Antioxidants and Phytochemicals, Your Body’s Insurance Policy

“I get everything from my food to make me healthy.” Now if you believe this statement, then it is very likely that you have been misinformed.  Even if you follow the USDA guidelines of 5-9 servings of fruit per day (which most of us don’t) you will still likely be missing out on vital nutrients because of the way our foods are grown. 

Having a wide variety of fruits and veggies is essential as well as consciously choosing what have been deemed “superfoods.”    No doubt you have heard a lot about the benefits of green tea, blue berries, red wine and the healthy Europeans, or about some crazy berries from the Himalayas.  Nature has provided us with some real ”power foods” and it is time we started harnessing the benefits of some of these less common but more nutrient dense foods.  I think you will enjoy reading about these extremely important nutritive compounds.

There has been a lot of buzz on this subject in the media and very rightfully so. How is it that it took so long to realize the powerful effect of real whole foods and especially “super foods”?  A reason we have been told all our lives to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables is because of the antioxidants they contain.  Now days because of the poor quality produce grown in nutrient depleted soil, foods are not what they once were.  This is why we need to supplement our diets with other less known but extremely healthy foods for the full vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants they contain.  From this supplementation our bodies can reclaim our abilities to heal, to ward off stress, and to gain the health and clarity we are meant to have.

What is an antioxidant?

The first thing to realize is that a well oxygenated environment is the ultimate friend of a living system. It is a scientific fact that Cancer can not thrive in an oxygenated environment.  The antioxidants are natural components in food that will come in to battle “free radicals.”  The free radicals come in and steal electrons from the healthy cells they come in contact with (including DNA).  With the electron losses the attacked cells get the unwanted oxidation, which makes them unstable and highly breakable mutant like cells.   Some times cell die off will occur and some times these damaged cells will load up in storage areas of your body.  Different levels of stress is created from these conditions.  Stress is the cause of all disease and aging and what might sound small in this case can actually spread very rapidly.  An environment with an inadequate oxygen supply could be considered an ultimate “stress out”.

When you think of the word “oxidize” the first thing many will think of is how metals will oxidize or rust if left to the elements (or from foreign contamination coating).  Our body will oxidize kind of the same way, all the way from cells to our DNA.  Cells become damaged from stress (poor diets, pollution, dehydration, alcohol, pesticides, medications, etc.) in this process and then damage other cells. Then they spread and multiply in a chain reaction and create big work load for the body. When the body can’t keep up with fixing and cleaning up the damaged cells called free radicals, one of the first stages created as a protective mechanism is inflammation.

The inflammation is a natural body process of storing or “buffering” unnatural or harmful cells. Free radicals will start to wreak havoc on your body by storing the overflows of attacked and damaged cells in your joints, on the walls of your blood vessels and more. Essentially your body parts that become affected are prone to arthritus and less elasticity, (such as in your blood vessels) which can lead to heart disease, stroke, cholesterol and coronary problems.  The elasticity of your skin can be a very noticeable symptom.  Ever wonder why some people age so much faster?  Free radicals are a normal part of our bodies but they can get very much out of control with the common modern diet.  To avoid the sources is to stay away from fried foods, hydrogenated oils, and highly refined foods.  Overeating is a large factor and it is also important to avoid meats and animal products that have been cooked at high temperatures. 

Many of the foods with the highest antioxidant amounts have them as protection for survival. The sun’s rays can be damaging to soft and delicate fruits, so they need some protection.  This is where skin thickness and coloring comes in.  If you look at blue berries, goji and acai berries, purple grapes (seeds & skin), you will notice they have some of the highest amounts of antioxidants.  Foods that grow near the equator that are exposed to more sun will often times have more of these protecting antioxidants than most other fruits.

The reason why science and medicine is really getting behind this “natural” healing method is because we finally have equipment that measures these antioxidants.  It is what is called the ORAC value of a food, or Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity.  This measurement is undeniably a major tool for essentially measuring one part of a food’s healthiness (the food’s ability to attack free radicals).  This is not a fad, or hype but this is real quantifiable stuff.  If you are not regularly getting good doseges of antioxidants, you are robbing your body of its right to repair properly.  Our bodies have a real tough time keeping up in modern times and with our diets.  That is why we should take natural food supplements, and why we should be focusing on preventive medicine.  Taking care in advance is your best insurance policy.

70+% of people in this country are not getting the USDA’s recommended 5-9 servings of fruit per day.  Even if one does get the fruit servings it does not mean they are getting enough antioxidants to fight what has become a real battle ground in our bodies.  Even if you eat lots of grapes you probably aren’t eating the seeds inside them.  Our depleted soil has created a food supply of 40% fewer nutrients that even the foods of 50 years ago.  Most of our grocery stores have industrial grown, easy to ship, control, store, and gas ripen foods to sell for the most profit.  Believe me, they pay no attention to what are the healthiest produce for our downward spiraling, diseased nation.  We often don’t have a great selection of ripe and healthy fruits at the store and we miss out on nutrients from other sources that aren’t regularly talked about. 

All fruits have unique, important, and different values and we need a good variety of them to combat what we now face.  There are many different kinds of antioxidants out there, all with different health properties.  A few names you may be familiar with are Vitamin C, E, Beta-Carotene, Lycopene.  The lesser known but some very helpful ones are Anthocyanins, Polyphenols, Bioflavonoids, and Quercetin.

The Need for Antioxidants

-They will help the bodies immune system, energy and glucose levels, which in turn will kick in the ability to feel healthier.  This will affect other choices such as exercise and food desires.  This can lead to weight loss, and I think you probably see the circle here.
-They will help combat the free radicals that cause many diseases such as Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Arthritis, Lupus, and more.
-They will help slow down the body’s aging process by helping with the healing process.  I am trying to keep this blog entry somewhat short so we won’t break that down too far.  All body systems will benefit from clean air, clean blood, clear mind, and a healthier drive in life.

Reason why boosting your antioxidant intake is important

-Many of the super foods used are not at our restaurants or part of common recipes in our American diet.

-The fresh fruits with many of the highest amounts usually aren’t sold at the grocery store.  The shelf life of these foods would make them extremely expensive to ship and maintain.

-The fresh foods with the highest amounts often are bitter or don’t taste good.

-Most of the antioxidants are located in the seeds and skin of fruits, and would not be considered enjoyable to chew or snack on.

-Supplements are quick and easy, something we Americans like.  

-Good whole food supplements can give you a real bang for your buck, saving you money, and saving on medical bills.

—See what they can do for you in your life!!!—

I use the term “supplement” loosely in this article and I want to stress that I am not a big fan of taking a lot of supplements / vitamins in pill form.  The most beneficial way to get your antioxidants is from foods.  We are now promoting an antioxidant booster of the highest quality.  One that is made strictly from food, freeze dried at low temperatures.  The products hold an abundance of nutrient dense fruits and vegetables in powder form.  They don’t use isolated or sythentic elements like in many other “supplements” that your body may not recognize or know what to do with.  The mixes are as close to fresh squeezed juice as you can get.  And they save you the hassle of trying to obtain a variety of fresh ripened foods (and save you clean up time). 

In this powder form you even get to keep the fiber, pulp, skin, and other components left out of normal juicing.  Just add water or juice and drink.  This is strictly whole food, super foods folks, which your body easily recognizes and absorbs.  For 100% raw acai berries click here and click on the berries below to find out more about the wonderful URI superfood powders.  Get the powerful energy of nature back into your body system with URI whole food products!