Most of us are aware of the effect of chronic overeating on our weight and appearance, but many of us don’t think about what’s happening ‘on the inside’. When you eat a big, fatty meal your body releases inflammatory chemicals that can promote the development of conditions like heart disease and insulin resistance. Metabolizing a rich meal also produces an excess of free radicals in the body causing a big drop in your antioxidant levels.
In simple terms, free radicals are scavenger molecules that circulate through the body damaging healthy cells. Antioxidants, like Vitamin C, E, and phytochemicals (which give color, flavor and smell to plant foods) help protect those healthy cells from being damaged. Over time free radical damage can promote things like cancer and aging. Incorporating antioxidants into your diet on a regular basis can help prevent this process from happening.
One of the best sources of antioxidants and phytochemicals are raw fruits and vegetables. They’re also typically low in calories and packed with fiber and water, which helps keep you full and promotes weight loss (we love that!). Fresh berries, spinach, tomatoes, garlic and beans are all packed with antioxidants [just to name a few]! I could go on for pages talking about ways to incorporate these foods into your diet, but I want to focus on fruit in particular for now.
Eating fruit for dessert is a common recommendation when trying to satisfy a ‘sweet tooth’ or craving, but I want to suggest fruit for dessert for a different reason this time. As stated above, metabolizing a rich meal produces free radicals in the body and can cause your antioxidant levels to drop. Since we all tend to ‘overindulge’ from time to time, why not try having fruit for dessert (instead of cheesecake or chocolate cookies) after a heavy meal to replenish those antioxidant stores and hopefully prevent some of the free radical damage.
Check out these yummy Berry and Sherbet Filled Chocolate Cups that are jam packed with antioxidants! I also love Warm Raspberries over Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream or a nice bowl of fresh mixed berries with sliced almonds on top. And for something a little different give these Mother’s Day Fruit Cups a try.
Let us know if you have any good recipes or ideas!
- Lauren
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Labels: Diet, fruits and vegetables, healthy eating, Lauren
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