Antioxidants are found in certain types of food and are extremely beneficial to our health. Essentially antioxidants are substances which deactivate particles called free radicals. Free radicals can over time be very harmful to the body and cause damage to cells and DNA. This can lead to certain diseases such as cancer. A diet which is rich in antioxidants has been shown to prevent and protect the body from disease. Therefore getting plenty of antioxidants in our body is very important.
What do Antioxidants do?
Antioxidants act by deactivating, or turning off free radicals. Free radicals are particles which can be very harmful but unfortunately are not entirely avoidable on their own. Free particles come from a variety of sources such as air pollutants and cigarette smoke. Antioxidants work to protect our bodies from these free radicals which can be very damaging.
Types of Antioxidants
Vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and selenium are all antioxidants and vital to a healthy diet and body. These antioxidants are found in many types of vegetables, fruits, and grains, and it is vital that we get the recommend amounts in our diets. If you aren’t getting the daily recommended amounts you should supplement with a multi-vitamin. However, never rely on a supplement for all your antioxidant needs since there is no proper substitute for the real thing.
Foods Containing Antioxidants
Luckily there are many varieties of foods that contain the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and beta-carotene. Be sure to vary your food choices to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that you need:
• Vitamin C is primarily found in citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. Other great sources of vitamin C include tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, yellow peppers, pineapple, and dark green veggies.
• Vitamin E is found in many vegetable oils, nuts, brown rice, legumes, whole grains, and dark leafy green vegetables.
• Selenium is found in some seafood, Brazil nuts, poultry, dairy, whole grains, onions, garlic, and wheat germ.
• Beta-carotene is found in carrots, red and yellow peppers, broccoli, sweet potatoes, mangos, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables. Please note this is not an exhaustive list of food containing antioxidants.
Green Tea Antioxidants
While on the seemingly never ending search for the perfect anti-aging skincare product, the industry seems to be making a shift away from the engineered and towards the natural. Skincare products made with green tea are hitting shelves and women everywhere are experiencing the amazing benefits this simple plant offers. Green tea is good for your skin thanks to the many anti-aging antioxidants it contains.
Anti aging products seem to come in all shapes and sizes these days, with everything from retinol to vitamin C being touted as the answer to all our aging woes. However, cultures that have known the benefits of green tea have lower occurrences of certain cancers and seem to age later on in life. Green tea isn’t just for tea time anymore; it’s one of the best anti-aging products to emerge in recent years.
We’ve all heard about the amazing benefits of green tea for our bodies, inside and out. But very few of us know what the properties of green tea are that makes it so good for us. Polyphenols are the secret anti-aging ingredient, as they have been proven to eliminate free radicals. This is a skincare breakthrough that some have likened to the fountain of youth.
The polyphenols in green tea do much more than just fight free radical damage, they have recently been shown to actually prolong the life of cells which helps to slow down the process of premature aging. When science combines with natural products the result is skincare products that can turn back time. This isn’t your mother’s anti-aging product!
Extracts of green tea have been used in anti aging products for years. These powerful extracts have been an important part of any preventative skincare regimen. However new research into specific polyphenols has shown that green tea skincare products can actually help skin cells to be rejuvenated. These newly energized skin cells have a longer life which in turn slows the aging process and even repairs damage already done to skin. Green tea skincare products may just be the anti-aging fountain of youth!
Ingredients in many anti-aging products are often unpronounceable and seem to do nothing more than confuse consumers. While any skincare products will have some technical ingredients, many consumers enjoy buying and using something that is familiar to them. Anti-aging products that contain ingredients that are naturally good for you, such as green tea, are becoming increasingly popular.
While skincare products that you topically apply to your skin are important to the anti-aging fight, what you put into your mouth is important as well. Many skin care companies are marketing anti aging vitamins that can help your skin from the inside out. Green tea has also been shown to be beneficial to not only utilize as a skincare product but to drink as well. Green tea truly is a powerful agent in the fight against aging.
As youth becomes more of a hot commodity as it ever was, science searches for new and innovative ways to help us look younger, longer. Many miracle skincare products have been unveiled throughout the years but nothing ever seemed to be the anti-aging cure we were looking for. While aging is inevitable, many women and men deal with premature aging, thanks to the many environmental factors, and our lifestyles as well. By adding green tea not only to your diet but to your skincare regimen as well, we may be able to help turn back the clocks just a little bit.
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Eating Healthy
When it comes to healthy eating there are many different aspects to consider. Perhaps the easiest to place to start is by understanding what your food is all about. Your focus should be to try to eat a diet that is balanced and nutritious.
Eating a balanced diet means getting all of the five basic food groups each day. A great guide is the food pyramid which tells you how many servings of each food group you should be getting each day. A balanced diet means eating a wide variety of foods and eating everything in moderation.
The Five Food Groups
The five food groups are grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat/meat alternatives. A balanced diet will contain something from each of these food groups every day. Some food groups require more servings than other, for instance you should be eating more vegetables than dairy. There is also another part of the food pyramid, which is oils and sweets, which don’t necessarily need to be part of your daily meals and should be consumed with discretion. Each recommended daily serving depends on several factors such as age and activity level. This should be taken into account when determining your personal daily food pyramid.
It is recommended that to eat a healthy, balanced diet you should have from three to five servings of vegetables a day. Vegetables are a primary source of vitamins and minerals and we cannot live without them. Fresh vegetables are the best choice but cooked vegetables and vegetable juice are also acceptable. Try to eat a large variety of vegetables each day, including many different colors.
Fruits are also full of vitamins and minerals. You should have anywhere from two to four servings of fruit a day. If you are choosing fruit juice make sure it is 100% and has no sugar added. You should also try and choose whole fruits as much as possible since they have the added bonus of fiber.
The dairy group includes milk, yogurt, and cheese. Two to three servings a day is recommended and you should try and choose low-fat options. Dairy is an important provider of calcium and other vitamins. If you are lactose intolerant or vegan it is important that you get these vitamins elsewhere. Soy milk is a great option.
It is recommended that you get anywhere from six to eleven servings of grains each day, depending on your age and activity level. Grains include bread, rice, pasta, and cereal. Try and choose whole grains and avoid the “white” grains such as white bread and white rice. You can find almost all grain foods in a whole grain variety, including pasta and bread.
Meat and meat alternatives are an important source of protein and many other vitamins and minerals. Some foods that fall into this category include fish, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, beans, nuts, and of course tofu. The recommend daily servings are between two and three. Try to choose leaner meats since they have fewer animal fats which aren’t healthy.
Try and limit this food group as much as possible. Remember a little fat is good for you, preferably in the form of vegetable oils such as flax seed oil.
Learn about Losing Weight
At some point in time almost everyone wants to lose a little weight. Whether you have five pounds to lose or a hundred pounds, losing weight can be very difficult and frustrating. Everyone is different but there are certain fundamentals which we must understand in order to lose weight and keep it off.
A good rule of thumb on how much weight you need to lose (if any) is the body mass index, or BMI. The BMI takes into account your height and give you a weight range in which you should fall into. Determining your BMI will give you a good idea of how much weight you can safely lose, or if you don’t need to lose any.
With all the fad diets out there it can seem very confusing which way is the best way to lose weight. Everyone has heard the many diet myths and many of us jump from diet fad to fad in hopes of permanently losing our excess weight. When it comes down to it weight loss is no great mystery. If the calories you consume in a day exceed the calories you use, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. If the calories consumed and used are approximately the same you will stay the same weight.
Many people loath the thought of calorie counting, but getting a good idea of how much calories are in your food is a great way to either lose or maintain weight. Start by figuring out approximately how many calories are in your daily meals, and soon it will actually become second nature. You don’t need to be exact down to the calorie but a general idea should help you. It is also important that you know how many calories your body needs to function properly and ensure you never go below that number.
One of the biggest diet traps is portion sizes. In today’s society our portion sizes are often double what they would have been only 30 years ago. Try taking smaller amounts of food and eating slowly, thus allowing the stomach to signal the brain that it is full. Eating smaller meals throughout the day is another great way to control portion size. Many people eat large meals because by the time their scheduled meal time rolls around they are starving. If you go out to eat, getting half your meal wrapped up for later is a great way to control your portions.
Diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to weight loss. Getting some sort of exercise everyday is important for our health. Even if you just go for a 30 minute walk everyday you are still contributing. Losing weight means a lifestyle change for most people that include healthy and nutritious food as well as getting your body on the move.
Eating a balanced diet means getting all of the five basic food groups each day. A great guide is the food pyramid which tells you how many servings of each food group you should be getting each day. A balanced diet means eating a wide variety of foods and eating everything in moderation.
The Five Food Groups
The five food groups are grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat/meat alternatives. A balanced diet will contain something from each of these food groups every day. Some food groups require more servings than other, for instance you should be eating more vegetables than dairy. There is also another part of the food pyramid, which is oils and sweets, which don’t necessarily need to be part of your daily meals and should be consumed with discretion. Each recommended daily serving depends on several factors such as age and activity level. This should be taken into account when determining your personal daily food pyramid.
It is recommended that to eat a healthy, balanced diet you should have from three to five servings of vegetables a day. Vegetables are a primary source of vitamins and minerals and we cannot live without them. Fresh vegetables are the best choice but cooked vegetables and vegetable juice are also acceptable. Try to eat a large variety of vegetables each day, including many different colors.
Fruits are also full of vitamins and minerals. You should have anywhere from two to four servings of fruit a day. If you are choosing fruit juice make sure it is 100% and has no sugar added. You should also try and choose whole fruits as much as possible since they have the added bonus of fiber.
The dairy group includes milk, yogurt, and cheese. Two to three servings a day is recommended and you should try and choose low-fat options. Dairy is an important provider of calcium and other vitamins. If you are lactose intolerant or vegan it is important that you get these vitamins elsewhere. Soy milk is a great option.
It is recommended that you get anywhere from six to eleven servings of grains each day, depending on your age and activity level. Grains include bread, rice, pasta, and cereal. Try and choose whole grains and avoid the “white” grains such as white bread and white rice. You can find almost all grain foods in a whole grain variety, including pasta and bread.
Meat and meat alternatives are an important source of protein and many other vitamins and minerals. Some foods that fall into this category include fish, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, beans, nuts, and of course tofu. The recommend daily servings are between two and three. Try to choose leaner meats since they have fewer animal fats which aren’t healthy.
Try and limit this food group as much as possible. Remember a little fat is good for you, preferably in the form of vegetable oils such as flax seed oil.
Learn about Losing Weight
At some point in time almost everyone wants to lose a little weight. Whether you have five pounds to lose or a hundred pounds, losing weight can be very difficult and frustrating. Everyone is different but there are certain fundamentals which we must understand in order to lose weight and keep it off.
A good rule of thumb on how much weight you need to lose (if any) is the body mass index, or BMI. The BMI takes into account your height and give you a weight range in which you should fall into. Determining your BMI will give you a good idea of how much weight you can safely lose, or if you don’t need to lose any.
With all the fad diets out there it can seem very confusing which way is the best way to lose weight. Everyone has heard the many diet myths and many of us jump from diet fad to fad in hopes of permanently losing our excess weight. When it comes down to it weight loss is no great mystery. If the calories you consume in a day exceed the calories you use, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. If the calories consumed and used are approximately the same you will stay the same weight.
Many people loath the thought of calorie counting, but getting a good idea of how much calories are in your food is a great way to either lose or maintain weight. Start by figuring out approximately how many calories are in your daily meals, and soon it will actually become second nature. You don’t need to be exact down to the calorie but a general idea should help you. It is also important that you know how many calories your body needs to function properly and ensure you never go below that number.
One of the biggest diet traps is portion sizes. In today’s society our portion sizes are often double what they would have been only 30 years ago. Try taking smaller amounts of food and eating slowly, thus allowing the stomach to signal the brain that it is full. Eating smaller meals throughout the day is another great way to control portion size. Many people eat large meals because by the time their scheduled meal time rolls around they are starving. If you go out to eat, getting half your meal wrapped up for later is a great way to control your portions.
Diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to weight loss. Getting some sort of exercise everyday is important for our health. Even if you just go for a 30 minute walk everyday you are still contributing. Losing weight means a lifestyle change for most people that include healthy and nutritious food as well as getting your body on the move.
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