Peach Smoothie to Strengthen Your Bones

If you’re putting the time into strength training for strong bones, make sure that you’re feeding your muscles well, before and after your workouts. It’s part of doing everything that you can to prevent osteoporosis and further bone loss by strengthening your muscles to strengthen your bones.

Eat Your Fruits & Veggies!

Fruit smoothies are a wonderful way to rehydrate, refuel, and rebuild muscles in that optimal 45 minute window following strength training when, according to university research, your muscles are particularly receptive to absorbing nutrients. Did you know that there is a strong positive correlation between bone health and one’s vegetable and fruit consumption? In the summer, when the fruit is ripe and fresh, eat or drink your fill!

In early July, my friends and I watch daily for the “Missouri Peaches” sign to be posted at Bob’s Barn, a local produce shop. For a month from mid-July to mid-August, we feast on those unbelievably tasty peaches. My grandparents farmed 40 acres of fruit in the Yakima Valley in Washington and these particular Missouri peaches are just as good as those tree-ripened peaches straight off my grandparents’ trees.

Now, besides a peach cobbler with ice cream (getting that calcium in, right?) and peaches with milk and cereal, what could be tastier than a peach smoothie? The peaches are in and I now have a plethora of ripe peaches, so 4 of them went into my post-workout recovery smoothie Thursday morning after my strength training for osteoporosis prevention class. It was absolutely delicious and tasted like summer! I had a cup of the smoothie with my breakfast and drank the rest after the workout.

Protein AND Carbs Needed Post-Workout!

Often, my class participants think that it’s only protein that is needed after workouts, but it’s the mixture of carbohydrates and protein that helps refuel your muscles. You get the carbs from the fruit and protein from the yogurt and whey. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests a range of 2-1 to 4-1 carbohydrate-protein ratio for post-workout nutrition. If it’s not sweet enough for you, add 1 t. sugar to help bring out the peach flavor. That small amount of sugar isn’t the end of the world, especially for a post-workout smoothie. Even the registered dieticians tell us that it’s okay post-workout when sugar doesn’t stay in your bloodstream very long, but goes straight to your muscles for refueling.

Summer Peach Smoothie Recipe

• 4 ripe peaches
• 1 Cup Yogurt or Low-fat Milk
• 1 Scoop Vanilla Whey – Tera’s Whey is my favorite
• Optional: 1 t. sugar.

Blend until smooth.

Makes 3 cups, with 50 g. of carbohydrates and 19 g. of protein, just right!

I didn’t add extra water with this recipe because the peaches provided plenty of liquid. But, if you want it more thirst quenching, add some water or ice.

The 4 peaches give the added bonus of 9 grams of fiber.

The smoothie also has 350 mg. of calcium and 345 calories of excellent nutrition in the whole recipe of 3 cups. (115 calories per cup.)

Variations: The vanilla whey adds flavor, some thickness, and extra protein. If you don’t have any whey, simply add ½ cup more yogurt or milk, ½ tsp of vanilla, and half of a very ripe banana. There will be a little less protein and a few more carbs, but it’s still a very nutritious recovery drink with 100 mg more calcium than the whey version. See? There’s always an advantage to using whole foods! Whey is one of my very few non-whole foods that I use for smoothies because that same university research also says that whey is the most rapidly digested of the proteins tested.

If you didn’t see it last month, be sure to try the Tart Cherry Post-Workout Smoothie Recipe.

Is anyone looking for a non-dairy smoothie? I’ll share my vegan Peach-Soy-Hemp Smoothie recipe with you soon!

Cheers!

Susie