Taste these Antioxidant-Rich Foods

April 7, 2015 by francis

Antioxidants are beneficial for a number of reasons. They protect against illness, slow the aging process within your cells, and even prevent against life-threatening diseases like heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants are found in vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, and polyphenols. Here are a few foods that are packed full of these items that offer naturally occurring antioxidants.

Berries. Fresh berries contain many of the vitamins that antioxidants are found in, and they taste great as well. Have a handful of blueberries for breakfast to help boost your cognitive function and strengthen your immune system first thing in the morning.
Beans. Not only are beans filled with fiber, they’re also packed with antioxidants. Red beans have the highest amount of any type of bean, but it doesn’t hurt to incorporate black beans, lima beans, or navy beans into your diet as well.
Dark chocolate. This one may seem too good to be true, but delicious dark chocolate is full of antioxidants. Having a few squares for dessert can help to lower your blood pressure, but only if you opt for something with higher than 70 percent cocoa. Chocolate is still fairly high in calories and sugar, however, so be careful not to overindulge.

10 Antioxidant-Rich Foods [Food Network]
8 Foods Rich in Antioxidants [FitDay]
Best Antioxidant-Rich Foods [Reader’s Digest]
20 Common Foods With the Most Antioxidants [WebMD]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/elizaraxi

Five Ways to Tell if It’s a Cold or the Flu

September 4, 2014 by francis

It's that time of year again, when the sniffling and sneezing starts up. Telling the difference between a cold and the flu can be difficult, so here's a list of five tips to help you distinguish between the two.

1. In general, the flu is more intense than a regular cold and lasts for much longer. If you’ve been experiencing symptoms for a few weeks and have been completely exhausted, it's most likely the flu.

2. During a cold, your appetite will likely stay the same, even if you can’t taste correctly due to a stuffy nose. During a flu virus, you’re probably not going to be hungry at all.

3. Flu viruses can spike fevers to 100 degrees or higher. Pay attention to your temperature and if it gets to that point, it's probably the flu, so schedule an appointment with your doctor.

4. Sneezing is typically a cold symptom. It's rare to sneeze due to the flu.

5. If you felt fine one day and bad the next, the flu is most likely to blame. Colds tend to build up over a period, while the flu can hit you all at once.

Cold Versus Flu [CDC]
Is It The Cold or the Flu [Kids Health]
Is It the Flu or Just a Cold [Des Moines University]
The Common Cold Vs the Flu: What You Need to Know [Syracuse University]