How can you recover better from your exercise workout? Want more muscle and less fat in the long term? Antioxidants are the answer! And not only are they the answer to fighting the aging process, but they are extremely beneficial to your body for a whole host of reasons. What are these benefits? Well, first, they are going to take on those free radicals and that in itself will help to reverse the aging process so you will look younger and fitter. Secondly, they are a great aid to help you stave all those nasty degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease and all the other diseases that come on because your body is slowing down.



Why should you take antioxidants before your workout? When should you take these antioxidants? Most of the experts I know say that an hour beforehand is about right. What do the antioxidants do and what is their function ? Well, when you workout, the body produces free radicals which are not really ideal for the body as they tend to damage the muscle tissue. You need to provide the body with substances which will help to fight off the effects of the free radicals. Antioxidants are the answer because they do just that! Your muscle recovery will be greatly enhanced.



Did you know that nuts and seeds are great sources of antioxidants ? Also berries ? cranberries, cherries, blackberries, blueberries. Fruits such as strawberries and raspberries will give you a good supply too. Not forgetting beans, purple potatoes, grapes and red wine. Then there are various types of tea ? oolong tea is very fashionable at the moment with good reason. But also white tea, black teas and red tea, also known as rooibos will do equally well. When you see all the hype about expensive antioxidant pill supplements, jus forget them because natural sources are always best and as you can see from the list above, there are plenty around.

Would you like to try a snack chock full of antioxidant rich foods before you start your workout? This is one of my favourites. I toast some wholemeal bread, spread it with almond butter and then add some jam- blueberry is fine but you can choose others that you might prefer. Top it up with some sliced strawberries or fresh blueberries. Drink some tea , iced green tea is fine. You can sweeten it with a small amount of honey. All these ingredients are just full of antioxidants which are not only going to protect your muscles but keep you younger and fitter than ever before. You can be as creative as you like and vary the snack to suit your tastes.

It is worth bearing in mind that we are under a daily barrage of free radicals which come from air pollution, smoke, workouts, junk food, exposure to the sun, not to mention chemicals and other nasty things in the environment. These all produce oxidative stress and that is why we need the antioxidants to counter their effects. So make sure that every meal or snack you have has one or more antioxidant source in it. That will give you some protection and prevent damage too.

Antioxidants are just one important element in your diet. You will need to take them constantly so that you can be leaner and fitter. You will need them to live longer and fight off heart disease, strokes and diabetes which are the plague of the western world. You can learn a lot more by clicking on the link below.

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