Free radicals are cells which have become unstable, and are therefore likely to cause harm to the body. Many illnesses are caused by oxidative stress, also known as free radical damage. There are many lifestyle changes that can made to counterbalance free radical damage.
Symptoms of Free Radical Damage include:
* chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia
* ageing, cancer, diabetes
Oxidative stress and area of the body
* Head: Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stroke
* Bones and Joints: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis
* Heart: cardiovascular disease
* Lung: asthma
* Eye: retinol damage
* Skin: psoriasis, sunburn
If you have some of these symptoms, or you want to avoid having free radical damage, try cutting out the following foods:
* Trans fats and hydrogenated fats; the most common example being margarine
* Avoid deep fried foods and take-always as they usually contain hydrogenated fats
* Refined and processed foods as they often contain trans fats and hydrogenated fats and deplete the body of healthy anti-oxidants
* Excessive saturated fats and non-organic red meats as they are pro-inflammatory
* Non-organic food as it contains pesticides and herbicides
Increase the following foods to combat free radical damage:
* All organic fruit and vegetables contain vitamins A, C and E which are good anti-oxidants, specifically all red berries, carrots, peaches, melon, tomato, broccoli, other green leafy vegetables
* Eat plenty of raw nuts and seeds, shellfish, eggs and garlic as they are high in zinc and selenium
* Begin vegetable juicing as this is a great way to increase your daily intake of anti-oxidants
* Increase all anti-inflammatory foods like omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish (herring, mackerel, sardines, salmon, tuna, anchovies, trout), flaxseed oil, linseeds, and walnuts
* Flavonoids and polyphenols are other foods which contain anti-oxidants-they include red wine, red grapes, soy, pomegranate, cranberries, green tea
* Lycopene is another anti-oxidant found in tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon. Some of the most potent anti-oxidants currently known, are the cucuminoids, which are found in the spice turmeric which is used in curries for flavoring
Deal with Stress to Avoid Free Radical Damage
* Ensure you have regular holidays if you are working hard
* Seek to deal with any life issues which are creating emotional stress
* Take up yoga or pilates which emphasize deep breathing exercises
* Take up meditation, tai chi or other relaxing activities like having regular massages to release stress
Exercise Appropriately
* Excessive high intensity exercise increases the free radical load on the body; this is why athletes often take high dosage anti-oxidants. Ensure if you are exercising intensively for more than 5 hours per week, you should be supplementing with high dosage anti-oxidants.
* Moderate exercise 3-5 times per week for 45 minutes on a regular basis promotes good health when eating a healthy diet, and following a basic supplement programmed.
Other Lifestyle Changes which Minimize free radical damage
* Avoid aluminum cookware
* Avoid becoming sun burnt but do not avoid the sun altogether as it promotes vitamin D production which is good for the body
* Avoid mercury fillings
* Stop smoking