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Like most other sane human beings, I can’t start my morning without at least 1 cup of coffee. Meaning, my PJs aren’t coming off until I feel that glorious caffeine buzz give rush through my veins. I only have 1-2 cups in the morning before I head out the door, which I guess isn’t TOO bad, but some other more intense coffee-addicts are sucking it down all-day long, which really isn’t too healthy. Why? According to TheDietchannel.com, here are a few reasons:

• Increases stomach acid production for more than an hour after ingestion and can lead in some cases to stomach ulcers or acid reflux symptoms.
• Has a stimulating effect on the large intestine, which can cause diarrhea.
• Has been shown to interfere with the repair of chromosomes in cells which can lead to cancer.
• Can cause high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms in sensitive people

How could something that makes you feel so good, be so bad for you? I don’t know, but there are plenty of other, healthier alternatives out there:

• Chai. Spiced concoctions of black and green, which contain caffeine, and red tea, which does not.
• Rooibos tea. Also known as Redbush tea from South Africa. Like black tea, it is good with milk, but it’s caffeine-free and full of antioxidants.
• Carob powder. From the pods of the carob tree, tastes similar to cocoa. Soothes the digestive tract.

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Oprah and probably your doctor swear by them. Antioxidant foods are taking over—as they very well should be. To clarify, antioxidants are the collective term for the vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and polyphenols that protect your body. Some of the best-known antioxidants are vitamins A (found in daily and fish), C (found in citrus fruits), E (found in seeds, oils and nuts) and the mineral selenium (found in meats and plant foods).

Antioxidants basically help prevent disease because they protect your body from free radicals (radicals are believed to be involved in degenerative diseases and cancers). So now that you know what antioxidants are and how they can greatly and vastly improve and protect your health, I’m sure you want to know which types of food are high in antioxidants.

Fruits—basically all your berries (blueberry, strawberry, blackberry) are all high in antioxidants. Try eating a cup of plain yogurt with some fresh berries on top each day to incorporate them into your diet.

Vegetables—no meal is complete with vegetables. Leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are high in antioxidants as well as peppers, cabbage, artichokes and brussels sprouts.

Nuts and seeds—pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts and sunflower seeds all tossed together make a great high antioxidant trail mix

Legumes—broad beans, pinto beans, and soybeans are filling, easy to prepare and healthy.

Cereals—barley, millet, oats and corn are easy to find and high in antioxidants

Don’t be afraid to mix these foods together. Combine oats, nuts and seeds with some fresh berries for new breakfast ideas. Or try make a soup with different legumes and vegetables for a Fall time favorite.

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NYT has an interesting article up about the effect of unhealthy food advertisements on children. The bloated rate of childhood obesity, The Times suggests, is probably not entirely a coincidence.

Particularly on television, advertisements for fatty or high-sugar filled foods catering to children are ineffectively regulated.

Yes, food companies are required to meet certain standards when marketing to children under 12. But no, these are not government standards — they’re actually the company’s own standards.

So, Kellogg’s gets to choose how healthy Kellogg’s has to be, and the same goes for General Mills, Post, and all the rest of them.

This legislation might be lacking, but it does keep certain products from being marketed. Kellogg’s does not advertise for Cocoa Krispies, for example, because the cereal features 14 grams of sugar per serving — exceeding the company’s own limit of 12 grams.

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A new study has revealed a connection between diet and the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, WebMD reports.

The data tracked more than 2,000 respondents over four years, and people who regularly ate butter, red meat, organic meat, and fatty diary products were less likely to develop the disease. Specific foods that these people consumed include:

• Salad dressing
• Poultry
• Fish
• Fruit
• Tomatoes
• Nuts
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, etc.)
• Dark/green vegetables

Researchers are interested in studying this diet pattern further, as it is unclear whether the nutrients involved work individually or collectively to help prevent Alzheimer’s.

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We were happy to see an article on glutathione in The Huffington Post, as this powerful antioxidant is instrumental in removing toxins from the body.

Humans actually produce glutathione naturally. It serves as a sort of internal fly paper for toxins and free radicals — absorbing them so they can’t do harm elsewhere in the body. Ideally, everything goes smoothly, and the body recycles glutathione so it can keep on fly-papering, however an excess of pollutants can actually halt this process, thus leaving dangerous toxins inside our bodies.

Part of the problem, HuffPost reports, is that humans evolved in a much less toxin-filled environment, leaving our species rather unprepared for the pollutants of the 20th and 21st centuries. About one half of all people lack something called a GSTM1 function, leaving their bodies unable to fully remove toxins.

To bulk up on glutathione, HuffPost recommends ingesting sulfur-loaded foods such as onions, garlic, broccoli, and cabbage, in addition to exercising regularly. For more tips, check out the full article here.

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Perhaps you’ve heard of something called the French Paradox — a term describing the apparent disparity between French and American diets. Basically, the French consume greater amounts of cream, cheese, and butter than Americans, but we’re the ones more likely to die of heart disease. What gives?

Some researchers contend that the secret lies in red wine — particularly in resveratrol, an ingredient that is vaguely associated with anti-aging and such… in mice. When such news first hit the States in 1991, the demand for red wine sky-rocked.

Alternatively, other experts argue that the French lifestyle more than compensates for said high fat content. Relevant factors include: more walking, less snacking, and a tendency to savor meals (as opposed to munching mindlessly).

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WebMD has a neat slideshow featuring 12 things not to do while trying to shed some pounds:

Crash dieting. Patience is a virtue – especially when dieting. When you decrease your food intake to under 1,000 calories, your metabolism dramatically decreases, so that even if you lose weight, it’ll be hard to keep off (and probably come back).

Missing breakfast. D’oh! It’s hard to stick to your diet when you’re hungry to the point of distraction. To keep your cravings in check, start the day with a healthy, low-calorie breakfast like sugar-free cereal, granola, or oatmeal.

Snacking. A lot. There’s nothing wrong with snacking, but people have a way of letting themselves snack without even thinking about it – or without even being hungry. Don’t just eat food because it’s in front of you.

Snacking. Too little. Like Goldilocks, it’s up to you to find the perfect balance between over- and under-snacking. Having a healthy snack of nuts or dried fruit can help manage your hunger and make it easier to eat smaller meals.

Trusting the label. Low-fat and sugar-free foods aren’t always as healthy as they seem – these products are often loaded with calories or high in sodium, both of which can sabotage your diet. To make sure your food is as healthy as you think it is, be sure to read the label.

For the full list, click here!

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We’re temporarily renaming our Eat This feature to Eat These, because you can never have just one grape. And with all the health benefits these tiny fruits have to offer, you never should!

So, what can grapes do for you?

Grapes are full of good stuff, including potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, and selenium – all very important minerals – and vitamins A, B6, C, and folate. Plus, the flavonoids in grapes are loaded with valuable antioxidants.

Plus, grapes have been shown to improve a number of conditions, including:

• Asthma
• Migraine
• Indigestion
• Kidney problems
• Alzheimer’s
• Cataracts and macular degeneration
• Infection
• Certain cancers
• Heart disease
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Bad cholesterol

What’s not to love?

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WebMD has an interesting slideshow up about foods with high sodium contents, plus advice on how to make these foods healthier. We’ve summarized some of the most helpful tips below.

Canned Veggies: Canned vegetables are intermingled with sodium-rich preservatives, so WebMD recommends rinsing before serving, or just buying fresh.

Cereal: Even otherwise healthy cereals like raisin bran and corn flakes are often loaded with sodium, whereas puffed rice and wheat cereals never have any sodium. If you don’t like the taste, try combining puffed cereal and regular cereal in a one-to-one ratio.

Chips: Potato chips and other bagged snacks usually contain high amounts of sodium. Plus, baked chips, although healthy for other reasons, often feature unhealthy sodium concentrations.

Marinades/Flavorings: Teriyaki and soy sauce are two of the most notoriously high-sodium flavorings available – even their low-sodium versions are still pretty high. For an alternative, try lemon juice or vinegar, or pineapple or orange juice for your marinating needs.

All that being said, sodium isn’t all bad! In fact, it helps the body balance its fluids, allowing the nerves and muscles to operate at full capacity.

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When’s the last time you ate a pomegranate? Although less common than apples and oranges, these seedy fruits are loaded with health benefits. Check it out:

Antioxidants. Pomegranate juice offers almost three times the antioxidants in red wine or green tea. These can protect against cell damage, which is associated with a number of diseases including cancer. Antioxidants from pomegranates can also lower bad cholesterol.

Heart health. Pomegranate juice has been shown to fight the hardening of the arteries (linked to heart attacks and strokes, among other problems) and increase blood flow to the heart.

Combat osteoarthritis. Research suggests that pomegranate extract can prevent the degradation of cartilage, in addition to supporting healthy joints.

Fight prostate cancer. A study found that men with prostate cancer who drank a glass of pomegranate juice a day had fewer complications from the disease. In fact, none of the juice-drinkers’ cancer spread to other areas of the body.

Nutrition. A single pomegranate contains 40 percent of the vitamin C an adult needs every day, as well as significant amounts of fiber, folic acid, niacin, potassium, and vitamins A and E.

Inhibit breast cancer. Research in Israel discovered that pomegranate seed oil kills breast cancer cells while leaving normal cells intact.

Picture via globetrotter1937’s Flickr.

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