Red Meat Blues
Joe Weider

Tip of the Week: Get your antioxidants, but don't pay an arm and a leg for them.

Over the past decade, the term "antioxidant" has picked up a lot of steam, and for good reason. Antioxidants are molecules that can slow or stop the process of oxidation in the body by other molecules called free radicals. Free radicals occur in a variety of things to which we're exposed, from air pollution to pesticides in the foods we eat. We even find a buildup of free radicals in our bodies after exercising!

One way we can fight the damage free radicals cause is to consume antioxidants on a daily basis. Although the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances hasn't set a required standard for antioxidant consumption, many experts believe 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units per day are ideal for good health. Contrast that with the 1,200 units most of us get, and you can see that we are woefully undernourished when it comes to antioxidants.

Some of the most potent sources of antioxidants are small red beans, kidney beans, blueberries, acai berries, goji berries, raw dark chocolate and, highest of all, cinnamon. Anyone for a chocolate cinnamon blueberry smoothie?

Q: What's the least amount of time in which I can get in a decent whole-body workout each day? I can devote 10 to 15 minutes each morning before taking a shower and heading to work but, believe it or not, don't have much more free time than that in my day. I know you're going to tell me to free up more time, but I truly am maxed out right now.

Joe: Despite what you may think, I can actually empathize with you. There were periods during my publishing career that I, like you, couldn't find much more than 15 minutes in my own day to take care of my body. It's a lamentable situation to be sure and one that I hope doesn't last long for you, but it can be managed.

What you need to do is create a whole-body routine in which you don't stop moving. In other words, there's no time (literally) for dismounting one machine to get onto the next. You have to make the most of those 10 or 15 minutes.

I don't know what you have in the way of equipment in your home, but my general advice to you would be to think compound movements. In other words, if you have a pair of dumbbells, consider a combination squat-press movement followed immediately by a lung-curl movement.

You can also do an entire routine using just body resistance by combining such static yoga moves as the plank and downward dog with pushups and pull-ups (assuming you have a chinning bar).

Of course, I would prefer you got yourself to a gym, but I applaud your desire to keep fit in spite of a grueling schedule.

Q: I'm an avowed environmentalist and have done a lot of reading about the negative impact cows have on our environment. They release more CO2 than cars! So I decided to cut red meat from my diet. What I'm wondering is, as a 42-year-old man who trains hard five days a week, do I need red meat, or will I be OK with fish and poultry (sustainably farmed, of course!)?

Joe: There is a school of thought in bodybuilding that red meat is key to strength and muscularity. In fat, back in the '60s and '70s, some bodybuilders stuck with a red meat and water diet!

Nowadays, we understand a little better that copious red meat intake is connected to heart disease, and for some of us, the environmental costs of eating red meat seem too high.

I have no problem with you not eating red meat. I, myself, eat very little these days, relying mostly on salmon and other fishes for my protein. Truthfully, you can get all the protein and the complete compendium of amino acids by sticking with poultry, eggs, fish, legumes and whole grains. In the end, you'll probably save some money, protect your heart and maybe even help save the planet!

Joe Weider is acclaimed as "the father of modern bodybuilding" and the founder of the world's leading fitness magazines, including Shape, Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Hers, Golf for Seniors and others published worldwide in over 20 languages.To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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