Friday I told you about boosting your immune system through strengthening your digestive tract. Today we are continuing the topic of immunity with antioxidants. What are they and why do we need them to stay healthy?
According to Wikipedia; An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When the chain reaction occurs in a cell, it can cause damage or death to the cell. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions. They do this by being oxidized themselves, so antioxidants are often reducing agents such as thiols, ascorbic acid, or polyphenols.
Simply put, antioxidants protect our cells from being destroyed by oxidation. We can’t fight off illness and disease with weak cell structures. Therefore we want to have as many foods that are high in antioxidants in our daily diet as possible to stay healthy. Below I will list the foods highest in antioxidants. The foods marked with an * are the ones I use most.
Legumes:
Small red kidney beans
Pinto beans
Nuts*
Fruits:
Elderberries*
Wild blueberries*
Cranberries*
Blueberries
Red delicious apples
Granny smith apples*
Purple, red and green grapes*
Vegetables:
Artichokes (cooked)
Kale*
Broccoli*
Red cabbage*
Red beets
Russet potatoes
Red and green bell peppers*
Herbs and Spices:
Cloves
Cinnamon*
Oregano*
Thyme
Rosemary
Saffron
Sage*
Beverages:
Black and green teas*
Coffee*
Roasted ground coco beans*
Please feel free to use this list to stock your kitchen with healthy foods that will keep you feeling zippy, when everyone else is dragging behind. Xoxo
