antioxidant

benefits appointments location pricing services studio sessions tandem
comments frequently asked questions

          water
          energy
          endurance
          building blocks
          detoxification
          stress management
          what men should know

                  Free radicals are damaging oxygen molecules produced by
                                   chemical reactions taking place in your body. They cause blood
                             vessels to lose elasticity, weaken the immune system, and increase
                                          the proneness of cancer and other opportunistic diseases.
                                 The body can naturally take care of a normal amount of free
                                          radicals, but if you live in high levels of air pollution, smoke,
                                   or work around toxic substances, you need extra anti-oxidant
                                         amounts to help you ward off diseases that occur because
                                                 of heavy free radical damage.

Anti-oxidants are especially important compounds for men

Oxygen is obviously essential for life on earth, including the survival of humans. The utilization of oxygen
does come with a price though. In the process of our use of oxygen, unstable molecules known as free
radicals are created at the cellular level. These free radicals act in a "chain reaction" fashion, stealing
stable electron partners from other cells, thus launching more free radicals and instability.

The damage occurring as a result of these compounds have been associated with over 100 disease processes,
including heart disease, cancer, and aging.

It is estimated that each of the 60 trillion cells in the human body take 10,000 oxidative "hits" per second!
If it were not for the ability of our bodies to scavenge these radicals, our bodies would degenerate at an
extreme rate.

Antioxidant nutrients play a key role in our ability to protect against this oxidative damage. The most popula
nutrients in this category are vitamins E & C, along with beta-carotene.

Our bodies also naturally produce antioxidant compounds such as lipoic acid, CoEnzymeQ10, and glutathione.
However recent research findings have shown that human production of these naturally produced antioxidants
is insufficient for optimal defense against oxidative damage.

Excellent sources of Anti-oxidant vitamins include the following:

Vitamin A or Beta Carotene: cantaloupe, mango, carrots, sweet potato and red pepper
Vitamin E: corn oil margarine, peanut butter, wheat germ and avocado
Vitamin C: orange juice, potato, pomegranates, strawberries and kiwifruit

Scientists are also extensively studying plant and seed production of antioxidants, which protect them from
the effects of sunlight and oxygen. For example, lycopene from tomatoes, polyphenols (which are particularly
potent antioxidants that protect against heart disease) from grapes and pomegranates, and lutein from plant
sources, have been found to be much more protective than even vitamin C, when tested in human cells.

It is clear that a plant based diet, along with supplementation with a multi-nutrient formula containing a well-
researched balance of antioxidant compounds, is an ideal approach to physical wellness and disease prevention.

Research shows that a diet high in fresh vegetables and fruits provides more anti-oxidant vitamins than diets
which are low in vegetables and fruits. An eating pattern that is high in vegetable, fruits, whole grains with
moderate amounts of meat and dairy products is known to be associated with a lower risk of cancer and heart
disease.

Registered Dietitians and Nutritionists generally agree that the best way of getting anti-oxidant vitamins is
from whole foods as part of a balanced diet rather than supplement pills. Part of the reason for this is that whole
foods provide many healthy compounds in addition to the specific anti-oxidants, yet do not have the risks
associated with overdosing on vitamin supplements.

Supplement pills cannot offer all the health benefits of a balanced diet. To stay healthy, eat a variety of foods
from the four food groups in Canada's Food Guide each day. Hold off on those anti-oxidant supplements until
a clearer picture of the risks and benefits is known.

New findings reported today at World Alzheimer Congress 2000 suggest that eating high amounts of vegetables,
vitamin E, and vitamin C is associated with lower risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Food Guide recommends we eat the following:

Grain Products 5-12 servings per day
Vegetables and Fruits 5-10 servings per day
Milk Products 2-4 servings per day
Meat and Alternatives 2-3 servings per day
Healthy eating Recipes

Swedish Massage

Swedish Massage or classic European Massage is a very effective way to reduce stress levels in your
body. It uses kneading, stroking, friction, tapping, and sometimes body shaking to relax tense muscle
tissue. These techniques also help cleanse muscle acids, joints, nerves, and the endocrine system,
by stimulating the body's circulation and lymphatic (the body's natural antibiotic or sewerage) system.

benefits appointments location pricing services studio sessions tandem
comments frequently asked questions