The Antioxidant Truth

You can't really do anything today without hearing the word "Antioxidant".  I have been a big believer in the antioxidant method of wellness and it didn't hurt that some of my favorite treats were on the list...berries, coffee, chocolate and wine.

Imagine my shock at finding out that I have been misinformed.

We have all seen products in the grocery store ranging from supplements to candy claiming high antioxidant content. 

But what does that mean?

"Antioxidants came to public attention in the 1990s...Some studies showed that people with low intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables were at greater risk for developing these chronic conditions than were people who ate plenty of these fruits and vegetables. Clinical trials began testing the impact of single substances, especially beta-carotene and vitamin E, as weapons against heart disease, cancer, and the like." credit: Harvard School of Public Health

So how did the media, and the supplement and food industries react to this news?
"Even before the results of these trials were in, [they] began to hype the benefits of “antioxidants.” Frozen berries, green tea, and other foods labeled as being rich in antioxidants began popping up in stores. Supplement makers touted the disease-fighting properties of all sorts of antioxidants." credit: HSPH

(That's sort of exactly how we should expect them to react.)


So are the corporations lying to us?  Well, kind of.  Certain foods and supplements are higher in antioxidants than others.  They can even rate them according to amount of antioxidants so you can be confident in knowing that the dark chocolate covered pomegranate is kicking butt and taking names.

What is not proven is whether the antioxidants actually affect your body and health one way or the other. 

Yes, you read that right...nobody knows for sure if antioxidants do a blessed thing for your health.  If you look closely at the products on the grocery shelves claiming high antioxidant content you will notice that none of them actually make any sort of health claims  We consumers just connect the two in our minds and buy buy buy. 

Right now are you paying more for specific kinds of juice that claim immense amounts of antioxidant power?  Because if so you are wasting your money.

Well, at least ingesting copious amounts of antioxidants might help...and it can't hurt, right?   'Just in case'.   Not so fast.

"The first inkling came in a large trial of beta-carotene conducted among men in Finland who were heavy smokers, and therefore at high risk for developing lung cancer. The trial was stopped early when researchers saw a significant increase in lung cancer among those taking the supplement compared to those taking the placebo." credit: HSPH 

But "Not all trials of beta-carotene show this harmful effect, however. In the Physicians’ Health Study, which included few active smokers, no increase in lung cancer or any other adverse affect was seen even after 18 years of follow-up." credit: HSPH 

The Bottom Line on Antioxidants and Disease Prevention:

According to the Harvard School of Public Health: " Free radicals contribute to chronic diseases from cancer to heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease to vision loss. This doesn’t automatically mean that substances with antioxidant properties will fix the problem, especially not when they are taken out of their natural context. The studies so far are inconclusive, but generally don’t provide strong evidence that antioxidant supplements have a substantial impact on disease."

So eat healthy, include whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and buy the super juices only if you really love the taste. 

There are ways to provide protection against many of these scourges of aging but, sadly, chocolate and wine are not going to do it.  That's not to say they aren't enjoyable and can contribute vitally to our emotional health. 

"Gold that buys health can never be ill spent. 

~Thomas Dekker, Westward Ho, 1604"

What would you give for health? 

This is a question I have had to ask myself recently.  What would I pay to be well?  How much time would I give?  How much energy would I put forth?

It's not an outlandish statement to say that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can cost you more in terms of time/energy/money at the onset.  Fortunately it will be an investment in your long term wellness and can save you money later on. 

It's like spending the big bucks on the energy efficient appliances.  The out of pocket is pretty stiff but the cost of energy savings makes them worth that initial investment.

Being healthy costs you.  Eating healthy costs money.  Exercise costs time.  Maintaining health costs energy. 

Are you willing to spend? 

A Healthy Terrain

The healthiest crops grow out of healthy soil.  Regardless of whether you grew up in Kansas, Brooklyn or the Moon you KNOW this essential truth about good soil. 

Many believe that our bodies work the same way.

How?

Meet Antoine Béchamp who believed that living entities called "microzymes" created bacteria in response to host and environmental factors; he did not believe that bacteria could invade a healthy host and create disease on their own. (credit: Wikipedia)

Wait, what?

Haven't we been taught in elementary school health class about how germs work?  The germ theory of disease refers to the discovery in the late 19th century that some infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms, small organisms too small to see without magnification, that invade the host. (credit: Wikipedia)

Germs invade the host and we get sick.  Soooo the logical conclusion is to create antibiotics and vaccines that KILL THOSE GERMS!  Right?

Well, not exactly.

Bechamp (among others) believed that the "germs" couldn't create disease on their own but that a healthy 'terrain' could prevent the invasion. 

I, personally do not want to be invaded.  At least not by germs.  I also don't enjoy the idea that I am helpless against the microorganisms that float around our lives just waiting gather enough forces to attack.  Really? 

What would happen if a country didn't work at defending it's borders but instead just tried to fight the enemy once they had begun occupation? 

I will tell you what...the country would lose more troops AND civilians fighting an adversary that had already started buying real estate and joining the PTA. 

Doesn't it make more sense to fortify your defenses before the enemy strikes?

Doesn't it?

Fountain of Youth..?

 

 

Ever since Herodotus mentioned a a fountain containing a special kind of water which gave people amazing longevity, the human race has, well, raced to locate this magical water that would restore youth to anyone who drinks of it.

 

 

Of course we are modern, scientific thinkers and the idea of a magic fountain is quaint and ridiculous. 

 

(But secretly we all wish it were true)

 

I personally wouldn't want to live forever but I would absolutely sign up for a sip of something that would keep me looking and feeling young until my life plays out to it's natural end.  Heck, I would take just the young-feeling part and let the wrinkles and gray hair run rampant.

 

Can we all agree on that?  I think so.

 

Is there a fountain of youth?  No.  But we all know that there are certain formulas to maintaining the best possible health as we age.  Eating healthy foods.  Exercise.  Stress management.  Reduce free radicals.  Take your vitamins.  Get eight hours of sleep a night. etc. etc.

 

The problem is that while all the 'authorities' agree that these are vital in maintaining a healthy life, what they don't agree on is what it all means.  We have all heard the jokes about the medical authorities coming out with a study that says that coffee is a powerful antioxidant and should be enjoyed daily, and the next day they report that coffee will kill you.  Or at least damage you beyond repair.  The same with milk, wine, wheat, corn, sweeteners, and the list goes on.

 

One authority publishes a book saying that a high protein diet is the best while another bestseller asserts that vegan is the way to go.

 

I am pretty sure that the only things that can be agreed upon across the board are organic fruits and vegetables and purified water.  Anything else is entering uncharted waters.  

 

The fact is that we live in a messy, dirty, disease ridden world and at one time we would have died young from measles but now we are killed slowly by Little Debbie.  

 

The fountain of youth is a myth and we can't truly determine what foods will help or harm us.  What we need is not a new and exciting 'medicine' to combat disease but an improved inner health that will enable our bodies to work as intended to create an internal 'fountain of youth'.  A terrain of wellness.

 

 

SHAPE Diva Dash

On March 6, 2013 I committed myself to 'running' a 5k with some co-workers at the SHAPE Diva Dash in Boulder which was going to take place on May 4th. 

I haven't run since middle school and I was one of those people who said 'If you see me running there is probably something after me.'

Fact is, I hadn't even been walking.  I mentioned in my last post that exertion was causing me pain especially in my hips.  I would wake up in the morning hunched over and shuffling around like Baba Yaga.

 

 

I am also not the brightest bulb in the pack so I chose a ridiculous motivational tool like signing up for a 5k with my coworkers acting like I was a frequent runner and strutting about the office. 

 



 

I kept planning to go walking and I even downloaded the Couch to 5K guide, which is excellent by the way.  I bought a new pair of running shoes (Saucony) and bought the cutest pair of yoga pants which make my butt look amazing even without working out.  I wore these around the house and acted like a runner.  I told my husband that wearing the right clothes is the first step in motivating a person to exercise.  (He didn't fall for it).

 

How would I make the transition from this:

 

To this: