P.O.R.N. Diets

I am coining this term as I feel some of the diets out there are so radical they need to be discussed in one place.

We here from our favorite celebrities daily and some of us live for this. We follow them on Twitter, talk about them on Bebo and MySpace or e mail each other about them especially when a new diet is talked about.

There have been some over the top radical diets in the past like the 'Air diet', not a very popular one for obvious reasons unlike the 'Chocolate' diet. Then there is the more main stream 'Atkins' diet or 'The Dash Diet' or even 'The South Beach Diet'. All have there plus and minus points and their advocates and nay sayers as well.

The trick when it comes to diets if there is a trick in selecting one would be to thoroughly research the topic. The mere fact that there literally are thousands of diets commercially available shown on television, billboards or even your local Chemist shop.

Here will be many, many articles pertaining to the topic of P.O.R.N. Diets circulating our media and your opinion on them is most welcome. Maybe you have been on one and would like to praise it or maybe warn others away from it. Whatever you may like to share, diet related, please do.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Reality of Antioxidants and Aging

By Travis Van Slooten

Many of us would give a lot to turn back the clock and go back to our youth. The truth is, not all people age gracefully, and the older we get, the more it will reflect on our skin and bodies. No one has yet been able to discover the Fountain of Youth but there is one thing that can help slow down the aging process - antioxidants.

Here's the good news about antioxidants and aging: antioxidants can actually help slow down the effects of aging. By taking in foods rich in antioxidants and a high-quality antioxidant supplement, you may experience certain health benefits such as boosting of the immune system and slowing down of the aging process in one's skin, organs, and cells.

Fruits and leafy vegetables are natural sources of antioxidants, which, studies have shown, can protect our cells from damage caused by oxidation. One of the basic effects of this is the strengthening of our immune system, making us less susceptible to viruses and infections. Antioxidants are also known to lessen the risk of developing cancer cells, and lower possible incidence of diseases associated with the heart and bad cholesterol. The threat of macular degeneration, a form of blindness among the elderly, and glaucoma are also lessened. Having a stronger resistance against diseases and overall good health would also preserve our bodies from aging fast.

Vitamins A, C and E are the main antioxidants found in natural food, as well as the minerals zinc, beta-carotene, selenium and all of the phytonutrient carotenoids. As we consume food and breathe oxygen, we suffer from more and more free radicals. The oxygen causes the free radicals to increase. As we get older, it is just harder and harder for our body to fight these free radicals. The free radicals multiply in our body and cause illnesses, disease and generally downgraded health. Antioxidants help to fight these free radicals, giving you a weapon to combat these free radicals from doing further damage to your body.

These antioxidants combat the oxidative damage brought about by free radicals in our cells and tissues. The more antioxidants present in the body, the better our chances for keeping our bodies healthy and diseases away.

As mentioned, people can easily get antioxidants from different food sources, but the problem is that one can only eat so much fruit and vegetables in a day, and still not get enough antioxidants for optimal health. A high-quality supplement that contains antioxidants can augment your diet of fruits and vegetables.

A list of the vegetables and fruits that are the most antioxidant rich foods are: broccoli, spinach, greens, Brussels sprouts, beets, red peppers, carrots, tomatoes, berries. oranges, pink grapefruit, apricots, plums, peaches, papaya, and red grapes.

Try to get as many of these healthy foods in your diet everyday to get you much needed dose of antioxidants. An anti-oxidant supplement will also go a long way in strengthening your body and slowing down the aging process.

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