The following article was written by Moss Greene! She explains the benefits of antioxidants and the detriment of not getting enough so well, that I thought I would share it with you! You can find more of Moss Greene’s articles at www.bellaonline.com.

 Since spring is here and soon the farmer’s markets and supermarkets will soon be loaded with fresh produce; this will give you even more reason to stock up! 

Benefits of Antioxidants  

They protect you from illnesses, degenerative diseases and early aging. This means you stay younger longer with overall better health.


Major benefits of antioxidants

• Anti-aging, slowing down the aging process
• Greatly reduced incidence of all cancers
• Prevention of glaucoma and macular degeneration
• Stronger immune protection from flues, viruses and infections
• Reduced risk of cholesterol-oxidation and heart disease


Why antioxidants are important

Although breathing oxygen is essential to life, oxygen can also be your worst enemy. It starts a process in your body called oxidation, which is the formation of free radicals.

A good example is the oxidation of metals. Copper turns an "aged" green, aluminum develops a white film, and iron gets old and rusty. Something similar happens when your body is exposed to air, light and poor diet.

Free radical oxidation damage is the primary cause of aging (rust and corrosion). It's as harmful and destructive to your body and brain as corrosion is to your car.


How the benefits of antioxidants work

Antioxidants are the naturally occurring phytochemicals or phytonutrients that Mother Nature puts in certain fruits and vegetables to come to your rescue.

Just think of antioxidants as human “Rust-Oleum.”

These extraordinary phytonutrients have been proven to protect human cells from oxidative damage. They keep free radicals from ravaging your body and stealing the life from your cells. Phytochemicals actually sacrifice themselves for your well being.


Phytonutrients in food

The more phytonutrients you have in your bloodstream, the healthier you'll be. They donate THEIR life to neutralize free radicals and protect YOUR life.

Since phytochemicals are so important to health, the Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University measured the total phytonutrient protection power of various foods. Colorful carotenoid rich vegetables and fruits came out at the top of the list.

The highest ranking vegetables are broccoli, spinach, greens, Brussels sprouts, beets, red peppers, carrots and tomatoes. And the best ranking fruits are berries, oranges, pink grapefruit, apricots, plums, peaches, red grapes and papaya.


Here's the problem

Hardly anyone gets enough fruits and vegetables. And the most popular are bananas, apples, iceberg lettuce and potatoes (mainly French fries). None of these are on Tufts beneficial list. This is because the most "popular" contain very few carotenoids or other phytonutrients.

Also the most commonly used ingredients in the most aggressively marketed, phytonutrient supplements are pine bark (pycnogenol), sea algae, milk thistle, gingo biloba, quercetin, grape seed extract and alpha lipoic acid.

And none of these hype-marketed ingredients are found in the Human Nutrition Research Center or USDA’s list of recommended foods. Interesting, don’t you think?


How to find a good supplement

When you're looking for antioxidant phytonutrients, always ask yourself a simple question, “Can I find these ingredients at a fruit and vegetable stand or in a salad bar?”

If your answer is “no”; then keep on looking for something that comes from the human food chain and has been proven to be naturally safe and effective.

Make it an excellent week! Eat lots of bright coloured fruits and veggies and get up and get going!

 
Deb

Deb Coulis - Lifestyle Coach
Coulis Connection
www.coulisconnection.com
Ph:   807-935-2484
Cell: 807-628-2408  

 

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