The Anti-Mommy Brain Study Group- Beauty on the Inside

You’ve heard of free radicals, right? The pesky little guys that damage cells in your body.  Free radicals can be created when we exercise (really?), smoke (yuck!), stress out (guilty) or metabolize food into energy.  But fear not! Antioxidants help fight against  those free radicals.  Here are some antioxidant rich foods to give a whirl:

• Organ Meats, oily fish like salmon, soybean oils- These guys contain coenzyme Q10, which protects protiens and fat cells.  So when you are cooking fish one night and your husband asks whats for dinner, just tell him “Coenzyme Q10.”  And then take a mental photograph of the confused look on his face.
• Apples, green and white tea, citrus fruits, grapes, berries, dark chocolate, and cranberries- Eat these goodies to get some polyphenols that will help protect skin against uv radiation.
• Carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, apricots, cantaloupe, tomatoes, watermelons and bell peppers- These yummies contain carotenoids that will also help protect against UV damage and improve skin tone.
• Guava, kiwi, papaya and citrus fruits- Vitamin C.  (Hey, that’s one I have actually heard of!)  These will help protect skin’s elastin and collagen.
• Nuts, seeds and leafy greens- Vitamin E (Another one I’m familiar with! w00t!) Vitamin E is also great for reducing sun damage.
• Cruciferous vegetables- What the heck is a cruciferous vegetable?  Cruciferious.  Sounds like a curse from the Harry Potter books.  Cruciferious veggies are those in the cabbage family of vegetables.  Seriously, why couldn’t we just say that in the first place? 😉  Anywho, they contain sulforaphane, which will activate the cells’ natural defenses against UV damage.