Sadly most people get their daily allowance of antioxidants from coffee. Chemistry professor Dr. Joe Vinson, PhD, shares that, It’s not the antioxidant content of coffee that is high, but it’s the one thing that so many of us do every day.?
But is too much coffee good for us? According to the Mayo Clinic, drinking more than four cups per day can result in insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, upset stomach, a faster heart rate, and muscle tremors.
And if you’re sensitive to the effects of caffeine or have gone without it for a long stretch of time, just one cup can cause some of the above effects. As the Mayo Clinic website states, other factors that affect caffeine sensitivity include body mass, age, medication use, and health conditions such as anxiety disorders.?
Adding Antioxidants to Every Meal
However coffee isn’t the only way to get antioxidants. There are plenty of ways that you can add antioxidants to the meals you already eat every day by making small changes that have little to no effect on the flavor of the foods you eat except for when it makes them taste better!
Whether it is during breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack here are seven simple suggestions for adding antioxidants to every meal of the day. You could think of it as something new to try every day of the week.
1. EGGS Used to make omelets, hard boiled and cut up for salads, or even as a wash for chicken in some recipes, eggs are versatile and a great addition to any meal of the day. Plus the antioxidants in eggs help ward off vision problems related to aging.
2. PISTACHIOS Eaten plain as a snack or crushed and added to your favorite crusted chicken recipe, pistachios contain a type of antioxidant called flavonoids that provide a much needed boost to your immune system.
3. MUSHROOMS Low calorie and a great source of vitamin D as well as antioxidants, mushrooms are versatile and make a great addition to omelets, salads, pasta dishes, and grilled up with onions to accompany your favorite meat entrée.
4. FLAX Flax not only contains antioxidants, but it is also packed full of omega 3 acids. Flaxseed is a great addition to salads, homemade muffins, or even a berry nutritious breakfast smoothie.
5. CABBAGE Red cabbage is low in calories, but it is high in both fiber and antioxidants. Cabbage is a great addition to stew or salads, but you can also shred it to make a delicious slaw which pairs nicely with your favorite low-calorie dressing.
6. BROCCOLI Broccoli contains two of the most important antioxidants in the family called the isothiocyanates. It is low calorie and packed with fiber. Add to your morning spinach berry protein shake or a lunchtime salad. Eat plain as a snack or steamed and drizzled with cheese as a side dish at dinnertime.
7. SPICES Put down the salt shaker and turn instead to your spice cabinet to both flavor your food and up your antioxidant intake. Rosemary wards off Alzheimer’s. Cinnamon helps control blood sugar. And turmeric fights off inflammation, to give a few examples.
The term antioxidants? is more than just a trendy buzzword in the nutrition industry. Antioxidants are necessary to fight signs of aging, keeping those extra pounds off after a certain age, and act as anti-inflammatories to fight cancer-causing free radicals.
Antioxidants and Vitamin Supplements
Some people have to follow dietary restrictions because of medication or some type of disorder or disease that do not allow for a whole lot of variation to experiment with ingredients like the ones above. In cases such as those, people can benefit from taking a supplement.
For example a supplement containing acetyl glutathione not only provides the recommended daily allowance of vitamins, but it also contains an extra boost of antioxidants geared towards fighting the effects of aging.
Some of these effects include quicker recovery after sickness, less inflammation, stronger immune system and endurance, and an increase in cognitive function. Due to all the health issues associated with growing older, always consult a doctor before trying any type of new diet, vitamin, or exercise.
When you combine a well-balanced diet and vitamin supplements with age-appropriate exercise or other physical activities, then you are taking a multifaceted stand against the signs and symptoms associated with growing into the golden years of life that goes beyond relying on your morning cup of coffee for your antioxidant needs.
Canadian native Bill Lawrence excelled in science and math during his youth and received a BSc in Biochemistry from Simon Fraser University. After working for more than a decade in the pharmaceutical industry and seeing a growing trend of treating symptoms rather than health disorders and diseases, he founded the site http://www.healthtraits.org/ which addresses health topics while promoting safe, natural products.
