Skinny Bitch_ Ultimate Everyday Cookbook - Kim Barnouin [68]
But all is not lost. Say hello to your neighborhood crime fighters—antioxidants. Your body’s friendly protestors, antioxidants won’t take any of this cellular unrest lying down. They take a non-violent approach, surrounding these free radicals, giving them their damn electron, and ending the disruption. Though antioxidants are now short one electron, they do it with pride. It’s a small price to pay to protect your cells’ freedom.
This system has a happy ending when there are enough antioxidants to fight the good fight. When there are not, the free radicals run around like menaces to society pillaging your healthy cells. The result? The development of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and cataracts.112 Your body naturally produces a force of nutrients and enzymes that make up antioxidants, but it’s not enough. It’s up to you to keep the peace.
Luckily, it’s simpler than you think. Your body needs food. Not just any food, but healthy, antioxidantpacked foods. Eat up. Your body has diseases to fight.
Rebels with a Cause: The Best Antioxidant-Rich Foods
HERBS AND SPICES: Seasonings like cloves, parsley, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, rosemary, and oregano are among the most antioxidant-rich sources of all.113
WHOLE GRAINS: Eat your Wheaties, kiddo. The polyphenols in whole grains have been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and cancer. 114 Indulge in the healthy stuff like 100 percent whole wheat, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, and oatmeal.
DARK CHOCOLATE: This would have been great to know when I was five. I would have had a valid argument for mom and pops. A small dose of antioxidants derived from chocolate has shown to help lower blood pressure.
BRIGHT FRUITS AND VEGGIES: Go ahead, judge these veggies by their color. Brighter fruits and vegetables pack more useful vitamins and are the antioxidant leaders. Think blueberries (which have the highest concentration by weight), cranberries, strawberries, kale, and carrots. These puppies neutralize the damage caused by free radicals.115
NUTS AND SEEDS: Pecans are a hot source for vitamin E, and Brazil nuts are pumped with selenium. Both are powerful antioxidant nutrients. Walnuts carry the most antioxidants by weight.116
GREEN TEA: Go figure. There is nothing a cup of green tea can’t fix. Green tea is a lofty source of flavonoids, which prevent blood clots, lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and reduce inflammation.117
RED WINE AND GRAPE JUICE: The grape skins are the silent hero here. In the fermentation of white wine, these skins are removed, hence the reason red wine makes the cut. The skins are bursting with flavonoids and resveratrol, the latter of which is responsible for lowering cholesterol and fighting cancer cells. With grape juice, you want the all-natural, unprocessed stuff or you’re just triggering other problems.118
THE SKINNY: FOUR MOST POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANTS
WORK A GOOD AMOUNT OF FOODS HIGH IN BETA-CAROTENE, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN E, AND SELENIUM INTO YOUR DIET, AND TELL FREE RADICALS TO SUCK IT.
Red Potato Salad with Black Niçoise Olives
One of my favorite things about potato salad is that you can use any leftover veggies as added ingredients. Though you can use any type of black olives, my son and I are slightly obsessed with black niçoise olives, and we love to throw them into a potato salad for unique flavor. My mother-in-law sends them in bulk from France a few times a year. It’s like Christmas every time.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
2 cups (300 g) large-cubed small red potatoes
½ cup (65 g) peeled, seeded, and cubed cucumber
½ cup (75 g) black niçoise olives (or black olives)
½ cup (75 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
⅓ cup (55 g) diced red onion
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
⅓ cup (75 ml) Julie’s Balsamic Dressing
(recipe on page 153)
½ cup