We’re all manically busy in trying to make a living. We run from place to place frantically making money and having no time to think about what we eat – whether it’s healthy or unhealthy.

What we want is a quick fix to tie us over for the next few hours.

THINK AGAIN.

Our bodies are complex machines needing the best of fuel to run efficiently. What we are doing when we feed them with anything less is slowing down the processes that keep this machine from performing at its peak.

Below, I have outlined a few recommendations on foods that contain vitamins and antioxidants and also the basic vitamins that are necessary for the maintenance of our skin and mental wellbeing.

Fresh legumes, wholegrain bread and pasta, lean meats, good wines (a good red contains many antioxidants necessary for the prevention of cellular damage).

Vitamin C can be found in abundance in all the citrus fruits and it’s also capable of neutralizing potentially damaging free radicals. Vitamin C helps the white blood cells combat infection and is essential for wound healing. It is also required for the formation of collagen, for healthy skin, and for the formation of other structural materials in bones, teeth and capillaries. Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron from plant (non-animal) sources.

Vitamin D helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building bone. Laboratory studies also show that vitamin D keeps cancer cells from growing and dividing. Good sources are smoked salmon, tuna fish, non fat milk, egg, Swiss cheese and mackerel.

Vitamin E is a fat soluble antioxidant vitamin that helps to neutralize free radicals in our body. As a supplement, Vitamin E has a number of health benefits for the body. Vitamin E is particularly important for the protection of our cell membranes as well as keeping your skin, heart and circulation, nerves, muscles and red blood cells healthy. Antioxidants such as vitamin E protect your cells against the effects of dangerous free radicals, potentially damaging by-products of your body’s metabolism. Good sources of vitamin E are eggs, almond oil, olive oil, avocadoes, walnuts, hazelnuts, mangoes, spinach and tomato (raw) to name but a few.

Recommendations

• Follow a balanced training program that emphasizes regular exercise and eat 5 servings of fruit or vegetables per day. This will ensure that you are developing your inherent antioxidant systems and that your diet is providing the necessary components.
  
• Weekend warriors should strongly consider a more balanced approach to exercise. Failing that, consider supplementation.
  
• For extremely demanding races (such as an ultra distance event), or when adapting to high altitude, consider taking a vitamin E supplement (100 to 200 IU, approximately 10 times the RDA) per day for several weeks up to and following the race.
  
• Be wary of advertising and media hype.
  As a conclusion, life is too short and we should have fun whilst we’re here. As a rule of thumb, keep things in moderation and don’t overdo it. Simple rules to last you a lifetime.

As a conclusion, life is too short and we should have fun whilst we’re here. As a rule of thumb, keep things in moderation and don’t overdo it. Simple rules to last you a lifetime.