Antioxidant Diet
An
antioxidant diet could do wonders for your health. An antioxidant is a
substance that prevents or decreases oxidation. An oxidation reaction
involves the transfer of electrons and results in the production of
free radicals. They are known to be the cause of the normal
aging process and the development of several diseases.
Some problems like heart disease, cancer, hypertension and strokes are
directly related to the amount of free radicals in the blood.
Antioxidants have the effect of stabilizing the unstable free radicals
molecules thus preventing tissue damage. As you can see the consumption
of antioxidants is necessary for healthy organ function but there are
certain things about antioxidants you must know.
Even when antioxidants are amazing you must know how to obtain them to
get the best results. The first thing you must know is that
antioxidants need a slightly alkaline environment to be effective. That
is the reason why the supplements will not work as well as using an
antioxidant diet. Supplements will add the antioxidants to the body but
if your body has an acidic environment they won’t be able to react
properly to eliminate the free radicals. On the other hand, when you
obtain them from a fresh natural source they will provide the necessary
alkalinity to boost its effects.
Ideally the human body needs to be alkaline for it to stay healthy. The
ph necessary for optimal body function is around 8. If you go above
that level the body can become too alkaline and certain problems could
appear; however, the illnesses that can appear if your body is too acidic
are even worst. An acidic ph can result in chronic conditions such as:
cancer, heart disease, diabetes and many more diseases. So in order to
prevent future health problems such as the previously mentioned ones
you need to maintain a good antioxidant diet.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the main construction blocks for an
effective antioxidant regime. Certain food products like milk, meat and
some cereals are considered to be too acidic and would not provide a good atmosphere for
antioxidants to work.
Your breakfast meal for example can consist of small portions of
oranges, grapes, bananas, pineapples and even watermelon. Lunch usually
requires something more satisfying like mashed potatoes and shredded
carrots.
Another recipe could be made by cooking potatoes fries in an oven with
just a little bit of extra virgin olive or virgin coconut oil. Virgin
coconut oil can resist higher temperatures better than canola oil and
will
not turn carcinogenic that easily.
A well proportioned salad with your favorite
vegetables such as Romaine lettuce, tomato, cabbage and onions could be prepared
as the main course for your dinner with a small portion of lean meat if necessary.
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