Carotenoid Craving
Ever shop with a two-year-old? What, were you crazy? Their arms are longer than they look, aren’t they? Watch what little kids reach for in the store. Or watch what interests you when you’re hungriest. Usually it will be packaged in red, chartreuse, orange, yellow, green. Why? It isn’t just Madison Avenue that’s getting under your brain. It’s skillions of years of programming.
We human animals seek out and devour carotenoids. Left to our own devices, we can’t get enough of them. Carotenoids are the compounds that make real food the color of today’s food packaging.
The pigments are themselves powerful antioxidants, and work to neutralize free radicals, the destructive little dervishes that will rob perfectly healthy cells of their electrons when they’re not looking. Antioxidants freely hand over their electrons, and stop the damage. We’re talking about the lycopene that makes tomatoes red. The carotenes in your carrots. There are hundreds of these substances that are found in foods we’ve eaten throughout our history, and we know that they have can help us prevent certain diseases and general bodily meltdown.
Here’s what we know: Folks who eat red, yellow, green regularly, daily — pumpkins, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, oranges, watermelons, red peppers, spinach, kale, etc. — are less likely to die from heart disease and certain cancers, and suffer less with macular degeneration, and are set up to avoid a whole host of other diseases, but cancer and heart disease are the biggies. That is, they age more gracefully and live longer.
Which carotenoids are good for preventing what diseases? That’s one of the games of current nutritional scientists and supplement makers. We’ve been able to research and understand only a small percentage of these carotenoids so far. We have enough evidence to have developed a deep respect for them all as a group. We know especially that men and boys need their tomatoes to help them avoid prostate cancer.
But our nutritionists and public health officials suggest focusing less on the specific elements, and more on getting as broad a mix of these compounds as possible, in their natural state. We should get 5 to 9 servings of mixed vegetables and fruits. They recommend varying the colors and sources as much as possible.
The genius of food marketers is that they’ve packaged their product to look as if it carries this nutrition our bodies crave. Sadly, they haven’t figured out how to include fruit and veggie nutrition inside the box, bag, or foil wrapper. The good stuff comes with a skin or peel. Drive your two-year old around the produce department, and you’ll notice the same grabbiness.
Hey Movers and Losers...!!!
This article comes from The Skinny Daily Post. Each day JuJu post articles similar to this one, and you can write in and comment. It is a really nice site for those of us in the weight loss/maintenance saga. She has lost over 100 pounds and kept them off for 3 years I believe. This article brings it all home. Naturally we are attracted to the things that are best for us. Truly, our behaviors are learned and often become ones of convenience. I have seen this ever so much as during the summer months I actually have the time to shop, clean and prepare fresh fruits and veggies. Girls, there is nothing better than a fresh fruit salad made from each of your favorite fruits fresh from the market. Anyway, when you add the health elements from making the better choices it certainly warrants taking the extra time to do this, even with a busy schedule. In the long run that tortise outran the hare... so can we!
Mooz: You did not gain 3 pounds in one day. That is virtually impossible, but for some reason you have retained water. In order to gain one pound you much consume an additional 3,500 (rounded number) calories above your daily intake of what your body uses just to live. My guess is there was something (more than likely a seasoning) in one of the foods you ate that had a sodium base and your body did what my body does with it... retain, retain, retain water. You are correct, water will go away just as quickly. Drink your water, add some fresh lemon juice as it is a natural dieuritic. OK, next question for you - What is a champ? I always enjoy learning your lingo, as it is a tad different from what we say! Hey... did you see Bush interviewing in Ireland Thursday? I saw a part of it, the news reporter was giving him a good run for the money - lots of follow up questions. Good for her, good for us. I hope some good can come from his 5 day - world wide visits.
Nita: Are you there? Do you have a contact for Thin? I am thinking you met her personally last year. I am concerned for her... she was always so good about letting us know what was going on.
Hello, hugs and great weekend wishes to all!!
and walking plenty.
or do most people suffer at times from it but just cover up well 
Why is it so so easy to put on weight and so so difficult to lose it. Today will have to be a cutting down and drinking water day.
I felt fat............. nothing looked good on me. I was actually searching for one particular top through all the pile of tops the I have in my wardrobe ............ tops that I never wear ........... and I couldn't find it ............. I tried on lots of them and got so disgusted with them all and with me that at one stage I went downstairs and got a black binliner and I was going to put them all in it and give them to a charity shop! Then I calmed down and put them back again. I will sort them out someday when I get to that part of my dejunking plan. 
