I bet you've heard about the amazing health benefits of
antioxidant-rich foods in your diet. Not only do these free-
radical fighting antioxidants help you appear and feel younger
by slowing down the aging process, but they also help to prevent
cancer, heart disease, and tons of other degenerative diseases.

The good news is that's not all. Antioxidants also help you
recover better from strenuous exercise... and that means more
muscle and less fat on your body in the long run!

The function that antioxidants play in post-exercise is the
inhibition of free radicals produced during the workout. Any
time you work out, 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 -- improving your muscular
recovery from exercise.

Some of the most potent sources of whole food antioxidants are
blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries,
cranberries, cherries, acai fruit, green tea, white tea, black
tea, and red tea, nuts, seeds, red and black beans, purple
potatoes, grapes, cinnamon, and cocoa.

Oh, and don't fall for the hype with expensive antioxidant
supplement pills... remember whole foods are always better for
you (and cheaper) than a pill.

A 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. Add, a glass of iced green
tea.

The almond butter, blackberries, blueberries, raw honey,
and the green tea are all loaded with different varieties
of muscle protecting, youth-promoting antioxidants.You can
consume this snack about an hour before exercising.

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, ensure 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 the damage and aging that result from the free
radicals you are constantly exposed to.