If you live in northern parts of the country, your car will show signs of rust after a few years. Salt and snow can wear away the car’s body, so it will need some TLC. Your vehicle will age due to the snow and salt on the roads – similar to oxidative stress.
Oxidative Stress works in the same way as rust on your car. It can age you and expose you to many health problems.
W What is oxidative stress?
Continue reading! It is up to us all to combat the effects of oxidative Stress.
Why is Oxidative Stress So Bad for Our Health?
Consider the rusted car. Your body’s oxidation or rusting is called oxidative stress. We are all bound to get old and can’t get a new paint job. Can you slow down the rust? Is it possible to slow down the wear and tear that everyday life causes on your body?
An imbalance in the body’s free radicals and antioxidants is called Oxidative Stress. This could mean that your body has more free radicals than antioxidants, which can lead to some chronic diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Antioxidants are good for you, while free radicals are bad. To fight free radical damage, you need to eat high quality antioxidants. There are many other ways to combat the bad guys.
How do we produce free radicals?
There are many ways to produce free radicals. Free radicals can be produced by natural chemical reactions and oxygen. They are highly reactive with other proteins, such as DNA and lipids (fats).
Many factors can cause and contribute to oxidative stresses in the body. They also play a role in the excess production of free radicals.
Consider your lifestyle, diet, and exposure to carcinogens like smoking, radiation, pollution, chemicals from the workplace, and industrial chemicals. These factors can all contribute to more free radicals within your body, which can lead to an excess of oxidative stress.
How can you fight oxidative stress and free radical damage?
There are simple suggestions, and there are also more difficult ones. Let’s get to the point.
- Sleep – Get quality sleep. The body can reduce inflammation through sleep.
- Avoid getting sick Fighting infections can help to prevent oxidative stress.
- Stress Take care of your mental health. Oxidative damage can be caused by chronic stress.
- Reduce Your Exposure to Toxins – Quit smoking! What’s in your cleaning products? Pesticides used?
- Sunscreen & Sunglasses – The sun causes more damage to your cells by oxidative stress
- Diet Proper, nutritious, and healthy food is the key to success!
- Exercise This can help with stress, diet, and even sleep.
- Supplementation Products that contain powerful antioxidants to fight free radical damage
What are some powerful antioxidants?
Supplementation and food are two sources of antioxidants. You can think of antioxidants like a paint job for your old car. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which can cause cell damage. The full package of electrons is missing in free radicals, which steal electrons from other molecules to cause havoc and damage those molecules. Antioxidants neutralize the effects of free radicals by giving away some of their electrons to slow down the creation of free radicals. While we cannot eliminate all free radicals, we can fight back by doing our best to counter their effects.
Foods rich in powerful antioxidants:
BlueberriesStrawberries
Artichokes
Kale
Pecans
Raspberries
Beans
Grapes in purple or red
Spinach
Beets
Red Cabbage
Dark Chocolate!
Supplements – Antioxidants to Look For:
Vitamins A and Beta Carotene. C and E
Minerals: Copper, Zinc, Selenium. Preferably Chelated Minerals. They are more expensive but better absorbed, in our opinion.
Carotenoids – Lutein. Zeaxanthin. Lycopene
Get A Game Plan To Fight Off Oxidative Stress!
Free radicals are a constant threat to our health and we know that they will not disappear soon. We have seen a decline in soil quality and nutrients in our food. You might consider organic but remember to choose bright colors in the grocery shop. Consider slowly changing small things that are causing oxidative stress. Then, work on eliminating them one at a time. You should also consider improving your exercise routine, your diet, and getting the 8 hours of sleep that you need. You will have more chances of not getting rusty with age. Get started today!
Tag: BEAUTY FITNESS HEALTH AND WELLNESS
