Our health is important, so why is it many people avoid taking an active part in bettering or even maintaining it?

In the western world the attitude to health seems to be based on finding solutions and not in preventing ill health. The other thing is that many times the solutions are based on so called diagnosis that are only identifying the symptoms of the real illness.

If you have a headache it stands to reason that you want a fast acting solution to make it go away. But in the long run it is much more important to identify and then act on what is causing this pain.

If you have a fever or have caught a bug it is interesting to note that others have been exposed to the same environment but have gotten off scot free. So perhaps there are other factors involved; a period of stress with a corresponding weakening of natural defenses?

There are times when you seem to be accident prone in a small way. A small cut on a finger, or a bruising. Well your body is always talking to you and sending signals and many times a small cut is your body’s way of activating its own defenses. It is time to pay more attention to what your body tells you.

You are what you eat, but also what you think and what you feel.

Your spiritual side, your psychological side and your physical side are all you. You are a whole person and that is where natural health focuses on. Not just the symptom but the complete person.

When applying a holistic point of view illness prevention takes on a new meaning. It implies your overall well being, and this includes the food and nutrition, the environment, the personality and the current life you are leading. Whether you are exercising, your moods, your social contacts, your professional life as well as your family life.

The good news is that there is a change in attitude going on and this also means we have many more resources on hand to be able to enjoy our right to natural health.

And yes, the end result is that in the long run this is preventive and not corrective.

Natural living is about a balanced life, which means that charging like a bull in a china shop to make an overnight change in your life style will probably not last very long and with the same results as the proverbial bull.

So you should begin with small steps and build up from there. These steps should be positive doing things, like eat more fruit, and not negative not doing things, like stop smoking (although that is always a good idea).

1. Reduce your energy bills and save money. The positive outlook would dictate that you have your lights turned on only when you are in the room and turn them off when you leave. Unplug electrical appliances when they are not in use.
2. Conserve water. Turn off the water taps when brushing your teeth, washing your hands or shaving. You can also turn off the tap water while washing dishes. The long term benefits, aside from the savings involved, is that water will become scarce in the future if the current wastage is anything to go by.
3. Recycle as much as you can. This includes old clothes which can be donated to charities (providing a helping hand) as well as recycling organic and inorganic waste.

Once you begin you will find many other ways of actively ensuring a natural life.

One of the lovely things about this is that aside from the many resources you can find, your own creativity will produce great results. For example you can invent games with yourself or your family such as singing a short song while showering and turning the water off when you end it.

They tell a story of the time an American journalist came to interview one of them on his one hundredth birthday seeking to find the secret for living a natural healthy life.

The interview went as expected. The questions seemed to look for a magic formula, while the answers related to a drink every afternoon and tobacco on a regular basis.

Eventually the birthday boy realized his guest was getting frustrated with the answers so he began to give him what he wanted. Early to rise, early to bed. Healthy food, with a suggestion of a special fruit nearby as well as spring water from the local well.

The problem was that the interview kept being interrupted by loud noises coming from the floor above until the journalist couldn’t take it any more and demanded to know what was going on.

The hundred year old said “Ignore it – it’s just my father who wants another drink”.

This is simply because it is a very natural reaction to growing older, slightly more flaccid and collecting wrinkles and extra weight.  Antioxidants are recognized among other things, for their antiaging properties.

Antioxidants are powerful solutions that help protect the body against the damaging effects of aging. They have become an integral part of care treatments and skin care products. In order to understand how they work, you must learn about the oxidation process and the role of free radicals.

Oxidation is a natural process within your body.  Our body cells are being born and are dieing all the time by oxidation.  Free radicals are molecules that appear as a by product of oxidation.  When they react with certain chemicals in your body, free radicals can interfere with normal cell function and cause serious damage cells.

While some free radicals are useful in targeting and damage a diseased cell, including  infected or cancerous cells, they also many times destroy healthy cells and DNA. This leads to a split within its cellular structure, which in turn affects the way your body ages.

The easiest way to understand how oxidation and free radicals can break down cells is seeing an apple or a banana, once it has been opened. Oxidation causes the fruit to turn brown within minutes of hitting the air. In human skin, the oxidation of cells can lead to wrinkles, age spots and dry complexion weaker.

Antioxidants work by binding to and destroying free radicals before they can cause serious damage to cells through oxidation. By preventing damage caused by free radicals, antioxidants help the body to maintain normal its function and therefore maintain a healthy appearance for a longer period of time.

Antioxidants have been scientifically proved to benefit the body in a multitude of ways, including maintaining and strengthening the immune system, preventing brain and nervous system damage, reducing cholesterol and the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as providing a reduction in blood pressure and  they can help prevent cancer.

Antioxidants like vitamins A, C, E, selenium and zinc found in fruits, leafy green vegetables, nuts, vegetables and red wine have always been regarded as beneficial to the body. However, recent scientific advances have revealed new antioxidants that were not as evident in the past:

• Bioflavonoids which are found in many plant foods can help protect against free radical damage and help prevent some forms of cancer.

• Catechin is a potent antioxidant found in green and white tea which helps stimulate the immune system.

• Idebenone, one of the most effective antioxidants, neutralizes free radicals that reduce skin elasticity and firmness. It has been compared with another nutrient that protects against cell damage in the body, coenzyme Q10, but it has proved even more effective in reducing the signs of aging.

Although no single antioxidant can protect you against disease and damage completely, antioxidants should be a regular part of your diet and daily use to maintain a healthy lifestyle and protect against signs of aging.

The studies focus primarily on vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, selenium and zinc.

The relationship between antioxidants and cardiovascular disease, and possibly cerebrovascular diseases, is now sufficiently established.

It is known that modification of the “bad” cholesterol (LDL-c) plays a fundamental role in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis (thickening and hardness abnormal lining of blood vessels due to a deposit of fatty material that prevents or hinders the passage of blood).

Antioxidants can block free radicals that modify the bad cholesterol, reducing cardiovascular risk. On the other hand, low levels of antioxidants may be a risk factor for certain cancers.

Are Antioxidants That Good?

Although the intake of foods rich in antioxidants reduces the risk of certain diseases, they do not alter the normal deterioration that leads to aging and define how long we live.

Also it has been demonstrated that high doses of supplemental antioxidants can be counterproductive. Although each day we know more about the benefits of antioxidants – and one of the positive results is that it has led to greater awareness of natural foods that contain these antioxidants -it is still too early to say how much daily supplemental antioxidants should be taken because the correct dosages have not yet been properly identifies.

So we know antioxidants are good for us and therefore, the right thing is to follow a varied and balanced diet, that includes a rich mix of vegetables, greens and fruits and yes you can use supplemental antioxidants, but not abuse them.