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"A healthy outside starts from the inside." Robert Urich |
| | | | | | | In case you're wondering, ORAC is a scoring system and the acronym stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It's a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging (NIH) to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods. Which is just a fancy way of saying, "what can we eat that will help us look and feel younger?"
According to the ORAC system, foods are given a score based on how well they fight free radicals in the body which improves overall health. According to Natural Balance Foods out of the UK:
According to the free-radical theory of aging and disease, a high antioxidant intake from foods, will slow the oxidative processes and free radical damage that contributes to age-related degeneration and disease.
So the higher the number a particular food has, the better. And to put that score into perspective, here are the ORAC scores of some of the most common antioxidant rich foods based on 3.5 ounces of food:
- Dark Chocolate - 20,816 (my favorite!)
- Peppermint, fresh 13,978
- Oregano, fresh 13,970
- Nuts, walnuts 13,541
- Blueberries - 9,621
- Nuts, hazelnuts 9,645
- Cranberries, raw 9,584
- Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw 7,983
- Garlic - 5,708
- Raspberries, raw 4,882
- Basil, fresh 4,805
- Nuts, almonds 4,454
- Apples, Red Delicious, raw with skin 4,275
- Apples, Granny Smith, raw, with skin 3,898
- Cherries, sweet, raw 3,365
- Peanuts, all types, raw 3,166
- Cabbage, red, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 3,145
- Broccoli, raw 3,083
- Apples, raw, with skin 3,082
Keep in mind that while the ORAC scale is helpful in identifying healthy foods you may want to add to your diet, there are other foods that shouldn't be overlooked just because they don't rank as high on the scale.
Foods like kale, spinach, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, turnip, sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, tomatoes, watermelon, papaya, pink grapefruit, blueberries, purple grapes, red cabbage, beets and plums are some of the top choices recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil.
It comes down to what it always comes down to — balance and variety. Because if there's one thing your body really loves, it's balance and variety! |
| | WALKING CHALLENGE STARTS APRIL 1st
Don't forget about the free Walking Challenge that starts soon. Click here to join the Facebook group where we'll all stay connected and accountable. If you're already there, that's great!
To keep everyone motivated, we're doing some mini challenges leading up to the walk. This week is Potpourri Week. Today we're giving up processed sugar. Just for today we'll try our best to live without it.
Join us as we wait for warmer days! |
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| Thanks for checking in. Enjoy the season of Spring and as always I'm ...
Wishing you well,
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133 Washington Street, Norwell, MA 02061 ~ www.YourInfiniteWellness.com ~ 617.678.4088 |
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