Many triathletes live by the words, “train like an athlete, eat like a nutritionist.” It’s no myth that a good workout session is just as good as a balanced meal. In fact, one without the other is simply a waste of effort. You cannot outrun a bad diet just as you cannot expect to get a toned body just by eating a salad bowl. A healthy and balanced lifestyle is key to reaching your goals.

Nutritionists recommend to include at least one superfood to every meal. Nikko Huelgas’ post-workout smoothie is perfect because banana provides potassium to control blood pressure as it gets depleted during exercise. Eating a banana can also reduce the chances of strokes and hypertension.

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Bananas also provide vitamin C, which helps in iron absorption, muscle and bone strength, and bruise prevention. Having a decent amount of iron in the system will also hinder the chances of iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which your blood lacks healthy red blood cells—without which, oxygen cannot be transferred to the body’s tissues.

Some studies also show that nutrients found in bananas help alleviate depression. Having a banana for your meal or snack post-workout has shown to significantly elevate your mood.

Nutritionists recommend to include at least one superfood to every meal. Nikko Huelgas’ post-workout smoothie is perfect because banana provides potassium to control blood pressure as it gets depleted during exercise

More than that, bananas are also high in fiber, which controls both cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Not only does that help reduce your chances of getting chronic diseases, it also keeps you from gaining extra weight.

Ultimately, the best things about bananas are its low cost, portability, and availability in all markets in the country. With the number of recipes you can find featuring bananas, it should definitely be a staple in everyone’s kitchen and diet. How about adding Huelgas’ protein-banana smoothie to your diet?

Mix one to two scoops of Ultragen recovery powdered drink, one chopped banana, crushed ice, and 250ml low-fat milk into a glass and tumbler. Drink and enjoy.

This story originally appeared on Multisport.ph

Header photo courtesy of Freestocks.org/ Unsplash

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