oxidant / antioxidant

you'll hear the word antioxidant thrown around a lot in the healthy world. but plenty of us do not really truly understand it nor do we know what antioxidants actually fight.

i suppose the best place to start would be to explain oxidation.

oxidation occurs when oxygen interacts with your cells. think of an apple - when left sliced and in open air, it changes and turns brown. well, the same things happen to your cells when they interact with oxygen; some cells change and some get damaged. eventually they die off. but don't be alarmed oxidation is a natural process and fresh new cells are always around to replace dead ones.

so what's the problem?

well, from time to time, some damaged cells turn into what is called "free radical" . that's another term people do not understand. free radicals are quite vicious. they're missing molecules and in turn will start damaging healthy cells to rob them of the molecules they need. however, free radicals can injure cells. injured cells harm DNA. harmed DNA results in abnormal cellular growth. and then it all goes south from there.

enter antioxidants!

lucky for us, plenty of fruits and vegetables help to prevent and offset the damage caused by free radicals. antioxidants can either stop the start of the free radical chain reaction, or stop it after its started.

there are several types of antioxidants: vitamin c and vitamin e are names you're probably most familiar with but there is also flavonoids and polyphenols - which can all be found in food and drink. by adding berries to your morning cereal or oatmeal to a cup of green tea daily, you're fighting free radical damage with their antioxidant capabilities.

i repeat: fruits and vegetables are the best way to get a diet rich in antioxidants. it is recommended that everyone receives 5 servings daily as a minimum but 7 to 10 servings will do your body best! add strawberries to your yogurt in the morning; add lettuce and tomatoes to a boring turkey and swiss sandwich, or have a bowl of berries topped with whip cream for dessert. there are plenty of ways to incoporate fruits and veggies!

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