2023.03.23

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You have daily stress - yes?

You sometimes (frequently?) eat foods high in saturated fat and low in fiber - yes?

You sometimes (frequently?) consume alcohol - yes?

I don’t judge you. You are a human trying to get it done in the modern world.

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You are a conscientious leader trying to make an impact for good and sometimes that means you’ve got an unbelievable amount of pressure on you. Between managing, making tough calls, and leading through uncertain and changing conditions, you don’t always treat your body as well as you want to.

Here is a simple thing you can do to help combat the effects of stress on your body, even if you change nothing else in your diet.

I invite you to up your intake of antioxidants.

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Why You Need Antioxidants

You’ve heard of free radicals and vaguely remember they aren’t good.

They are unstable molecules – they are missing an electron – so they go around looking to snatch one off another molecule in your body or they bind directly to a molecule to get stable.

This causes oxidative stress, which over time damages the body’s cells, proteins, and DNA. This contributes to aging and is thought to play a role in the development of chronic inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions.

Some free radicals are the natural byproduct of normal healthy body functions like exercising, while others are formed in response to stressors like UV rays, alcohol, high saturated fat intake, smoking, and well, stress.

Regardless of the source, the body needs to neutralize the free radicals and is able to do so when you consume enough antioxidants.

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Where to Find Antioxidants

Antioxidants are highly concentrated in colorful plants so eat your:

• red/brown/black beans
• dark leafy greens
• berries
• other colorful veggies (e.g., sweet potatoes, avocados).

Antioxidants are also found in good concentrations in walnuts, pecans, and sunflower seeds.

Cocoa powder is a great source as well, but make sure you aren’t consuming it with too much added sugar or saturated fat. Dairy actively counteracts the effect of antioxidants so milk chocolate isn’t going to cut it in this case.

Everyday spices that are quite high in antioxidants include turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, oregano, marjoram, and peppermint.

In terms of drinking your antioxidants, sipping on hibiscus tea throughout the day is the number one recommendation I can give.

Matcha tea is a close second, but you’ve gotta watch your caffeine intake if you’re drinking it all day. Limit caffeine to 400 mg per day.

Coffee is a more distant third but still a respectable source (watch your caffeine, sugar, sweetener, and dairy though).

And because you’re going to ask...

• Yes, red wine has a decent amount of antioxidants, but a hair less than pure grape juice, which trails coffee by a decent margin. But red wine contains alcohol, so it creates some additional new free radicals and you’re basically negating any net effects.
• Regular green tea (not matcha) clocks in just behind grape juice and red wine.
• Black tea trails green tea a bit.

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Commit to More Antioxidants in Your Everyday Diet

1. Add 1-2 high antioxidant foods/spices to each of your existing meals.
2. Add 1 high antioxidant snack to your workday.
3. Drink antioxidants throughout the day.

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This post is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Read full disclaimer.

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