Why We Need More Sleep

Sleep, Hormones and Weight

My only new year’s resolution is to get MORE sleep each night.  I average about 5-6 hours per night now – and I know that this is not enough!  We should be getting 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep each night.  I've been trained to read and analyze clinical studies, so I've been reading studies on sleep, hormone balance and weight.  Maybe, when I see scientific proof with my own eyes, I will be able to make myself get more sleep!  Nearly 2/3 of American’s aren't getting enough sleep during a typically week. 

Today, more than 30% of adult men and women are sleeping less than 6 hours per night.  Numerous studies have been and are being conducted that link less sleep to increased weight.  Many hormones are affected by sleep duration and sleep plays an important role in our energy balance.

Lack of sleep decreased activity in our brain’s frontal lobe.  The frontal lobe is responsible for decision making and impulse control

Lack of sleep increases our brain’s reward centers – setting us up to look for something that feels good.  For example, craving comfort foods and carbs.

A consistent bedtime and consistent wake time are associated with lower body fat percentages.

Quality of sleep is important for body composition.

Less than 6.5 or more than 8.5 hours of sleep per night is associated with higher body fat.

Many hormones are impacted from insufficient sleep.

The 2 main hormones impacted by sleep are our hunger and fullness hormones.  Ghrelin is the hormone that signals our brain that it’s time to eat.  Leptin is the hormone that signals our brain that we are full.  When we are sleep deprived, our bodies make more ghrelin and less leptin.  So it is no wonder that sleep deprivation leads to overeating and extra pounds.

Chronic insufficient sleep keeps our bodies under stress – and increased stress leads to an increase in the stress hormone cortisol.  Excess cortisol tells your body to conserve energy thus lowering your metabolism, storing fat, increasing appetite and increasing sugar cravings.

Another effect of sleep deprivation relates to insulin.  Our bodies aren't able to respond to insulin (also a hormone) as effectively as we should, insulin resistance.  Insulin is needed to change sugar, starches and other foods into energy.  Our bodies end up storing fats from our bloodstream as actual fat when we can’t respond to insulin as we should.

Tips for higher quality of sleep include exercising regularly, keeping temperature in your room cool, having a quiet room, having a dark room, not using our beds to work or read, turning off all electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime and no caffeine after 2 pm.

Believe in Yourself

So, I told everyone that I had not planned to bake Christmas cookies this year because they didn’t fit into my nutrition goals that I’ve set for myself.  But the family talked me into it – and I knew that it wouldn’t be pretty for me or my goals…and I’ve eaten more than I should have.  I knew that this would happen because I have a horrible sweet tooth that I constantly have to control.  And I’m able to keep it in check by drinking Shakeology every day and not buying sweets.  But when sweets are in the house I will eat them – and these cookies are in my house. 

So now I’m not feeling great because I’ve eaten too many cookies and not enough vegetables over the holiday week.  And now I’m reminding myself that it’s OK to fail every now and then.

I’ve created this list of motivational guidelines that are helping me to overcome obstacles and helping me succeed.

• Believe in yourself
• You can accomplish your goals.
• You are worth it - you are worth taking care of yourself.
• Learn and teach yourself about nutrition
• Better nutrition is the key to reaching your goal weight or your ideal body shape.
• Decide to make a change and commit with no excuses.
• Every small step in the right direction is one step closer to your goal.
• Make that decision and stick with it.
• Write your specific goals and give yourself deadlines.
• Think about your goals and write down each small step that you need to accomplish to reach your larger goal.
• One step at the time.  Large goals are easier to accomplish when they are broken down into smaller goals.
• Be proud of any and every positive change that you make.
• Every little positive change is a change in the right direction.
• Be proud of every positive change that you are able to make, no matter how small it may seem.
• Surround yourself with people who support your goals and motivate you.
• Supportive people help to encourage and lift one another higher.
• Surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed.
• Motivate each other - provide support to each other.
• Tell your mind to get out of your body's way - you can do it.
• Our minds will fail us long before our body physically fails.
• Believe that you can and you WILL!
• Don't compare yourself to others.
• We all start somewhere.
• We can all be successful and FEEL successful at every point in out journey.
• Find exercise programs that you enjoy - you're more likely to do this every day.
• Make fitness part of your everyday life - make it a habit.
• Let your fear motivate you to succeed.
• Fear can cripple us - do not allow fear to stop you from achieving your goals.
• Don't let a small set-back derail your entire goal.
• No one is perfect - no one sticks to their meal plan and exercise plan every single day.  We all have "off" days when we can't or don't stick to our plan.
• Don't let a couple "off" days stop you from working towards your goals.
• Accept the day, forgive yourself and do better the next day.

Strategies to Help Curb Cravings over the Holidays

No matter what our dietary enemy is, we can count on it being near us during the Christmas season!  We’ve survived all the Halloween candy and all the Thanksgiving foods – so we CAN survive Christmas without setting ourselves back 15 steps!

Here are a few strategies to help us manage cravings, either sweet cravings, salty cravings, or just any craving in general:

1.   Keep the enemy out of the house and out of the office!  If we don’t see it we will be less likely to think about it.  I don’t know about you guys and how your cravings are – but I work at CVS – the candy capital of the world – and I see my cravings all day long!  One thing that I do that helps tremendously is not buying any junk or candy at the grocery store or my store – it doesn’t come in the house and isn’t here for me to think about.

2.   Have a protein shake for breakfast.  This will keep you full for hours and starts your day off on the right foot.  I have Shakeology EVERY DAY to start my day with a healthy dose of nutrition and protein.  It’s full of protein and I add fruit to the shake for my complex carb component – this is nutrition that sticks with me through the morning.  And it’s FAST, making it easy for me to have breakfast.

3.   Eat stabilizing foods.  Keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady all day with lean protein, healthy fats, slow-release high fiber carbs (whole grains, fruits/veggies & beans) and leafy veggies. 

4.   Eat by the clock – don’t skip meals or space them too far apart.  Try to eat breakfast, and then eat at least every 4 to 6 hours. 

5.   Write everything down – keep track of what you’re eating.  If you see it on paper, you are more likely to behave.

6.   Substitute some of your favorite foods with healthier versions.  Eat sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.  Use cauliflower to make mashed “potatoes” instead of white potatoes.  Use quinoa instead of rice.

7.   It’s ok to have a COUPLE bites of whatever it is that you are craving.  Satisfy the craving and move on.

8.   Get enough sleep!  Lack of sleep raises your hunger hormone, gherlin, and decreases your leptin hormone.  Leptin is responsible for making you feel full.  When these 2 hormones are out of balance, you will have more cravings.

9.   Exercise!  Burn more calories to make up for extra that you might eat. 

The Day My Body Failed Me

You know what they say: Your mind gives out long before your body does.  Not today my friend, not today.  My body gave out when my mind wanted to push harder.  I’ll explain…I’ve been working out with PiYo since it was released in June and I’ve gained strength physically and mentally over the last 6 months.  This program has taught me to believe in myself and my own abilities. 

Today, I woke up feeling a little tired and lacking energy, but I decided to push play and go for it.  And I even chose the longest PiYo workout that I have.  This was where I set myself up…not for failure…but for a test.  I realize now that I wanted to test myself and my abilities – I just didn’t think about that being what I was doing when I chose the workout.

I made it through about 20 minutes when it happened.  I was in down dog with an open hip (my PiYo friends understand this…but just know it’s HARD).  This is when my body physical quit on me, my arms and legs were shaking, I held it as long as I could, then finally my legs and arms just collapsed under me and I fell to the ground.  The old me would have been completely upset and mad at myself.  But do you know what happened?  I wasn’t mad at all – I felt great!  I knew that I had pushed as hard as I could and failed.  It is in failure that we find courage and can grow.  So, I picked myself up, caught my breath and started again.  I did fast forward past the burpees (there was no way that I could physically do those!).  BUT even though I skipped some of the workout, I pushed through my exhaustion and finished the workout.

When I finished, it didn’t bother me that I skipped some of it, I just knew that I finished.  This is what mattered.  I have a goal to become healthier and take better care of myself.  And today I am one step closer to that goal.  I am finally at the place where I can fail and not be upset with myself or feel defeated.  Admitting failure does not mean you admit defeat.  It is very much the opposite.  Admitting failure allows you to know that you pushed yourself to your limits.  This allows you to create more goals and to push yourself harder each time.  Because each time you fail, you grow and get stronger.  You develop physical strength, but more importantly, you develop emotional strength.

How to Boost Your Immune System

Winter is upon us as well as cold and flu season.  With the cooler weather, germs spread more easily because we are cooped up indoors more.  This causes us to be in contact with more bacteria and viruses.  We can help to boost our immune systems and allow our “natural army” to defend our bodies against bacteria and viruses.  Our immune systems are complicated.  Because there are so many cells involved in the immune response, it is difficult to study scientifically and prove results.  But the medical community agrees that there are positive links between a healthy lifestyle and a stronger immune system.

The first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle.  A truly healthy lifestyle allows our immune system to function more effectively.

Here are a few healthy lifestyle choices:

·        Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low in saturated fat.  A healthy, well-balanced diet will nourish our bodies and help our bodies function at peak levels.

·        Exercise regularly

·        Maintain a healthy weight

·        Control your blood pressure

·        If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation

·        Get adequate sleep

·        Reduce stress

·        Wash your hands frequently/use hand sanitizer and clean surfaces that you touch frequently

·        Don’t smoke

Stress and Our Immune System

There is a link between both types of stress and our immune systems; either can have negative effects on our bodies.  One type of stress is physical stress.  Examples of physical stressors towards our bodies are lack of exercise, lack of sleep, obesity, chronic pain, physical injury, chronic illness.  The other type of stress is psychological or emotional stress.  This can be anything that emotionally causes you to feel stressed or anxious, either short-term or long-term.  Any of these stressors can cause every system in our bodies to perform at lower levels.  And stress causes excessive cortisol levels in our bodies – cortisol is the “stress hormone”.  Excessive cortisol levels will weaken our immune systems.

How can we lower stress?

1.  Regular physical activity can help to “burn up” excess cortisol levels

2.  Meditation – simply taking about 10 deep breaths will help you body and brain relax, lower heart rate, lower blood pressure and decrease cortisol.

3.  Laughter reduces cortisol levels

4.  Listening to music can lower cortisol levels.

Exercise and our Immune System

Regular exercise is a necessity for healthy living.  It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight and keeps our immune systems functioning at peak levels.  Exercise also promotes good circulation, which allows the cells of the immune system to move through the body more efficiently and function more efficiently.

Probiotics and our Immune System

Prebiotics act as the “food” that fuels the growth of probiotics (the good bacteria) that are naturally found in our intestines.  Probiotics help our bodies absorb nutrients and minerals and help keep our digestive system functioning properly.  Probiotics improve intestinal function and help with digestion.

About 70% of the cells that make up our immune system are found in the wall of our intestines.  Supplementing the amount of probiotics in our intestines helps to boost our immune system’s ability to stay healthy and fight infection.  The good bacteria challenge our immune system to keep it strong.

Over the Counter Products and Immune Systems

As a pharmacist, I have questions from patients every day about how to boost immune systems to prevent and treat colds and flu.  We have so many products marketed as immune boosters and it can be confusing for patients.  Scientific evidence is not concrete but some benefit has been shown with a few products.  Products such as zinc and vitamin C have the most evidence supporting their use as immune boosters.  They are used to prevent sickness and lessen the severity of sickness.

**How do I stay healthy?  I’m in contact every day with patients who are sick and I cannot remember the last time that I was sick.  I wash my hands all day long and clean surfaces that people come into contact with.  I only use my own pens to write with and I keep my phones clean with sanitizing wipes.  I exercise regularly.  I eat healthy to nourish my body and support it’s functioning.  I also drink Shakeology EVERY DAY to ensure that I am providing my body with dense nutrition, vitamins, minerals and probiotics.

Healthy Granola

I love granola – but most of it contains too much sugar and fats.  It’s usually pretty easy to make adjustments in a recipe to make it healthier.   So, I adjusted my favorite recipe to decrease the sugar content and I used a healthier fat.  Then I added in more nuts.

Here’s what I did:  

1. The original recipe called for vegetable oil – I used coconut oil instead. 

2. The original recipe called for ½ cup brown sugar – I decreased that to only 1 tablespoon.  

3. The original recipe called for ½ cup honey – I decreased that to ¼ cup honey.   

4. The original recipe called for only pecans – I used pecans, cashews and sunflower seeds. 

    (Almonds, flaxseed or coconut flakes would  be good too)

These 4 changes make the recipe much healthier.  Even with less sugar, the granola is still sweet.

Healthy Granola Recipe

Preheat oven to 250.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  (I use only 1 baking sheet so that I can press the granola together and have larger chunks)

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 cups chopped nuts/seeds (pecans, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup raw coconut oil,  melted

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

*Can add dried fruit such as raisins after baking

1. In large bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and salt

2. Add chopped nuts/seeds and oats to mixture, stir to combine well and coat oats evenly

3. Spread evenly onto 1 or 2 baking sheets

4. Bake for 60-70 minutes, stirring twice during baking.

*Cool completely on pan before storing in airtight container.

Health Benefits of Water

We all know that it is important to drink water every day – but you might not realize all of the benefits that water has on our bodies.  Our bodies are composed of about 60% water.  The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients and maintenance of body temperature.

Benefits of water

1.   Helps to maintain healthy body weight by helping organs function properly thus increasing metabolism.  Water also reduces hunger – why wouldn't you drink more water – it’s a natural appetite suppressant.  Water also helps keep our metabolism functioning at its best.

2.  Increased water leads to increased energy levels.  The most common cause of daytime fatigue and weakness is mild dehydration.

3. Water is essential for our bodies to digest foods and prevents constipation.  I counsel many patients at the pharmacy about the link between dehydration and constipation.  We should all strive to drink more water.

4. Water naturally moisturizes our skin by hydrating skin cells and plumping them up.  Water helps to flush impurities and improves blood flow helping skin to glow.

5. 70%-80% of our brain tissue is water.  If you are dehydrated, your body and mind are put under internal stress which can lead to lack of concentration and feeling foggy.

6. Water helps to build muscle tone.  Drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping lubricates joints and aids in muscle recovery.  Water helps to keep muscles more elastic.  When our cells don’t contain the correct balance of fluids and electrolytes, the cells shrivel which can lead to muscle fatigue.

7. Dehydration can lead to headaches – even mild dehydration can contribute to a headache.

8. Water supports kidney and liver function allowing these organs to flush toxins from body. 

9. Water helps carry nutrients and oxygen to cells within the body.

10. Water helps with fluid retention – more water helps the body rid itself of excess sodium which results in less fluid retention.

Remember that if you feel thirsty, you are already slightly dehydrated.  There are many recommendations of the amount of water we should drink each day but you should be drinking at least 9 to 12 glasses of water per day.  Another recommendation is to take our body weight, divided in half and this is the number of ounces that we should drink each day.  And the more active you are, the more water you should be drinking every day.

You can also eat more fruits and veggies to increase your daily water intake.

And talk to your pharmacist or doctor about your medications because there are many medications that can cause increased thirst.

Exercising With Pain or Debilitating Diseases

You can exercise with pain or debilitating diseases.  Exercise is good for almost everyone!

Every day at the pharmacy I have a patient who is dealing with a pain syndrome, such as fibromyalgia or pain from an injury, or dealing with a debilitating disease, such as arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis.  Any of these conditions can limit mobility and complicate everyday tasks.  We use medications to treat each of these conditions but there is another treatment that is often overlooked.  Exercise.  This is the simplest treatment, is very effective and is very inexpensive.  The right type of exercise can help you decrease pain levels, have more energy, improve sleep and have better day-to-day functioning.

The stronger the muscles and tissues are around your joints, the better they will be able to support and protect the joints.  Without exercise, our muscles become smaller and weaker and our bones can become more brittle.  Exercise helps to keep our joints flexible and able to move easier. 

Benefits of exercise in patients with arthritis or pain syndromes (these are benefits to any and everyone!)

• Reduced symptoms (less pain)
• Improved joint motion, function and flexibility
• Improvement in coordination and balance
• Helps maintain bone mass
• Reduced body weight (less strain on joints)
• Reduced stress
• Improved sleep

There are 3 types of exercise that should be included in everyone’s exercise regimen each week.

   1. Flexibility exercises – range of motion exercises and stretching 

exercises help to maintain or improve flexibility in joints and muscles.

   2. Strengthening exercises – designed to work muscles harder to maintain or increase muscle strength.  As muscles become stronger, they provide greater joint support and reduced stress through the joints.  Strong muscles contribute to better function and reduce bone loss related to inactivity.

   3. Aerobic exercise – improves heart, lung and muscle function and endurance.  Types of aerobic exercises are walking, jogging, water exercises, bicycling, etc. 

The hardest part of beginning any exercise program is figuring out where to start.  Find someone to help you get started and to keep you motivated.  Having someone who understands what you are going through makes the entire process easier.  Exercise can become part of your daily life, something that you do every day, without a doubt and without even thinking about it.  Make a plan for your day and schedule time for exercise.

I don't have any type of arthritis or pain syndromes, but as a pharmacist, I work 12 hour shifts and I stand all day.  This causes pain in my feet, ankles, knees, back and hips.  I would wake up each morning and have a hard time getting out of bed because my knees and ankles would be stiff and actually hurt to put weight on.  It felt like I could wake up and crack every bone in my body and all of my muscles and joints would ache each morning.  Throughout the day, anytime I squatted my knees would crack and ache.  Anytime I sat for long periods of time, my entire body would be stiff and hurt when I moved.  My chiropractor would tell me that I needed to stretch more and loosen my hip flexors because my tight hip flexors were causing my hips and back to stay out of alignment.  This is when I discovered the HUGE benefits of flexibility exercising.  Yoga, Pilates and PiYo became my go-to exercises to repair and strengthen my body. 

As soon as PiYo became available last summer, I knew that this would be the program to change my life.  This program incorporates stretching and strength training to build muscle and keep muscles flexible.  Since using PiYo, Pilates and Yoga, I no longer wake up each morning in pain and I no longer spend my days in pain because my muscles and joints are stronger and more flexible.  

Order PiYo Workout Now

Having a coach can help you start your journey and can help you stick with your goals.  As a coach, I am able to share my personal experiences to help others succeed.

Sign up to have me as your FREE COACH

*Always check with your doctor, physical therapist, or occupational therapist before beginning or changing your exercise routine.  Finding the right balance with your exercise routine is the key – figure out what works for you and what makes you feel good.  Start slow and gradually progress.

My Clean Eating and Shakeology Journey

When did the value of nutrition become important for me?  When I grew tired of always being tired, sluggish and feeling drained.

I’ve known for many, many years that I should eat healthy, and sometimes I did, but those veggies and proteins aren’t good for you if they’re fried.  And it took me a long time to learn that eating less isn’t the way to lose weight; and that eating healthy the majority of the time is what is better.   And my sweet tooth had its own agenda against me!  All of these things had been causing my struggles over the years.  I could exercise and exercise (and boy did I exercise!) but I couldn’t quite get down to the weight that made me feel better and happier.  This dilemma continued on.  I would eat “healthy” some of the time.  But I love casseroles, cookies and fried foods…I love to cook & bake and I love comfort foods.  I think that I survived the stress of pharmacy school with cookie dough – this is my favorite junk food.

Then, one night a couple years ago, watching a P90X infomercial, I decided it was time to do something extreme.  So I ordered P90X, did the workouts daily but wasn’t satisfied with the results.  Yes, I lost some weight, but it wasn’t nearly what I had anticipated.   It didn’t sink in then; I didn’t realize what the problem was.  Then I ordered Malibu Pilates and then T25 (love T25!).  Both programs gave me some results…but I knew that I could see better results. 

I began drinking Shakeology in January of this year.  As a pharmacist, I realized the value of the 70 ingredients in this all natural, preservative free product.  Shakeology is a nutrient dense, meal replacement – yes – this product contains more nutrients than I could ever eat in a day.  And it is the quickest and easiest way to feed my body what it deserves.  It contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, nutrients, prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes derived through WHOLE foods.  Within a week I noticed changes.  I had less cravings, more energy, better digestion and absolutely felt better. 

Then I saw the advertisement for PiYo – I instantly knew that this was going to be THE program that brought me results!  I patiently waited months for the release of the program.  While waiting, I started reading about Chalene Johnson, visiting her website and social media pages.  And I started to realize that if I wanted to see changes – I needed to make changes with my nutrition.

Thus began my journey with actually eating healthier and learning more about clean eating.  Then, the PiYo workouts were released in June – this program and the changes that I made with my nutrition gave me RESULTS!  Finally, I feel better, have more energy and I am happier with how I look.

My clean eating journey began by cutting out processed foods, eating much less white flour & white sugar products and eating more vegetables (not fried!).  I plan my meals more so that I am not tempted to grab something quick and unhealthy.  I’m still learning and figuring out what works for me – but this is a process worth every second!

This journey has helped me realize the importance of sharing and teaching others what I’ve learned.  Had it not been for others sharing, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  After all of this, I decided that becoming a Beachbody Coach was perfect for me to continue my growth and help others along the way.

Join me in my next Clean Eating Bootcamp Group to learn the basics of clean eating. 

Or join me in my next Fitness Challenge Group for the total package:  personal support from me as your coach, a complete fitness/nutrition program and daily Shakeology.  We work together to achieve your goals.  

Visit my website and click “Contact Me” or message me through Facebook.

Kristin Ratliff's Beachbody Website

Sources of Antioxidants

Antioxidants Part 2

Sources of Antioxidants

What are sources of antioxidants?

Our bodies produce some antioxidants naturally.  We also get antioxidants from our diets by eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, beans, seeds/nuts, coffee and tea.

Vitamins and minerals that are antioxidants include vitamins A, C & E; beta carotene, selenium, lycopene, lutein, zinc, copper, selenium and manganese.

               

Vitamin A – milk, butter, eggs

               

Beta carotene – apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, green peppers, kale, mangos, turnip/collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes and watermelon.

               

Vitamin C – berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, honeydew, kale, kiwi, mango, nectarine, orange, papaya, snow peas, sweet potato, strawberries, tomato, peppers

                

Vitamin E – broccoli, carrots, chard, mustard/turnip greens, mango, nuts, papaya, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, sunflower seeds, kale, canola oil, sunflower oil

               

Zinc – oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood, whole grains, dairy products

               

Selenium – nuts, tuna, beef, poultry, eggs, cheese, pasta, bread

               

Lutein – spinach, collards, kale, broccoli, corn, peas, papaya, oranges

               

Lycopene – pink grapefruit, watermelon, apricots, tomato

Other foods rich in antioxidants include: prunes, apples, raisins, plums, red grapes, alfalfa sprouts, onions, eggplant, beans, potatoes, pecans and cherries

**An awesome supplement containing many antioxidants is Shakeology!!

Antioxidants: Why are they important?

What are free radicals?

                The cells in our bodies are exposed to oxygen every day.  Every cell in our body needs a constant supply of oxygen to produce energy.  As oxygen is burned, free radicals are formed; this is called oxidation.  These free radicals are unstable and attack healthy cells to try and become more stable.  This causes damage to our body’s cells, tissues and DNA.  Once free radicals are created from oxidation, they will multiply unless antioxidants are available to neutralize them.  Free radicals that bombard you body’s cells come from high-fat diets, food additives, processed foods, soft drinks, infections, air pollution, cigarette some, UV light, radiation, excess sun exposure, emotional stress, pesticides, etc.  Free radicals may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

What are antioxidants?

                Antioxidants are used by our body’s cells to scavenge for and counteract the negative effects of free radicals.  Once antioxidants find free radicals in the body, they will neutralize them before the free radicals can cause damage to our body’s cells.  Antioxidants can prevent, slow and repair damage to our body’s cells.  Antioxidants may lower the risk for infections, cancers and improve immune function.  Antioxidants may also reduce risk for chronic disease such as heart disease.

                Health problems can develop if free-radical production becomes excessive of if antioxidants are not available.  When free radicals damage genetic material in a cell and it is not totally repaired, the damaged DNA is duplicated into new cells and this can lead to development of tumors and other health problems.  These health problems include: cancer, artery & heart disease, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, gastrointestinal disease and cognitive impairment and decrease in brain function.

What are sources of antioxidants?

                Our bodies produce some antioxidants naturally.  We can also get antioxidants from our diets by eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, beans, seeds/nuts.  Coffee and tea also provide antioxidants.

                Vitamins and minerals that are antioxidants include vitamins A, C & E; beta carotene, selenium, lycopene, lutein, zinc, copper, selenium and manganese.

                Phytochemicals, also called plant chemicals or phytonutrients, also provide antioxidants.

**Stay tuned to learn about which foods are great sources of antioxidants!