Antioxidant diet, antioxidant diet. Alkaline Diets: Classical, Antioxidant, and Macrobiotic Antioxidants in Foods

When it comes to losing weight, choosing a diet, or even simply choosing healthy foods, we focus on the wrong combination of parameters: calories, fat content, probiotics ... In fact, you need to evaluate the benefits of a product by one indicator - antioxidant saturation, because it is most useful for us products that are maximally saturated with various antioxidants of natural origin. At least that's what American nutritionist Keri Glassman thinks, who described the principles of the revolutionary antioxidant index diet in her new book. The O2 Diet. If every meal includes enough "antioxidant" foods, then soon you can feel much better, say goodbye to excess weight and even become more attractive.

Principles of the Antioxidant Diet

An antioxidant diet helps to lose half to one kilogram in one week. You need to choose only healthy foods that have the right ratio of nutrients, so excess weight will be reduced easily and naturally. The O2 diet is based on foods that have high levels of antioxidant activity. This meal plan is an easy way to lose pounds, improve skin health, and increase your own energy potential. In the book The O2 Diet The author explains how some fruits and vegetables with high levels of antioxidants, which is expressed in the ORAC index, benefit our body.

The ORAC index reflects the content of antioxidants in each particular food product and stands for " o oxygen r adical a absorbance c apacity, that is, the ability to absorb free radicals. The basic principle of the antioxidant diet is to eat a variety of foods for 30,000 ORAC points a day using this scale: this is 10 times the standard recommended level of 3000. Through increased dietary intake of antioxidants, free radicals are neutralized - damaging uncontrolled elements in our body, which provoke the aging process and the development of many diseases. And you can say goodbye to calorie counting - all you have to do is focus on high ORAC scores!

Benefits of the O2 Diet

So, instead of worrying about calories, fat, and pounds, focus on your ORAC scores and you'll get leaner every day. However, weight loss is just one of the many effects of the antioxidant diet.

• An antioxidant index diet will make your skin firm and radiant. While no food can turn back the clock, some of the symptoms of old age, such as fine lines and dark circles under the eyes, may disappear. And of course, an antioxidant diet will help slow down the aging process.
• The O2 Diet Keeps You Healthy: Many antioxidants have been shown to help boost immunity, keep bones strong, and prevent cancer.
• Prevent heart disease. Young women, as a rule, do not think about heart disease, but being of the weaker sex itself is already a big risk in this regard. What you eat today helps predict how healthy your heart will be 20-30 years from now.
• An antioxidant index diet will help increase intellectual capabilities. Eat the right foods and you will be able to concentrate better, remember more and feel calmer.

The Antioxidant Index Diet: A Basic Food Set

Antioxidants regulate the metabolism in the human body. Every second, our cells oxidize lipids (fats), proteins (proteins) and nucleic acids to get energy for life. In the process, so-called free radicals are formed - highly active oxygen molecules. They perform an important function - eliminate dead cells, fight bacteria and viruses.

However, an excess of free radicals can accelerate the aging process of cells and cause some diseases, such as stomach ulcers, coronary heart disease, and malignant tumors. Antioxidants are able to regulate the amount of free radicals, leaving their level safe for the human body. Food is the main source of antioxidants for health.

Antioxidants: Benefits

Antioxidants are extremely useful not only for our health, but also for beauty.

• Research by the National Obesity Institute in the United States has shown that people who eat at least 2 servings of antioxidant-rich foods a day are less likely to gain weight with age and suffer virtually no disease associated with reduced immunity.
• And among those who lost more than 15 kg of weight and were able to maintain the result for more than 3 years, 9 out of 10 respondents regularly consumed vegetables and fruits rich in natural antioxidants.

Doctors of aesthetic medicine have long proved that antioxidants artificially introduced into the skin cell can slow down the aging process of the cell, increase skin elasticity, and prevent early wrinkles. Therefore, anti-aging creams and serums are prepared from foods rich in antioxidants. It is also known that antioxidants affect the exchange of fluid in cells, which means that they are able to reduce visible manifestations, so they can be found in the appropriate creams.

Antioxidants in food

Most powerful antioxidants in food- anthocyanins and flavonoids. They are found in brightly colored vegetables and fruits, predominantly red, orange and red-violet.

• It is considered the best source of anthocyanins and flavonoids.
• Rich in antioxidants and juice from it and dry red wine.
• Blueberries, blackcurrants, blackberries and blueberries retain their antioxidant properties even when frozen, but canned fruits and berries and compotes cannot be considered a good resource - most antioxidants are destroyed during cooking.
• winter varieties, especially in combination with chokeberry - an excellent source of nutrients in the winter.
• Citrus fruits also help.
• Do not lag behind them and a product such as.

There is a diet that allows you to feel the full benefits of antioxidants on yourself, and lose a few pounds in a short time. All vegetables and fruits in this diet are eaten raw, and it should also be supplemented with outdoor cardio - walking, running, swimming and cycling. The ideal time to stock up on antioxidants in our latitudes is mid-July - early September, when you can enjoy fresh berries and fruits.

Antioxidant Diet Menu

Breakfast: 200 g of blackcurrant, blueberries or blueberries, 1 dessert spoon of yogurt and 200 ml of fat-free kefir, beat with a blender, drink a cocktail immediately.
Second breakfast: grate a large red apple, add chopped bell pepper, season with a tablespoon of wine vinegar. A cup of green tea.
Lunch: beetroot and apple salad, a serving of chicken, fish, or tofu. 150 ml pomegranate juice or red grape juice.
Snack: a portion of red berries with yogurt, 150 ml of orange juice.
Dinner: a glass of red wine, a portion of lean meat, a salad of fresh tomatoes and bell peppers.

The word "antioxidant" has long been known to those who take care of their appearance and strive to maintain beauty and health for as long as possible. Therefore, antioxidant nutrition options are quite common today, because the task of this measure is not only to preserve the youthfulness of the skin, but also to keep the whole organism in order.

What are antioxidants and how do they work

Antioxidants are substances that inhibit the oxidation of cells caused by a large number of free radicals in the body. Oxidation is synonymous with aging for skin, hair, internal organs, all the tissues that make up the body, which is why it is so important to control this chemical reaction. And this can be done only by normalizing the content of antioxidants in the body.

The term "antioxidant" hides many vitamins you know. In particular, we are talking about tocopherol, a number of B vitamins, vitamin C, beta-carotene and lycopene. Potent, invigorating antioxidants belong to the category of polyphenols - these are tannins, flavins, flavonoids, anthocyanins. Most often they are found in brewed drinks and freshly squeezed juices.

According to the principle of operation, all antioxidants can be divided into two main groups: hydrophilic and lipophilic. The first form the protective properties of liquid substances, including blood plasma. The second ones are responsible for the stability of dense tissues, the first of which are cell membranes.

The principle of action of antioxidants, even if they are low in the blood, is to significantly slow down the activity of free radicals, which in turn cause a chain reaction in the destruction of healthy cells. It is because of the lack of antioxidants that problems such as:

• deterioration in skin color;
• the occurrence of skin problems and diseases;
• dramatic aging of the skin;
• deterioration in the condition of hair and nails;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• the occurrence of allergic reactions;
• deterioration in general well-being, decreased immunity and a number of other symptoms.

Foods rich in antioxidants

You can create a complete antioxidant menu from the foods you are used to. To do this, it is not necessary to run around the shops in search of something exotic - it is enough to study the properties of readily available vegetables and fruits. Mainly, you should pay attention to the seasonal gifts of farms, as well as to the fruits of your own labors, collected on a personal plot.

Among drinks, green natural coffee occupies the first place in terms of antioxidant content. The second place, by right, is occupied by his brother - black classic. It is best to purchase grains and grind them yourself - this will help preserve the maximum of useful substances in the product. Not far behind coffee and green tea. The least amount of antioxidants is found in black. However, if you add lemon juice, a decoction of thyme, chamomile, mint, rose hips to it, the value of the drink will increase significantly.

A large number of antioxidants are found in freshly squeezed juices. Particular attention should be paid to carrot, pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon, sea buckthorn, raspberry, cherry, chokeberry, mountain ash, viburnum, blackberry, pomegranate and other juices with a bright red, purple, blue saturated color.

Of the fruits in terms of the amount of antioxidants, the leaders are: watermelons, mangoes, blackberries, blueberries, lingonberries, sea buckthorn, cranberries, black and red mountain ash, viburnum, rose hips, grapes, and currants. Celery, parsley, spinach, onion, garlic, radish, turnip, tomatoes will help to enrich the diet with useful substances.

Nuts will help replenish lipophilic antioxidants. Legumes and grains rich in B vitamins will make a significant contribution to your health. Fresh bean pods, small and large, are especially valuable in this matter.

Antioxidant diet and its benefits

The benefit of an antioxidant diet is a complete transformation of the body! Already within the first week, you will be able to notice a significant improvement in your own condition, including the ability to establish digestion processes and speed up metabolism. This will help you lose weight. In case of serious physical exertion, an antioxidant diet will help to remove accumulated toxins from the body in a shorter time, reduce the amount of lactic acid in the tissues, and therefore reduce pain in the muscles after training.

Normalization of nutrition in favor of the optimal use of antioxidants will help improve regeneration processes and form muscle relief faster, cope with fat deposits between the fibers, using them as food for new cells.

Replenishing the lack of antioxidants helps maintain the functionality of the ligaments and joints, their elasticity, which provides ease and a wide range of motion. When these substances are normal in their content, you develop physically faster and endure possible bone injuries and joint dislocations without complications.

An antioxidant diet helps to strengthen the immune system, increase the body's resistance not only to seasonal diseases, but also to the development of more serious, devastating ailments. Some of them are atherosclerosis, cancer, a number of nervous disorders, etc. Mental activity will also increase, the activity of the central nervous system, that is, the brain, will improve. This will immediately affect memory, reaction, concentration, performance.

An adequate antioxidant diet allows you to cope with drowsiness, fatigue, irritability, improve mood and vitality. It is useful to carry out such diets during PMS or as a preventive measure against depressive conditions.

For appearance, the antioxidant diet also has very specific benefits: the processes of tissue regeneration, the birth of new cells and the elimination of toxins are improved, which contribute to improving the quality of the skin. This factor is the basis for smoothing wrinkles, increasing skin elasticity, and restoring an attractive complexion. Along with the external appearance, the internal health is also transformed, lowering the biological age of your body.

Antioxidant Diet Rules

1. More liquid! Due to the special properties of antioxidants, in liquid form they will be absorbed faster and more efficiently. In addition, such a drink will not provoke the accumulation of excess moisture in the tissues, and, on the contrary, will help to remove it, accelerating the process of losing weight and normalizing metabolism and lymphatic flow. Of course, you should not forget about water either.

2. Eat sweet fruits and whole grains for breakfast. If a serious workout is expected in the morning, the first meal can be supplemented with a baked piece of low-fat fish or a bowl, on the contrary, of fatty cottage cheese. Important! In case of obesity, the fat content of any product should be reduced as much as possible - cottage cheese should not be fatter than 2%.

3. For lunch, eat legumes, fresh salad, whole grain bread, apples. Use celery, beets, broccoli - negative calorie vegetables. Season the salad with olive, linseed, amaranth oil.

4. Dinner should be as light as possible - let your body work on the mistakes! You can not eat fruit at this time, food should be salted minimally. It is best to use lean protein for dinner (poultry, boiled egg) and a salad with lots of greens without dressing and bread.

Remember that juices from foods high in antioxidants actively affect the mucous membranes of the mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines.

Over one year old

At the heart of the O2 Diet method is not limiting fat or sweets, but eating according to the antioxidant index.

As soon as Dr. Keri Glassman's book "The O2 Diet" appeared in online stores, it immediately hit the top ten "dietary" bestsellers. The secret to success is simple: Glassman offers a new, unhackneyed approach to formulating an individual diet. At the heart of her method is not the restriction of fatty or sweet, but nutrition according to the antioxidant index.

The essence of the antioxidant diet "O2 diet"

With the light hand of Glassman, now, armed with iPhones and PDAs, American women count not only calories, but also the so-called ORAC points. They reflect the amount of antioxidants in food.

It's simple: the more free radical scavenging substances in a food, the higher its ORAC score. Back in the middle of the twentieth century, American scientists began to search for cures for cancer, diabetes and other "sores of the century" and found that in some cases these diseases are caused by free radicals - oxidants.

These include carcinogens, toxins, hazardous types of radiation and other negative factors and harmful elements. A typical example is the radical-forming substance dioxygen O2, from which the diet gets its name. But external enemies can be defeated with the help of antioxidants - the defenders of our cells.

Do you think that antioxidants are some special, inaccessible substances to mere mortals? We hasten to please you: most of them are well-known vitamins and elements from our diet.

ORACuls of health Experts from the US Department of Agriculture assure: if you eat up to 30,000 ORAC points with food every day, you can become almost immortal!

Products-Serving Size- ORAC Score Wild blueberries - 1 cup - 13427 Red beans - 1/2 cup - 13259 Pinto beans - 1/2 cup - 11864 Garden blueberries - 1 cup - 9019 Cranberries - 1 cup - 8983 Artichokes - 1 cup, boiled - 7904 Blackberries - 1 cup - 7701 Prunes - 1/2 cup - 7291 Raspberries - 1 cup - 6058 Strawberries - 1 cup - 5938 Red Delicious apples - 1 apple - 5900 Granny Smith apples - 1 apple - 5381 Cherries -1 cup-4873 Gala apples-1 apple-3903

Revenge plan The diet is based on a 32-day meal plan consisting of three phases. The first of them lasts 4 days and is called "cleansing". Its essence is simple: during the day you stick to a diet of 1200 kcal and gain about 50,000 ORAC points. “At first it may seem that getting this amount of antioxidants from food is impossible. However, the diet I have compiled is designed so that you can easily pick them up, says Dr. Glassman. You can't skip the first phase. It is very important because it makes a person feel better and thus encourages him to follow a diet. For the first 4 days, he leans on antioxidant-rich foods - vegetables, fruits, spices, reduces calories and actively loses weight! And at the same time, despite all Carey's assurances about the safety of a low-calorie diet, "cleansing" is a serious test for the body: during it, one should not actively engage in sports. According to the reviewers of Glassman's book, it is better to schedule a vacation for this period. WE CLEAR 4-Day Cleansing Menu: Breakfast:. 1 egg plus 3 egg whites with basil. green tea. water with lemon Snack:. Granny apple with cinnamon Dinner:. spinach with vinegar. 100-150 g of fish with spices. 4 pecans. water with lemon Afternoon snack:. baked artichoke. green tea Dinner:. romaine lettuce leaves with vegetables and olive oil spoon. steamed asparagus. 150 g of any lean protein (meat, cottage cheese or turkey). a handful of blueberries. water with lemon Forward, in phases! The 4-day cleansing is followed by phase 2. It lasts 2 weeks, during which you eat about 1400-1500 kilocalories every day and gain up to 30,000 points. “The goal of the O2 nutrition system is not so much to get rid of extra pounds, but to prevent various diseases. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, stick to the phase 2 menu not for two weeks, but longer, ”advises Carey. The menu of the final two-week stage of the diet is fully consistent with the menu of phase 2, but allows some concessions. Glassman allows you to add fruit or a portion of carbohydrates (for example, a muesli bar) to your daily diet. Once or twice a week, you can drink a glass of wine or eat some chocolate. “After the O2 diet is over, you can easily plan your diet. Moreover, the list of antioxidant products is quite extensive. It includes not only artichokes and broccoli, but also almost all berries, dark chocolate, spices and other available products,” Glassman summarizes. FIXING THE RESULT Menu 2 and 3 phases Breakfast:. 1 peach. 180 g fat-free yogurt. 4 pecans and cinnamon Snack:. celery stalk with 2 tsp. almond oil and cinnamon Dinner:. Cobb salad (lean meat, vegetables, herbs, a little oil, croutons) Afternoon snack:. 180 g fat-free yogurt. pomegranate juice. 1/2 cup blueberries Dinner:. salmon with vegetables and balsamic sauce Special offer! Confuses a complex food set of a diet? Of course, almond oil, fresh blueberries and natural pomegranate juice are quite expensive products that not everyone can afford. American nutritionists offer to collect ORAC points from all available spices - "money boxes" of antioxidants. So, in 100 g of cloves - about 314,000 (!) ORAC points, and in cinnamon - 267,000. If you follow the 3rd stage of the diet, you can add any fruit or portion of carbohydrate food to this menu, and once or twice a week relax with a glass of wine or indulge in chocolate. Expert verdict“With such a diet, you can not only lose weight, but also harm your health. The diet menu contains products that lead to “acidification” of the body (for example, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries), so people with high acidity may feel discomfort after a while, says Sergey VINOGRADOV, Ph.D. specialist in physical rehabilitation, physiotherapist of the clinic for health and anti-aging medicine "City Resort". - As a result, they will stop eating according to the scheme and gain those extra pounds back. In any case, before you start to follow a diet, you should consult with a qualified specialist. However, diversifying your menu with products with antioxidants is still worth it. “They really protect our cells from free radicals, which contribute to the development of cardiovascular and oncological diseases and accelerate the aging process,” summarizes Natalya KUZNETSOVA, endocrinologist, nutritionist at the Homo-89 medical center. “Through the action of these substances, the body gets rid of toxins, which allows it to rest.”