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Who needs antioxidants?

Everybody, apparently. But do you know what you need to eat and drink in order to get the optimum amount?
anuritaby Anurita Gupta

Amongst all things ‘anti’ that are trending today, the one that wins the race hands down is ‘anti’-oxidant!

While driving back from a teenybopper flick recently and watching 14-somethings have green tea in order to fit in to their party dresses, I figured, antioxidants are simply the rage with not just the 50-plus health conscious lot, but also youngsters! So, what’s really the antioxidant story?

What are antioxidants?
The dictionary defines ‘antioxidants’ as ‘a substance that inhibits oxidation, that removes potentially damaging oxidising agents in a living organism.’

Dr Mark Pereira, renowned Mumbai-based cardiologist explains, “In layman’s terms, an antioxidant is that category of food that we consume in order to neutralise the harmful effect of free radicals in our body that is a byproduct of the oxygen we breathe. They are known as ‘super foods’ because, if consumed regularly along with a daily routine of exercise, they ensure the running of a healthy heart.”

No wonder then, my office pantry has now introduced ‘Green tea’ as an option to coffee and chai as well. I am suregreen tea you agree that antioxidants have become a style statement. But do we really understand what an antioxidant does, or are we simply complying with what everybody else thinks, ie looking good = green tea?

The secret to health is and has always been ‘balance’. Take for instance, your car. You put in the best fuel available in the market in order to ensure great mileage. However, over a period of time this same fuel clogs up the fuel injectors. Which is where, the hero ‘octane booster’ jumps in to minimise fumes. Now if you keep feeding your car with just boosters and no fuel it will certainly not run. The same applies to our body.

Dr Loveleena Nadir, famous gynaecologist at Fortis le’ Femme, Delhi who works extensively on the health and nutrition of her patients explains, “Having a balanced diet is the key to purple_grapeslong lasting health. It serves as the main fuel while antioxidants are the super efficient fuel boosters that unclog the engine of our body, thereby benefitting it extensively. They are present in fruit and vegetables of various colours. For instance, purple foods like grapes are rich in an antioxidant called resveratrol that works on our body exactly like exercise and promotes healthy insulin levels. So, one should enjoy a glass of red wine every now and then while managing a good exercise routine.”

According to Dr Nadir, the ‘5 plates, 5 colours’ mantra works brilliantly. This pretty much means that if we take 5 to 7 servings (about 150 grams) of fresh fruit of 5 different colours then we would have had our ideal dose of antioxidants.

Get your dose of antioxidants now

– Did you know that if you have a cup of tomato juice it can actually be the best sunblock ever? The lycopene available in tomato shields the skin from the sun by almost 35 per cent. So that’s one more excuse to have that (virgin) Bloody Mary.

– Berries and dark chocolate are rich in another family of antioxidants called polyphenol flavonoids, that heighten memory and concentration, increase blood flow and give higher immunity – but you have to watch out for the high sugar content of sugar in them.

red fruit– If you want a healthy heart with less chances of stroke, then you must adhere to the saying, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. This is because red-coloured fruit such as apples, decrease clot formation in our body.

– Similarly, yellow-orange range of fruit and vegetables helps fight against cancer of all kinds. Go ahead, indulge in some yummy pumpkin-carrot soup. Also zero in on the most commonly-known antioxidant, Vitamin C, which is available in orange, lemons, papayas and yellow bell peppers.

– Yellow green-hued vegetables like spinach, mustard, green peas have caretenoids that can make the hair and eyes shine.

– Greens like broccoli, sprouts and cabbage are good for liver and decrease incidence of colon-related issues. broccoli

So use this information to load your shopping basket with all the right things now on. If you’re still wondering why antioxidants have become fashionable, then here’s something to think about: our body is otherwise pretty well armed to fight pesky free radicals, but its optimum functioning is compromised when we pick up that tin of instant or preserved food from the stores or order in a pizza for dinner. The body also suffers from daily office work, traffic snarls, less than seven hours of sleep and our couch potato lifestyles.

(Pictures courtesy blog.medi-share.org, thenailartandbeautydiaries.wordpress.com, www.burnthillsny.com, jootix.com, www.worldcommunitycookbook.org)

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Beauty

Reverse your wrinkles naturally

Once a wrinkle, always a wrinkle? Not quite. It is possible to reverse skin wrinkling. Read on to know how.
by Beverley Lewis

In an attempt to achieve a radiant complexion and get rid of wrinkles, we slather our bodies with expensive ant-ageing creams and moisturisers, get chemical peels and botox. Although these methods may be helpful in improving the way our skin looks, the key to reducing wrinkles and improving our complexion is to decrease free radical damage from occurring at a rapid rate. In order to do this, we have to ensure our diets include these five foods that are rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.

green vegetablesGo green: Include plenty of green vegetables in your diet on a daily basis. Foods such as spinach and wheat grass contain phytonutrients, which help detoxify the body to keep skin clear and radiant. Most experts believe that green leafy veggies are the plant equivalent of the oxygen-carrying red pigment haemoglobin in our red blood cells and the chlorophyll within these greens have disease-fighting bacteria, which exert therapeutic effects on bad breath and body odour. Also make sure to have a lot of green smoothies.

Mr Beans to the rescue: Beans and lentils are superfoods and should be eaten at least once a day. They are well known for their high fiber content and keeping unwanted pounds at bay. All beans and lentils also have a very low-glycemic index – this means that they will not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar when eaten, the way sugary, starchy foods do. They are also anti-inflammatory foods and prevent dull, dry, wrinkled sagging skin.

Olive oil: Most of us tend to shy away from fats, but we need a source of good fats in our diet to help us olive oilabsorb nutrients from our vegetables and fruit, keep our cells supple, our skin glowing and wrinkle-free, our brains sharp, and our mood upbeat. We also need dietary fat to burn fat. Extra virgin olive oil contains oleic acid, which helps us absorb omega-3s and other vitamins and nutrients from our foods. Oleic acid is vital in keeping the outer portion of the cell, known as the cell plasma membrane, supple, thereby allowing nutrients to enter the cell and wastes to exit.

Tea, please: Green tea contains compounds known as polyphenols, which help to eliminate inflammation-producing free radicals. Research shows that polyphenols protect healthy cells from cancer-causing DNA damage, while ushering cancer cells to their death. Another remarkable finding is the power of green tea polyphenols which can help prevent psoriasis, ulcers, rosacea, wounds and wrinkles.

green teaBe nutty: Almonds are by far nature’s best dietary source of selenium and vitamin E. A single serving of almonds (12 almonds) are a great anti-wrinkle food as they increase skin elasticity and aid in skin repair and rejuvenation. However, it is important to bear in mind that almonds, like most other nuts are calorie-dense, and therefore they should be consumed in moderation, especially if you are concerned about weight gain.

(Pictures courtesy www.cleashannon.com, www.naturalhealth365.com, www.tiemianmo.com, www.npr.org)

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Beauty

10 superfoods for super skin

Using expensive skin products but not taking care of your diet? Presenting 10 must-eat food items for super healthy skin.
by Beverley Lewis

What you put on your plate and in your mouth is way more important than what you apply on your skin. A diet rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals (and plenty of water) will nourish your skin and give you a youthful appearance. So the next time you’re reaching for a slice of chocolate cake, you may want to think again.

Remember your mum telling you that if you wanted a clear, beautiful complexion, you would have to eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, and drink a lot of water? Guess what, like with most other things, she was right. Our skin is a direct reflection of our health, and as trying as it sounds, it is important for us to avoid eating food high in refined sugar, and salty and fatty foods.

So what should you eat for good skin? Just eat these skin-enhancing foods for a beautiful, glowing complexion:

Flaxseeds: These tiny seeds (in pic on left) contain omega-3 fatty acids, which erase spots and iron out fine lines. If you consume half a teaspoon of flaxseeds a day, your skin will be better hydrated, as the fat in these seeds attract water to skin cells and plump up the skin and reduce wrinkles. So sprinkle some flaxseeds on your oatmeal, veggies, salads, or even in a small pot of low-fat yogurt.

Green tea: When it’s hot, this brew releases catechins, an antioxidant with proven anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, so drink it when it is hot. Studies indicate that green tea may reverse the effects of sun damage by neutralising the changes that appear in skin exposed to the sun.

Spinach: The folate in these veggies may help repair and maintain DNA by bolstering your cells ability to renew themselves. This also reduces the likelihood of cancer-cell growth. The added bonus to Popeye’s favourite food, the water in these greens penetrates cell membranes, which makes for plumper and less wrinkled skin.

Sweet potatoes: These underground veggies, not only taste delicious, but they are loaded with vitamin C, which smoothes out wrinkles. Vitamin C is essential to collagen production and the more collagen you have, the less creased your skin looks.

Tomatoes: Sure, they taste yummy in salads, but cook them and these plump little beauties can help save your skin. How? Lycopene, the phytochemical that makes tomatoes red, helps eliminate skin-ageing free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays. Just half a cup of cooked tomatoes has 16 milligrams of lycopene; along with ample sunscreen, that daily dose should help keep your skin smooth and wrinkle-free.

Oily fish: Oily fish contain a little secret: selenium. This nutrient helps preserve elastin, a protein that keeps your skin smooth and tight. This antioxidant is also believed to buffer against the sun (it stops free radicals created by UV exposure from damaging cells).

Carrots: Think of them as thick magic wands – good for your eyes and great for clearing up breakouts. The credit goes to vitamin A, as it helps prevent the overproduction of cells in the skin’s outer  layer, which leads to clogged pores. Vitamin A also reduces the development of skin cancer.

Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate has flavonols, which reduce roughness in the skin and protect it against sun damage. Try and eat dark chocolate with at least 60 per cent cocoa in it. A square a day will help keep sun damage away.

Almonds: They are packed with vitamin E, a potent sun blocker. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant that helps to protect skin cells from UV light and other environmental factors that generate cell-damaging free radicals. So try and consume a handful of almonds a day, which amounts to about 12 almonds.

Water: Since skin cells contain mostly water, if you’re dehydrated, your skin will look and feel parched, too. So aim to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, and you will be rewarded with a dewy complexion.

Beverley Lewis has worked with beauty magazines and has amazing tips to share. Have a beauty question? Send it to us at editor@themetrognome.in or tweet it @MetrognomeIndia and Beverley will answer it for you.

(Pictures courtesy tumblr.com, everythinghealth.blogspot.com, thedailygreen.com, technyou.edu.au, niagarashoptalk.com, riceplex.com, verybestbaking.com, timepass.info, truedrawing.blogspot.com, geninv.net)

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