If your into the whole antioxidant movement you’ve heard it all before – food rich in colour often contains a lot of antioxidants, that will keep our bodies from aging and protect us from a wide range of diseases.

Antioxidant capacity is often measured in ORAC – Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. Most vegetables and fruits have orac values between 100 and 1,000 μ mol TE/100g. Different sources tell us different values for the same foods, which makes it hard to say exactly what orac value different foods has. However, these are the foods that always score high. Orac values are taken from oracvalues.com.

Green tea (ORAC: 1,253 μ mol TE/100g)

Green tea may not  have a very high orac value, but it’s concidered a very good source of antioxidants since it’s so easy to consume large quantities of it. If you drink three cups a day you can get over 8,000 orac units. Compare that with the 1,200 orac units that is said to be the average amount of antioxidants consumed per person and day in the United States.

If you find it green tea too bitter, add some honey – it’s antibacterial and won’t make you fat unless it’s overconsumed.

Blueberries (ORAC: 6,552 μ mol TE/100g)

The fact that blueberries have a strong blue color gives hints about its properties. Berries often have high orac values, often over 2,000, but blueberries are extraordinary.

Combine with some unsweetened yoghurt or quark and you have a perfect snack or dessert.

Cocoa (ORAC: 80,933 μ mol TE/100g)

Cocoa contains a kind of antioxidants called anthocyanins, that are also found in red wine, blueberries and coffe. These anthocyanins can make wonders for your health. Yet, let’s face it – overconsumption of chocolate will eventually make you fat, so don’t eat too much.

Six grammes of dark chocolate a day is said to be optimal.

Acai berries (ORAC: 102,700 μ mol TE/100g)

Acai is a berry that has gained a lot of medial attention lately due to its high content of anthocyanins. The berry is grown mainly in South America and may be hard to find on the market in other parts of the world. If you do find some, concider yourself lucky.

Cloves (ORAC 314,446 μ mol TE/100g)

Ground cloves has an orac value of over 314,000. This is extreme. Compare that with blueberries – said to be an extremely good source for antioxidants – that have a (very high) orac value of 6,000. Of course, you’re less likely to consume 100 grammes of cloves than 100 grammes of blueberries or cocoa, yet due to its extremely high orac value, you can still gain great health benefits from cloves even if you only consume small amounts.

Try using some cloves the next time you brew coffee or tea.

Read more

Healthy Diet Improves Immune System – Diet Blog

Antioxidants: Fighting the Good Fight – Mark’s Daily Apple

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Few ever lived to a great age, and fewer still ever became distinguished;
who were not in the habit of early using.
- John Todd

Some people claim to be morning people and others claim to be evening people. They make it sound as if it were all about genes, but hey – it’s not. Thruth is that we can teach ourselves – that is, our minds and our bodies – to wake up very early every morning without feeling tired at all. It’s just a matter of habit.

If you’re into the whole online personal development movement, you’ve probably come across the concept of early rising before. However, most of the people writing blog posts about it seems to focus on the productivity, stress-recuding and time-saving benefits of it. As the health blog this is, I thoguht we should try seeing it from a different perspective: how it directly or indirectly affects our physical health.

1. Get more rest in less time

It’s said that the hours before midnight gives five quarters of sleep per hour – that is, your body will benefit more from the sleep you gain those hours than the hours later in the night. If this is the case, sleeping between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. should have the same effect as sleeping between midnight and 7:30 a.m., even though you actually sleep half an hour less if you go to sleep at 10 p.m.

This means two things: either you can reduce your amount of sleep but still become as rested as earlier (hey – now you finally got time to exercise), or you can sleep as much as earlier but become more rested and have more energy throughout the day.

2. Eat breakfast

It’s said that the breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that 50 % of Americans do not eat proper breakfast. This is bad thing.

If you wake up early you will have more time to prepare and eat a good and healthy meal.

3. Exercise

Mornings are great for breakfast, both because you don’t have to do a lot of other things, and because it’s a very good time of the day to burn fat. When exercising before breakfast your body don’t have any food to take energy from, so it have to use fat as its source of energy.

Beware, though, because your body can also use muscle tissue as a source of energy. To prevent this, eat some protein before hitting the running track. Good sources of protein without much carbs of fat are egg whites, lean meat such as turkey or chicken and protein shakes.

It might take a few days or weeks to teach your body to use fat as its only source of energy, so take it easy in the beginning. If you find it hard to run, take a walk instead.

How to start doing it

The probably best way to start waking up early is using Steve Pavlina’s method. He promotes that we should go to bed when we feel tired (since we do not need the same amount of sleep every night), and go up at the same time every morning (weekends included). If we get too little sleep one night, we will be more tired the next evening and then we can go to sleep earlier that day instead to compensate it.

If you do this for a few weeks you will soon wake up this time by yourself, without the need for an alarm clock.

Recommended articles and sites

10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It – Zen Habits

How to Become an Early Riser – Steve Pavlina

How to wake up early

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People have done fasting for several thousand years, mainly for religious reasons. Nowadays, fasting has become a popular way to “cleanse” your body and lose weight.

However, there are three big problems with cutting out food completely:

1. You will tell your body to store fat.

When you don’t eat for a longer period of time, your body will enter “starvation mode”, and as soon you start eating again it will try to store as much energy as possible for the bad times ahead. And how does it store the energy? Well, as fat.

2. You will lose muscle.

When your body doesn’t get the food it needs, it will use the glycogen stored in your muscles. When that glycogen gets low, the body will produce a hormone called cortisol, that will work catabolic and break down your muscle tissue.

3. You will fill your body with waste.

When your muscle tissue is broken down, there will be a lot of waste stored in your body. This makes fasting a very counter-productive way to cleanse the body.

Studies have shown that calorie restriction is a great way to live longer, but fasting may not be the ultimate answer. Instead, go for a low calorie diet with fairly high amounts of protein – in that way you can lose weight without compromising your health.

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Aiming to make 2010 slightly healthier than 2009? Here’s a few foods to get you on the right track.

1. Goji berries

The red goji beriies contains incredible amounts of antioxidants, that will help you stay fit, strengthen your immune system and keep your body from aging. Goji berries also have a low glycemic index.

2. Quinoa

Quinoa is really a super food. It has a very high protein content and contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a popular choice among vegetarians. It’s high in calcium, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants (if you chose the dark quinoa) and fiber. No wonder the Aztecs called Quinoa “the mother of all foods”.

3. Acai

Acai is a dark berry from South America. Studies have shown both good and bad vitamin values, but luckily that’s not what makes it so amazing. What makes acai a true super food is rather its extremely high content of antioxidants – in fact one of the highest of all foods on this planet.

4. Shellfish

Shellfish is a great source for the omega-3 acids EPA and DHA, that among other things will prevent heart disease. It’s also a great source for protein.

5. Almonds

Almonds contain a lot of protein as well as a lot of good monounsaturated fat that will help you lower you LDL cholesterol. Almonds increase your metabolism, and studies have shown that adding a handful of almonds a day to your diet actually will help you lose weight, even though your total calorie intake will go up.

6. Walnuts

A great source for omega-3. Even if it’s not the same kind of omega-3 that you can find in fish (it’s a kind of omega-3 called ALA, instead of EPA and DHA), you will still gain great health benefits from it.

7. Salmon

Another good source for omega-3, as well as protein.

8. Dark chocolate

Thought chocolate was bad for you? Well, it is. If you eat too much, that is. However, if you can restrain yourself and avoid over-eating, dark chocolate is a great source for antioxidants.

9. Garlic

Garlci is one of the oldest known medicinal plants. It’s very good for fighting colds, as well as heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. It’s truly nature’s own antibiotic.

10. Green tea

Green tea is a very good source for flavonoids, a type of antioxidants. However, don’t drink it with milk, as the milk will stop your body from metabolizing its flavonoids properly.

11. Blueberries

Blueberries have a very high content of antioxidants (anthocyanins). They also help preventing Alzheimer’s and brain damages. Consumption of blueberries help to lower cholesterol as well as total blood lipid levels. Their low glycemic index will help you keep your weight as well as your energy levels on top.

12. Cinnamon

An averagely high consumption of cinnamon will provide you with loads of manganese, iron, calcium and vitamins C and K. It also contains insane amounts of antioxidants – even far more than acai. It will also help you boost cognitive function and memory.

Got any other great foods that should be on the list? Share your thoughts.

Related posts:

1. 14 Foods That Will Boost Your Brain Power
2. 5 of the Best Sources of Antioxidants In the World

Ever dreamt of aging slower? Ever wanting to see your grandchildren grow up? Ever dream of living a few years longer?

In the long run, we’ll all die. The question is not if, but rather when. But, let’s face it. How long you’ll live is partly controlled by your genes, and therefore different people can expect to reach different ages. However, your lifestyle and your habits may buy you a few more years to live. Here are a few actions and habits that are proven to make people live longer:

1. Get a move on.

Why?

Physical activity has proven to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, hip fracture, high blood pressure and overweight. A study claims that a person at the age of 65 may expect to live 12,7 years longer if he or she is exercising regularity.

How?

Find a kind of activity that you really enjoy. Keep motivating yourself. Do everyday exercising, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Take a walk with your dog, do some yard-work or go play tennis. The important thing is to exercise frequently. If possible, try to find some time to work out every day.

2. Have sex.

Why?

No complains here, right? Having sex every now and then may increase your life with 3-8 years. The chemicals released by orgasms may reduce stress and help you relax more.

How?

I’ll leave this one for you to figure out.

3. Get married.

Why?

In a study conducted in the US, bachelors aged between 19 and 44 were more than twice as likely to die as people on the same age who were married. People who were divorced were also more likely to die younger than people who lived their whole life with the same partner.

How?

Find a partner who you know for sure you can share your whole life with.

4. Watch your weight.

Why?

Researches have found that being overweight increases the risk of getting heart disease, vascular disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease and cancer.

How?

Find a diet that works for you. Personally, I’d lower my consumption of carbohydrates, especially fast ones such as sugar, and increase my consumption of protein, as protein stimulates the burning of fat and creates a feeling of fullness.

5. Stay optimistic.

Why?

Studies have show that among people aged 65 to 85, optimistic ones had a 55 % lower risk of dying within eight years.

How?

Make an effort to keep a positive view on life. Take chances. Accept that everything may not work out as expected. Learn from your mistakes instead of getting beaten down.

6. Quit smoking.

Why?

A study showed that people who quit smoking reduced the risk of death by 13 % within five years. Within 20 years, the ex-smokers had about the same risk of dying as people who had never smoked.

How?

When it comes to quitting smoking, the hard part is always motivation. Why do you want to live longer in the first place? Make a list of all the reasons you can come up with.

7. Get your antioxidants.

Why?

A diet rich in antioxidants boost your immune system, prevents cancer and heart disease and may make your body age slower. However, this is only the case for antioxidants from food, as antioxidants from dietary supplements may have no noticeable or even harmful effects.

How?

Eat lots of fruits, veggies and legumes, especially colourful ones, as many antioxidants give plants their specific colours. Eats lots of berries, as these contain huge amounts of antioxidants in relation to their calorie content. Drink tea, especially green tea, without milk. Consume moderate amounts of dark chocolate, coffee and red wine.

8. De-stress.

Why?

Researches have found that too much stress increases your risk of heart disease.

How?

Find time for yourself, or time to spend with your loved ones. Meditate. Take a warm bath. Exercise. Learn to separate your work life and your private life. Participate in social activities.

Enjoy your new long and happy life!

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For many teenagers and young adults, acne is a serious problem. It can cause lower self-esteem, confidence and even depression. The interesting thing about acne is that it is a typical western problem. Acne does not exist among members of primitive cultures that get their food by gathering and hunting, except for members that have devolved to a more modern lifestyle.

Among doctors it seems to be very common to talk about how to treat the symptoms of acne, but not how to treat the actual problem. The result of this is that people suffering from acne end up paying lots of money for drugs with lots of unpleasant side-effects.

I’ve decided to list six alternative ways to get rid of acne. Some of these are methods that people whom I’ve spoken to have said worked, and some are methods that have worked great for me.

• De-stress

Stress is the most common cause for acne among adults. It may be hard to give precise advice for how to de-stress as the source of the stress is very individual. However, one important thing is to not burden yourself too much and let other people’s problems become weights on your shoulders.

• Reduce your consumption of fast carbs

Fast carbs, or more correct carbohydrates with high glychemical index (often abbreviated as GI), can be found in many modern foods, such as white bread and refined sugar. Consumption of foods with high GI cause your body to produce a hormone called insulin, that apart from makes you fat also increases your body’s production of testosterone. Too high levels of testosterone cause a hormonal imbalance. That imbalance causes acne.

You can avoid this imbalance by switching foods with high GI for foods with low GI. Here’s a table of the GI of different foods.

• Reduce your consumption of dairy foods

Same as above. Dairy foods contain two kinds of protein called casein and whey protein. These proteins cause your body to produce huge amounts of insulin that leads to high testosterone levels and eventually a hormonal imbalance.

• Take supplements of zinc

Zinc is said to help many people suffering from acne. Supplements of zinc are cheap and the risk of overdosing is low. When you take supplements of zinc, your acne may become worse for a few days before it starts going away.

30 milligrams per day will do.

• Take supplements of vitamin B5

When I was seventeen, I suffered greatly from acne. I had suffered from it for several years, when I one day read about someone suffering from acne taking a supplement of vitamin B5 (a.k.a. panthotenic acid). I decided to try it out. Two weeks later I was acne-free, and then I had only used one fourth of the recommended dose.

2,5 gram per day did wonders for me, but the recommended dose was 10 grams per day. Some claim that taking high amounts of vitamin B5 can cause an imbalance in other B vitamins. I never noticed anything, but if you want to do it the safe way, complement it with a B vitamin complex.

Good luck!

Know any other way to treat acne? Share your tips.

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Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.

- Thomas Dekker

A lot of people seem to have trouble sleeping these days. However, most people I know who suffer from insomnia are young or mid-age people who have grown up in ricer countries. It seems almost as if lack of sleep is a problem that could be associated with our modern western lifestyle.

Personally I never wake up in the middle of the night, but occasionally I find it difficult to fall asleep in the first place. Since I have to get up at the same time every morning, an additional hour awake in bed equals an hour less of sleep, making me drowsy during the days. However, I’ve been reading some on the subject and eventually I’ve created a few habits that have helped me cure my insomnia.

1. Avoid caffeine. This one is obvious – caffeine restores alertness and fights sleepiness, making it a bad thing to consume in evenings and nights. In average caffeine has a half-life of 4,9 hours, and it can have effects on your wakefulness up to 8 hours after consumption. It may therefore be a good idea to stop consuming beverages containing caffeine 8 hours before going to sleep. I go to sleep about 11 PM and therefore I avoid caffeine after 3 PM. Beverages containing high amounts of caffeine includes coffee (duh), black tea, soft drinks and energy drinks. Green tea contains caffeine too, but not as much. Herbal tea is free from caffeine.
2. Exercise. Exercising may affect your sleep in a good way. People who regularly exercise have a higher sleep quality and find it easier to fall asleep. It might however be a good idea to avoid exercising late at night, since your body may need some time to relax and cool down. Lift some weights, go running, play with your kids or do some yard-work – how you exercise doesn’t really matter, as long as you do it.
3. Avoid late-night snacks. Eating big mounts of food jumpstarts your digesting system, making it harder for your body to relax. I avoid eating 30 minutes before going to bed, or 60 minutes if it’s a bigger meal.
4. Get up at the same time every morning. One important key to good sleep is to have routines. If you go to bed late and get up late at the weekends you’ll mess up your current sleeping pattern. The key to solve this may be to get up the same time every day, and to let your body control the rest – if you’ve slept very little one night your body will respond by making you tired the next night. Simply got to bed when you’re tired.
5. Get out in the sunshine. Exposure to sunshine during the day makes your body produce more melatonin at night, a hormone that controls your sleep. Many modern sleeping pills contain melatonin due to its soporific effects. If you work indoors, try to sit as close to a window as possible. Use your breaks to go outside for a few minutes.
6. Turn off that screen. Exposure to light during the day may make it easier to fall asleep when it’s dark at night, but during the exposure of light you become more alert and wakeful. If you stay up watching TV or spend time in front of your computer you will be exposed to a lot of light and your body’s production of melatonin therefore decreases, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Stay away from your computer and TV for 30 minutes or more before going to sleep. If you have to use your computer, lower your screen’s brightness.
7. Don’t read in bed. This may not apply to everybody, but it does make a difference for some people. Reading in bed will make your brain associate the bed with brain activity and wakefulness, making it harder to fall asleep. It’s usually better to read somewhere else – e.g. in a comfy chair or a couch. The same concept applies to lying awake too long in bed, as your body will associate lying in bed with being wakeful. If you don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up and do something else (e.g. find a comfy chair and read) until you’re tired again.

If you can’t follow all of these tips, then at least follow number 1, 5 and 6. These are the ones that have helped me the most, as well as the ones that are backed up by the most scientific research.

Do you have any other tips that have helped you improve your sleep?

Photo: dotbenjamin

Further reading on insomnia

• How to solve 9 sleep problems (CNN)
• Six Simple Steps to Successful Sleep (Dumb Little Man)
• Conquer Restless Nights With This Simple Sleep Cure (Mark’s Daily Apple)

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“A hungry man is not a free man.” – Adlai E. Stevenson

When you’re on a diet, do you ever get hungry? Cutting down on food often results in feelings of hunger and cravings for really unhealthy food. When your friend chews on a quarter-pound hamburger and you’re finishing a salad, being healthy is not very easy.

Then, how do you avoid hunger while being on a diet? It’s easy – just follow these steps.

Protein, fibre and water

The foods that reduce hunger the most in relation to their calorie content are the foods that are rich in protein, fibres and water.

Protein makes you full, period. Therefore, eating a diet filled with protein reduces your hunger. It’s that simple, yet it’s often overlooked. Protein also helps you build muscles that raise your metabolism. The trick is to eat lots of protein without eating lots of fat. Avoid the big steaks and instead go for beans, lentils, quorn, tofu, soy, low-fat dairy (low-fat cottage cheese and quark are awesome) and lean meat such as turkey and chicken.

Dietary fibre is great in the way that it makes you feel full without giving any calories. Fibre can also absorb some of the fat from undigested food in your stomach. The best kind of fibre is soluble fibre that can be found in beans, peas, lentils, fruits, berries, vegetables, onions and potatoes.

Plain cool water in itself doesn’t make you feel that very full, and therefore you can’t replace a meal with just water. However, water bound in food may reduce hunger. Examples of foods with high water content are fruits, vegetables, salad, spinach, fish and seafood. Avoid dry foods such as crackers and cornflakes.

Eat more often

By eating five to six small meals a day instead of three big ones you can avoid cravings for unhealthy food. You’ll also maintain the flow of energy to the brain, keeping you sharp and alert.

People who eat several small meals automatically eat less. They also automatically buy healthier foods, since they’re seldom hungry when they go to the supermarket.

Drink warm drinks

Studies have shown that by drinking warm drinks such as tea or coffee half an hour before eating a meal, people have a reduced hunger and appetite, thereby eating less.

It may be heard to drink warm drinks before every meal if you eat six times a day, but try doing it before dinner since that’s the biggest meal of the day for most people.

If you don’t have time to make tea or coffee, at least drink regular water. It won’t reduce hunger as much, but it will have a small effect.

Eat slowly

It takes about 20 minutes before the brain realizes that you’re full. By eating slower you eat less during these 20 minutes. You’ll therefore get full on less food.

Stay occupied

When you’re doing something that demands a lot of thinking, your brain won’t focus as much on the hunger. If you know you easily become hungry, don’t do things like watching TV. Instead, play with your kids, hang out with some friends or get a hobby.

Got any great tips on how to avoid getting hungry? Share your wisdom below.

Photo: Pink Sherbet Photography

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1. Ten Easy Ways to Start Losing Weight

Your brain needs energy. Lots of it. Yet, you can’t just feed it with anything.

Avoid the processed food and the candy bars. Stay away from the vending machine. Instead, fuel up with good fats, antioxidants, fibres and the right carbs. These are some foods that may help you kick-start your brain.

1. Avocado. Foods rich in magnesium and monounsaturated fats, such as avocado, stabilize and increase the flow of blood to your brain.
2. Blueberries. Since blueberries are high in fibres and have a low glychemical index, they will feed your brain with small amounts of energy for a long time, keeping mental performance on top. Consumption of blueberries is also linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s as well as improved learning ability.
3. Tomatoes. Lycopene is the name of an antioxidant found in tomatoes. This antioxidant is good for your brain, and it may prevent dementia. However, you have to cook your tomatoes before your body can benefit from this antioxidant.
4. Nuts. Since nuts contain good fats and complex carbs, they’ll provide your brain with energy for a long time. Also, nuts are rich in vitamin E, which is important for cognitive function. The best kind of nuts is walnuts due to their high content of brain-boosting omega-3.
5. Salmon. Will improve mental abilities due o content of omega-3 and protein. Omega-3 is linked to improved alertness, cognitive function and memory.
6. Eggs. Egg yolk contains a nutrient called choline that is said to boost cognitive abilities.
7. Linseed. Contains lots of omega-3. Also makes your body digest food slower, thereby feeding your brain with energy for a longer time.
8. Olive oil. A diet rich in healthy fats can improve your memory and balance your mood. Olive oils contain good fats as well as antioxidants (that’s what gives the oil its colour!).
9. Legumes. Are rich in protein, fibres and thiamine (a.k.a. vitamin B1). Thiamine is a key to healthy brain cells.
10. Almonds. Contains phenylalanine that can do wonders for you neurological health and riboflavin that boosts memory.
11. Spinach. Contains lot of iron. Deficiency of iron is linked to foggy thinking, fatigue and cognitive issues.
12. Coffee. Caffeine raises alertness and helps you stay focused. Also, three cups of coffee a day has proven to reduce the risk for dementia.
13. Green tea. When freshly brewed, it may help you enhance your memory. Also contains small amounts of caffeine and catechines (antioxidants).
14. Yoghurt. Is rich in an amino-acid named tyrosine which is a key in the production of dopamine and noradrenalin, two neurotransmitters.

Photo: Jeff Kubina

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1. 12 Foods You Really Should Be Eating

One should eat to live, not live to eat.  – Cicero

Being healthy and fit has a huge impact on your immune system, your energy levels, your mood and your confidence. By getting in shape you can change not only your looks, but your wellbeing as a whole.

1. Skip that juice. Juice is more or less fruit without all the fibres. What’s left is mainly sugar and water. Many kinds of juice even contain added sugar. Eat real fruits instead.
2. Change your diet slowly. What foods or drinks could you add to your diet? What foods or drinks could you cut out? Start slow and don’t rush it. Changing your whole diet at once is hard, making you more likely to go back to bad habits. Replacing one food per week or even month is easy.
3. Eat more often, but less. Eating five or six small meals instead of three big ones makes you feel fuller and keep your energy levels on top. People who eat more often also automatically consume less calories.
4. Avoid red, orange and yellow. These colours encourages eating. (Think of a certain hamburger chain. Sneaky, eh?) Therefore, avoid decorating you dining area with these colours. Instead, use as much blue as possible.
5. Drink ordinary coffee. Coffee drinks often contain lots of milk, cream or sugar. Cut that out and you’ll cut down on calories.
6. Eat slowly. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to feel full. Eat more slowly and you’ll automatically eat less.
7. Take the stairs. Instead of using the elevator, use the stairs. If you walk up and down stairs for 10 minutes a day, you may shed up to 10 pounds a year.
8. Drink tea. Drinking warm drinks makes you less hungry, resulting in that you’ll automatically consume less food.
9. Drink water. Drinking enough water may reduce feelings of hunger and make your body metabolize fat more efficiently.
10. Use smaller plates. Using smaller plates makes you get the impression of eating more than you actually do. It may also make you eat slower.

Got other tips for easy weight loss? Share your wisdom below.

Photo: alancleaver_2000

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1. How to Never Get Hungry While Being On a Diet