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Everyone wants to either stay young, or grow old gracefully. Whilst some opt to go under the knife to get that youthful look, others choose a more natural way to maintain a healthy glow.
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The second of these choices is to make peace with age by choosing the types of foods that we eat to make the most of the miracle ingredient they contain.
And this hidden, “miracle” ingredient?….. Antioxidants.
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Antioxidants have graced the pages of magazines, medical journals and every product from hand cream to supplement pills. But what are antioxidants and what can they do to keep you looking your best?
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Antioxidants are substances that fight the aging process that has been going on on in your body from the day you were born! They are not produced by the body, so to get the benefit of these power-packed substances you must ingest them.
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Let’s go back to the beginning. Your body continually repairs and replaces its cells through a process called cellular metabolism. One by-product of cellular metabolism is unstable molecules called free radicals.
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Free radicals are molecules that damage your body. They are unstable because they are missing an electron. To get another one and become stable, free radicals will steal electrons from cells. That theft damages these cells in a variety of ways.
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Free radicals can enter your body from outside sources such as cigarette smoke, smog, radiation and the sun’s UV rays. The more free radicals we encounter, the greater the damage that can be done.
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The results are visible and invisible changes to our bodies. The development of diseases like cancer, diabetes, arthritis and neurological deficiencies may begin to affect you as you age. Also, thinner skin, wrinkles and brittle bones are a problem.
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Antioxidants have been shown to be of great help in reducing the free radical problem. Antioxidant substances act as “sacrificial lambs” by combining with free radicals and neutralizing them. Once they are neutralized, they can no longer do any damage.
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Scientists don’t, yet, have any idea of a recommended daily dose of antioxidants to correct free radical damage and the diseases that come with age, but they do know that eating foods rich in antioxidants can make a huge difference.
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Where do you find antioxidants? They are all around us. Look no further than your local farmer’s market or produce aisle in the grocery store. Fruits and vegetables contain the principle sources of antioxidants.
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Examples of antioxidants include:
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* Vitamin C
* Vitamin A
* Vitamin E
* Lutein
* Lycopene
* Beta-carotene
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Certain minerals like zinc and selenium also help with free radical problems in the body. They are not antioxidants but they boost the immune system to fight against free radical damage.
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Antioxidants are also found in nuts, legumes, cold water fish, seafood and red meat. So, eating a varied diet of fruits, vegetables and the foods just named will increase the amount of antioxidants in your system and help reduce the incidence of disease.
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Eating fruits and vegetables in their natural form instead of juices brings the benefit of other nutrients found in the foods – plus, juices also contain a lot of sugar that is not needed by your body.
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Food does more than stave off hunger. Natural substances, such as antioxidants, found there can help us to stay young, live longer and remain free of disease as we age.
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