Increase Your Energy Level Naturally

Ben Gordon, leading scorer for the Chicago Bulls, needs some nutrition information. "I'm a professional athlete. I train anywhere between two and three times a day. ... What kind of foods can I add to my diet to help me maintain high energy levels throughout my diet and not crash after I'm finished working out," he says.



Dr. Oz recommends that Ben eat more foods with antioxidants. "What happens to a lot of great athletes is they are creating so much oxidation in their body from working out all the time, especially if you're working out for more than two hours a day-you're doing this for sure-that you don't have the oxidant stores to keep up with that. So you've got to build up those antioxidant stores by taking leafy green vegetables". Bright colored fruits, like Goji berries, are also great, Dr. Oz says. "They grow in the Himalayas. They're the most potent antioxidant fruit that we know"



Several studies show that the antioxidants reduce muscle injury and prevent free radical damage.



Antioxidants are namely certain vitamins, minerals and amino acids that help protect the cells of the body from oxidation caused by free radicals.



Free radicals cause muscle damage, soreness, diminished endurance and inflammation. After the intense workout taking the oxidants helps reduce muscle injury and improve stamina and endurance.



The energy is produced on the cellular level in the mitochondria, therefore you need to keep that in mind when shopping for your antioxidants. Choose those that come from natural whole food source, as they are highly bioavailable and immediately turned into energy.



In a recent human clinical trial featured in the peer-reviewed Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM), participants drinking a daily serving of just 4 ounces (120 ml) of GoChi-The Next Generation of Himalayan Goji Juicereported experiencing significantly increased energy levels and reduced fatigue in as little as 14 days.