Best Antioxidant Foods

Antioxidant rich foods are nature's way of guiding us to a healthy life. Fresh fruits and vegetables should form an important part of our lives. It is not a question of whether we like them or not, it is a question of how we have evolved over thousands of years. It has only been in the last hundred years or so that we have changed our diets drastically; prior to that we had no option but to feed ourselves with natural foods.

In this evolutionary game, there are some foods that stand out because of the antioxidant molecules they contain. These molecules help keep our cells healthy and these cells that are healthy form natural barriers against the type of disease that is becoming more and more common in this day and age. Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are part and parcel of life in society today. Our eating habits, our lifestyle and the stress we live with make continuous inroads into our health.

As I write this, the financial crisis and recession is on - with no clear solutions. Up to 25% (and in many cases more) of pensions have been wiped out. And if that is not a formula for stress, I don't know what is.

Our resistance and immune system is under attack - so a major tip is to be more conscious of what we eat. To do this you have to know what is good, health wise.

There are many antioxidant rich foods and some of the richest are the following. It is always best to eat them fresh.

Fruits:

• Berries

Berries are amongst the stars of the antioxidant cast. There are many different kinds but blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries stand out and are easy to find. They are full of different antioxidant molecules as well as vitamins, minerals and other elements that help our bodies grow and fight off diseases. An interesting side note is that these fruits are color rich and that color variety is a good rule of thumb to follow - vary your intake by colors.

• Grapes

Grapes are also antioxidant rich and in fact red grapes out perform white. As we all now grapes are the basic ingredient for wines, but the suggestion here is to avoid excess and in fact eat fresh grapes or as a juice.

• Bananas

Bananas are rich in potasium, which help against cramps, amongst other things. These are one of the more nutritious foods we have available.

Vegetables

• Cruciferous Vegetables

These include cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. They are all antioxidant rich and have been linked to providing positive influence with reductions in cancer and heart diseases.

• Tomatoes

Cooked tomatoes are better than those that have not passed through heat. Heat allows these antioxidant foods to release lycopene which can reduce the risks of certain cancers. Lycopene is more powerful then beta-carotene in aiding our bodies health. Tomatoes are great antioxidant foods because they can be used in a wide range of meals and can be a beverage.

• Carrots

Carrots contain beta-carotene which is a healing agent that helps our bodies against cancer. Beta-carotene can be found in other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables. Similar to lycopene, beta-carotene is affected by heat and carrots and other vegetables are mode effective when cooked. These antioxidant foods are available worldwide.

The key to better health is to incorporate them into your family's daily diet making sure you eat them fresh and also vary the types of vegetables and fruits (this also helps to avoid boredom).

One final but important point is that antioxidants help keep you healthy, a natural preventive medicine if you like. But they are not a magical or even medical cure if the disease is already present.

Philip Robinson writes on many subjects including natural health and eco-living. In his blog Antioxidant Zone you will find much more information on antioxidants and how they help us maintain our health. To learn more visit: http://antioxidantzone.com