Antioxidants and Your Health

Get back to the basics - eat fresh at home and neutralize free radical oxidation, which is rusting away your body, by eating a variety of foods high in antioxidants every day.

Why? Antioxidants, as the name implies, help prevent oxidation, may help increase immune function and possibly decrease risk of infection and cancer.

A few of the better known antioxidants include carotenoids-- the substance that gives fruits and vegetables their deep rich colors. Apricots, broccoli, pumpkin, cantaloupes, spinach and sweet potatoes, are some good choices in addition to lycopene in tomatoes. Vitamin C and E are also good antioxidants.

What's a Free Radical Anyways?

As cells function normally in the body, they produce damaged molecules called free radicals. These free radicals steal parts from other molecules such as fat, protein, or DNA, thereby spreading the damage.

This damage continues in a chain reaction, and entire cells soon become damaged and die. This process is useful because it helps the body destroy cells that have outlived their usefulness and kills germs and parasites. However, this damage, when left unchecked, also destroys or damages healthy cells.

Antioxidants help prevent widespread cellular destruction by willingly donating their parts to stabilize free radicals. More importantly, antioxidants return to the surface of the cell to stabilize rather than damage other cellular components.

When there are not enough antioxidants to hold cell destruction in check, free radicals begin damaging healthy cells which, in turn, can lead to problems. For example, free radical damage to immune cells can lead to an increased risk of infections.

Your body needs to be able to repair this damage that occurs and protect itself from the free radicals before they impact your overall health. This is where antioxidants come to the rescue, because they significantly delay, inhibit, or prevent oxidation.

Your first line of defence is a natural diet full of a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. For all those times when your diet isn't perfect, make sure you have a safety net in place. Think of antioxidants as Rustoleum for your insides! and be sure to have a supplement in your medicine cabinet.

Best of health to you!

About the author: Glenn Beach is a poet, writer and home business entrepreneur in Nova Scotia, Canada. Free newsletter, more articles, and affiliate health products you can trust at: http://www.work-at-home-business-oppo rtunity-canada.com

---

Correct Your Acid / Akaline Balance by the Water You Drink: What the Experts Say

In health circles there has been much recent talk about acid / alkaline imbalance. Let's see if we can clarify how experts recommend we correct this imbalance.The... Read More

Carbohydrates ? Good or Bad?

Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the past few years with the advent of low carb diets, but the truth is that not all... Read More

Reverse Disease and Maintain Optimal Health

PROTEIN DEFICIENT? CHANCES ARE YOU ARE!Did you know that 9 out of 10 people lack the proper amount of protein in their systems in order for their... Read More

Eat and Lose Weight - Its All in those MCTs

Can You Lose Weight Through Eating?You get fat when you consume more calories than you burn during exercise and rest. So, it doesn't seem reasonable to assume... Read More

Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil -- Why Is It Different?

A flood of scientific evidence about fish oil points to a startling conclusion that taking high-dose fish oils, which are very rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, helps... Read More

7 Tips on Using Food Diet Remedies for Your Common Health Ailments

Making simple changes to your food diet can help remedy some of the common health problems. Increasingly, more health experts are acknowledging that natural food is a... Read More

Set Your Fat Thermostat at a Healthy Level

Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy eating a piece of chocolate cake and wondered how they stay thin? Part of the reason is... Read More

REAL Summer Foods

Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five elements that contribute to all activities: TREE / WOOD, FIRE, SOIL / EARTH, METAL and WATER.Fire is... Read More

Antioxidants and Your Health

Get back to the basics - eat fresh at home and neutralize free radical oxidation, which is rusting away your body, by eating a variety of foods... Read More

Not all Fats are Bad

Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad for too long. Fat doesn't necessarily cause disease, and can actually cause a role in its prevention.... Read More

Eating Outside Your Box

One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies eating healthy is to "eat outside your box," by experimenting with new foods and cuisines and by... Read More

The Macronutrient Balancing Act

Finally, dieters and healthy eaters everywhere have reason to rejoice, for there is a clear understanding of which fats, and which carbohydrates should be eaten for optimal... Read More

What is a Healthy Eating Plan?

Healthy eating is important for everyone, from babies to the elderly. Learning to eat well is more than just eating a variety of foods so that your... Read More

Olive Oil -Not Just for Popeye

Archeological records indicate that man has cultivated the olive tree for about 6,000 years; having been especially popular in the Isle of Crete (which as you recall,... Read More

Milk Soy Protein Intolerance: A Mothers Perspective

I first learned of Milk Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI) in the office of a pediatric gastroenterologist's office with my seven-week-old son, Max. After the first week of... Read More

Bumble Bee Fish Oil - Do You Need It?

The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today by announcing they will be producing a fish oil supplement with their Tuna's name on the bottle.... Read More

Do You Eat Breakfast?

It is not a myth. Eating breakfast is an important part of attaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The morning meal enables your body to refuel itself... Read More

Discover Which Fruit and Vegetables Help Relieve Arthritic Pain

If you or someone you know suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, you know how painful and debilitating it can be. If you haven't walked a mile in those... Read More

Are You Lactose Intolerant?

Do you know anyone who can't consume milk or milk-based products? The condition is not uncommon and these people are classified as lactose intolerant.Lactose is the main... Read More

Rediscovering Protein - Corrective Action in the American Diet

Protein must be a part of a healthy diet for a simple reason: it is essential for life. Every single cell in the human body -- including... Read More

Three Steps to Preparing your Body for Summer

Summer is not too far away. It is almost time for shorts, tank tops, and bathing suits. Time to prepare the body for not only looking good... Read More

What Is an Essential Fat?

You may have heard that essential fats are an important aspect to maintaining the health of your body. But what exactly are they?Basically, there are two truly... Read More

Feeling Tired? No Pep & Zing? Tap Into Breakfast Smoothies!

I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has been a pain. Some of my earliest memories are getting ready for school with my mother insisting... Read More

You Dont Have to be Wealthy to Eat Well: The Truth about Your Grocery Budget

Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than conventional. In many cases, organic foods are priced higher. However, people aren't weighing the costs of eating... Read More

Benefits of a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables

We know we need to eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday. Actually now, to prevent cancer, 8 to 13 servings per day... Read More

Good Fats Prevent Chronic Disease

Essential fatty acids are the number one recommendation for anyone who has, or wants to prevent common chronic diseases today, such diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. And... Read More