The Defence Boosters - Never too young to start! - Part 1

So after a very long hiatus in my nutrition studies I finally picked up one of my many books the other day while waiting to go into a Sunday morning Yoga class (got to maximise every moment of "free" time that I can).  I looked at the book,  and thought where do I start.  I'm not a fan of starting at the beginning so I let fate decide and randomly opened the book, it opened at a chapter on Flavonoids and Isoflavones - part of the defence boosters!  I have read a lot about these in the past,  mostly in a book called  "Anticancer - A New Way of Life" http://www.anticancerbook.com/  which I have to say is such a great uplifting book, that I think everyone should read it!  It got me into a few good habits which have stuck with me like drinking green tea on a daily basis, switching from milk to dark chocolate and feeling good about drinking red wine:)

So I will start with the Flavonoids and Isoflavones  and  I will try to keep this as short/concise as possible.

Flavonoids are substances found in plants which can protect the body against a wide range of diseases. They can cut heart disease and slow the spread of cancer.  They are powerful anti-oxidants and protect the blood vessels - easing vein disorders and symptoms of diabetes.

Good flavonoid sources are (type of flavonoid in brackets):

• Red and yellow onions, shallots, apples (quercitin)
• Grapeseed, red wine(shiraz, merlot and pinot noir are good ones, darker the better), supplements of the following: maritime pine bark, haws, flowers and bark of hawthorn (procyanidins) Porcyanidins have been shown to protect animals from radiation - Chernobyl victims were advised to drink Crimean red wine!!!
• Walnuts, blackberries, pecan nuts (elagic acid) 
• Coffee (caffeic acid)
• Tomatoes (chlorogenic acid)
• Green tea, black tea (catechins)
• Rosemary (carnosic acid)

The highest concentration of flavonoids is found in the leaves, skin, peel or seeds of fruits and vegetables - so be mindful to wash and not throw away the skins! It is possible to take flavonoids as supplements if you feel you can take any of the above

Soy beans and the isoflavones in soy may be the single most important anti-cancer food source.  Soy contains 6 of the most powerful anti-cancer ingredients known - most powerful of all is genistein which you can now take as a supplement. Soy can lower cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease.  Soy lowers LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol.

Its very, very important nutritionally and politically to use NON GMO  soy and soy products.  It's also wise to use Soy in moderation, eating tofu 2-3 times per week and try to avoid processed soy products - its not how nature intended for them to be used!

Other important ingredients to incorporate into your diet here are turmeric (curcumin) and garlic.

Family friendly recipes to follow.....