Anti-oxidants protect your cells from free radical damage to your DNA, which can cause pre-mature ageing, cancer, heart disease, arthritis and other age related degenerative diseases.

Exposure to free radicals is rampant due to stress, pollution and lifestyle choices such as exercising, sunbathing, smoking, and consuming processed foods as well radiation exposure to computers, mobile phones and television. However free radicals are also a natural by-product of the body turning food into energy.

So how much anti-oxidant must you consume in order to protect your cells from free radical damage?

The answer lies within the ORAC measurement of a food. ORAC stands for the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, so the more free radicals a food can absorb, the higher its ORAC Score.

Studies suggest you need around 5000 ORAC units per day to neutralize free radicals damage. One serving of fruits or vegetables contains approximately 500 ORAC units.

Antioxidant foods with high ORAC values:

Acai berry, prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, spinach(raw), broccoli, red grapes, dark chocolate, pomegranate and herbal green tea. (These food ranges from 739 to 18,500 ORAC value per 100 grams)

If eating the necessary anti-oxidant foods on a daily basis is a challenge, you can consider taking an anti-oxidant supplement that contains vitamin C, E, A, selenium or a combination of extracts from different super foods.

1. DEEP BREATHE

Often when stressed, you hold your breath or revert to very shallow breathing. Taking long deep breaths will oxygenate your brain and reduce anxiety.

2. REDUCE YOUR INTAKE OF REFINED CARBOHYDRATES

Sugar and refine carbohydrates (white rice, bread, cakes, biscuits) elevate your blood glucose levels, causing feelings of lethargy.

Increase your consumption of protein, whole grains, water, oily fish and fruits and vegetables.  Eat regular meals (every 3.5 hours) to help balance your blood glucose levels.

3. SLOW DOWN YOUR EATING

Digestion starts in the mouth. When you eat quickly, it causes undigested proteins to enter the gut lumen, which then leads to feelings of stomach bloating, indigestion and impaired absorption of nutrients from food.  Your body therefore functions sub-optimally, a stress.

Also avoid watching television or multi-tasking when you eat, this promotes over eating and weight gain.

4. STRETCH

Stretching or yoga stimulates your para-sympathetic nervous system (part of your body’s autonomic nervous response that serves to slow down the heart rate). This serves to reduce the body’s stress level.

5. TAKE TIME OUT

Etch out ‘me’ time. Treat yourself each week (massage, yoga class, lie in, or…)

Take a walk after work (review your day, be grateful of your accomplishments)

6. MAKE A LIST

Time management gurus suggest working from a list. This helps you maintain perspective and squash feelings of overwhelm. The key is to create your list with tasks that are tied to your main values. If your aim is to lose weight, do something each day that drives you towards that goal.

• The Shoulder stand and Fish postures in yoga stimulate the thyroid, which is responsible for modulating your metabolic rate, the speed by which your body burns fat.

• Yoga promotes good postural alignment, which gives the illusion of a slimmer frame. With your thoracic region elevated, the centre line of the body is taut and you appear taller and leaner.

• Forward bends and rotations help to regulate your digestive system, promoting better elimination. Proper digestion and elimination prevent the body from storing food as fat.

• Standing balance postures increase your body’s muscle mass. Muscles burn fat more effectively.

• Dynamic yoga classes such as Asthanga or Bikram (yoga in a heated room) can be cardiovascular challenging and promotes weight loss.

• Yoga philosophy recommends a vegetarian diet, low in saturated fats, stimulants and refined foods.

Long-term weight loss requires balancing your energy in (what you eat) with energy out (exercise).

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