What are you eating before and after your workouts? If you’re sick or sluggish during the workout, then it wasn’t the right pre-sweat snack. And if you’re exhausted or slow to recover after a workout, you’re definitely not re-fueling properly.

This matters, so listen up.

First of all, the pre- and post-workout snacks are different beasts fueling very different ends of the workout spectrum. Treat them differently.

The pre-workout snack has two very important jobs: to give you adequate energy from the moment your workout starts and to jump start your body’s recovery efforts so you feel really good tomorrow. This snack should be simple and something your body can digest quickly. It should not be a big meal, you’ll be too full/bloated/gassy, nor should it be a fast-burning carb, like sugar, or you’ll fade out in the middle of the workout.

About 1-2 hours before you hit the gym, track, or studio, pre-game with one of these optimally-paired fast protein/moderate carb snacks:

• Protein bar that’s low sugar, low fat
• 8 oz. skim milk with a banana
• Non-fat Greek yogurt
• Smoothie with whey protein and fresh berries
• String cheese and a small apple
• Slice of turkey with a few low-fiber crackers
• Egg whites and white rice

The post-workout snack should also not be missed, and should be consumed as close to the end of your workout as you can manage. This is all about recovery, which is why lean protein (and a little bit of sugar) is the name of the game. The protein restores all that spent energy so you aren’t dragging the rest of the day, but it also repairs the muscles you just beat up.

This is where you start to build muscle and develop that toned look...rip the muscle while lifting, repair with protein, rip, repair, rinse repeat!

• Chocolate milk
• Whey protein added to your favorite sport drink
• Turkey, cheese, apples
• Non-fat Greek yogurt
• Peanut butter on whole grain crackers
• Cottage cheese with berries
• Add avocado to scrambled eggs or in a smoothie