Best Post-Workout Foods To Eat

[caption id="attachment_1114" align="alignleft" width="295" caption="Make Sure To Eat Healthy After Your Workout"][/caption]

Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But what about the meal you eat after a workout? Don't make the mistake in thinking that after you do a great workout that you should indulge in some of your favorite comfort foods. From time to time that's fine to do. Eating healthy after your workout is crucial in making sure your workouts are beneficial. Here are the top 5 foods to eat after your workout courtesy of iVillage Health.

The first thing your body needs is a nice fresh supply of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are used by your body for making muscles, hormones, neurotransmitters, bones and all sorts of other important things. Exercise depletes critical amino acids such as glutamine, valine, isoleucine and leucine–and the way you replenish your body's supply is with protein. That means meat, chicken, eggs, fish or whey protein powder (even soy protein powder, though I don't like that as much as whey).

The second thing you need is some carbohydrates. Exercise draws upon your body's stores of glycogen, which is the storage form of sugar. Glycogen waits in the liver and the muscles for a signal that sugar is needed: "Hey, she's exercising, let's give her some fuel!" Your body can hold about 1,800 calories of sugar as glycogen, which is plenty to fuel any workout short of a marathon, but athletes do best when their glycogen stores are full, so unless you are on a carb-restricted diet, some slow-burning carbs after working out is a good idea. (Hint: The best carbs are oatmeal, brown rice, grains like quinoa or amaranth, and all vegetables and fruits).

Read more at iVillage Health