How do you cook your food? Is it safe?

This week I am going to talk to you about Free Radicals & their symptoms!!

You may not know much about them however you need to ..to maintain good health. Here are some symptoms you may feel without any plausible explanation..Feeling tired all of the time, low mood, bodily pain, swelling or inflammation in old injuries/joints, headaches or migraines? You may be suffering from free radical damage!

Simply explained, The human body is composed of many different types of cells. Cells are composed of many different types of molecules. Molecules consist of one or more atoms of one or more elements joined by chemical bonds. After much chemical interactions and balancing the bonds can weaken and split, free radicals are formed.

Free radicals are basically very unstable cells, which react quickly with other compounds, trying to attach onto stable cells. Thus when they attack the good stable cells they now become free radicals and a chain reaction occurs out of control damaging our healthy living cells within us.

Minor free radicals can arise normally during metabolism, energy production and so on in the body. Sometimes the body’s immune system’s cells purposefully create them to protect the body against viruses and bacteria. However, environmental factors such as pollution, radiation (computers, microwaves, mobile phones) cigarette smoke,  chemicals found in household cleaning agents and body care products, herbicides, pesticides etc  can also trigger the occurrence of free radicals. Normally, the body can control free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. It has been noted that free radical damage can accumulate with age.

How do you cook your food? The likelihood is frying foods, browning, roasting , grilling all create damage to the fats in the products and therefore create free radicals which you then lavish up..especially those Sunday roast dinners. I have to admit they are one of my favourite dinners too. Lightly cook food. Cook food slowly to reduce damage. Cover food baking /roasting in the oven. Ensure to use cooking oils which are heat stable. Many cook with healthy olive oil when in fact it is not suitably for high temperature cooking. It should only be used post cooking or on salads/dressings.

Antioxidants are the good guys…they are STABLE Cells, they protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by specific chemical reactions. They basically act like scavengers, helping to prevent cell and tissue damage that could lead to cellular damage and disease. Thus inflammation, pain, tiredness and so on. They are abundant in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. You need to ensure you are getting enough of these foods everyday. Natural foods vibrant in colour are also rich in antioxidants.

Kinesiology testing can quickly determine if you are suffering from free radical damage or not, by using specific testing protocols. No blood tests or needles involved! To protect yourself, keep your immune system strong and healthy. Regular sleep, good dietary eating habits, keeping stress to a minimum will all help protect you against free radicals. Most importantly is a balanced diet with at least 5… preferably more! portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Vitamin A, C, E and the mineral selenium are particularly important in protecting against free radical cellular damage.

Gertrude Lawler, Kinesiologist (DipAK), Food Technologist, practices in CLANE.Co, Kildare, Ireland. Enquiries about treatments or to obtain a FREE  ‘Radical Busting Recipes’ Pack please Email: Gertrude@kinesicare.ie