Antioxidants in the AM
Amp up your Breakfast
Most likely you’ve heard about the amazing health benefits offered by antioxidants. In technical terms, antioxidants prevent or delay oxidative damage (i.e., free radicals) to your body. They help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, among other health problems. While the name may sound intimidating, it’s not as hard as you might think to work antioxidants into your diet. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it’s a good time to start.
Even if you aren’t a breakfast person, remember that it is important to “break fast,” since your body has been without food for at least eight hours. If you want to function at full capacity, you should have a meal that is rich in both protein and fiber. This will kick start your metabolism and give you energy to face the day. If you are going to eat breakfast, it must be healthy, which involves the inclusion of antioxidants. You may not have much time in the morning to prepare complicated recipes, but simple and quick breakfasts that are rich in antioxidants are easier to make than you might expect.
Make Frittatas to Go
Vitamins that contain antioxidants include A, C and E. Most often, these are found in colorful foods. Not surprisingly, vegetables are a great source of antioxidants, including broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and green peppers, which just so happen to be the perfect ingredients for omelets and frittatas. If you are short on time in the mornings, chop the vegetables the night before and store them in plastic containers in your refrigerator. This way, you can quickly add them to liquid egg whites in the morning to make a healthy and quick antioxidant-rich scramble. You can even cook it in a small dish in the microwave. Mini-frittatas can be baked ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator so that you can microwave them later at the office.
Antioxidant-Rich Breakfast Parfait
Antioxidants are also found in several types of fruit, including cantaloupe, peaches, apricots, and oranges - think bright colors. Cut up fruit for a simple fruit salad as a side to an egg dish, or add yogurt, granola and nuts - another great source of antioxidants - for a healthy breakfast parfait. All berries are a great source of antioxidants, including cherries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. They can be blended into smoothies for a healthy and convenient breakfast to go. Simply add yogurt, orange juice and a little crushed ice to your blender and serve.
Breakfast Staples can be Heart-Healthy, Too
A standard breakfast favorite, cereal, can contain antioxidants as well in the form of barley, millet, oats or corn. Kellogg’s Smart Start claims to be a great source of antioxidants, but as a rule of thumb choose cereals that are made from whole grains. Vitamin E, which is contained in these whole grains, helps to prevent cancer, boost immunity, and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Add skim milk to keep calories low, or simply take your cereal in a bag and eat it dry if time is an issue.
And finally, if you are an avid coffee drinker, you can rejoice at the health benefits that it provides. Not only does coffee give you a jolt, it is also a great source of antioxidants. According to Joe Vinson, Ph.D, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, "Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close." Both caffeinated and decaffeinated versions offer high levels of antioxidants, as does tea. Obviously, keep your coffee consumption at a moderate level to reap its health benefits, and opt for organic versions.
Rather than skipping breakfast or eating unhealthy options such a s muffins or bagels, plan ahead to have a healthy breakfast rich in antioxidants so you will have more energy in the short term and prevent health problems later in life.
Antioxidant-Rich Berries
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