The Superpower of Antioxidants

Posted byLisa at Micro of the MacroPosted inHealth & Well-Being, NutritionTags:, , , , ,

Recently, I enrolled in a Nutrition Certification Program.  Currently in week 5, I’m surprised at how much I’ve already learned.  I’m guessing I’ll be sharing quite a bit of information from the program with you over the next few months.  I’ll start today by focusing on antioxidants.

Wikipedia explains: antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation (usually occurring as autoxidation), a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen molecules that are missing an electron, making them unstable and dangerous to our health.  Wiki continues:  Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter.  In doing so, it establishes the groundwork for disease and premature aging. Any kind of stressor can contribute to oxidation, including chemicals in our food, water, & air, as well as the stress we feel at work or home, so getting more antioxidants into our diets is always a good idea.

According to Christa Orecchio, clinical & holistic nutritionist, there are two primary types of antioxidants: direct and indirect.  Direct antioxidants (DA) include those that donate an electron to a free radical, rendering them harmless, after which, the DA is no longer effective.  Indirect antioxidants (IA) work for hours at disabling free radicals.  Who knew?!

We need both direct and indirect antioxidant foods in our diet, and I’ll share with you some of the best of each.  First, because I know you’re as excited as I am to learn about them :-), the IAs include turmeric, broccoli sprouts, ceylon cinnamon, and cloves.  Sources of other high antioxidant foods are wild blueberries, pecans, artichokes, kidney beans, green tea, cilantro, parsley, basil, ginger, and garlic.

Superfoods were discussed a little later in the program, and many of them include antioxidants in their arsenal of health properties, as well.  They include raw cacao, acai, maca root, goji berries, medicinal mushrooms, and bee products such as royal jelly, bee pollen, and wild honey.

A great way to incorporate lots of these free radical tamers into your daily fare is to toss them into a green smoothie along with some good organic veggies and fruits, which may contain even more antioxidants.  This can be done as a sub for any meal, not just breakfast.  Additionally, a concentrated form of green tea called matcha combined with medicinal mushrooms, turmeric, and cacao is a potent morning boost!

After just beginning my Nutrition Certification Program, I’m already making alterations to my diet, like getting in more powerful antioxidants, and considering other changes.  I hope you can benefit from my learning as well.  

Radical Blessings,

Lisa

The content of this article is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented herein. Any statements about the possible health benefits of any subject discussed have not been evaluated by medical professionals or the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.

60 thoughts on “The Superpower of Antioxidants”

  7. Thank for sharing this, Lisa, and I look forward to else you find out. I love artichokes (among many of these other foods you listed) so it was great to read about them here being so good for us. 🙂 I’ve heard that adding milk to green tea/matcha negates many of the benefits of the tea. That would be a problem for smoothies. Have you heard of this?

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    1. Janet, hi! It’s always nice to learn you’re doing a really good thing for your body, especially when you didn’t realize just how good it is! I haven’t heard about the milk problem. It doesn’t surprise me b/c I think pasteurized cow’s milk in this country has more negatives than positives. Maybe raw milk or goat’s milk would be a better choice? I don’t add anything to my matcha, and I use coconut water in my smoothies. Enjoy the weekend – inside! 🌞

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  8. Pingback: The Superpower of Antioxidants – Me and my life 😍🙏😊(ये मेरी ज़िन्दगी हैं)

  11. Hi Lisa, an excellent post, something everyone should read & learn from! I wasn’t aware that there were direct and indirect antioxidants. Looking forward to hearing more from you on this important subject. Have a great weekend 🌹🙋‍♂️

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  13. Hi Lisa, thanks for this really useful info. A good friend of mine absolutely swears by her breakfast green smoothies. All the best with your learning. I think it’s so fabulous!

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    1. Miriam, hi! I appreciate your kind comment, and I’m glad you found the post useful. I would join your friend in swearing by my morning smoothies/juices! Loading my body with nutrition at the beginning of the day, especially the days I do vigorous workouts, helps me tremendously! Have a blessed weekend! 🌞

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    1. Ingrid, hi, thank you for dropping by. I’m glad you’re interested in nutrition’s profound effects on the body. Maybe you can be at the next blogger meetup – possibly around my area?? I love to share what I learn! Hope you’ll enjoy the weekend, and I’m glad to see some cooler – or less brutal – temps in your forecast! 🌞

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      1. I don’t think I’ll ever cease to not laugh when temps under 110 degrees are considered cooler. Yippee, a cool front 🤣 I would love to meet up on the next get together.

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    1. Hi, Cheryl, thanks for popping over! I always include turmeric in my smoothies & juices for inflammation as well. I add a little black pepper, too, as I’ve read that makes the turmeric more bioavailable. I’m pleased you’re interested in what I’m learning, Cheryl. Wishing you a week filled with wonder. 🌞

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  21. Hey, I can finally give a first hand account of one of your food related posts (we have already established I am not the best when it comes to food choices). I am a huge fan of turmeric and take it whenever my joints it overwhelmed with swelling from the long runs and other strenuous activities. Tends to eat that swelling right up and right back at it. Admittedly, not having the expected positive impact on my current injury, but that is more on the extreme side. Good luck on your course and thanks for sharing all your nuggets of new wisdom.

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  22. That sounds like a really cool course to take. I’d never even heard of antioxidants before! The good news is I do really like a few of the more common food on this list like garlic, kidney beans, artichoke, and wild blueberries. I’ve never tried raw cocoa though. I imagine it must be bitter. Thanks for sharing! I always learn something new from you.

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    1. The course is great. I love learning more about ways to be healthier! Cacao is a raw form of cocoa, so yes, it is bitter. But mixed into a smoothie with some sweet fruit, it’s yummy! I am happy to hear you always learn from my posts! Hope your week is bright! ☀️

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  25. Interesting information! Each of us should take the best care of ourselves. Healthy eating and physical activity are very important to us. I have been running for 6 months, at the beginning I even bought myself a beautiful outfit and wool socks to motivate myself to run more. Fortunately, it helped, and now I run every day 🙂

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