You vs. The Free Radicals

When cells in your body encounter a free radical, the reaction can cause destruction in those cells.

Free.  Radical.  Two of my favorite words.  They get my attention, and often my affection and respect. But when used together, they are my enemy.

Nutritionists and doctors alike are beginning to discover that it doesn't matter how old you are, whether you're male or female, whether you have ailments or are as healthy as an ox...

Each and every day our body's 63 trillion cells are constantly being bombarded by unstable molecules called "Free Radicals."  Those little buggers are like little terrorists that do big damage...and they do it on the sly, they are cunning enemies, preparing for war on our own soil right under our noses, and with the sole intent of destruction. 


The truth is that Free Radicals are responsible for making us older than we are. These unstable molecules lose electrons and "borrow" them from a healthy cell, destroying that cell in the process. Then these electrons ricochet like bullets gone wild all over our body, damaging healthy cells from our bones, blood, skin, and even our internal organs.  Eventually the Free Radicals break into your cell membranes and destroy the DNA inside.

In English that means Free Radicals cause you to get tired, weak, sick, really sick, and make you die.


THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS GUYS.


EVERYONE ONE OF US needs to wage war against The Free Radicals.  The best offense is a good defense, they say.  And, we need to arm ourselves with solid defensive moves to avert the barrage of bullets, screaming airplanes and explosive bombs that threaten to hurt us. But, how?

If you're thinking prescription drugs, think again.

If you're thinking daily exercise, think again.

I tend to over-think just about everything, so this one surprised me.  The right answer is simply solid nutrition!!!  As it turns out, complete, solid nutrition contains an amazing and effective weapon that has a funny sounding name . . . antioxidants.  (Learn more about antioxidants here.)

The really good news is that we CAN win this war against the free radicals, but not if we bury our heads in the sand and pretend they don't exist.

Next time we'll talk about what nutrients are the best warriors in our arsenal and what foods they're in.  Until then, ask questions or share your thoughts in the comments, and as always . . .

be well,
Cheryl


P.S.  This post is a part of the Prevention Not Prescription Tuesdays hosted at The Kathleen Show site, and Fight Back Fridays hosted over at Food Renegade.  I'm proud to be among so many amazingly smart writers in both places.  Check it out.  

I Want These Shoes!!!

Check out the
Nike LunarTrainer+ iD Running Shoe
I designed at NIKEiD.com

Seriously, I think this is all I want for Christmas. What do you guys think of the colors?  Orange is quickly becoming one of my favorite colors.  Would you change anything at all?  Tell me in the comments!

Be well,

Cheryl

French Women Don't Get Fat - Book Review

FRENCH WOMAN'S MANIFESTO:

French women love to sit at a cafe and do nothing but enjoy the moment.

It's official ~ I wanna be french!

Just finished reading French Women Don't Get Fat by the lovely and amazing Mireille Guiliano, one of the best books I've read on the subject of weight control.  Why?  Well, here's why:

1.  Mireille (pronounced Meer-ray) is French.  And she lives in America.  New York to be exact.  So, her perspective hasn't been formed in a vacuum.  She knows the culture of both France and the USA and shows us how much fun it can be to live in both worlds.  And, who wouldn't want to adopt a view of weight control that includes bread and chocolate?

2.  The book is beautifully written.  I read a lot of books, some of which I can fly through for mere entertainment and others like this one that I just want to savor.  She inserts french colloquialisms that begin to acquaint the reader with the language, the essence, the soul of France.  At first I skipped over these because I don't know French, but sensed along the way that I was missing a great sensory experience by doing so.  Mireille writes with grace, with elegance and yet with a sensibility and frankness that is just irresistible.

3.  What Mireille proposes is sustainable . . . it requires, yes, a shift away from the American "more is better" attitude, but somehow you end up knowing in your soul that this, too, can be a gentle process.  So, if you've ridden the dieting roller coaster, you will find this book refreshing.  Refreshing like a cool glass of water on a hot day. Seriously.

4.  No empty promises are made.  Mireille straight forwardly says that "most who appear to live in healthy balance are actually working at it" as opposed to being born with it or genetically predisposed.  So, no, you can't keep eating McDonald's and deep fried foods every day and still lose weight.  But while we must exert effort, the effort is balanced with remembering the pleasure in it all.  Eat slower, take time to really taste the food.  I can tell you THAT's the quickest way to make a person avoid the drive-thru!  Have you ever chewed your drive-thru burger 30 times? {insert expletive here}

5.  You can eat real food.  Not only real, but high quality, fresh, whole food.  No diet shakes or protein bars, just honest-to-goodness scrumptious food.  I love what Mireille says about food on television:

Food on television makes one think about eating and gets one's gastric juices flowing, triggering the release of insulin, lowering one's blood sugar, and stimulating food cravings.  It's gastronomic pornography.

And, yes, chocolate and bread are included.   Turns out that small meals of good quality food are extremely satisfying.

6.  Pleasure is a main component.  Have you ever tried to "go on a diet", embarked, and then hated every last minute of it?  I have.  Somehow we've concluded that to lose weight and be healthy means we don't get to enjoy food anymore.  Not so with Mireille's approach.  She says that "self punishment is never our path to well-being."  But, enjoying pleasures is done with moderation, and as such, the shame of indulgence is removed.

I could say a whole lot more, but honestly, I don't want to spoil it for you.  You owe it to yourself to pick up this book.  French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano.  Please leave your thoughts, feelings, anything you want to in the comments.  And, once you read the book, come back and tell me about it.

Be well,
Cheryl

P.S.  This post is a part of the Prevention Not Prescriptions blog carnival!  Check it out for some really interesting, thought-provoking, sensible reading on the subject of health management.  And, last but not least, I'm hanging out over at Food Renegade for their Fight Back Friday's carnival too.  Great reading here for all.

Staying Warm

Here's a very simple way to help homeless folks stay warm this winter.  You'll be rewarded, too ~ 20% off any new coat purchase from Lands End through November 30....and a really, really good feeling in your heart.

What Lies Within

"What lies before us and what lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

As you know if you've been around here for very long, hubs and I are working on eating better.  Several weeks ago we launched an all-out effort to eat clean.  All I can say right now is that it's a good thing we are looking at this as a P - R - O - C - E - S - S.  We've always tried to eat fresh instead of canned or boxed, and shop mostly around the perimeter of the grocery store.  Still, I think we are both feeling a bit deprived.

True Confessions
I hate admitting all of this to the world, but really, I don't think we are alone in how we think and behave around food.  We soooo want to nourish our bodies with whole, fresh and local food but sometimes it feels like we have to become hermits in order to do it.  For example, we love eating out with friends on the spur of the moment or sometimes giving into our cravings for something not on the home-cooked menu.  We love those wings and the occasional bowl of ice cream. 

Bottom line, we enjoy food.  So, we're still trying to figure this all out, and exactly how we can be good to ourselves and make it all add up.  The PROCESS continues.

There's More To It
This is where what the brilliant Ralph Waldo Emerson said comes in...getting in touch with what lies within us.  I mean that both in the sense of determination, and not just throwing in the towel...keep working at it, and keep forgiving ourselves for not being perfect.  But, we're thinking it's also good to remember that we are more than the sum of our health score.

Don't get me wrong, health is supremely important to us, especially as the years continue to add up.  But, what lies within us....that desire for fulfilling, healthy relationships, for meaning and purpose, for significant work, for lives growing in faith and love....are not these inward passions important and not to be sacrificed for an obsession with food?

Balance ~ Weigh In Please!
Somewhere along the way there is a balance to be struck...and I'd love to hear what you guys do to find that balance...the balance between eating food to nourish your body and living life to the fullest.  How exactly do YOU do it?  Please share your ideas/comments in the comments section.

This post is a part of Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday, and Food Renegade Fight Back Fridays.

Be well,
Cheryl