B-LAB

My favorite cookie is a gingersnap, my favorite tea is ginger tea and I keep ginger mints in my bag for indigestion, so I guess it is safe to say that I am a firm believer of the properties of ginger!  What I did not know and must confess is what a benefit ginger is to athletes! Read on and you may find yourself viewing that ugly root in the basket in the produce section in a whole new light 😊.

The traditional use for ginger, that has been practiced for centuries, it to calm a queasy stomach (the ‘mints’ that I keep in my purse have even converted my Tums hoarding hubs to the joy of ginger).   Many expectant mothers have discovered this secret for the morning sickness blues but then some genius athlete decided to apply this spice to their workout with great success.  When performing an aggressive or strenuous portion of a workout, like swimming or running, consuming ginger pre-workout (or in transition as a triathlete) and the potential for post workout dizziness and nausea has been shown to be less likely.   To reap the benefits of ginger consume it in a natural form (candied, dried, ginger powder) and NOT a product that has ginger flavoring.  Unlike a non-food product that can be consumed for digestion discomfort ginger does not harm kidneys or your stomach but like any good thing limit is key! Do not consume over 4 grams of ginger a day or it can have adverse effects.

For an endurance athlete a lack of post workout appetite can have detrimental consequences.  After exercise, don’t wait to eat. You’ll want to refuel within 30-45 minutes with a combination of complex carbohydrates and protein. Carbs provide the glucose that you need to replenish your muscles’ glycogen reserves, while the amino acids in protein are necessary to rebuild your muscle tissue. Carbs also will help you feel more energized after your workout.   Eating in a timely manner helps support a healthy inflammatory response as well as healthy levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Wait too long to eat, and your body could slow your metabolism and shift into a catabolic state, which can lead to muscle breakdown instead of building.¹  Taking in ginger has shown to increase post workout appetite in athletes and by consuming the right post workout foods an athlete can also prevent DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

To be considered a superfood ginger must have even more benefits for athletes, right? RIGHT!  Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties therefore has been shown to reduce post-workout muscle and joint soreness and aid in recovery. This root has been beneficial to arthritis patients as well. I challenge you to add ginger to your routine twice a week and track your post-workout soreness and let us know of any change in the comments!

BUT WAIT…. THERE IS MORE!!

Ginger is an antioxidant. Antioxidants is such a ‘buzz word’ right now that I did a bit of ‘antioxidants for dummies’ research for myself and would like to share my finding. (If you a super smart science-y person skip this part OR read it and correct this dummy’s version in the comments). 

So here it is:  Our bodies are machines.  Machines need fuel to function. The machine also takes what it needs from the fuel sources and discards the bi-product or the waste. Okay, that is fact.  Here is where these fact are applicable it this occasion: One of the fuels our bodies, aka super machines, need to work is Oxygen (O₂).  We take in O₂ from the air, process accordingly, and the bi-product of this fuel are free-radicals.  When free radicals roam aimlessly about our bodies, they can cause oxidative stress which can be super harmful (oxidative stress is obviously not good, but details are a lesson for another day).  Taming and destroying free-radicals is where ANTIOXIDANTS come in!  Antioxidants are brought in to fight free radicals trhough our food, vitamin and minerals (like ginger)! Our bodies are amazing machines and with proper maintenance of antioxidants found in vitamins and minerals they will service for a long time! Knowledge is power even on a dummy level. 😊

As an athlete ginger is showing up to provide multiple benefits but be warned (as mentioned in paragraph 2): excessive ginger consumption can have adverse effects. The amazing news is that the benefits of ginger have been realized with even a minute consumption amount (I guess that is why it is called SUPER?).  B-LINE natural energy provides you with just the right amount in each pouch of our ginger flavor which also has the punch of pineapple, the benefits of pure maple, as well as rice protein… how can you go wrong??   Its okay, you can thank us later!

¹ https://blog.gaiaherbs.com/2016/11/03/6-herbs-for-athletes-before-during-and-after-a-workout/

They are tropical and pokey and sweet and juicy… they are full of sunshine color and fun to eat and NOT fun to peel!  What do we speak of? The PINEAPPLE of course!!  B-LINE natural energy has added to our family a pineapple ginger delight for athletes!  Why did we add such a delectable delight you ask? Welp, it is because we care about our athletic peeps and their post workout recovery!

There are so many things that I learn while researching all the pieces, parts and ingredients of B-LINE natural energy and pineapple has been no different.  For instance, Pineapple is a great source of Vitamin C.  This fact may not be a great surprise, but what I found interesting is that Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is not just good for staving off the common cold by boosting the immune system, but Vitamin C also helps repair and maintain cartilage and bone (which is a huge benefit to athletes).  The Vitamin C in pineapple also promotes healthy inflammation response and has been also referred to as an “anti-inflammatory” which, post work out, can help with muscle and joint soreness.  Amazingly Vitamin C also improves the body’s response to stressful environments.  This may seem insignificant, but keeping the stress hormone levels stable with the food we eat can assist in preventing autoimmune and respiratory diseases- keeping the athlete on top of their game for longer!  An additional property of Vitamin C in pineapple for athletes is the promotion of tissue growth and healing (especially when paired with protein and HEY! we did that too).

For an athlete, a pineapple can provide 22 grams of good complex carbohydrates for quick and healthy energy to re-fuel after a workout.  Bromelain (an enzyme specific to the pineapple) reduces strains, sprains, joint pain and inflammation that is essential in post workout recovery.  The sweet, bright fruit of pineapple also contains small amounts of several other nutrients including vitamin A and K, a variety of B vitamins (that help with blood flow), calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus potassium and copper, and don’t forget those carbs for energy.  An additional piece of the pineapple puzzle, bringing home the general health and wellbeing benefits, is that it also contains Choline, an essential nutrient that positively affects your brain development and weight loss!

To an athlete, pineapple provides mega benefits, but I would imagine, not so convenient to carry fresh pineapple in your shorts on a run (ouch, pokey as previously mentioned), pineapple chucks in your jersey on a ride or, pineapple juice in your speedo while swimming, so, we have come full circle.  I am confident that you now understand why B-LINE natural energy has added Pineapple (along with Ginger, Honey, Maple and Rice Protein) to our Re-FUEL family.  Pineapple is only one of the five ingredients and it packs a POWERHOUSE of benefits for the athlete post workout … imagine what the combination of all five ingredients can do!

I was recently asked a most superb question.  It's always more official in writing, plus I get to write a blog post. It's been a while. My bad. So here's the query:

"Why does B-LINE have multiple sweeteners?"

This could easily be a drawn out (and likely boring) novel on the advantages of combining honey, maple and molasses.  However, I will reserve a redux of "The Brothers Karamazov" for a rainy day and skip to the part where I break down B-LINE to each of its respective usage occasions; the anytime, during and after workout.

For starters, B-LINE provides the most simplistic delivery of fast absorbing carbohydrates, in terms of ingredients used, to the body for immediate absorption.  The goal is fast acting energy.  The ratios and types of sweeteners we use interplay with the serving size by ounce, which is important to note. Here’s the breakdown.

“Anytime”:  originally dubbed Blue and Red, our first two products, were created when we were competitively mountain biking.  It’s intentionally calorie high, carbohydrate and sugar rich.  At 2.5 oz it was designed to sustain our duration and intensity of biking.  It became “anytime”, with a focus on the resealable aspect, as common consumer feedback was that one would split the pouch for a portion at breakfast (say on waffles) and then the rest closer to exercise.   As a side note, the molasses, albeit sweet is nestled in there the large amount of potassium. 

“Racing-FUEL”: we partnered and co-branded this one (as well as re-FUEL) with our triathlete amigo, Jamey Yon.  He had a bit of influence into how we ended up with all 3 of these recipes.  In this case we used a single sweetener, maple, as it’s close relationship with sugar ratios and how it specifically interacts with sodium uptake.  Since sodium levels are 170-180mg per 1.2 oz, the key here is a smaller serving size as less is needed to efficiently shuttle sodium into the body.  Plus, the sodium one needs at given time during activity is unique to that person. 

“Re-FUEL”: the goal here was to get Jamey a product with a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein and like the “anytime”, the product is more efficacious using honey and maple, then just maple alone.  It too is a 2.5 oz pouch, but in this case it’s a true single serve to be eaten at once.  Here we maximized the pouch serving size to have 10 g of whey plus the additional nutrient content. 

I think that covers the gist of it, but you've really got to taste trial B-LINE and get the whole tummy tale. So, B-LINE it and boogie to check out with the code FAMILYPACK for 30% on...yea you guessed it, the Family Pack. 

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Raspberry Molasses.  That is the what identifies the Blue B-LINE natural energy.  Raspberries have many health benefits that can be found on our ‘what’s inside’ page but blackstrap molasses is where it is AT my friends!  This best kept nutritional secret is the bomb-digity!

The B-LINE team was recently at an event handing out taste samples our food that increases endurance to a variety of athletes.  A woman loved the Red, Pomegranate Banana flavor but would not try the Blue flavor because her grandmother, back in the day, made her eat a spoonful of blackstrap molasses every day.  Why do I share this story?  I share because the evidence of the nutritional benefits of this strong flavored gem has spanned the generations.

Athletes consume energy gel for, well, energy.  So why do some athletes seek an energy gel has ingredients that are unknown, unheard of and are ‘new’ when the goodness that grandma dispensed is right at their fingertips?  The Blackstrap molasses that is used in B-LINE all-natural energy gel with carbohydrates has spanned generations are here are 5 reasons why:

1. Good for your bones

Calcium makes for strong bones and magnesium helps grow your bones.  This amazing nutrition for endurance athletes contains both magnesium and calcium.  About 5 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses contains 50% of the recommended daily allowance of calcium, 95% of iron and 38% of magnesium. (Healthline)

2. Diabetic friendly

Although derived from sugar blackstrap molasses adds carbohydrate for the sports athletes but digests more slowly which may stabilize blood sugar for our sugar sensitive friends.

3. Blood booster

That 95% of your daily allowance of iron mentioned above helps your red blood cells strong.  A lack of red blood cells can make anyone tired and even feel weak.  Fighting this anemic feeling may be overcome with a dose of Blue raspberry molasses B-LINE!

4. Potassium powerhouse

We all know that bananas are a great source of potassium, but a blackstrap molasses has 10% of your daily allowance needed in just 2 teaspoons. Potassium-rich foods help lower systolic blood pressure, lower cholesterol and support a healthy cardiovascular system, in addition to helping cleanse your liver. (Dr. Axe Food is Medicine)

5. Anti-inflammatory properties

Because of the anti-inflammatory properties in blackstrap molasses, it relieves swelling and joint pain that can assist in post workout recovery for any runner, cyclist, swimmer or biker.

Return to the teachings of generations past and blow your mind with the intense flavor of Raspberry Molasses B-LINE natural energy, the nutrition for athletes in the form of the best energy gel.