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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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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 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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Now that the New Year is here our thoughts turn to resolutions. Many of us will be vowing to lose weight or give up smoking, stop eating chocolate or start a new venture. Whatever it is that you want to change you need the energy to take it forward.

So, how do we shake the winter doldrums and re-energise ourselves? It is hard to start jogging or going back to the gym when your body feels lethargic after the indulgences of the festive season.

Massage seems too much of an indulgence to be good for you, but the truth is that you will feel more in tune with your body and uplifted to face your new challenges. So many people think that massage is simply to relax you and ease aching muscles, but it is so much more than that. Massage increases blood flow to your muscles, tissue and every cell in your body which brings oxygen and nutrients to these critical areas. It also stimulates lymphatic flow, improving tissue drainage and the immune system.

There are many different types of massage to choose from. Which one you choose depends on your personal requirements. Some people feel uncomfortable to try massage as they don’t want to have to undress. In fact, Reiki is a therapy that can be done over your clothing and does not even require ‘hands on’. The therapist can either rest hands on or just above the body to realign chakras and dissolve toxic substances from your physical and emotional being. People often feel warmth or tingling sensations during Reiki and come away feeling uplifted.

The most commonly used massage is a Swedish Massage where oils are massaged into the skin with flowing strokes and kneading to relieve tension in the muscles.

Acupressure and Shiatsu apply pressure to the acupuncture healing points. This unblocks the flow of energy and encourages blood and lymphatic flow.

Other massage methods include deep tissue massage, sports massage and hot stone therapy which will all alleviate muscle pain. Craniosacral therapy can help treat headaches, ear and eye problems as well as whiplash and back problems.

If you just want the feel good factor, then an aromatherapy massage tailored to suit your personal needs could be just the thing.

To find a suitable therapist, check a Massage Listings directory. You may well be able to find out more information from the massage listings with each therapist explaining their own speciality.

Whatever massage you go for, you are sure to get that sense of well being that will kick start you into 2010!

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