The cells in our bodies are constantly at war with substances called free radicals. Free radicals are scavengers that cause brutal damage to our bodies. Some free radicals are made inside the body, while others are caused by the food we ingest and the air we breathe.
Antioxidants are elements that defend our bodies from free radical damage by destroying the damage they cause to our body’s cells. They also turn the free radicals into waste by-products, resulting in their elimination from the body.
Since antioxidants prevent cellular damage, considered to be the conduit for cancer, and other diseases and conditions, they are vital to our body’s good health. Antioxidants also have the amazing ability to repair previous damage to cells.
Antioxidants are extracted from food like fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods. The best way to keep our bodies unfriendly to free radicals and other toxins is to eat a diet high in antioxidant foods.
ANTIOXIDANT-RICH FOODS:
*BERRIES: Berries are full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease. The best sources are blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.
*BROCCOLI: If there was a top superfood in the world, it would be broccoli. It has more vitamin C than an orange and as much calcium as a glass of milk. One broccoli spear has three times more fiber than a slice of whole grain bread. As a cruciferous vegetable it contains antioxidants that break down estrogen, reducing the risk of breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers. It is also rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps prevent heart disease and other types of cancer.
*CARROTS: Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a potent cancer-fighting antioxidant. Beta-carotene reduces the risk of bladder, lung, breast, and stomach cancers, heart disease, and slows down the development of arthritis. (Cooked carrots have considerably higher levels of antioxidants than uncooked.)
*CITRUS: Citrus fruits contain hundreds of nutrients including high levels of vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that helps to support the immune system and prevents free radical damage. Due to the multitude of vitamin C's health benefits, the consumption of fruits high in this nutrient reduces the risk of death from heart disease, stroke and cancer. It lowers cholesterol and helps fight infection. Citrus fruits are the most detoxifying and healthy fruits.
*GARLIC: Garlic is one of the oldest known medicinal plants and its powerful healing properties have been known for thousands of years. The sulfur compounds that give garlic its strong odor are considered to be the source of its healing benefits. It enhances the immune system and liver, improves digestion, reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer by scavenging free radicals, and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. It slows hardening of the arteries and decreases symptoms of poor circulation, fatigue and headaches. Garlic also helps to prevent blood clots from forming, reducing the possibility of strokes.
*RED GRAPES: Red grapes are rich in quercetin and resveratrol, powerful antioxidants that boost heart health, protect against cancer, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, strokes, and inflammatory diseases.
*SOY: Whole soy foods are a great source of protein and contain other nutrients such as fiber, B vitamins, essential omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and iron. Foods containing soy protein are a healthy alternative to meats and other animal products that contain cholesterol and saturated fat because they provide all the amino acids that people need to stay healthy. Soy contains iso-flavones that alleviates pre-menstrual and menopause symptoms, reduces cholesterol levels, and can lower the risk of osteoporosis and breast, colon and prostate cancers.
*TEA: Tea can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, and degenerative diseases. Both green tea and black tea contain high concentrations of antioxidants.
*TOMATOES: Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that reduces the risk of breast, colon, lung and prostate cancers. Tomatoes also help boost the body’s immune system, prevent macular degeneration and assist in maintaining mental functions as we age. (Cooked tomatoes are preferable, since heat allows more desirable antioxidants in tomatoes to be made available to the body.)
*WHOLE GRAINS: Whole grains not only contain fiber and traditional nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium and iron, but also numerous disease-fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants. A diet rich in whole grains boosts immunity, reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and breast, colon, liver, and prostate cancers.
Thank You For Visiting Our Blog, FEEL BETTER AND LIVE LONGER!
The purpose of our blog is to share what we have learned about nutrition, weight loss, fitness, and health, in order to help you find ways to feel better and live longer. It is amazing how much our diet and lifestyle affect our health and well-being.
Did you know that you can reduce your risk and even prevent many diseases and health conditions simply by making some changes to your diet? Check back often for valuable tips and information.
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT & KEEP IT OFF:
For the first time in my life I have found weight loss success. During my adult life I have tried dozens and dozens of so-called "diets" and none of them worked over the long-haul. Oh, I was able to lose weight with some of them, but once I went off of the "diet" I quickly gained back all of my weight (plus some).
I have finally learned that losing weight has to be a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. Crash diets and all the other crazy diets will not only cause you to fail, they are harmful to your health. To lose weight and keep it off you must NOT go on a "diet." What? Why? Because we all consider a "diet" a temporary thing. For example, how many times have you said, "Oh, I will go on this low-fat diet until I lose 20 pounds." Okay, what happens after you lose the 20 pounds? Or you simply give up? You go back to your old habits and gain that 20 pounds back.
The only way you will ever be successful at losing weight, with the added benefit of improving your health, is to make healthy changes that you can live with for the rest of your life. Period. Not for a week, a month or 3 months, but for life. For me, my initial goal was to lower my cholesterol level. I had to have a blood test for my insurance coverage and my cholesterol level had to be lower than the previous year's levels or I would have to pay a much higher premium. Well, that was a pretty good incentive for me make some positive changes.
I sat down and figured out what I needed to do. I knew I had to change the way I ate and I knew I had to exercise in some form or other every day. So, I made a list and I stuck to it. It was difficult at first. To make matters worse, I am a compulsive eater. However, as the days went by, it became much easier because my body stopped craving sweets and processed foods. For the first time in my life, I was never tempted to binge because I never felt deprived.
Use the list below and make whatever changes you need to make in order for it to work for you. FYI, my cholesterol level dropped 65 points after 7 weeks, and my triglycerides dropped 70 points! Another benefit that I hadn't planned on was that after being an insomniac since my teen-age years, I now sleep like a baby every night!
MY LIST FOR WEIGHT LOSS SUCESS:
1. Avoid "white" Foods & Processed Foods. These foods have no nutritional value and are "empty" calories. Sweets, anything made with white flour,and anything that comes in a package with a long list of ingredients. Always read the food labels. Stay away from those long lists of ingredients. The longer the list, the more chemicals and additives are present. These are extremely toxic to your body.
2. Drink Lots of Water. Water keeps your body's organs hydrated and flushes out unhealthy toxins. It helps to fill you up and reduces your urge to over-eat.
3. Eat a Healthy Breakfast. Instead of coffee and donuts, try fruit, yogurt, grains like oatmeal or whole grain toast, and lean protein. NEVER skip breakfast. By eating a large, healthy meal when you get up in the morning, your metabolism will "rev up" and you will not be hungry by mid-morning. If you skip breakfast, your body will go into starvation mode and store calories in your body as FAT, yes FAT! So do yourself a big favor and eat breakfast.
4. Reduce Your Stress Level. So many of us live with too much stress. Stress lowers your immune system, making it easier to get sick. It also makes us lethargic, tired, and depressed. There are a lot of simple things you can do and a lot of ways to feel better about yourself and your life. Take a long, hot bath, read a book, listen to music, get a massage. Do something nice for yourself. Giving yourself something to look forward to is a tremendous mental incentive.
5. Move! Oh my gosh! There are so many ways to incorporate movement into your day, even at work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up every hour and walk around your floor, your hallway or your desk. Park your car in the farthest space from where you need to be. Walk or bike to work. Skate, dance, golf, jump rope, clean house, play tag. The best exercise you can do is to walk. Try to take a walk every day! The more you move, the more your metabolism will be your friend. (I walk 3 miles every day whether it is raining, snowing or freezing.)
The purpose of our blog is to share what we have learned about nutrition, weight loss, fitness, and health, in order to help you find ways to feel better and live longer. It is amazing how much our diet and lifestyle affect our health and well-being.
Did you know that you can reduce your risk and even prevent many diseases and health conditions simply by making some changes to your diet? Check back often for valuable tips and information.
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT & KEEP IT OFF:
For the first time in my life I have found weight loss success. During my adult life I have tried dozens and dozens of so-called "diets" and none of them worked over the long-haul. Oh, I was able to lose weight with some of them, but once I went off of the "diet" I quickly gained back all of my weight (plus some).
I have finally learned that losing weight has to be a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. Crash diets and all the other crazy diets will not only cause you to fail, they are harmful to your health. To lose weight and keep it off you must NOT go on a "diet." What? Why? Because we all consider a "diet" a temporary thing. For example, how many times have you said, "Oh, I will go on this low-fat diet until I lose 20 pounds." Okay, what happens after you lose the 20 pounds? Or you simply give up? You go back to your old habits and gain that 20 pounds back.
The only way you will ever be successful at losing weight, with the added benefit of improving your health, is to make healthy changes that you can live with for the rest of your life. Period. Not for a week, a month or 3 months, but for life. For me, my initial goal was to lower my cholesterol level. I had to have a blood test for my insurance coverage and my cholesterol level had to be lower than the previous year's levels or I would have to pay a much higher premium. Well, that was a pretty good incentive for me make some positive changes.
I sat down and figured out what I needed to do. I knew I had to change the way I ate and I knew I had to exercise in some form or other every day. So, I made a list and I stuck to it. It was difficult at first. To make matters worse, I am a compulsive eater. However, as the days went by, it became much easier because my body stopped craving sweets and processed foods. For the first time in my life, I was never tempted to binge because I never felt deprived.
Use the list below and make whatever changes you need to make in order for it to work for you. FYI, my cholesterol level dropped 65 points after 7 weeks, and my triglycerides dropped 70 points! Another benefit that I hadn't planned on was that after being an insomniac since my teen-age years, I now sleep like a baby every night!
MY LIST FOR WEIGHT LOSS SUCESS:
1. Avoid "white" Foods & Processed Foods. These foods have no nutritional value and are "empty" calories. Sweets, anything made with white flour,and anything that comes in a package with a long list of ingredients. Always read the food labels. Stay away from those long lists of ingredients. The longer the list, the more chemicals and additives are present. These are extremely toxic to your body.
2. Drink Lots of Water. Water keeps your body's organs hydrated and flushes out unhealthy toxins. It helps to fill you up and reduces your urge to over-eat.
3. Eat a Healthy Breakfast. Instead of coffee and donuts, try fruit, yogurt, grains like oatmeal or whole grain toast, and lean protein. NEVER skip breakfast. By eating a large, healthy meal when you get up in the morning, your metabolism will "rev up" and you will not be hungry by mid-morning. If you skip breakfast, your body will go into starvation mode and store calories in your body as FAT, yes FAT! So do yourself a big favor and eat breakfast.
4. Reduce Your Stress Level. So many of us live with too much stress. Stress lowers your immune system, making it easier to get sick. It also makes us lethargic, tired, and depressed. There are a lot of simple things you can do and a lot of ways to feel better about yourself and your life. Take a long, hot bath, read a book, listen to music, get a massage. Do something nice for yourself. Giving yourself something to look forward to is a tremendous mental incentive.
5. Move! Oh my gosh! There are so many ways to incorporate movement into your day, even at work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up every hour and walk around your floor, your hallway or your desk. Park your car in the farthest space from where you need to be. Walk or bike to work. Skate, dance, golf, jump rope, clean house, play tag. The best exercise you can do is to walk. Try to take a walk every day! The more you move, the more your metabolism will be your friend. (I walk 3 miles every day whether it is raining, snowing or freezing.)
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