Giving your body adequate fuel & nutrition before and after every workout is key for staying energized, building lean muscle, burning calories and losing weight, and for promoting a healthy recovery of your tissues.

Pre-workout, you want to focus on getting healthy complex carbs (such as veggies, fruits and whole grains) and healthy fats (such as nuts, seeds and avocado). When we eat carbs, our bodies store them in the muscles as glycogen, and as we exercise, we begin to deplete this glycogen – particularly in the first hour. Our bodies also metabolize fats and protein for energy, particularly in longer workouts, so including a little bit of vegetarian fat and/or protein is recommended. However, it’s important to make your pre-workout meal very light so it doesn’t weigh you down, and eat it at least 30-45 mins before starting your exercise.

WHAT IF YOU'RE WORKING OUT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING - SHOULD YOU STILL EAT? Unless it's just a light exercise like walking or gentle yoga, then yes, ideally you should eat something small. Working out while hungry can place stress on your body, activating your sympathetic nervous system, and can even make you lose muscle mass as your body will draw protein from your muscles for fuel. Just a small portion of 1 of my suggested pre-workout meals can do the trick.