Water
Water is essential in keeping your organs and muscles working efficiently. Water helps drive nutrients to your muscles and flushes out bad toxins and is a major part of your cooling system – sweat!
There are too many benefits of water to list (after all, your body is made up of over 60% water), but what about water’s benefits to weight loss?
Studies have shown that staying well hydrated may help increase your metabolism, which is what your body needs to burn off those fat calories. The recent study had shown that by drinking 16 ounces of water, your body would use 24% more calories for 60 minutes after drinking water.
Try drinking 16 ounces of water before you eat a meal; you will feel fuller, not eat as much, and increase your metabolism an hour after.
Green Tea
Green tea is high in antioxidants and has a strong thermogenic effect. The two thermogenic compounds in green tea, caffeine and catechins, are what help burn the fat in our bodies. At the 2007 tea and health symposium, studies showed that 3 months of tea consumption decreased waist circumference by 4.5%.
Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk has a great mix of protein and carbohydrates to help rebuild your muscles, making this a great post-workout drink. A study by The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reported that athletes who drank chocolate milk after an intense bout of exercise were able to work out longer and with more power during a second workout compared to athletes who drank sports drinks.
Recovery is a large part of your workout success. Make sure you take advantage of this easy available post workout drink.
References:
1. Amanda Carlson, Core Performance
2. Dr. John Berardi, Precision Nutrition