1. Antioxidant Know How
Antioxidants arrive naturally in many healthful vitamins and minerals, and are a crucial part of the human diet. Antioxidants can be found in most colorful produce and whole-grains and the levels of antioxidants increase the deeper the shade of fruit or vegetable. Deep green spinach, richly colored peppers, or vibrant berries are all perfect examples of antioxidant-rich foods. By ingesting a wide variety of natural foods (fruits, vegetables and whole-grains), in a broad spectrum of colors, the diet will be filled with the essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that make up antioxidants.
2. Prevent Disease and Cancer
Studies continue to show the connection between the ingestion of natural sources of antioxidants, and the reverse effects of aging and chronic disease. It is believed that antioxidants can help protect against environmental stressors called free-radicals, which contribute to everything from asthma, to cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Researchers believe that by eating daily doses of antioxidant foods, you can decrease your chances of heart disease, eye degeneration, brain impairing diseases such as Alzheimer's, and a variety of cancers.
3. Drink Your Antioxidants
Research continues to show that accessing antioxidants from natural food sources is more beneficial than turning to supplements or pills. In fact, ingesting supplements may be shown to "negate the benefits that antioxidant foods provide entirely." Other sources of antioxidants include natural green-teas and natural juices such as pomegranate or Acai juice. Try to drink cold or warm green tea throughout the day in place of coffee or sugary beverages, or try Matcha green tea which has a higher concentrate and rate of nutrients. Add small serving sizes of Acai juice to a fresh fruit smoothie (created with a wide variety of colorful fruits), or stir pomegranate juice into home-made olive oil salad dressing.
4. Go Mediterranean
Studies have shown that people who follow a Mediterranean based diet plan, filled with colorful produce, healthy fats from nuts, avocado, and fish, and whole-grain carbohydrates have decreased rates of heart disease. The antioxidant-rich nature of these natural food sources contribute greatly to long-term health, especially combined with daily doses of natural green tea and a varied amount of colors in the food. Try to build an antioxidant diet by focusing on all the colors of the rainbow, and strive to eat one natural source of every color by the end of each day. Seek out reds in fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce, orange from carrots, yellow from corn and peppers, green from zucchini and kale, blue from blueberries and plums, and purple from red grapes or eggplant. For every color in the spectrum, there is a healthy antioxidant food that matches.
5. Eat Them Every Day
Although you may strive to choose a wide array of antioxidant foods, all benefit can be reversed if prepared improperly. Strive to eat fruits and vegetables raw or grilled with small amounts of natural oils. Preparing these foods by frying, breading, or slathering in sauces can reverse all nutritional benefit. Try to add antioxidant foods to every meal and snack you eat throughout the day, like adding raspberries or blackberries to morning oatmeal (whole-grain, of course), or slicing bananas and apples atop whole-grain cereal. Vegetables can be added to omelets, sandwiches, pastas, whole-grain pizzas, dips, or simply eaten raw as a snack. Regardless of how you eat antioxidant foods, the goal is simply to eat a wide variety every day for maximum free-radical protection.
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