The health benefits of antioxidants

RealBuzz 

The process in which oxygen combines with another material is called oxidation. For instance, unprotected iron will turn to rust when oxidized, fruits will turn brown, and butter will become rancid. A similar process occurs in the body causing it to degenerate and age, and as we get older more oxidation occurs in the body.

When our cells are exposed to free radicals, this process of oxidisation occurs. Therefore, our aging process depends on our ability to protect our cells from oxidation. However, this is no easy task; we are exposed to free radicals every day, introduced to the body from toxic chemicals that are either breathed in or absorbed through the skin.

The body’s oxidative reaction occurs due to the exposure to environmental toxins that are present in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the household products we use. And it is these ‘free radicals’ that contribute to the oxidative reactions in the body and cause tissues to damage and can also affect memory and mood, wrinkling of the skin, hardening of the arteries, stiffening joints — the list goes on.

Exposure to environmental toxins dramatically increases the level of free radicals in the body, sometimes beyond what our body can fight on its own. The human body is capable of handling and neutralising a certain amount, but when the system is overloaded the body’s normal ability to cope with them is compromised and become susceptible to premature aging and disease.

Free radicals can be found in the following:

• Junk food
• Refined foods, such as sugar and white flour
• Processed foods (canned, frozen and ready made meals)
• Colourings, preservatives and food additives
• Chemotherapy or radiation exposure (X-rays, TV and computer monitors)
• Drugs and medications
• Coffee and tea
• Hydrogenated and saturated fat (margarine and oils)
• Fizzy drinks
• Exposure to heat or cold
• Household chemicals
• Tap water
• Cigarette smoke and alcohol

Natural antioxidants

Fortunately there are nutritional approaches to protect the body from free radical damage. Antioxidants are powerful nutrients that have shown to be efficient in minimizing the effects of free radicals. Antioxidants are nature’s free radical fighters and occur naturally in plant foods. Therefore, if we are not getting enough variety and quantity of antioxidants, these toxic chemicals will destroy cells leaving the body vulnerable to disease.

The body needs plenty of antioxidants to help destroy free radicals, to promote the growth of healthy cells and protect these cells against premature aging. Much of the damage can be repaired in a short amount of time by simply providing the brain and body with repeated doses of antioxidants. Eating fruits and vegetables at optimal ripeness and consuming them in less processed forms without removing their skins, provides quality antioxidants.

Organic produce is high in antioxidants as well as being rich in flavor and full in nutrients. It is worth remembering that no matter how healthy your lifestyle is, you will be exposed to free radicals. Therefore antioxidant-rich foods are a must to your everyday diet. To help protect your body, nature has provided us with a wide range of different antioxidants. They are found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and seeds, beans and many other natural foods. The more antioxidants the body gets, the better it is able to adapt to stress.

Antioxidants can be found in the following foods:

• Whole and unrefined foods
• Natural plants (fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, whole grains, beans, raw nuts and seeds)
• Raw foods
• Cold-pressed oils (olive, canola and flax)
• Seaweeds
• Sprouts
• Free-range meat and eggs
• 
  

Nutrients that reduce free radical damage

The best sources of antioxidants to fight free radicals are rich in vitamins C, E and vitamins B, flavonoid and beta-carotene. Below is a quick guide to foods that are high in these nutrients, and therefore packed with antioxidants:

• Berries (cranberries, blackberries, blueberries) and citrus fruits are potent antioxidants that promote collagen and reduce wrinkles keeping the skin looking young.
• Carrots and apricots protect the skin against sun’s ray damage.
• Green leaves, vegetables, apples, oranges, cherries, beets, carrots, artichokes and strawberries are rich in the minerals copper, magnesium, and selenium; all needed for healthy hair, nails and bones.
• Bee pollen, royal jelly and bee propolis are complete foods. These powerful antioxidants contain 22 amino acids and vitamins D, K and E, carbohydrates and proteins. A human body can survive on bee pollen alone. This is an energy booster and can help alleviate allergy symptoms.
• Lycium fruits and liquorice flavonoids are high antioxidants which help counteract effect of chemotherapy and radiography (radiation).
• Aloe Vera raw gel (cold-pressed only) contains an abundance of 75 minerals and vitamins including the rare B12 and 12 amino acids which help with digestive and skin disorders. Aloe Vera is a miracle plant and a natural healer.
• Raw nuts and seeds, dark fish, seaweed and avocado are rich in EFA, omega-3, alpha- linoleic acid and selenium. These foods can influence against premature aging and enhance your memory.
• Chestnuts, papayas, sprouts, squash, sweet potatoes, kiwi, broccoli, cabbage, spinach can help detoxify the liver.

European studies have found that high intake of flavonoid from vegetables and fruits are related to low heart disease and cancer.

Many of these foods improve the functioning of the immune system. When the body is healthy it can cope with free radicals as it has a mechanism into place to ensure their destruction. To achieve a healthy complexion eat plenty of raw food and drink lots of water. What goes into your body reflects your overall appearance!

Read more on realbuzz.com...
Top foods for boosting immunity
Top 10 must-eat foods for a healthy diet
Makeover your diet

http://ph.she.yahoo.com/health-benefits-antioxidants-085852663.html;_

Live life healthy or just live happy?

By Yahoo! SHE Staff | Yahoo! SHE

It’s not possible to live happy if you’re not healthy. However, there are some people who have equated healthy living with an agonizing life where one eats nothing but oat bran and vegetables. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—if that’s what makes you happy. But if it isn’t, then it’s baffling why you would associate healthy living with that scenario alone.

You have to understand that a healthy life is not exactly a life of deprivation. It only seems that way because—at least in this aspect of our lives—most of us acquire bad habits first before we learn good ones. We learn to enjoy fastfood before we’re told that we’d be candidates for heart attacks if we ate it everyday. We get hooked on the taste of fried food before we find out that feasting on greasy stuff would make us pile on unwanted pounds. We enjoy junk food before we’re told that they’re not really good for us.

It can’t be denied that fried food and chips taste good. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t be craving for them in the first place. But while they may transport us to grease heaven or processed food nirvana each time we munch on them, we have to understand that our bodies will give up on us if they’re all we eat. We all know is. It’s not rocket science.

We admire people who’ve pledged to live healthy lives in every way. They exercise, they only eat organic produce, and they’ve quit junk food. In a perfect world, we’d all have their will to reject all unhealthy temptation. However, this isn’t a perfect world. It’s good to aim for perfection—but it’s best to get real and do commit to a game plan that you can keep up with.

That being said, the general rule is for you to put limitations on—as well as checks and balances for—your so-called bad habits. If you must have fastfood, decide that you would only have twice a week at most. If you like fried food, make sure you only have it every other day. If you crave for junk food, enjoy it only once a week. In addition to eating more fruits and vegetables, you have to get moving. It’s nice to sit back and relax—but being healthy requires “sweat equity” as well. You have to work for it. Walking for an hour each day is a good way to start.

Bottom line: Living healthy doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve signed up for punishment. It only means that you have to be better at controlling your cravings for things that are bad for you. Now, shouldn’t that make you happy?


http://ph.she.yahoo.com/live-life-healthy-or-just-live

The Lord Of The Fork

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think is little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.

LORD OF THE FORK

The "little fox" that I want to address in this article is one that can cause many problems in our lives if indulged in for a long period of time. It is an excess that can cause many maladies. It is over-eating or what the Bible calls gluttony. The over-use of the fork has been the death of many, especially in our country where there is such an abundance of all kinds of food. Also, we are all especially tempted to overeat during the holiday season since partaking of food is a big part of our celebrations. Because we all have to eat every day this little fox can slip in easily.

Proverbs 23:19-21 says "Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags".

With so much emphasis on proper eating and physical exercise here in America, it has caused many to examine their lifestyles. A lot of people have now become out of balance by putting too much emphasis on the physical man while neglecting the spiritual man. The other extreme is to be so spiritually-minded that we neglect our bodies by overeating or lack of exercise. The Lord desires order in this area, as our physical condition, if it is not properly cared for, affects our spiritual condition. We cannot serve the Lord to the fullest if our bodies are run down and tired and not functioning as God designed them to function. The medical world is now recognizing that gluttony is one of the major causes of many of our modern day illnesses. Moderation should be our guide.

Philippians 4:5, "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand".

As Christians we are to realize the emphasis is to be put upon the spiritual man; however, just because we have an understanding of our spiritual position in Christ does not mean we can break His physical laws of health and not suffer the consequences. The spiritual man should always be given top priority as it needs to be in ascendancy. Its influence over the physical man is greater than the physical man's influence over it.We need proper balance between neglecting our bodies and giving them too much attention.

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (I Timothy 4:8).

It is easy to recognize that one of the greatest sins in the United States is gluttony. Food has become the god of millions. Jesus has never been made "Lord of the Fork." The Word of God has much to say about man's eating habits. Many sicknesses that are plaguing mankind stem directly from unhealthy eating habits. How should Christians eat? Are all the so-called health foods the answer to our diet problem? The Word of God not only addresses what is healthy for us to eat, but also the spiritual problems we have in this life. Since the Lord created the human body, He certainly knows what is best for us to eat.

So many have been eating according to the tradition of men instead of seeing what God's Word says about this subject. If we do not eat by the Word of God, our eating habits will be dictated by the patterns of what we have been exposed to in our lifetimes. I will not address the kinds of food we should eat here other than to say that natural foods that are "living foods" (fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, certain meats, and dairy products) are the best for us. The "dead foods" or "junk food" are those that are highly refined and processed and have little nourishment in them.

Daniel and his companions proved the wisdom of eating properly when they refused to eat the King's meat and instead ask for pulse (vegetables and grains) and water to drink for ten days. After that period of time they appeared more healthy than the other servants of the King.

Daniel 1:12-17, "Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat 16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. 17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams".

If we are overweight it came about not suddenly, but rather "little by little". This "little fox" begins adding the pounds before we realize it. Each day we over indulge until we become fat. (I realize some people do have overweight problems that stem from hereditary problems however, these can be overcome too, with help from the Lord.) We can tackle this problem with the Lord's help and He will give us the power to trim down. As we seek the Lord and ask for His help in this area, He will not fail us. He will give us the strength to overcome gluttony or other bad eating habits.

Here are some helps to overcoming weight problems which usually come about through lack of knowledge or lack of discipline or lust for food:

(1). First, repent for yielding to the temptation of lust for food. (Phil 3:19, "Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things".)

(2). Then, submit to God and ask Him for the power to overcome gluttony through His Holy Spirit and resist the devil through prayer and obedience to God. (James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you".)

(3.) Next, ask for God's plan for your weight loss. Allow Him to lead you as to what He wants you to do. He knows your body and He will direct you as to how you are to eat. Ask for a desire for healthy foods and ask Him to remove your cravings for unhealthy foods. (1 John 5:14-15, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him".)

(4.) Daily, thank God for setting you free and do not allow the devil to discourage you by his condemning whispers to your mind. Sometimes the Lord does a quick work at other times it may be slower. Don't be discouraged even if at times it seems slow or you fail occasionally.. Remember, this came "little by little" and it is sometimes more healthy to lose it "little by little" (Losing as little as 2 lbs. a month amounts to 24 lbs. in a year). In the process you will be developing new habits and disciplines that will eventually become established eating patterns. (Romans 8:1-4, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit".)

(5.) Add fasting periodically as the Lord leads. Even fasting one meal or one day a week will help in disciplining your body to be subject to your spirit man. (Matthew 6:17-18, "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly".)

See the teaching on Fasting in the BIBLE ANSWERS link. http://www.bible.com/answers/afasting.html

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's".

May the Lord bless you as you seek Him in this area and make Him the "Lord of the Fork" and overcome this little fox!