Antioxidants and diet
Antioxidants play an important part in the diet, fighting a variety of illnesses, including some kinds of cancer, age related degeneration and heart disease.
You could be forgiven for thinking that antioxidant vitamins are things that come in pills, powders and capsules. The marketing of antioxidant vitamin supplements, such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E, is intense and relentless. While vitamin supplements can be helpful, however, the majority of antioxidant vitamins should come from food, not from vitamin supplements.
It is important to understand how antioxidant vitamins work to protect the body from harm. Antioxidants work by combining with and neutralizing harmful elements known collectively as free radicals. Free radicals are produced naturally by the body, as a consequence of a number of natural bodily processes. Most of the time, the body is able to neutralize and eliminate these free radicals on its own.
However, stresses such as environmental pollution, a weakened immune system, UV radiation and alcohol consumption can lower the body’s ability to fight these free radicals.
Are you drinking enough water?
Water makes up 98% percent of our body, and without this life-giving fluid, you and I would not survive.
The human body can survive for up to 3 weeks on water alone - but try surviving without water and you might last 4 to 5 days. It’s a truly amazing and health sustaining fluid, and it’s just water.
What do we get from water, that our body must have, and can’t live without?
It’s the benefit of the fluidity of water, and what it does for our bodies, that is the most important part.
All of our bodily functions rely on the cells in our bloodstream to supply them the nutrients and minerals that they need to carry out those vital functions.
How do our cells achieve that end?
They absorb the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients we take in during our digestive process. But they also absorb water, or liquid fluids that are a product in direct water intake or the digestive process, but either way, water must be a part of the formula.
Choosing the best meat for healthy eating
Choosing the right meat and poultry products can be one of the most difficult parts of cooking and eating for better health. Meat, seafood and poultry are important sources of protein, iron, vitamins and minerals, but they are often laden with undesirable qualities such as saturated fat and cholesterol as well. Choosing the best, leanest cuts of meat is important to any health conscious shopper.
One of the most important things to know when choosing meat, seafood and poultry products is that less is often more. That means buying meat, seafood and poultry products that have been processed as little as possible. The past few years have seen quite a jump in the number of convenience foods, but these foods are often much less healthy than their fresh meat counterparts.
This is because foods that are frozen, microwavable or ready to eat often contain large amounts of sodium, often more than you need in several days. While it’s fine to keep a couple of these convenience foods on hand for quick meals, they cannot form the basis of a healthy eating lifestyle.
On the other hand fresh meat, seafood and poultry do not suffer from the need to add sodium or preservatives. Buying fresh meats and seafood, and preparing it yourself, is the best way to have confidence in the nutritional quality of the food you feed your family.
Healthy eating tips
Everyone knows the importance of a diet rich in healthy fruits and vegetables. Most people do not eat enough of these important foodstuffs, and increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is probably the single most effective thing you can do to improve your overall health.
Eating enough fruits and vegetables does not need to be chore. After all, fruits and vegetables are delicious, easy to buy and easy to use.
In addition, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants, which are though to play an important role in maintaining good health. Antioxidants have been studied for their effectiveness at preventing cancer, heart disease and even reversing the signs of aging.
Fruits and vegetables are also excellent source of trace elements and other micronutrients. These important elements are not available in any vitamin pill; they must be obtained from the daily diet.
Weight management
The perfect diet should be combined with a healthy weight management or activity program.
Weight management may conjure up that dreaded exercise word. And exercise to some means pushing the body beyond limits, experiencing painful in joints, muscles, bones everywhere. No pain no gain, right?
Wrong.
Instead, replace the word exercise with activity and incorporate this in your daily routine. And a general rule of thumb for guidelines about activity would be to strive for a minimum of 30 minutes for adults or 60 minutes for children of moderate physical activity daily.
Individual activity goals depend upon each person’s health and weight goals and issues.
Begin by checking with your medical advisor or healthcare physician to get a green light on which activities would be suitable for you, what your target weight range should be and a strategic plan to improve your health.