Eat and Drink Yourself Younger: Antioxidant Foods and Beverages You Can Easily Add to Your Diet

Want to protect the cells of your body from free radical damage?

Eat and drink more antioxidants.

Foods and beverages that are high in antioxidants may improve cardiovascular health.

Some say you can even “eat yourself younger” when you incorporate certain delicious

foods and drinks into your daily diet.

“Want to protect the cells of your

body from free radical damage?

Eat and drink more antioxidants.”

What are free radicals and what do they do?

As mentioned above, antioxidants reduce the dangers of free radicals.

What are free radicals, you ask?

Good question.

For the answer, we turn to the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland.

Free radicals are molecules that the human body produces in response to certain irritants

such as tobacco smoke, air pollution and radiation.

Exposure to sunlight can also trigger the production of free radicals.

They’re not necessarily bad things, but in excess, free radicals can contribute to heart disease,

cancer, macular degeneration, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cataracts

and other health problems.

“When too many free radicals are

produced, a condition known

as oxidative stress occurs.”

Free radicals in the right amounts are beneficial to the body.

When too many free radicals are produced, however, a condition known as oxidative stress occurs.

Cell damage, tissue breakdown and DNA damage are typical issues associated with oxidative stress,

says The Today Show.

Red wine

If you’ve heard that drinking a glass of red wine every day can improve your health, believe it.

The combination of alcohol and a substance called resveratrol may combine to increase blood

levels of so-called “good” or HDL cholesterol.

When this happens, healthier arteries and a happier heart are the result.

Mayo Clinic also reminds readers that a moderate amount of red wine may serve to reduce the

risk of inflammation and prevent blood clotting problems.

The resveratrol found in red wine derives from grape skins.

Due to the fact that red wine is fermented with grape skins intact for a longer period of time than

white wine, red wine delivers a far bigger dose of antioxidant resveratrol.

Grape juice may provide many of the same benefits.

Foods that are rich in antioxidants

Instead of reaching for a supplement, head to the refrigerator.

Livestrong says that whole foods are generally superior to antioxidants delivered as pills

and potions.

What you need are foods and beverages that are high in vitamins A, C and E, as well as

carotenoids, lycopene, lutein, tannins, phenols and lignans.

As a free added benefit, most antioxidant foods, especially darkly-colored veggies, are high

in fiber and free of fat.

Fruits, vegetables and green tea deliver a dose of powerful antioxidants to ward off heart

disease, cancer and other health disasters.

Likewise with delicious dark chocolate and red wine.

When selecting fruits and veggies, go for ones that have a lot of color.

Deep red beets, dark purple plums, and brightly colored tangerines offer a remarkable

amount of antioxidant action and are quite tasty, too.

Ruby red tomatoes, bright blueberries, sweet summertime strawberries are good choices.

Aim for 1 ½ to 2 cups of antioxidant rich fruits and around 3 cups per days of colorful,

antioxidant vegetables.

Green tea is another delicious source of health-improving antioxidants.

One of our favorites is a Japanese-style powdered tea called “matcha.”

When a cup or two is ingested daily, a number of health improvements may occur.

Proponents of matcha tea say that it helps to burn calories while boosting vitality and

facilitating concentration.

Matcha Green Tea Powder Antioxidant on Amazon may be taken as afternoon tea, or

it can be added to smoothies, lattes and baked goods.

“Everyone can benefit mightily by the

addition of fruits, berries, nuts,

vegetables and whole grains to

their daily menu.”

Add life to your years with antioxidants

We’ve never met a berry that wasn’t chock-full of antioxidants.

For this reason, adding a handful of fresh blueberries to your morning oatmeal can do

wonderful things for your heart and immune system.

Stone fruits such as peaches, apricots and plums are health boosters and taste great, too.

Once you get into the good habit of eating plant-based foods in a rainbow of colors, you’re

sure to reap the health benefits.

This doesn’t mean you have to go vegan.

While that’s a good option for some people, the fact is everyone can benefit mightily by

the addition of fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables and whole grains to their daily menu.

“A yam a day keeps

the doctor away”

“A yam a day keeps the doctor away” could well become the newest health motto.

The bright orange flesh of this tasty tuber is one of the easiest –and most delicious–

ways to ramp up your health score.

Tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, kiwi and passion fruit also pack a powerful

antioxidant punch.

About the Author
Eve Morgan loves to come up with nutritious meals for her family and takes a keen interest in living a healthy lifestyle, even more so since she started growing some of her own vegetables. She writes about food and nutrition in her articles which you’ll find on a vast selection of blogs.

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