Although you may not like the taste, you should try to eating as its benefits far outweigh its taste.

Many people worry about the potential bad breath you can get from garlic and yet it is wildly used in cooking (specially Mediterranean foods.

Garlic (Allium sativum) belongs to the Liliaceae family and subfamily Allioideas. Its properties (medicinal especially) have been valued for centuries In Egypt and Greece since ancient times.

Today it is recognized to have a beneficial influence in the functioning of the heart and, when combined with citrus, it is an effective remedy for colds and coughs. It was also used as a treatment for leprosy and as an ingredient in remedies during the black plague in Europe (14th Century)

Garlic is an essential ingredient in many recipes. To take advantage of all its properties, garlic should be eaten raw, as the saying goes “cooked garlic, garlic lost. ”

Garlic Properties

Garlic is a diuretic, expectorant and natural stimulant. It has been used throughout history as an antiseptic. It is a natural remedy that is used for asthma, cough, breathing difficulties, bronchitis, tuberculosis, etc. Medical research has  found contrasting results in its ability to combat rheumatism.

Because of its high content of antioxidants such as allicin and quercetin, it is believed that garlic is helpful in reducing cancer risk. It also strengthens the immune system, is anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, vasodilator, debugger and a natural antibiotic.

The best time to consume garlic is when tender, during spring, as its flavor and aroma is more subtle. Having said that it is a natural food that can be found throughout the year and consumed dry.

What are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants, which are present in foods like fruits and vegetables, are compounds that can protect and improve your health in a number of ways. They can defend against oxidative processes which can harm your body’s cells. They also build up your immune system to guard against the flu and other viruses, and reduce the risk of getting cancer. You can also purchase antioxidant supplements.

Your Antioxidant Food List

To get yourself and your family on the right track to eating healthily, you’ll need to start creating your antioxidant food list and buying food items that contain antioxidants as well as antioxidant supplements . Do you love chocolates? You’re going to be very happy to know that you can include dark chocolates in your antioxidant food list. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants. Surprised? It’s been found that cocoa beans are among the high antioxidant foods in the world.

You can include a small amount of dark chocolate each day in your diet. For example, you can melt dark chocolate and use that for coating fresh strawberries. Chocolate-covered strawberries make for a delicious dessert or snack. Incidentally, strawberries are high in antioxidants too! A word of caution: don’t overindulge in these. Too much of anything, even a good thing, can do harm. In the case of these delectable desserts, eating too much can cause your waistline to expand before you know what’s happening.

Another food item you can add to your antioxidant food list is broccoli because it’s also among the foods high in antioxidants. Whether or not you are a fan of broccoli, your opinion of broccoli may change once you hear this. Like dark chocolate, broccoli is one of the foods with the highest antioxidant content. Just a few bites of it will provide you with a lot of benefits.

Fruit is another food item that you can add to your antioxidant food list. To be more specific, you should eat berries because they are chock-full of antioxidants. This includes strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and pretty much any kind of berry you can imagine. The grocery stores are full of antioxidant supplements and foods, just help yourself.

A study, dating from 2005, and made by researchers at the University of Scranton, (PA) found that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the US.

Americans obtain more of their antioxidants from coffee than from any other source and the reason is quite simple. It is not that coffee is the greatest source of antioxidants, but the daily intake, a cup or two, is part of the American diet. Regular consumption has made coffee an important source of antioxidants for many Americans.

Another important point, which is also applicable to all antioxidant sources, is that the actual benefits will be the result of how often we drink coffee (or particular fruits for that matter), the serving size and our body’s capacity to absorb it.

Besides keeping you alert and awake, coffee has been linked to an increasing number of potential health benefits, including protection against liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease, according to some recently published studies.

As with everything else, moderation is in order. In other words don’t rush out and fill yourself with coffee – but a daily cup will be useful.

There are many people who get the coffee jitters or adverse reactions, but you do have alternatives and one of the best is to drink green tea.

In the meantime I will have my early morning and after lunch cup of coffee ’cause I enjoy it and see it as a small part of my overall (and I trust) healthier diet.

At the same time I will continue to eat fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Ad is the most common form of dementia, and is thought to affect over 4 million people in the US.

The information goes on to state that the beneficial ingredients are extracted from the waste produced when black currants are processed and are believed to protect from and may help in the treatment of dementia.

There are various reports indicating that antioxidants may significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin C and E, taken naturally, have been linked to a reduction of AD in various researches that have been made.

I wonder what a juice blend of black currants and orange tastes like, but I think I am going to try it.

They are a gift from nature but modern food has moved away from nature and so our diets are generally lacking in these, as well as many other nutrients.

You will find them in fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, but the richest sources of antioxidants are:

• Berries: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries.
• Vegetables: cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots.
• Fish and seafood: These are very high in antioxidants, (but the downside is that our rivers and oceans are heavily polluted).

The formula for a healthier life is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. It is a simple as eating your greens and having fresh fruit.