The EIGHTH Day of Fitness...Disease Fighting Foods

On the EIGHTH Day of Fitness, the FitMePink blog gave to me...foods that keep you healthy!

So we made it across the country with no major incidents. My husband was pulled over in Colorado, but there was no ticket! Hooray! Kids in the backseat must be good for something. I wasn't in the driver's seat, so no tears were shed. We drove a lot slower the rest of the way, but eventually still made it to our destination. Woo hoo!

Despite packing healthy snacks, I ate a few too many greasy hamburgers on the road. And I'm feeling it! One reason I try so hard to be healthy is because my digestive system seriously can't handle loads of junk. I. NEED. FIBER. Hemorrhoids are not my friends.

So this week, along with the treats I'll surely eat, I'm going to try to pack in some good stuff as well.

You've all surely heard the buzz about antioxidants. We all literally need them to help prevent certain diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and those caused by aging. Little is known about how they work, or what makes them function best. Some antioxidants are believed to be more potent than others, and that their potency can be affected by cooking and digestion. For example, blueberries are most potent when eaten raw. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are more potent when cooked.

Here is a list of 20 foods with the highest concentration of antioxidants to add to your diet. For the best results, eat a wide variety! It's my personal philosophy that the better we eat and exercise, the more wiggle room we have for treat allowance! Eat this stuff, and you can have some of the eleventy billion treats left on your doorstep this week! (Feel free to go snag some off my porch, too! )

• Pomegranates
• Small Red Beans (dried)
• Wild Blueberries
• Red Kidney Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Blueberries (cultivated)
• Cranberries
• Artichokes (cooked)
• Blackberries
• Prunes
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Red Delicious Apples
• Granny Smith Apples
• Pecans
• Sweet Cherries
• Black Plums
• Gala Apples
• Black Beans (dried)
• Plums

Lots of these foods are probably already a part of your holiday diet. What's Christmas without cranberries, pomegranates, and (chocolate covered) cherries! Eat up!