Antioxidants and Aging
It is just a matter of time before we all look in the mirror one day and realize how fast our lives have flown by before us. Wouldn’t it be nice to look into that mirror and say to yourself, “Wow. I’m looking and feeling pretty good for my age!” Well, for most of us, there is a way to achieve that feeling of great inner health along with great skin, hair and an overall youthful look, no matter what age.
Do you know the term antioxidant? Antioxidants and youthfulness are like bread and butter – they go hand in hand. They literally stop oxidation in the body, hence the name, anti-oxidants. Oxidation of the cells in the body is what causes aging and disease.
During the aging process, our immune systems slow down and become more susceptible to disease and disorders. If our bodies are not equipped with the correct balance of antioxidants, free radicals (unstable molecules) can attack our cells and eventually wreak havoc on our tissues and organs and ultimately cause aging, tissue damage, and disease. Having an antioxidant advantage within the body will help to slow down the aging process.
Antioxidant Advantage
The term, antioxidant advantage, represents the benefit the body derives from being in a positive state of antioxidants. In other words, if your body has MORE antioxidants than it does free radicals, it is able to fight off the free radical scavengers. This allows the body to stay healthy, strong, youthful, and fight off disease at the cellular level – which is what we want, folks!
Eating nutrient-dense foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, and lean meats, in that order, are the best sources of antioxidants. An easy tip to recognize foods that are abundant in antioxidants = the brighter the color, the more antioxidants. So, yes to the bright orange papaya, yes to the bright red watermelon, yes to the bright green spinach, yes to the bright orange melon, yes to the bright red strawberries, yes to the bright green avocado. I think you get the point? Eat your fruits and veggies!
However, nowadays just eating healthy food sometimes isn’t enough to reach an antioxidant advantage state. In certain cases, we need more antioxidants than we are able to receive solely from our food. Because of our daily exposure to air pollution, water pollution, herbicides, fungicides, other pesticides and because of the depletion of the nutrients in our soil, it is best to supplement your healthy way of eating with a strong multi-vitamin and other supplements that are specific to your individual needs.
No matter what your age is, starting a healthy way of eating today and increasing the antioxidants in your body is going to prove to be a huge advantage for your health – inside and out. Here’s to healthy eating and youthfulness!