I'm sure by now you've heard all about the amazing health benefits of antioxidant rich foods in your diet. Not only do these free-radical fighting antioxidants help you look and feel younger by slowing down the aging process, but they also help to prevent cancer, heart disease, and loads of other degenerative diseases. But that's not all. Antioxidants also help you to recover better from exercise...and that means more muscle and less fat on your body in the long run!
The function that antioxidants play in aiding your recovery from exercise is the inhibition of free radicals produced during exercise. Any time you workout, free radicals are produced in the body that damage muscle tissue. Having an adequate supply of antioxidants about an hour or so before your workout can greatly reduce the muscle damage caused by free radicals, hence, improving your muscular recovery from exercise.
Some of the most potent sources of whole food antioxidants are berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries), cherries, acai fruit, various teas (green tea, white tea, black tea, and red tea - a.k.a. rooibos tea), nuts, seeds, red and black beans, purple potatoes, grapes, red wine, cinnamon, and dark chocolate or cocoa. Don't be fooled by all of the intense marketing for expensive antioxidant supplement pills...remember whole foods are always better for you (and cheaper) than a pill.
My favorite pre-workout antioxidant-loaded snack is a piece of whole grain toast with almond butter, a small amount of blackberry jam, and topped with a pile of fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries. I wash it down with a glass of iced green tea or rooibos tea sweetened with just a small bit (about a teaspoon) of raw honey. This is literally a quintuple-whammy of potent anti-oxidants! The almond butter, blackberry, blueberries, raw honey, and the green or rooibos tea are all loaded with different varieties of muscle protecting, youth promoting antioxidants. I throw down this snack about an hour before my training. Give it a try for yourself, or be creative and come up with your own antioxidant-rich pre-workout snack based on your tastes.
Remember, your body is continually bombarded every day by free radicals (creating oxidative stress) from exercise, air pollution, smoke, sun exposure, junk food, exposure to chemicals, etc. To reap the full benefits of antioxidants, try to make sure that every meal and snack you eat has at least one or two sources of antioxidant rich foods. This will give you a continuous supply of antioxidants throughout every day to prevent damage from the free radicals you are constantly exposed to.
Antioxidants are just one piece to the puzzle of a healthy diet that will give you the lean, muscular, youthful, and disease-free body that everyone wants. To discover the secrets behind all of the other pieces to the diet puzzle that create a lean body (macronutrient profile, glycemic response, hormonal response, glycogen storage, muscle protein synthesis, the role of leptin, the insulin process, etc.), visit http://truthaboutabs.com
?2005 truthaboutabs.com
Michael Geary - NCSF CPT, AFAA CPT;
Author of "The Truth About Six Pack Abs" ?2004-2005
Visit http://truthaboutabs.com to discover innovative training and nutritional strategies for losing body fat and developing a rock hard body!
Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More
Please feel free to comment, so that the article may... Read More
About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.1.1 million Americans... Read More
Liquid vitamin mineralThe liquid vitamin mineral dietary supplement is a... Read More
Biological clockObviously you need biological clock to time and alarm... Read More
"It is a bone-deep change you are going into, my... Read More
Are there any benefits to be obtained from drinking water... Read More
Picture yourself in one of the following scenarios.You're cruising along... Read More
Summer is the time when we sweat highly and beating... Read More
Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More
Obesity is epidemic in this country for both children and... Read More
The word cholesterol has become synonymous with poor health. Indeed,... Read More
1. Enjoy what you eatWhether someone is following the Atkins... Read More
So, what is new about this that you already don't... Read More
Summer brings a lot of fantastic things with it, but... Read More
How Can... Read More
Studies support the benefits of eating a diet rich in... Read More
Have you seen those "fat free" foods in supermarkets? Have... Read More
The Benefits of SnackingYou may feel regretful about snacking, but... Read More
When we think about the benefits of being ensuring a... Read More
You may have noticed an ever-expanding choice of oils at... Read More
After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food.... Read More
The above foods contain high antioxidant capacity. These foods were... Read More
The ingredients list found on the back or side panel... Read More
Quick Overview- I think the most important thing for people... Read More
top rated cleaning service Bannockburn ..Toxic metals exist in our environment as pollutants in our... Read More
The key to good hydration is drinking a lot of... Read More
Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than... Read More
What are Glyconutritionals?The Greek word "Glyco" means "Sugar". Most people... Read More
According to the renowned research scientist and inventor of the... Read More
You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More
Vitamins & Minerals are essential to sustain life. Its what... Read More
The topic of food additives is not quickly addressed in... Read More
If you or someone you know suffers from rheumatoid arthritis,... Read More
The Benefits of SnackingYou may feel regretful about snacking, but... Read More
Healthy eating is important for everyone, from babies to the... Read More
What is health? Everyone wants this thing called health, and... Read More
Herbal teas have long been known to have medicinal benefits... Read More
Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you... Read More
Incorporating these fat loss tips will improve your nutrition program.... Read More
Apart from eating many of the wonderful vegetables and fruits... Read More
We've heard it not only once or twice or even... Read More
Mannatech's patent-pending glyconutrients complex, Ambrotose, is perhaps the greatest wellness... Read More
For a natural and tasty way to improve your health... Read More
Studies support the benefits of eating a diet rich in... Read More
Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More
Dieters who dejectedly complain they are figuratively "stuck" with their... Read More
This is such a busy time of year, isn't it?... Read More
Many low carb dieters fall victim to "carb creep," which... Read More
BASIC MEAL & MENU PLANNINGAs a basis for meals and... Read More
Nutrition |