Antioxidants and Energy Production

Oxidation is a term used to describe energy-producing reactions within each cell of the human body. Technically speaking, it’s a transfer of hydrogen atoms or electrons from one molecule to another. The end products of oxidation are water, CO2 (carbon dioxide, which we breathe out) and energy which drives cell function. As our activity levels increase, we require more energy (oxidation reactions) and our breathing rates increase to remove the increasing CO2 levels. The types of food being eaten by an individual will also affect the level of oxidation in the body.

Oxidation also produces substances called ‘free radicals’ and our body can naturally cope with a certain amount of free radicals at any one time. However, once a threshold is reached, an overload of free radicals may cause cell damage and health problems leading to heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes and cancer.

Free radical production is also accelerated by stress, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, sunlight and pollution. So our lifestyle choices can lead to added stress on our cells in the form of excessive free radicals.

The good news is that antioxidants that neutralize free radicals are found in certain foods. Antioxidant contained in nutrients include vitamins A, C, E, zinc and selenium. Other dietary food compounds, such as the phytochemicals in plants and zoochemicals from animal products, have an even greater antioxidant effect than vitamins or minerals. Phytochemicals include lycopenes in tomatoes and anthocyanins found in cranberries.

How do I achieve a good intake of antioxidants?

Antioxidants are found in abundance within grain products, fruit, vegetables and beans. Eating a range of vibrant colours in fruit and vegetables allows you to get in a variety of different antioxidants. It is always better to get antioxidants through food sources rather than through supplementation.

Foods and their Antioxidants

Carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potato, tomatoes, rockmelon, peaches, apricot
Antioxidants - vitamin A and carotenoids

Oranges, lemon, lime, capsicum, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries and tomatoes
Antioxidant - vitamin C

Nuts and seeds, wholegrains, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil and liver oil
Antioxidant - vitamin E

Fish, shellfish, red meat, chicken, eggs, grains and garlic
Antioxidant - selenium

Oysters, red meat, poultry, seafood, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, beans and nuts
Antioxidant – zinc

Common PhytochemicalsSoy, red wine, purple grapes, cranberries, tea and pomegranate
Antioxidants - flavonoids/polypenols

Tomato, tomato products, pink grapefruit and watermelon
Antioxidant - lycopene

Dark green vegetables, broccoli, brussel sprouts and spinach
Antioxidant - lutein

Flaxseed, oatmeal, barley and rye
Antioxidant - lignan

References

The Importance of Cooking with Weight Loss

Cooking – some people love it while others hate it! If you’re trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll quickly realise that cooking is central to your success.  Too often we are tempted to take the easy option and order take away or eat meals out which will make long term weight loss or weight maintenance very difficult.

So what is the answer? How do you make cooking less of a chore so that the excuses not to cook stop creeping in to your head?  The answer for most people who lead very busy lives is that it must be quick. But quick is not the only answer.  You must also find the motivation to get into a routine of cooking your meals each night and avoid the temptation of picking up a take away on the way home.  Finding the motivation to cook regular meals may not be easy but here are some things to think about which will help to make cooking easier:

• Make sure your meals taste good!
• Plan meals in advance so that you know what you’re making and don’t give yourself the option of having something else
• Be organised and have all the ingredients at home so that you don’t have to go to the shops on the way home
• If there are other people at home get them involved too. This will help to reduce the amount of time it takes to prepare and cook the meal
• Cook a large enough meal so that there are leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day
• Consider the health benefits. Who really knows how much or what type of fat is going into the Thai takeaway or pizza you’ve ordered
• Food portion sizes tend to be far larger when you order takeaway or eat out, which is not desirable for weight loss

Eating take-away or dining out regularly does not allow you to control your daily food intake.  You will find that your daily saturated fat, energy and salt intake will very quickly exceed your requirements which will of course lead to weight gain and other long term health problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Like most things, eating take away and enjoying meals out is fine in moderation.  However when take away meals, which are high in calories and served in large portion sizes, become part of routine weight loss, weight maintenance and long term good health are very difficult to achieve.

Try these healthy, quick and delicious meal ideas to stop you pulling in for mid week takeaways!

Classic Chicken Stir Fry

1. Stir fry chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. Use a spray of canola oil for cooking.
2. Once cooked, add red capsicum, snow peas and broccoli. Add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce and ½ tablespoon of soy sauce.
3. Remove from heat. Top with fresh basil leaves and bean shoots.

SAM: Steak, Avocado and Mushroom

1. Season steak with dried thyme salt and pepper and cook to your liking on the BBQ.
2. Spray a large field mushroom with cooking oil, cut a large red chilli in half and de- seed, then grill the vegetables on the BBQ. Trim green beans, boil the kettle and cover the beans with hot water.
3. Serve with a tablespoon of avocado, fresh coriander and a wedge of lime. 

Fish and Salsa

1. Cover fish with lemon, salt and pepper wrap in foil and bake in the oven.
2. Cut fresh basil, mint, large red chilli and spring onion and sprinkle over the fish once cooked.
3. Serve with broccolini and a side of salsa: diced tomato, cucumber, red onion + balsamic vinegar. 

Vietnamese Beef

1. In a food processor, mix one stalk of lemon grass, 2 garlic cloves, juice of 1 lime, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and ½ tablespoon of peanut oil.
2. Thinly slice strips of beef and coat in the marinade you’ve just made.
3. Mix together shredded lettuce, grated carrot, thinly sliced cucumber, fresh mint and basil leaves.
4. Cook the marinated beef strips, serve on top of salad top with fresh bean sprouts. 

Lamb with Vegies

1. Choose lamb back strap or another cut of lamb with all the fat removed, sprinkle with equal amounts of sumac, sesame seeds and thyme.
2. Cut zucchini into quarters, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill together with chunks of red capsicum.
3. Trim green beans, boil the kettle and cover the beans with hot water. Mix all vegetables together and sprinkle with 30g low fat feta cheese.
4. Serve as vegetables with the lamb.

A salad you won’t complain about!

1. Cook chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic + ½ a bacon round per person all fat removed in non stick pan. 
2. On a plate place lettuce leaves, snow peas, thin slices of red onion. Top with cooked chicken and bacon pieces.
3. Sprinkle with low fat ricotta cheese and crushed walnuts (3 per person) dress with balsamic vinegar.

Mexican Beef Cups

1. Cook beef strips in a frying pan using spray oil.
2. Add small pieces of broccoli and capsicum and stir in burrito mix (adding water to make it saucey).
3. Serve in lettuce leave cups with a dollop of low fat sour cream and topped with freshly diced tomato.  

Bon Appétit, send us through your favourite healthy recipes!

Weight loss supplements

The best weight loss pill is one which is reliable, consistent and has no sideeffects. We are all looking for one. A diet is equally good if used properly.

A balanced diet is one that not only contains the necessary nutrients, but also the energy that balances the body in relation to the yin and yang. Combining the five tastes (sweet, spicy, bitter, sour and salty) and five temperatures (hot, cold, warm, cool and neutral) according to our needs.
For example, if our body is exceeded heat the food needed in greater amounts are cold and not hot because otherwise we would cause more heat. At present more problems that cause us to lead a healthy and balanced diet is the time we have for this activity, people have a working lunch hours from 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you have not prepared their food should go to a kitchen or restaurant where unknown quantities of fat, salt, cooking food, plus what we can pay and time chewing and saliva is not adequate, alone in Moving and I choose to eat at least 10 minutes if I lose this in the same place where you work.
This will cause poor eating habits and hence nutritional problems (malnutrition or overweight).
If the activity is busy work, after eating digestion causes us a little sleepy (heaviness varied according to the intake) and low productivity or performance a bit, if the Bureau is working on a chair usually spend no calories. Schedule It is best eating habits, where they organize time to eat our food, if possible, a timetable and a weekly plan that includes the essentials: Hot food and salt, cold drink and sweet-sweet fruit neutral, for example.
In addition to program a habit of exercise because your body requires the movements of our muscles to give the right functions and energy balance, if we maintain a sedentary lifestyle and accumulate the energy not only alters digestion but cellular metabolism throughout the body making slow physiological functions and retaining fluid and toxic waste. Do not miss eating those snacks you like so much, do not hurt the cause you trouble is the amount you eat "balanced" only, learn to treat your body and give it just enough. It is possible to achieve this we should only have Longing and desire to improve habits towards a healthy life of good quality.

Till next time..

Are Slimming Pills Safe?

Slimming pills will probably help you lose weight, but that weight loss comes at a price: your health.

Slimming pills don't contain the right balance of macronutrients (carbohydrate, fat and fibre) that your body needs for good health and proper function.

Plus by reducing the amount of fat in your diet, slimming pills risk your mental health. Your brain's cells need a type of fat called Omega 3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) to build their protective membranes. PUFAs are only found in a select group of foods including seafood, flax send, canola oil, soy bean oil and walnuts. A lack of PUFAs can disrupt your brain's cell membranes, a condition that has been related to clinical depression (1). In fact studies have found that it only takes one month for mood to deteriorate when the proportion of daily energy intake from dietary fat is reduced from 41% to 25% (2).

There's absolutely no need to risk your health to lose weight: weight loss should improve your health not harm it!

To lose weight the healthy way you need to eat a nutritious diet, with small meals and snacks every 2-3 hours, as well as engaging in regular exercise. To find out how you can integrate a healthy, balanced diet into your lifestyle see an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. If you are based in Queensland, you can see a Dietitian at the Wesley Weight Management Clinic.

References:
1. Lombard, C. 2000, 'What is the Role of Food in Preventing Depression and Improving Mood, Performance and Cognitive Function?' Medical Journal of Australia, 173:s104-105
2. Anita S. Wells, Nicholas W. Read, Jonathan D. E. Laugharne and N. S. Ahluwalia, 1998, 'Alterations in Mood After Changing to a low Fat Diet' British Journal of Nutrition, 79 , pp 23-30