A regular trip to the gym to push weights, take part in your favourite class or raise your heartbeat on the cardio is great as a part of your healthy lifestyle but it also puts an added burden on your immune system. Taking steps to increase your antioxidant intake and support your immune system is a sensible choice for both spontaneous and regular gym goers.
Let’s take a closer look at why ….
Free Radicals are harmful molecules which can cause damage to healthy cells in your body if left unchecked.
Free radicals come from the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and in many of the products that we use on ourselves and in our homes. They are also made inside the body as oxygen is used to make energy. The longer and more intensely you exercise, the more oxygen you use and the more free radicals are produced. Free radicals are also generated in the body as a result of infection and inflammation – often a problem for people doing exercise.
If exercise overwhelms the antioxidant defence systems in your body and not enough antioxidants are available to fight off the free radicals this can result in damage in the body, accelerated ageing and development of disease.
So, if you exercise it makes sense to take an antioxidant supplement as well as eating plenty of antioxidant rich foods.
Antioxidants ‘quench’ free radicals to stop them causing harm to your body.
There are many antioxidants and new ones are being discovered all the time. The following are the some of the more and less well known antioxidants. They are either found in food or can be boosted by consumption of various foods.
Vitamins – Vitamin A (beta-carotene), C, E, K. – found in varying quantities in fruit and vegetables, especially the brightly coloured ones as blueberries, apricots, sweet potatoes and dark green leafy vegetables. So it is good to include a ‘rainbow’ of food in your diet.
Minerals – Zinc and Selenium – found in seafood, red meat, nuts and whole grains
Amino Acids– such as Glutathione, Methionine, N-acetyl Cysteine (NAC) – eat plenty of asparagus, broccoli, avocadoes, spinach, eggs, garlic and unprocessed meats to boost levels.
Enzymes – such as Co Q10, Superoxide Dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase, Nicotanamide adenine dinucleotide – good sources are oily fish (mackerel, salmon, herring, sardine) , red meat, liver & kidney, broccoli, spinach, soy beans, peanuts & sesame seeds
Wholefoods – such as Turmeric & Garlic – superfoods with a multitude of benefits
In our modern day world it is almost impossible to get sufficient antioxidants from food to cope with all the free radicals generated and this is made more difficult if you exercise. Help is at hand as the supplement companies have come to the rescue with a whole range of antioxidant drinks.
At Caversham Health & Fitness we are trialing the newly launched 
Antioxidant and Immune Booster shots from Arbonne – great to take half an hour before exercise as a shot will give you an energy and fat burning boost as well!
Arbonne’s Antioxidant and Immune Booster is a 3oz beverage shot loaded with superfruit juices such as blueberry, pomegranate, acai, grape juice, elderberry and many more. It contains:
- an antioxidant blend that contains additional antioxidant ingredients
- an immunity support blend to support immune health
- an energy blend to provide a gentle burst of energy.
Arbonne claim that their’s is different to the other antioxidant drinks in the marketplace because it is not simply an antioxidant drink. Antioxidant and Immunity Booster also contains saccharomyces cervesiae, an ingredient with multiple clinical trials showing that it supports immune health and it has won scientific achievement awards.
Antioxidants are found in the super fruit juices as well as in the antioxidant blend; milk thistle, amia fruit, holy basil, olive, elderberry and turmeric are all powerful antioxidants that help free radicals.
And, for extra energy, Antioxidant and Immune Support Shots contain an energy boost blend that contains green tea, guarana, panax ginseng and yerba mate which provide natural energy, as well as a little caffeine.
We’ll be serving up samples before the evening classes on Monday 16th May. If you’d like to know more please email marketing@clubchf.co.uk.
Sally Albin, Nutritional Therapist
One such member is Barabara Frost, 61, who is planning a solo cycle ride from Rome to Reading next year to raise money for Buscot Babies, special care baby unit, at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. In 2010 Barbara cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats and raised £6772 for Homestart Reading but this time her target is £10,000.
