What foods are the best sources for antioxidants?

[Freddy]

Hey everyone. I was wondering what foods are best to eat for obtaining antioxidants. I know they are really important for your health and wellbeing. Also, I was wondering if foods high in antioxidants are good for weight loss, thanks.

[TracyK]

A lot or fruits are high in antioxidants, especially blueberries, raspberries and pomegranate. I don't know how they would specifically help with weight loss (although I'm sure they do), but they are definitely great for your health and help to get toxins and thing out of your system.

[BabyButtons]

Berries like blueberries, raspberries & strawberries. Garlic. Broccoli. Tomatoes. Green tea. Antioxidants help with weight loss b/c when u eat them they give ur body proper nutrition & help 2 give u balance. Its easier 2 lose weight when u receive the right proportion of nutrients. Also antioxidant foods will not lead 2 u packing on the fat!

[enviroTodd]

Berries like blueberries, raspberries & strawberries. Garlic. Broccoli. Tomatoes. Green tea. Antioxidants help with weight loss b/c when u eat them they give ur body proper nutrition & help 2 give u balance. Its easier 2 lose weight when u receive the right proportion of nutrients. Also antioxidant foods will not lead 2 u packing on the fat!

The funny thing about the top products containing antioxidants - which BabyButtons has so cleverly provided - is that while they are typically quite healthy and filled with nutrients that are wonderful for ensuring that our daily diets are complete, these are also some of the foods that are often found on the "dirty" list. That is, when grown on conventional farms, they are sprayed heavily with chemicals such as pesticides, and they absorb those chemicals. They don't simply wash off when you run them under the sink. Berries such as strawberries are particularly high in these chemicals, as are some of the best leafies, such as kale.

So if you're out shopping for your great fruits that have antioxidants in them, then make sure that when it comes to those specific items, you select the organic variety. This may make them more expensive, but if you are shopping for your health, you may as well not fill yourself up with antioxidants and poisons at the same time. Skip the poisons and give yourself the nutrition, instead. You might be surprised at how much better the berries taste, too!

[M-Stark334]

Babybuttons - I had no idea tomatoes were a food high in antioxidants or garlic for that matter. I knew about the berries though.

enviroTodd - If what your saying is true that's terrible! Instead of getting all the good nutrients you're just eating a lot of chemicals. How lovely. Maybe I should grow my own strawberries this year. I just hate how they take over your garden. Those things grow like a weed LOL.

[ChristySmiles]

I'm a big fan of green tea, especially since it's not always easy to get fresh berries all year long.

[Charlotte]

I know you can get antioxidants from food but can you get antioxidants from supplements?

[BabyButtons]

A very good point envirotodd! So many veggies have bad chemicals on them that it really take away from all their great nutrients. I try 2 buy organic as much as possible. I also try 2 grow some when I can. I am looking forward to the summer. Do u grow a garden envirotodd?

Charlotte u can get them from supplements but its always better 2 try & get it from food if u can.

[enviroTodd]

A very good point envirotodd! So many veggies have bad chemicals on them that it really take away from all their great nutrients. I try 2 buy organic as much as possible. I also try 2 grow some when I can. I am looking forward to the summer. Do u grow a garden envirotodd?

I do grow a garden in the summer time so that I know exactly where my plants have come from and what nutrition I can expect to receive while I avoid as many toxins as possible. I've chosen to grow heirloom vegetables so that I know that I'm not eating genetically modified organisms (GMOs). I use organic soil and organic fertilizers and i use water from a rain barrel for watering the plants, instead of using chlorinated water from the hose.

The difference in nutrition and in flavor is incredible. I try to plant gardens that will come ripe all at different times and I maximize the use of my space by growing my leafies in areas that are cooler or more shady and tall or broad leafed plants such as vines in hotter areas with more direct sunlight. There are times when I don't need to use anything from the store to cook my foods, I just have to go out to the garden and pick what I need a few moments before I'm ready to eat it. That's the best way to do it.

And if you are looking for antioxidants then you should know that strawberries are very easy to grow both in a garden and in pots. You just have to pay attention to how far out they grow or they will take over your garden or your lawn with all of the little shoots that they sprout. If you have a lot of space, this isn't a problem, but if you're not careful, you could end up with a full property of strawberries. That's more antioxidants than one person can use

[Freddy]

Thanks for cluing me in on what foods are the best sources of antioxidants and for also sharing the information about chemicals on foods. I don't really have much of a green thumb and I don't really live in a space that is garden friendly, but kudos to all of you who grow a garden. That definitely is the best way to obtain food that you know is fresh and safe.

[BabyButtons]

Wow envirotodd! U know so much about gardneing! Thats fantastic. I didnt know all that stuff. I never thought about using rainwater & i didnt even think about using organic soil. I bet it does taste better. Im gonna come over 2 ur house in the summer for some fresh garden treats haha! What vegetables do u like to grow best? Ive always liked zucchini.

[enviroTodd]

Wow envirotodd! U know so much about gardneing! Thats fantastic. I didnt know all that stuff. I never thought about using rainwater & i didnt even think about using organic soil. I bet it does taste better. Im gonna come over 2 ur house in the summer for some fresh garden treats haha! What vegetables do u like to grow best? Ive always liked zucchini.

You're always welcome here, BabyButtons! I think that organic gardening is the best way to ensure that you're getting all of your nutrients, understanding your foods, avoiding disease, saving money, and even reducing stress.

It's not a lot of extra work to tend a small vegetable garden, once you have it started, but at the same time it does force you to get up and move around at least enough to check on things, water everything, pick a few weeds now and again, and harvest your little crops, of course.

I think that the best part of vegetable gardening at home is the explosion of foods so that you can share them with your friends and create your own preserves so that you know where your food comes from in the winter months, as well. This is a great way to maintain all of the positive energy that you have grown throughout the summer so that you can still experience it in the winter. You don't take food for granted as much when you have put your own labor into growing it.

[BabyButtons]

its very true! u dont take it for granted so much when u put in the labor. Ive already got some seeds growing in my pots. I cant wait 2 plant them outside. Its always so great 2 watch vegetables grow from seed. I feel like i am witnessing the miracle life everytime

[enviroTodd]

its very true! u dont take it for granted so much when u put in the labor. Ive already got some seeds growing in my pots. I cant wait 2 plant them outside. Its always so great 2 watch vegetables grow from seed. I feel like i am witnessing the miracle life everytime

That's a great attitude, BabyButtons! It truly is a way to allow Mother Nature to embrace you with her positive energies. It sounds like you know what you're doing if you've already started growing your seeds in the pots. You didn't wait too long. I like to grow mine from seed, as well. Don't forget to save one of the seeds from the better examples of the vegetables that you produce, at the end of the season, so that you can dry them out and use them again next year. That way, you will be able to preserve the best version of the varieties that you enjoyed the most, and you won't have to waste your time and money buying seeds. In this way, you're letting Mother Nature actually give you a free garden every year from now on. Also, by always choosing the seeds from your best vegetables, then over time you'll have created your own varieties of vegetables through natural selection. You can call them Babybuttons Beans and BabyButtons tomatoes

I've been saving my version of heirloom varieties of seeds for ages and it makes me feel very proud to be able to have full control over my own garden.

[TeensyTiff]

Glad you asked this question Freddy. I didn’t realize that all of those foods were high in antioxidants. I’m happy to discover that I eat some of those foods LOL. It’s always good to know that I’m already doing good things for myself. Usually it’s the opposite.