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Many people eat the same 25-30 foods each week. And, one of my favorites is this super easy post-workout smoothie. I typically don’t feel like eating right away after training but know that I have a 30 minute window of opportunity to replace the carbohydrate stores in my muscle tissue (glycogen) and boost muscle growth and repair.

So, I created this shake with tasty, functional ingredients that refuel my body, build and repair muscle and provide antioxidants to help tame muscle tissue inflammation. Here are the ingredients and the benefits each one provides below the recipe:

Power Smoothie

Ingredients

• 8 oz milk (whole if you need to gain weight, otherwise choose skim, 1 or 2%)
• 1 scoop protein powder (containing at least 20 grams whey protein)
• 3-4 chunks of frozen mango
• 1/3 cup frozen mixed berries
• ginger root, shaved (if you don’t shave it you may break a cheap blender

Directions

Mix, add ice if desired.

Rationale for each ingredient:

• milk – calcium, vitamin D & magnesium all play roles in muscle functioning and bone health; plus milk is a great source of quality protein
• protein powder – whey contains the optimal amount of specific amino acids you need for muscle tissue growth and repair
• mango – in addition to making your shake thick like a milkshake, mango may help combat inflammation
• red, blue and purple berries contain antioxidant flavonoids that may attenuate inflammation, limit tissue breakdown and improve circulation while promoting a nice strong collagen matrix
• ginger - research out of the University of Georgia found that 2 grams of ginger per day can help reduce exercise-induced muscle pain.

Looking for more great Summertime beverages? Check these recipes out from my colleagues:

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