Are you anti-oxidant or just a free radical?

There's nothing radical about antioxidants' ability to fight free radicals. The food revolution is well underway and the news is out about the health boosting properties found mostly in fruits and veggies but also red wine and other things we wouldn't ordinarily think of as healthy. 

Antioxidants help shield your body from harmful molecules called free radicals. Many experts believe free radicals to be a factor in the development of blood vessel disease and other conditions.

Well, that sounds good. But how do you get them? Check out our list of ProACTIVE sources of antioxidants:

• Orange you glad for beta carotene? Cheesy, yes, but foods rich in beta carotene (usually a bright orange color) like sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, squash, apricots, pumpkin, and mangos are all axcellent sources of antioxidants. Some green, leafy vegetables, including collard greens, spinach, and kale, are also rich in beta-carotene.
• Learn to love lycopene. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya, apricots, pink grapefruit, blood oranges, and other foods.
• The A List. Foods rich in vitamin A include liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, egg yolks, and mozzarella cheese and all do their part in battling free radicals.
• Resveratrol, it's not something you make at a restaurant. But you can order it! Resveratrol is in red wine and might help prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce "bad" cholesterol and prevent blood clots.
• See also: C. Vitamin C is a contender in the fight against free radicals and while you could run out and get a C supplement or find it in breakfast cereal, our favorite source is to just eat an orange or any of the other vegetables, poultry, and fish that also contain a high amount of the vitamin.