Antioxidants have been showing up in food trends for years now, but what do they mean and how can they help with a healthy life? Antioxidant fortified foods are showing up everywhere and often the word antioxidant is added on food labels to make that otherwise unhealthy food seem more healthy and nutrient rich. As with anything I believe in whole foods and ingredients that can be found in nature instead of created in a food lab. That being said let's look at whole foods that are antioxidant rich and see how you can incorporate them into your diet for clean eating. These powerful vitamins in previous studies have shown to help slow and prevent cancer. Apparently new studies are unclear according to the National Cancer Institute but a list of facts concerning antioxidants are available on their website.
According to WebMD, antioxidants can be broken down into three vitamin categories: beta carotene and other carotenoids, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Foods that are saturated with these nutrients are usually fruits and vegetables and are gorgeous in color usually red, blue, red, orange, and yellow. WebMD also recommends eating these foods raw or lightly streamed to get the biggest benefits of the vitamins.
Here are just some examples of foods loaded with antioxidants:
Beta Carotene and carotenoids
Sweet Potatoes
Kale
Carrots
Turnip Greens
Mustard Greens
Spinach
Butternut Squash
Collard Greens
Broccoli
Beets
Asparagus
Green Pepper
Mango
Apricot
Corn
Peaches
Pink Grapefruit
Vitamin C
Berries
Kiwi
Honeydew
Orange
Tangerine
Snow Peas
Red, green, or yellow pepper
Sweet Potatoes
Tomato
Broccoli
Vitamin E
Nuts
Papaya
Sunflower seeds
Spinach
Pumpkins
SuperFoods
Prunes
Apples
Raisins
Berries
Plums
Red Grapes
Alfalfa Sprouts
Onions
Eggplant
Beans
As you may have noticed some of these foods can be found on more than one list which is awesome. More power in the punch of the foods that you are eating, I mean what's not to love? A lot of these foods can easily be incorporated into your diet as snacks or side dishes for entrees. Whether you are trying to shed pounds and are slowly introducing healthier foods into your everyday or you are fit and always looking for different options these foods are nutrient rich whole foods that will surely benefit your body. Antioxidants are great for your immune system and taste great. These foods may have questionable links to helping prevent cancer and disease, but they are vitamin rich, low calorie super foods to make your body tough.
source: Healthaliciousness and WebMD
image: AskFitnessCoach
