Nutrition

Why You Need Antioxidants & a Guide to Natural SourcesThe weight loss world has its own lingo and one of the phrases you’ll hear over and over again is ‘antioxidants’. So, what are antioxidants and why are they so important?

The Science Behind Antioxidants

Antioxidants are plant chemicals, vitamins and other nutrients that help clean up something called a free radical. In chemistry lingo, a free radical means a molecule in your body is missing an electron.

This is not a balanced state, so the molecule searches out other molecules to grab that missing electron and when it does, it creates another free radical – another molecule missing an electron. So what does this mean? Continue reading

Protein is all around you. Most people don’t have trouble getting enough protein. The question is: Are we getting the right protein? Eating protein-rich foods has far-reaching health benefits for your body.

Building Blocks

One of the basic building blocks of the body is amino acids. They are found in our very DNA. Many are produced by the body, but others are only obtained from food. Multivitamins may contain a few but the best source is food.

Why are they so important? Amino acids combine to create structural proteins in the body. They are found in our cells. Each cell combines with others to give rise to organs, then systems, and finally the entire human organism. Without them we wouldn’t have nerves, arteries, bone, muscle or anything else. Continue reading

Nutritionists and medical professionals alike explain how important it is to get enough calcium in your diet. If you don’t like to drink milk or you’re a vegetarian you may need help meeting the body’s need for this mineral. Here are some easy ways to eat more calcium.

Perhaps your problem isn’t that you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet but that your body doesn’t absorb it like it should. Caffeine, alcohol and salt can inhibit calcium absorption. You could also spend time in the sunshine each day. This will provide vitamin D as well as help your body absorb calcium better. Continue reading