Everyone has heard the news about antioxidants and their importance to good health and proper nutrition. Hence, it seems the more scientists learn about antioxidants, the more their value and potential increases.  Antioxidants have shown promise in everything from preventing heart disease to slowing the degeneration of the eyes and brain. 

Chiefly, antioxidants work in a fairly straightforward way.   What makes them so effective? It is their ability to neutralize a group of highly reactive, highly destructive compounds known as free radicals.

Free Radicals

The production of free radicals is a normal bodily process, and it is part of the process of breathing and living.  Free radicals are normally neutralized by the body’s natural defense system, rendering them harmless.  However, anything that weakens the body’s natural defenses weakens its ability to fight off these free radicals.  Notably, those weakening agents include environmental pollution, excess UV radiation and even excessive consumption of alcohol. 

When free radicals are not properly neutralized, the body is left open to damage.  Consequently, free radicals can damage the structure and function of cells in the body. Moreover, recent evidence suggest that free radicals contribute to the aging process. It may also play a role in a great many illnesses, including cancer and heart disease.

Antioxidants

While vitamin supplements containing antioxidants such as vitamin C can be important, there is no substitute for a healthy diet.  It is estimated that foods contain more than 4,000 compounds that have antioxidant qualities.  Therefore eating a healthy diet is the only way to take advantage of these antioxidant properties.  In addition to the well known antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E; healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains also contain lots of lesser antioxidants.  In fact scientists are only now discovering the important role these lesser known antioxidants have in keeping the body healthy.

Let’s examine some of the dietary sources for the major antioxidant vitamins.

Vitamin C

In essence Vitamin C is probably the most studied of all the antioxidant vitamins.  Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin found in all bodily fluids. The body’s first line of defense against infection and disease is? You guessed it right, Vitamin C.  Since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, it is not stored and must be consumed in adequate quantities every day.  Good dietary sources of vitamin C include; citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, green peppers, broccoli and other green leafy vegetables, strawberries, cabbage and potatoes.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver and other tissues.  It has been studied for its effects on everything. From delaying the aging process to healing a sunburn.  While vitamin E is not a miracle worker, it is an important antioxidant. Therefore it is important that a diet contain sufficient amounts of vitamin E.  Good dietary sources of this important nutrient include; wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetable oil, fish liver oil and green leafy veggies.

Beta-carotene

Beta-carotene is the nutrient that gives flamingos their distinctive pink color (they get it from the shrimp they eat).  In the human world, beta-carotene is the most widely studied of over 600 carotenoids that have thus far been discovered.  The role of beta-carotene in nature is to protect the skins of dark green, yellow and orange fruits from the damaging effects of solar radiation.  Scientists believe that beta-carotene plays a similar protective role in the human body.  Sources of beta-carotene in the diet include such foods as; carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, collard greens, kale, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots.

Selenium

Selenium is one of the most important minerals in a healthy diet. It has been studied for its ability to prevent cell damage.  Scientists see this ability to protect cells from damage as possibly important in the prevention of cancer. Thus it is being studied for possible cancer preventative properties.  It is important to get the selenium you need from your diet. Large doses of selenium supplements can be toxic.  Fortunately, a healthy diet easily contains selenium.  Good sources of dietary selenium include; fish and shellfish, red meat, whole grains, poultry and eggs, and garlic.  Vegetables grown in selenium rich soils are also good sources of dietary selenium.

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The post Noteworthy: Antioxidants In The Diet And Its Importance appeared first on Fitness Fitting.

Starting out on any project is hard. With goal setting, almost every individual is like that; it is always hard to begin with a certain activity. Ever wondered why it’s always like this when starting out?

While it may be hard for certain individuals, for some it’s really easy to start something new, but the problem is they can’t finish it. It is a well-known fact that many individuals are able to start a certain activity. But as they go along with it, they often find themselves taking a different course. Some say that it is a basic human nature to often put off what they can do today for tomorrow. The fact is this, with goal setting it is also true with health, fitness, and diet.

If by nature humans are like that, then prove to them that they are wrong. Start pursuing your dreams of attaining a healthy and fit state. You have to do your best to pursue any activity that you begin and make sure that you stay on track. When it comes to your health, fitness, and diet regimen, you shouldn’t settle for anything less.

The best way is to set your intended goals. Be certain that your goals are realizable, attainable and realistic. Don’t go for unrealistic ones because you won’t get anywhere and it’s far too out of reach. Identify your health, fitness, and diet needs, and after doing so, set your goals right away. Try to make goals only for yourself, especially if you’re just starting out with this kind of activity.

Some people want to get in the best shape, all muscular and strong. However, in order to succeed you must have the right drive. Get the motivation you need. Tell your family and friends that you’re finally starting to live a healthy and fit life. That includes having a healthy diet. If they realize you’re doing a really tough job, then they will make it a point to encourage you. This in turn will boost your energy level and morale. You’ll stay the course through your intended set of goals.

When you say diet, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to skip meals or eat very little. By choosing the healthy food items and eating them in moderate amounts, you already have a healthy diet. If you’re obese, you’re more prone to certain health problems that can give you a lot of headache in the long run; but that doesn’t leave you with the option of getting too skinny. You’re bound to suffer from certain health illnesses too. The secret is to just stay in shape, all healthy and fit.

It goes to show that health, fitness, and diet are all intertwined. If one of the three is absent, you can’t achieve your goal. Good fitness exercises and a healthy diet are two important things that you should consider.

If you have no idea what fitness exercises are, then do a little research in the library or on the Internet. You can get a list of fitness exercises that suits you best, and how to properly perform them. Another thing, you can get copies of healthy recipes in case you’re not used to eating a healthy diet.

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