Maximize Your Workout with the Benefits of Cold Pressed Juice

With the new year right around the corner, now is the time when everyone has healthier living and exercise on their minds. It is safe to say that we have all learned by now that there is no quick fix for a healthy body and mind. You must put in the work to see the results you want. With that said, however, we at Pure Green (the fastest-growing juice bar franchise) are firm believers that what you fuel your body with can have a huge impact on the type of results you see from your workouts. Exercise itself is great for keeping the body functioning optimally, and especially for cardiovascular health, but when paired with the right foods, exercise becomes a transformative practice, with the ability to drastically change how you look, from your body fat percentage to your muscle mass and even the health of your skin.

If you are one of the millions of people planning to embark on a new exercise regimen in the new year, we strongly encourage you to pair your routine with the right fuel to see major results. So, how should we be fueling our bodies before, during and after intense workouts, and what myths exist around diet and exercise that can be squashed for good? Below, we’re breaking it all down so you can head into the new year with a healthy plan that will bring exceptional results.

Benefits of Cold Pressed Juice — The Basics

Before we jump into what you should be consuming before, during, and after a workout to maximize results, let’s first talk about the amazing benefits of cold pressed juice. At Pure Green, we don’t just sell juice, we really drink the kool-aid, so to speak. That’s because just one bottle of cold pressed juice can be packed with up to five pounds of fresh produce! Imagine how long it would take to consume a five pound raw salad. Yes, you would be consuming an amazing amount of nutrients, but you likely would feel bloated and terrible afterwards. With cold pressed juice, you can enjoy all the same benefits of eating a giant raw salad without any of the negative side effects.

Cold pressed juice is packed with all of the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs to function at its peak. We like to think about cold pressed juice like soap to dirty hands. It scrubs out any toxins stuck in the body that may be slowing down processes like digestion, and helps naturally clear them away. How does this manifest physically? Well, with less toxins clogging up your body, you can bet that your skin will be glowing and clear, your stomach will likely be much flatter as you won’t be holding onto water around your mid-section, and even your body odor may be less, well, odorous.

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of the amazing benefits of cold pressed juice. By adding certain ingredients to your juice, you can tailor your juice to be an elixir for almost any ailment. If you’re sick, you can add cold pressed ginger to your juice to help clear up sinuses or soothe an upset stomach. If you have food poisoning or are feeling under the weather from one too many cocktails during your company’s holiday party, you can add a bit of activated charcoal to soak up toxins. The limits to cold pressed juice’s healing abilities are endless. Most definitely, our favorite benefit of all is its power of providing energy to our bodies, to function properly but also to perform exceptionally. Cold pressed juice energizes and fuels the body more efficiently than almost any other food or drink on the planet, and we especially find its energizing properties helpful before a workout. Now that we’ve covered the basic benefits of cold pressed juice, let’s talk about what you should be eating before, during and after a workout and how cold pressed juice can fit into your exercise plan.

Fuel Up Before a Workout

Before you head to the gym for a solid sweat session, it’s all about fueling up with clean energy. You want complex carbs to keep your energy levels high and steady, mixed with a bit of protein to help sustain that energy without a sugar spike. Most importantly, though, is to stay hydrated before you even begin to sweat. If you attempt to workout without having consumed enough water and hydrating fruits and vegetables throughout the day, you are in for a very difficult exercise session and you may run the risk of fainting or muscle cramping during or after your workout.

About 30 to 45 minutes before you plan to workout, consider having something like a banana with peanut or almond butter, or carrots with hummus. Both of these small snacks provide readily available carbohydrates for quick energy that won’t spike your blood sugar levels and lead to a crash. They also offer a bit of protein to help fuel your muscles and keep your system running optimally. Make sure not to eat right before a workout, otherwise you may still be digesting when you start your sweat session, and this could lead to stomach cramping.

First thing in the morning, we urge you to drink a cold pressed green juice with a mostly vegetable base, followed by an eight ounce glass of water. This will hydrate you first thing in the morning and set you up for success for the rest of the day. The vitamins and nutrients in the green juice will help rev your metabolism to get things moving first thing, while also providing hydration. Washing this down with a large glass of water will help the nutrients move through your system and work their magic. Our favorite juice to start the day is a Pure Greens ALG because not only is it packed with healthy veggies, but it also provides a bit of lemon and ginger for an extra detox boost and metabolic stimulant.

During a Workout — Fuel Up If Necessary

Not everyone needs to add more fuel to their bodies during a workout. Unless you are a high endurance athlete running more than five to seven miles or exercising for more than 60 minutes at a time, you should be fine consuming plenty of water during your session. If you do feel faint within that 60 minute period or you are working out very vigorously, consider sipping on a cold pressed fruit based juice to provide quick sugar and energy to the body. Our favorite is Coconut Hydrate.

One thing we do want to make note of here is that fruit sugar is nothing to be afraid of. Fructose, or the sugar found naturally in fruit, provides nutrients and energy that the body need and can readily use. Fructose is particularly beneficial while working out because you body can immediately access and use it as energy to fuel an intense workout.

If you plan to workout for more than 60 minutes or are doing an intense activity like a marathon or long haul run, consider packing a few small snacks like raisins, a banana or a yogurt. Aim to consume 50 to 100 calories every half hour over 60 minutes that you plan to workout intensely. This will prevent an energy crash, fainting or muscle cramping and will keep your body running in tip top shape so you can push it to the max during your workout.

Post Workout — Don’t Fall Off the Wagon

Just because you worked out does not mean you should use food as a reward to undo all of your hard work. Continue to think of food as fuel for your body post workout to help it recover from all the hard work it has done. When you workout, your muscle develop tiny micro-tears that help them grow. In order to repair these tears and grow healthy, functioning muscles, you must fuel yourself properly.

Post-workout, it’s all about complex carbs and proteins. You can also add in a cold pressed juice after a workout to rehydrate, sustain energy and avoid a crash. Consume a cold pressed juice about 20 minutes after your workout ends, and then an hour later, plan to have a small meal with protein and carbs. Smoothies are one of our favorite ways to easily refuel after a workout because you can add in plenty of greens, protein and fruit. The Banana Nut is definitely one of our go-tos thanks to its high protein content and energizing carbs.

Remember the Benefits of Cold Pressed Juice for Your New Year’s Resolutions

Clearly, cold pressed juice has an important role in re-fueling our bodies before, during and after workouts. If you plan to hit the gym hard in the new year, consider adding a cold pressed juice regimen to your diet to really see optimal results.