Antioxidant Drinks - Choose a Balanced Antioxidant Combination of Fruits and Berries

There are many powerful antioxidants in the food world. Each of these food based antioxidant phytochemicals are constructed by nature in different ways. Antioxidants are mainly found in fruits and vegetables but can also be found in in spices. As a group fruit is the generally accepted category which contains more antioxidants per gram than any other commonly eaten food groups.

Today many highly promoted antioxidant drinks contain the "whats hot now antioxidant fruit" Examples of these popular fruits are acai, goji, pomegranate and mangosteen. While all are good and contain large amounts of antioxidant phytonutrients drinking a variety of fruits makes more sense. An antioxidant drink with a large number of different antioxidant fruits and berries offers the body a selection of phytonutrients from which to choose. Single fruit or even four to five fruit combinations do not give the body the full spectrum of phytonutrients it may need.

Very few people consider the lowly apple a highly active antioxidant fruit but it is. The predominate phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin and procyanidin. Apples also have many other nutrients as well. It is also a very inexpensive antioxidant and should be considered as essential in any fruit essence antioxidant drink. Grapefruit another common fruit contains large amounts of vitamin c and lycopene both good antioxidants. Rose hips a strong antioxidant because of its high vitamin c content also is high in pectin an important soluble fiber.

The goji berry should always be a part of any antioxidant drink. Highly promoted yes but this fruit is one of the most nutrient dense and powerful antioxidant fruits on the planet. However it has little or no pectin like rose hips. The acai another highly promoted antioxidant fruit has many anthocyanins which are flavonoid like compounds which other plants do not have. Acai also has a high content of beta-sitosterols which other fruits don't.

A common fruit is the pineapple, but did you know that it contains high quantities of bromelain and is full of digestive enzymes and again other fruits do not contain these phytonutrients. One last example is the never talked about antioxidant fruit the cantaloupe. Ounce for ounce it is the best supplier of vitamin A. Each fruit has a different array of phytochemicals which are a great benefit to the human body and common sense tells me we need a variety of nutrients not just a single fruit source of antioxidants.

As you can see by the few examples above all fruits have different levels and different nutrient ingredients. Everyday I drink an antioxidant energy drink that has 27 different fruits plus resveratrol and quercetin It is not only well balanced but it has an ORAC rating of 8000 units per serving and 5630 mg of pure fruit essences and extracts. I have found that balance in everything seems to work best. The more varied the nutrients you consume the better protection your body receives. You might believe that this many fruits and this high of an ORAC ranking would be more expense but just the opposite is true.

Dan Keating has been researching nutritional and natural healing supplements for thirty years. Our minds and bodies are capable of living for over 152 years in a healthy state. The information concentrates on using food based nutrition and nutritional supplements to slow aging and allow for optimal health for as long as possible. http://www.antioxidants-anti-aging-super-foods.com

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Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes - Choose Fruits That Suit You!

People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes often have questions about eating fruit ... they often want to know if fruit juice will raise their blood sugar levels faster than eating a piece of fruit. Another question relates to the glycemic index (GI) of fruit.

Actually the effect of fruit on your blood sugars depends on several factors:

the form of the fruit ... is it juice?
do you eat fruit as part of your meal, at the end of your meal, or separately as a snack
the GI of the fruit

Fruit usually does not raise your blood sugar levels more quickly than other carbohydrates but some fruits raise your levels faster when eaten alone.

These fruits have a low GI ranking:

apples
grapefruit
prunes
peaches

but these:

pineapple
watermelon
dates and raisins

have a high GI. You need to work out how fruit in general, and specifically which fruits affect your blood sugar levels. For example, does eating fruit at breakfast make it difficult for you to keep your levels stable throughout the day? Is there a particular fruit that causes your blood sugars to rise drastically? Alternatively, does eating a piece of fruit in the afternoon give you enough of a carbohydrate boost to get you through to your evening meal?

Fruit is a great energy source containing vitamins, minerals and fiber and really should not be left out of your food plan ... fruit should be eaten each day. The best idea is to work out which fruit is best for you to eat and whether to eat it with your meals or as a snack. Your blood sugar level goals will help you with that decision.

Check your blood sugar level two hours after eating the piece of fruit. It is also important to make sure of the quantity ... you may think you are having one serving whereas you are having two or three, e.g.

1 serving for a small apple should be 4 oz (113 g)
1 serving of grapefruit equals half, not the whole fruit
1 serving for a medium peach should be 6 oz (170 g)

If you drink fruit juice be careful of the amount, it's easy to drink more than you realise. Actually it is a good idea to drink as little fruit juice as possible, it offers good nutrition but does not contain the fiber of fresh fruit.

Why not take one or two pieces of fruit from home each day ... you could eat them with lunch, as a snack in the afternoon, or on your way home from work to take the edge off your hunger.

To download a copy of my free E-Book, click here now: Answers to Your Questions ... it's based on questions diabetics have asked me over recent months.

Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes.

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