As much as it pains me to admit this, for my health and fitness, I work out.
Yes, I know, super gross.
Who wants to wear stretchy pants and be sweaty when they could be at home enjoying a nice tipple?
Me.
It would be hard to know at first glance, because I like to think of candy and rum as a food groups, but I enjoy working out. I like to run and practice yoga. I have very little time to get out so when I do I like to make my workout really intense. This leaves me desperate for a protein shake/recovery drink. You could also try this as a recovery drink after a night of one too many, the potassium in the banana is supposed to help. I have been drinking this after my workouts for the last year and I thought it was about time I shared the recipe.
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| No need for a glass, Baby Bullet does it all. |
There is a growing movement in the hospitality community to try to live more balanced and healthful lifestyles. There is a group of Chefs in Toronto who started a running club, the Foodrunners. A few months ago The Liquid Muse, interviewed the exquisite, Effie Panagopoulos about her commitment to health and fitness in a boozy world. Even Tales of the Cocktail addressed the issue this year. I'm sorry I missed seeing a roomful of bartenders and drinks writers, doing burpees after a night of heavy drinking.
If you have never worked in the industry it might be hard to imagine why this is so important. But, for the first time ever, we are addressing the problems that exist from being the nightly host of everyone else's occasional party.
For starters, there is the food. One of the things I miss most from not being in a restaurant everyday is the constant bombardment of bites and tastes and snacks and staff meals and menu tastings and just, so, much, food.
Unless you're cooking in which case you never seem to get fed, also a problem.
Then there is the drinking. I could never keep up with the all night partying thing. It's a wonder I lasted in restaurants. When I was younger it was just a job and I would never drink at all. One place I worked had to bribe me to take extra shifts with smoothies because they usually offered people a beer at the end of the night to work a double. By the time I found truly great food and drink, I no longer had time to stay up all night or be groggy the next next. I had culinary school and then a second job to prevent me from indulging in the best/worst part of the job.
Not having time to drink regularly after work really benefited me, I was able to start a beverage business and before that my first attempt at a blog Sugar & Sweat. It was meant to provide an ongoing series of fitness challenges to keep me motivated. I wanted to stay generally fit without having to give up my life which is steeped in food and drink. I think it's time to resurrect and refresh it so we can keep the conversation about health and fitness in hospitality going. Check back for updates and links.
I like to choose natural products whenever possible and I prefer to make as much of what my self and my family eat, from scratch. That's where all of the cocktail ingredients come from as well as this post work-out smoothie. I cannot drink those chemical powders. It defeats the purpose of good health and they make me queasy.
This smoothie is a very simple combination of naturally protein rich foods. It's actually tastes good, and it's really easy to prepare. I like to put all of the ingredients in the blender (baby bullet) before I go for a run so that I can drink this right away when I get back. This article explains why you need to add this to your routine.
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| The perfect ripeness. |
As a mom I am constantly battling with my banana supply. Either the stores only have green ones or we go through one bunch in a day and the next bunch won't get eaten. There is a constant mis-supply and so when I have very ripe bananas I seize the moment, cut them up and put them in zip bags in the freezer. It takes two seconds and then I always have them. If you just hate banana you can substitute other fruit but it's the only sweetness in the drink so choose carefully. Really ripe frozen pear or mango could work but stay away from watery or acidic fruit.
Also, be sure to choose unsweetened options otherwise your making a milkshake and that's fine but I think we can make better tasting milk shakes so let's save it for another day. The almond milk can be substituted for any milk or milk alternative you like, keeping in mind that regular chocolate milk is loaded with sugar.
Chocolate Banana PB Smoothie
1 banana chopped and frozen
1 C almond milk unsweetened
1/2 C ice cubes
1/4 C plain yogurt unsweetened
2 tbsp peanut butter unsweetened
1 tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened
Method
Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth.
Do you work in hospitality and workout? Do you just find it impossible to squeeze it in while working nights? Let me know in the comments below.
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