Tagged with 'free-radicals'

Eat more of these antioxidant-rich foods to protect your cells from free radical damage.

Exercise increases your body’s antioxidant and nutrient requirements. To promote muscle and cell recovery, consuming an abundance of antioxidant-rich foods will make a difference, but to bridge the gap resulting from an inadequate food supply, a good quality supplement regimen is truly needed.

What is your recovery plan?

Supplementation, food, and rest will help you perform your very best week in and week out.

My “Top 6” supplements for a quick and effective recovery from your workout.

#1: Branched-Chain Amino Acids

Three specific essential amino acids – Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine – are collectively referred to as branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), and they make up about 75% of the amino acids that get metabolized during exercise, with Leucine being dominate. The 4^th most dominate amino acid is Glutamine.

By taking BCAAs for recovery, muscle breakdown can be prevented quickly, especially with high-volume cardio exercise. BCAAs also significantly reduce muscle soreness and accelerate the muscle growth and recovery process.

These are my favorite products for BCAAs:

Uckele's Pro Physio Stack

Uckele's Physio Recover Strawberry Watermelon

Pure Encapsulation's BCAA Powder

#2: Tart Cherries

Tart cherries are rapidly gaining popularity among elite athletes and weekend warriors to help speed the recovery process. They’re extremely high in anthocyanins and flavonoids, two antioxidants effective at reducing inflammation and other cell damage naturally caused from exercise.

One ounce (2 tablespoons) of cherry juice concentrate contains all the goodness of about 100 tart cherries!

Drink tart cherry juice concentrate within 30 minutes after a workout or strength training session to assist in muscle recovery.

Two high quality cherry concentrates:

Underwood Orchards CherryFlex Red Tart Cherry Concentrate

Pure Planet Tart Cherry Concentrate

#3: Whey Protein

Protein is one of the most important post-exercise supplements you can take. It helps repair damaged muscle tissue, speeds recovery, and reduces muscle soreness. Pair the protein with carbohydrates to maximize the full recovery potential. Whey protein is the most effective form to promote post-exercise recovery.

Pick a flavor you enjoy.  

#4: Glutamine

The body metabolizes glutamine (and BCAAs) during exercise so supplementing it after a workout hastens the recovery process. Glutamine functions as a conductor, conducting where the BCAAs go, such as into the muscles for post-exercise regrowth, repair, and recovery.

Glutamine also controls sugar metabolism and is a fuel for the brain and the brush border of the gut, all related to exercise recovery. If you’re one who gets GI issues post-exercise, consider glutamine.

There are many glutamine options:

Seeking Health L-Glutamine Powder

Vital Nutrients Glutamine Powder

#5: Antioxidants

Exercise stimulates free radical production—there’s no way to avoid it. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals capable of damaging muscles and causing muscular fatigue. The amount of free radical production increases as exercise intensity and duration increases. To help combat damage from free radicals, muscle fibers and cells need antioxidants to scavenge the free radicals and protect the muscles and cells against their damage.

This is a great antioxidant blend for recovery:

Uckele DC Intensive

Individual Antioxidants with strong free radical scavenging abilities include vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid, and flavonoids.

Baobab Powder for Vitamin C

Healthforce Antioxidant Extreme (flavonoids)

#6: Adrenal Recovery

Every person who exercises must support the adrenal glands or your body will have a hard time recovering. Normal levels of cortisol are necessary to build and repair the muscles, and since the adrenal glands make cortisol, supporting them is crucial.

Pantothenic Acid is the #1 nutrient for the adrenal glands for its ability to support a healthy adrenal response to stress.

I love this blend for adrenal support related to exercise recovery:

Uckele Phytogist

Feel your best from workout to workout with proper recovery!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

The winter months provide us with an assortment of “in season” fruits and vegetables—from hardy root vegetables and citrus fruits to robust leafy greens and tangy cranberries. On your next trip to the grocery store, look for 8 of my favorite, winter season, antioxidant-laden foods. Antioxidants fight the oxidation process, a chemical reaction that can cause damage to many cells in your body. This produce is sure to keep you healthy throughout the winter season.     

BEETS

contain a unique antioxidant called betalain. Choose small to medium beets with firm, smooth skin and no soft spots, with stems and leaves attached.

BROCCOLI

is part of the cruciferous family and, like the rest of its family, broccoli tastes best (that is, sweeter, less bitter and sharp) when harvested in the cooler temperatures of fall. Broccoli is very high in vitamin C, a premiere antioxidant, and also numerous other antioxidants, including lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, and kaempferol.

RED CABBAGE

is loaded with antioxidants. The bright purple pigment in cabbage comes from the antioxidant anthocyanin. Cabbage is bright and crisp when raw and mellows and sweetens the longer it's cooked. The cooler the weather it grows in, the sweeter it tends to taste.

CLEMENTINES

are small, sweet oranges available from December through the winter. They’re obviously loaded with the antioxidants vitamin A and C. A tip for picking out citrus fruit: look for pieces that feel heavy for their size. If they weigh more, this means they’re juicier.

CRANBERRIES

are unlike any other fruit because they need to be cooked to release their full flavor. They’re packed with antioxidants shown to benefit the cardiovascular system and immune system and combat cancer.

GRAPEFRUIT

is another citrus fruit loaded with vitamin C. The rich pink and red colors of grapefruit are due to lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient. Grapefruits from California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona come into season in January and stays sweet and juicy into early summer.

KALE

has been identified to have over 45 different flavonoids. Like all hearty cooking greens, cooler weather keeps kale sweet. Look for kale with a deep blue-green color and consider using it as a substitute for spinach.

POMEGRANATES

hold up well in frost so the fall and winter months mark prime pomegranate season. The major antioxidant in pomegranate’s are punicalagins, which are shown to benefit the heart and blood vessels. They not only lower cholesterol, but also lower blood pressure and increase the speed at which heart blockages (atherosclerosis) melt away.

Take advantage of this fabulous selection!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist