10 Power Foods for the Olympian in Everyone

Who wasn’t inspired by the impressive efforts put forth by the Olympic athletes over the past few weeks? There were the amazing performances of the American athletes who pulled together for the highest medal draw at the Games. Canadian athletes broke Olympic history by having the highest number of gold medals in a single Olympics. Slovenian athlete Petra Majdic won a bronze medal even after she suffered a massive fall and the resulting broken ribs and punctured lung. And countless other athletes demonstrated near superhuman speed, endurance, and spirit. Other than the obvious drive they must have, what foods fuel these incredible feats? And, which foods can we eat more of to help us experience the best strength, endurance, and disease resistance?

Here are the top 10 picks that show the greatest antioxidant capacity, based on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scores by the USDA. Athletes are particularly prone to free radical damage, making the foods high on the ORAC chart excellent choices for them. But, these foods are not just good for athletes. We can all benefit from eating more of the top 10 foods on the ORAC chart. The number in brackets after each food item is the ORAC score it obtained…

1 of 3

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Rachael P.

6:22AM PST on Mar 7, 2013

Good article, very useful to know and very informative, thank you. Something to consider the next time I go shopping.

March 7
send a green star

Nancy G.

6:07AM PST on Mar 7, 2013

thanks

Spirit S.

5:53AM PST on Mar 7, 2013

I have never seen fresh elderberries.....sigh

John D.

Thank you...

Nona E.

5:30AM PST on Mar 7, 2013

Thanks for the list. Nice to know I can eat from it and be ready to "pump iron"!

Aroadtrip W.

5:19AM PST on Mar 7, 2013

Thanks.

Joan A.

5:18AM PST on Mar 7, 2013

great advice!

Natalie S.

5:16AM PST on Mar 7, 2013

I found the article informative but the statement about the need to avoid alcohol if you suffer from hormonal imbalances is a sweeping statement - if not an outright howler! Because of the way that nature made us, most women of childbearing age and beyond suffer from hormonal imbalances and God forbid we had to avoid alcohol all our grown-up years :)

Debbie F.

5:14AM PST on Mar 7, 2013

Good info, Thanks