Are Oranges Still the Best Food for Exercise Recovery?

Yesterday at the NFL season opening game between the Panthers and the Broncos, MVP Cam Newton was spotted flossing his teeth on the sideline. Following the flossing, the Panthers’ 10-point lead evaporated, spurring a Twitter fiasco.

“I was eating oranges at halftime,” Newton explained to NFL.com. “They got stuck in my teeth.”

Gatorade and jelly packets are available to players on the sidelines to boost blood sugar and restore electrolytes, but is Newton right to go with the classic sliced orange that our moms brought to our little league games?

“Postworkout protein bars, recovery shake blends, and Gatorade are filled with processed chemicals and sugars, so I would recommend avoiding these kinds of products,” nutritionist Dorit Jaffe of Whole Healthy Glow tells Yahoo Beauty. Jaffe recommends sticking to unprocessed foods when you’re recovering from exercise. “It’s not benefiting your health or body by any means. Companies have confused us with marketing terms and advertising that these products are ‘good for us’ but really, it’s best to replenish and nourish your body with foods from the earth, not manmade.”

Opt for natural sources of sugar and electrolytes to keep your body going, and replenish what was lost through your sweat. “Electrolytes are made of essential minerals like sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and sulfate, and when you work out your body releases these through sweat,” says Jaffe. “Oranges are filled with electrolytes. Make sure to buy organic because oranges absorb water, and you want to make sure your body isn’t absorbing pesticides along with the nutrients from the fruit.”

Jaffe also recommends drinking raw coconut water and adding blended chia seeds to your postworkout smoothie. “Kale is also packed with electrolytes,” she says. Newton is right to keep it au naturel.

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