Antioxidants ~ Nature's Age Avengers

Everyone wants to grow old gracefully. Some go under the knife to get that youthful look while others opt for a more natural way to maintain that healthful glow. The way to make peace with age can be found in the types of foods that we eat and the miracle ingredient they contain.

This hidden “miracle” is called antioxidants. They have graced the pages of magazines, medical journals and every product from hand cream to supplement pills. But what are antioxidants and what can they do to keep you looking your best?

Antioxidants are substances that fight the aging process that goes on in your body. They are not produced by the body so to get the benefit of these power-packed substances you must ingest them. A variety of foods contain antioxidants.

Let’s go back to the beginning. The body continually replenishes its cells. Through a process called cellular metabolism, the body produces energy, more cells and repairs any damage. One by-product of cellular metabolism is unstable molecules called free radicals.

Free radicals are molecules that damage your body. They are unstable because they are missing an electron. To get another one and become stable, free radicals will steal electrons from cells. That theft damages the cells in a variety of ways.

The results are visible and invisible changes to our bodies. The development of diseases like cancer, diabetes, arthritis and neurological deficiencies may begin to affect you as you age. Also, thinner skin wrinkles and brittle bones are a problem. Free radicals enter our body from outside sources as well: cigarette smoke, radiation and the sun’s UV rays. The more free radicals we encounter, the greater the damage that can be done.

Antioxidants have been shown to be of great help in the free radical problem. Antioxidant substances combine with free radicals and neutralize them. Once they are neutralized, they can no longer do any damage. Scientists don’t have any idea of a recommended daily dose of antioxidants to correct free radical damage and the diseases that come with age, but they do know that eating foods rich in antioxidants makes a huge difference in how we live.

Where do you find antioxidants? They are all around us. Look no further than your local farmer’s market or produce aisle in the grocery store. Fruits and vegetables contain the principle sources of antioxidants.

Examples of antioxidants include:
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin A
* Vitamin E
* Lutein
* Lycopene
* Beta-carotene

Certain minerals like zinc and selenium also function in the body. They are not antioxidants but they boost the immune system to fight against free radical damage.

Antioxidants are also found in nuts, legumes, cold water fish, seafood and red meat. So, eating a varied diet of fruits, vegetables and the foods just named will increase the amount of antioxidants in your system and help reduce the incidence of disease. Eating fruits and vegetables in their natural form instead of juices brings the benefit of other nutrients found in the foods. Juices also contain a lot of sugar that is not needed by your body.

While you might find your local pharmacy and supermarket shelves lined with bottles of vitamin pills which claim to contain antioxidants, it is not just the alphabetical list of ingredients that we need to keep us feeling and looking youthful. We need the whole food, not just the isolated vitamins and minerals, to get the greatest benefits. That is why the daily supplements we take need to be carefully chosen. Lab created vitamins often lack the phytonutrients and other substances found in the original source, so look for a daily supplement that is made from whole foods, not synthetic lab-goo.

HealthNutShortcuts is on the lookout for easy ways to eat things that help us look and feel younger, longer.

Check out The Pops, little capsules filled with dried whole foods (minus the fiber and water), if you are looking for daily antioxidant supplements.

10 Affirmations for Making Healthy Food Choices

When you have "convenience" food bombarding you from every direction, it can be difficult to choose options that give your body the nourishment it needs. However, if you have daily reminders and effective tools at your disposal, you just may find that eating the right foods and feeding your body the best fuels becomes a lot easier. Of course, there will always be temptation, but when you equip yourself with anti-temptation tools, you will be able to quickly re-focus your mind on your greater goal of getting healthy!

Using Affirmations to Make the Healthy Food and Nutrition Choices

When everyone around you at the office is indulging in burgers, fries, and sugary drinks, it's awfully tempting to join in, isn't it? But what if you could stop that temptation in its tracks and actually choose to make a healthy choice? You don't need me to tell you that fatty and sugary choices are not the kinds of food that your body needs - you need to tell yourself!

It can be hard in moments of temptation to make the right choice, but with the help of positive affirmations, you can re-train your brain to replace the desire for junk food with healthy choices. Affirmations can help you stick to your diet, say no to temptation, and eat nourishing and satisfying foods. How? By replacing the negative spiral of thoughts in your mind with powerful, positive ones.

But first you have to believe that it is possible to gain control over your thirsts, desires, and cravings. The first step in making a lasting change in your life is to make the commitment to success. Are you committed? Do you believe that you can overcome your cravings? Once you've set your commitment in stone, you're ready to learn the top 10 affirmations to get you through moments of weakness.

Top 10 Food and Nutrition Affirmations

Before reading the list below, you should know that affirmations are most successful when you internalize the saying and repeat it frequently. Whether you're having a good or bad day, you need to be constantly repeating these positive statements in your mind. Temptation will strike when you least expect it, so it's better to be prepared!

1. I can neutralize bad habits with good food, exercise, and healthy living.

2. I am proud to reach out to my support network instead of leaning on food for comfort.

3. I am losing weight for me because I love me.

4. I set aside time just for me.

5. My good health and productivity are the rewards for the nourishing foods I eat.

6. Weight gain happens over time, so my weight loss equally requires time, patience, and lifestyle changes.

7. I use self-care, not self-control.

8. The more I take care of myself, the better I feel.

9. I am firmly committed to staying active and healthy.

10. I deserve a healthy body and mind.

When you look at these food and nutrition affirmations, they may seem like ideals - behaviors and thoughts that you only wish you could have - but each time you reaffirm them by saying them aloud, you're slowly changing your mindset. Over time, these ideals will become a reality through your thoughts and actions.

But remember, you must first believe you can change. Once you make the commitment to your success, you will change your attitudes about food and you'll be thankful you did!

HealthNutShortcuts is looking for easy ways to eat the right things, and trying to figure out what the right things are.

Pops ~ 77 Ingredients

The Pops are daily whole food multi supplements (capsules) which are made from 77 whole fruits, veggies (minus the water and fiber) and other healthful ingredients. They are not made from synthetic vitamin chemicals. They come in two versions: The Purples which are filled with fruits, veggies, and herbs that are more energizing; and the Greens which are filled with fruits, veggies, and herbs which are more calming.

I like to take two Purples in the morning and two Greens in the evening. That way I know I am getting some of my 5-9's everyday, along with enzymes so I digest my food better, and probiotics to keep my immune system in peak performance.

Here's a list of those 77 ingredients and why they are included in the Pops.

Wondering if your vitamins are safe? Free report here.

Health Nut Shortcuts looks for easy ways to put good things into our bodies.

Purple and Green Pops

Big B Stabilized Rice Bran

Jimmy Moore interviews Dr. Heidi - Atkins on Steroids?

Jimmy Moore of Livin La Vida Low-Carb lost nearly 200 lbs with Atkins, and has kept it off. He's been telling his story ever since.

When he heard about Dr. Heidi he was quite surprised by her take on Atkins and low-carb eating, so he decided to interview her for his popular website. Dr. Heidi teaches about shifting your fat-burning engine into high gear by eating REAL food, no processed stuff, no fake food: Grass-fed meat, pastured chickens and eggs, safe raw milk, real kefir - as close to natural as possible, which is not easy to find these days.

CLICK HERE to listen to the audio...

Health Nut Shortcuts is all about looking for easy ways to eat the right things - and trying to figure out what the right things are.

Whole Food Nation - damage control for a fast food nation.
Little Spa - alternative food cycling, no rabbit food required.
Affordable Mineral Makeup - pure, radiant, mineral makeup at affordable prices.

Big B Stabilized Rice Bran is finally here!

Big B is an extraordinary superfood in powder form, with a wonderful sweet taste. Most people use it to make smoothies. The three company owners also eat it by the spoonful as a treat or a quick snack. They’ve used it almost everyday for seven years.

The only ingredient in Big B is stabilized rice bran, one of the richest sources of B complex vitamins (see Supplement Facts). B vitamins are a natural source of energy. They help reduce stress and support your adrenals. They help sex drive and fertility.

Big B rice bran also naturally contains essential amino acids, essential fatty acids omega 6 and 3; the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium; the super enzymes glutathione peroxidase, methionine reductase, and super oxide dismutase; phytosterols including gamma oryzanol, plus over 100 antioxidants.

Common rice bran turns rancid very quickly. Stabilizing it allows the bran to stay fresh about a year or more after manufacturing and 60 days after opening. Big B rice bran is stabilized without chemicals or preservatives.

Whole Food Nation - damage control for a fast food nation.

ER Fat Burn - Is It For You?

Should you or shouldn't you?

Hear Dr. Heidi walk you through the ER Fat Burn program, the most talked about fat burning program since Atkins. Well, it is in my mind. Right HERE.

Only Dr. Heidi's program is health-giving AND fat burning.

You get immediate access to the ER Fat Burn member site the moment you complete your registration.

Only 13 Live spots available. (Where you get the weekly consultations with Dr. Heidi.)

Multi-Media memberships ready for the do-it-yourselfers.

The video alone is an eye opening experience.

What Dieting Mistakes Have You Made?

If you feel like everything you've tried in order to lose weight has done nothing but kept you on the up and down diet rollercoaster, you're not alone. This nutrition professor tells the one secret that leads all dieters to the yo-yo effect. Do you know what it is?

Prepare to be surprised.

This video is pure content about how this one mistake keeps dieters on the yo-yo cycle - and how to change it.

Health Nut Wannabe is tired of making the same mistakes over and over again. You?

Vitamin D for Colds and Flu? Looks That Way...

Vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin." But did you know it isn't really a vitamin at all? It's actually a hormone that our bodies manufacture when sunshine hits our skin and converts cholesterol into what we call Vitamin D. So what happens when we stay out of the sun, cover up from head to toe, don't see the sun in the winter, or slather our skin with SPF? Nothing - in the way of manufacturing Vitamin D, that is.

We have all heard many times that we need Vitamin D to build strong bones and teeth, right? But what has been coming to light recently is that it plays many other important roles in our overall health. In fact, it has been found that people who live farther north of the equator seem to have more illnesses than those who live closer to it. Is it a coincidence that we get more colds and flu bugs in the winter months than other times of year when the sun is brighter and we spend more time outdoors? Apparently not....

"Forget the apple. The largest study of its kind to date shows that vitamin D each and every day is what will keep the doctor away when it comes to the common cold or the flu.

The finding is based on an assessment of vitamin D levels, nutritional habits and respiratory infection rates among nearly 19,000 American men and women.

'We don't want to jump ahead of ourselves,' said study author Dr. Adit Ginde, an assistant professor of surgery in the division of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. 'But our study provides support that lower levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk for respiratory infections, such as the common cold and the flu. And people who have pre-existing respiratory disease -- like asthma an emphysema -- appear to be at an increased risk for this association.'"

When our Vitamin D levels are lower than optimal, not only are we at increased risk for colds and flu but may also be less protected from things like colon cancer, COPD, and Multiple Sclerosis. Not only that...

"And in December, a review of studies conducted by researchers at the Mid-America Heart Institute in Kansas City suggested that those with vitamin D deficiency -- a designation estimated to include about half of American adults and nearly one in three children -- might face an increased risk for heart attack and stroke."

YIKES!

Vitamin D is found in fatty fish like tuna, beef (grass fed), eggs (pasture fed), and some fortified dairy and juice products. If you are looking to supplement, use only Vitamin D3 which is the form that can be easily converted by the body. But the absolute best way, if possible, is to expose a good amount of skin to about 15-20 minutes of mid-day sun every day. No sunscreen, that defeats the purpose. If you stay out only for that short a period you will not likely be at risk for skin cancer (but check with your healthcare provider if you are predisposed).

Read the rest of the report here. Source: US News.com

Health Nut Wannabe is interested in ways to stay healthy without spending a fortune on medications, but instead by eating foods with medicinal properties.

Do healthy foods keep you fat? www.tinyurl.com/burnfoodwithfat

150 lb Weightloss Surprise

Does everyone have it wrong about how a really big person got that way and stays that way?

Whether you have 150 lbs to lose, or only 5, the mechanism to burn fat is the same. Sometimes our fat burning mechanism quits working for a variety of reasons - and the fat just won't budge. Wondering why? Check this out...

Five minute delightful video where Dr. Heidi tells you a surprise about some of the big folks.

P.S. There's a little no cost "How to Eat" Guide from Dr. Heidi if you ask for it.

Some Good Foods are Bad for Fat Loss

Like many of you, I have become more aware of the effects of food on my body. I know that eating fast food like fries and burgers are not the healthiest choices and that fresh fruits and veggies are better for me than chips and cookies. I've made the switch from white bread, pasta, and rice to whole grains which is a bonus for my digestive tract. And I choose grass fed and free range meats whenever possible. All of these are nutritious choices that I'm sure will help me feel better and stay healthy for years to come.

But what I had not considered until recently was the effect that these very nutritious choices have had on my weightloss efforts. It seemed reasonable that leaving behind deep fried and sugary snacks would help me shed some pounds, but I never thought that eating whole grains and fruit could sabotage my ability to finally get rid of the extra fat I've accumulated over the years.

If you don't need to lose any fat then this probably won't interest you. But if you do, and you have been trying to eat right and yet still struggle to get those fat cells to budge, this new video from Dr. Heidi might just be the thing you needed to move forward. In case you don't know Dr. Heidi, she is a Harvard grad who teaches Nutrition to graduate level university students in Berkeley, the creator of the Extreme Regime Fat Burn Formula, and designer of the Pops (whole food multi vitamins).

Watch this astonishing video to learn how "good" foods are making you fat.

HealthNutWannabe is looking for easy ways to eat the right things and understanding when to eat them.