Although antioxidants themselves do not have a direct effect on your weight loss, the foods that are rich in antioxidants do.
Most people are aware of the need for antioxidants in order to fight disease but have no idea that they can play a role in maintaining your weight and losing fat.
Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals and protect the body from cellular damage. Some antioxidants can be obtained through diet choices and others are produced in the body when the calories are converted into energy. The antioxidants we get from the foods we eat are exogenous antioxidants.
Antioxidants can also be found in the environment…including the air and sunlight when it reacts with the skin. Carotenoids (found in veggies), vitamin E and C are examples of antioxidants.
These super chemical compounds inhibit oxidation of the cell. Oxidation begins the deterioration process and leads to the formation of free radicals, unstable molecules in the body that have one unpaired electron. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by breaking them down or supplying the extra missing electron.
“Antioxidants can prevent free radical damage often linked to cancer” notes The National Cancer Institute.
Because of our modern lifestyles, we are subjected to a multitude of toxins on a daily basis. They are in the air we breathe and even our water must be filtered to remove any toxins that may have made their way in. Plastics, cleaning products, many synthetic products and packaging all contain toxins.
Now here’s how antioxidants tie into your weight. Toxins are stored in your fat cells! If you do not get enough antioxidants through the foods you are eating and your body does not make enough then your body wants to retain the fat you are storing as a defense mechanism.
This slows your metabolism and can cause you to plateau with your weight loss even though you are still sticking to your diet.
Toxins also affect neurotransmitters in the brain (brain chemistry) which in turn messes with proper hormone regulation and appetite control. When your body is working properly, the antioxidants help your metabolism work efficiently by improving your biochemistry.
One of the keys to losing weight is eating foods that help fill you up while providing few calories and these are usually foods rich in fiber. It makes sense that high fiber foods would make you feel full opposed to cookies, crackers, butter and other high-calorie foods that leave you wanting more shortly after you eat them. Eating a diet of over-cooked meats and processed foods over a stretch of time along with foods high in saturated fats can also cause free radical damage.
A nutritionally balanced diet should include an abundance of plant type foods such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds…all rich with antioxidants.
Fruits and veggies and other plant foods that are fiber rich also contain a lot of antioxidants that are ideal for controlling calories, defending against disease and illness and promoting good health.
If you want to experience vital optimum health and lose excess fat efficiently be sure to include as many top antioxidant foods that you can in your daily diet. Fresh foods with lots of colorful pigments are loaded with antioxidants.
For example: Betacarotene gives you vitamin A and is found in brightly colored veggies like carrots, oranges and sweet potatoes. Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and don’t forget the dark greens…they are just as important.
Antioxidants are your ally in the weight loss war. Make sure to eat healthy fresh foods so that your body can use the antioxidants made and consumed to support you in detoxifying your body and releasing fat effectively.
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