It’s extremely common to see recommendations for specific foods that will improve energy, endurance, strength, recovery, or some other physical aspect, but is such advice worth paying attention to?

I recently read an article in Tennis Magazine with the subtitle “Six foods that could make or break your workout.” Although I think that some of the recommendations in the article are good, they’re also an excellent example of why so many people are confused about healthy eating.

In general, I typically don’t like advice that recommends a certain food for a specific benefit because I think it neglects the most fundamental reason why it’s important to follow a healthy diet. Whether the benefit of such a recommendation is improved energy, increased capacity for physical activity, or faster recovery, these are nothing more than characteristics of optimal health that are achieved from a well rounded healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, many people are experiencing these types of issues because their health isn’t what it could be, and the idea of a single food resolving the problem is a compensation that rarely works and fails to address the true problem. Although certain food choices can provide benefits beyond the basics of optimal health, trying to obtain these benefits without actually having optimal health is like buying high performance tires for a car with a malfunctioning engine. Basic health should come first!

With this in mind, here are the six foods that can supposedly make or break your workout.

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I’m looking for some healthy energy shakes. I’ve got flax oil, organic frozen berries and organic whole milk. What could I use (besides bananas) to give the shakes some texture? Is there any other ingredient you would recommend always including?

Also, any links to recipes for healthy, organic shakes would be much appreciated! Shakes are convenient for after work-outs and for quick breakfasts when on the go.

With our fast paced culture and a trendy fitness industry, protein shakes have become quite popular. They go by many names and are also referred to as smoothies, energy shakes, workout shakes or recovery shakes. They’ve become so popular that there are even shops and franchises dedicated to selling them.

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