Antioxidants - The Icing To Your (Health) Cake!
NOTES FROM OUR NUTRITIONIST
"When I think about true health, I think about the things we can add into our diet rather than the things we can restrict. The definition of health doesn’t talk about calories, keto, intermittent fasting or fat blaster pills. In fact, the true definition of health as defined by the World Health Organisation states that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”(1)
"We can’t hope to build a truly healthy body without the foundations of good nutrition."
True health to me encompasses mind, body and spirit and as a dietitian and a total foodie, nutrition is a huge part of true health. When we look at a nourishing diet, the foundations are; plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, lean proteins, healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts and, of course, a small amount of our favourite things which I call soul foods (e.g. red wine, chocolate or ice-cream).
We can’t hope to build a truly healthy body without the foundations of good nutrition. I want you to think about these foundations as the batter for our cake. In 2021, we want more; more than just the foundations or the cake batter; we want the icing too. So, to optimise our health, what else can we add in? What is the perfect icing for our cake?
Welcome to the party, antioxidants!
The icing to our cake. Antioxidants are an important part of a healthy diet and lifestyle and many people already consume naturally occurring antioxidants in foods such as vitamin A (carrots and rockmelon), vitamin C (oranges and yellow capsicum) and vitamin E (almonds and sunflower seeds), beta-carotene (sweet potato and pumpkin) and lycopene (tomatoes and watermelon). If you’re not doing so already, aiming for a diversity of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and legumes will give you plenty of naturally occurring antioxidants and, as a bonus, will improve your gut health!
I hear you mention sprinkles, because what cake is complete without sprinkles!? When it comes to sprinkles, look no further than Queen Garnet plums. The Queen Garnet is a Queensland-owned variety of Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) that contains a particular type of antioxidant known as anthocyanin. Cyanidin 3-glucoside is generally found to be the most prominent anthocyanin present in the Queen Garnet plum.
The beautiful colour of Queen Garnet plums is thanks to their anthocyanin, a natural antioxidant that gives some plants their rich, vibrant red, blue and deep purple colouring. Not only do Queen Garnet plums look great, leading universities in Australia have conducted exciting research to study their potential.
If you’re keen to add some icing and sprinkles to your diet, click here to visit the Queen Garnet shop page or look out for them in your local Woolworths or favourite grocer."
References
1. https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/frequently-asked-questions
