monks used to drink. They would scoff at today’s fruit infused hybrids. It’s how green tea is meant to be done.

Matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid known to relax the mind, and has about half of the caffeine in a cup of coffee. It is also packed with EGCG, a catechin with strong cancer fighting properties – equivalent to the amount in a whopping 137 cups of normal green tea. It is frequently found in powdered form which can be mixed very easily – green tea kefir or ice cream anyone? It is even recommended to add a dash to your toothpaste or shampoo. It is so healthy and versatile you can literally shower in this stuff.

Yerba Mate |Mental Focus| - This tea comes from a small tree grown in the sub-tropical rainforests of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. In several sections of South America it beats out coffee as the national drink of choice. It is enjoyed so intensely some consider it to be the ‘Drink of the Gods’ but it actually translates to ‘cup herb’ since it is shared by a group from a gourd when served in a traditional setting. Yerba Mate has more antioxidants than regular green tea along with potassium and B vitamins. Yerba mate also contains theophylline, theobromine, and a third of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee. This unique blend is what creates what many mate drinkers describe as a focused energy that puts them in a zone of mental clarity.

Cherry Juice |Recovery Pro| - Enjoyed since prehistoric times, several studies have shown the nutritional benefits of tart cherries. The main source of their nutritive strength comes from anthocyanins. These guys are the reason for their red coloring and also their beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. Studies using rats supplementing with these compounds also showed less increase of body fat on a high fat diet as well as lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Tart cherries also contain natural melatonin so benefits of deeper sleep may occur. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of George Washington’s cherry tree would beat the snot out of blueberries, pomegranates, and even those countless acai berry products that are popping up everywhere. They are little red miracle workers when it comes to the recovery process.

Whey Protein |Superb Supplement| - You can read my full post right here on why I’m infatuated with whey protein. In a nutshell it’s an incredible value & convenience, fast acting & nutritious, and has the highest biological value / usability of any food.

Coconut Oil |Packed With MCTs| - This section comes from fellow fitness buff and blogger Skyler Tanner, very intelligent worker-outer, check out his clever insights at SkylerTanner.com

“So what in the hey are MCTs? MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides, though in the scared-of-all-things-cholesterol-related media you’ll sometimes see it put as medium chain fatty acids, which make up an MCT. Great. So why is it special? MCTs are taken into the liver without any modification (long chain and very long chain fatty acids require modifications for digestion and energy use). They don’t require any bile salts to digest. They are burned preferentially in the mitochondria over LCFAs. There is evidence suggesting that fat loss is accelerated in the short term using MCTs because of the increased thermic effect of food.

How I like to go about using MCTs is by using coconut oil for any cooking application. It has a wonderful smell and adds a great flavor to popcorn. Because of the bile salt component I mentioned above, one could use MCTs when starting a lower carbohydrate diet, as I’ve experienced subjectively improved energy and I know I’m not alone in this regard.”

Other potential benefits include boosting the immune system and normalizing thyroid function. A tablespoon of coconut oil in a protein shake or going through the trouble of getting the lime in the coconut would be well worth the health benefits.

Even More Intelligent Beverage Blends -

Club Soda & Casein Protein -Casein protein found in cottage cheese is essentially the opposite of whey as it is slowly released over a period of seven hours. Casein protein powder usually doesn’t taste too pleasant but when I mixed a banana flavor with some orange club soda I created my own little sparkling stale dreamsicle. It was still way better than mixing it with plain water. You could also try mixing other supplements with club soda or try carbonated water to give your hydration levels a fresh boost.

Low Sodium V8 & Instant Coffee - I had to hit the weights posthaste and wanted to sneak a few quick milligrams of caffeine to bolster my workout. I grabbed some old instant coffee, saw the low sodium V8, and then stirred. Not half bad… The veggies covered up most of the flavor, it went down easy, and I had a great workout. Try anytime you’re looking for a no hassle pick-me-up.

Whey Protein with Cherry Juice - Combining two intelligent beverages together? Brilliant! I drink this mix about 30-45 minutes before hitting the weight room and experience an obvious increase in strength and recovery when having this ChocoCherry preworkout shooter.

Yerba Mate with Matcha - The daily benefit of having a matcha mate would be remarkable.

Any more secret fitness concoctions out there? Will Pickle and Prune Juice be the next liquid fitness craze? I’d steer clear of any P & PJ cleanse ads for now.