Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/450770
28 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015 T he Sports Café has always offered a range of healthy items via its Wellness Menu, and the café's remodel last year brought in even more options for members focused on maintaining dietary goals and fitness objectives. Here are a few drinkable highlights. Fresh fruit smoothies and protein shakes have been on the menu for several years. New additions can take your favorite mix to the next level. For example, a new pesticide- and chemical-free grass-fed cow's whey protein powder offers a whopping 24 grams of protein per scoop. The café also added fiber and vegetable supplements to its menu. Most people don't meet their daily fiber and vegetable needs. Adding boosters to your shake can help. The café's fiber and vegetable powders are flavor-free, so your favorite smoothie won't taste any different. Another great addition is a full selection of probiotic drinks, including kombucha, a mildly fermented tea that is slightly sweetened and naturally effervescent. Kombucha contains probiotics—aka "good bacteria"—that can improve the health of your gastrointestinal tract. Did you know there are more bacteria in your gut than cells in your body? Taking care of your stomach and intestines is essential to overall health. Meanwhile, coffee lovers whose stomachs struggle with that drink's acidity can try some cold-brewed coffee. The cold-brewing process reduces the acidity of coffee by up to 70 percent. The Sports Café offers Stumptown Cold Brew, which has the added advantage of being delicious! Or how about coconut water? It's found naturally inside its namesake drupe—we'll leave the botany lesson for another day—and is full of electrolytes. It contains all the nutrients that many brand-name drinks do without the artificial colorings, making it a great option for refueling and replenishing your muscles after a hard workout. And what about aloe vera? That's what you use after a sunburn, right? Well, you can drink it too. Many digestive disorders result from an underlying inflammatory process. Aloe vera juice—which can be taken internally, as opposed to the gel, used externally—may decrease inflammation and enhance healing and repair of the stomach lining. The Sports Café carries several options. The next time you're on the 8th Floor, look closely at your options. You might find something that not only quenches your thirst but also does your body a whole lot of good. Drink to your health The Sports Café offers options that do a body good Nutrition By Shana Hopkins, MS, CN, WAC Nutritionist L U K E R U TA N