That's Fit

Three shots a day. Go ahead. Toss 'em back and enjoy. Just make sure orange juice fills that shot glass (well, an eight-ounce glass is best, really) and you'll be all set for good health.

Your three shots should come morning, noon, and night. This way, antioxidant levels will stay consistent in your bloodstream. Hey, protection from free-radical damage all day long -- can't beat that, especially when it comes to one type of cancer: OJ contains something called carotenoid cryptoxanthin, and it's associated with a 15-31 percent reduced lung cancer risk.

As soon as you weave orange juice into your day, you'll want to adjust your diet a bit, because juice is high in calories. Still, give this juice a shot. It's well worth it.

Substantial enough to substitute for meat in a meal, eggplant is chock-full of phytonutrients as well as being rich in many vitamins and minerals. Other than in pasta dishes, I haven't cooked much with eggplant in the past. I don't know why... I think it's wonderfully tasty. Baby eggplants are in season right now, so it's the perfect time to try out some new recipes.

Shape Magazine shares a few ideas for trying out this tasty and nutritious food. I love their idea for sauteeing diced baby eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes in olive oil and then baking in the eggplant skin. I think I'll substitute the tomatoes for summer squash. (I'm not a tomato fan... which is too bad because they're so rich in lycopene.) How about you? Do you have any favorite eggplant recipes to share?

I stopped at the farmer's market this morning and several booths had beets for sale. I debated about buying some to make a borscht. (Which I love, but I was quite certain it would be a complete miss with my son.) According to Planet Green, I should have just tried juicing beets.

Researchers have found that drinking 500ml of beet root juice daily can have a positive impact on blood pressure. Not only is beet root high in antioxidants, it also contains dietary nitrates which benefit blood pressure. Researchers found that the blood pressure of study subjects dropped just one hour after drinking beet root juice, with the most benefit showing three to four hours after drinking the juice.

Want another idea on what to do with beets? Debra has some ideas for cooking beets with the greens.

Time. Our greatest resource. I'll debate it with anyone. And I'll win.

Lack of it is responsible for most of what stresses us out. And taking it back is what makes us feel better. The idea of taking a few minutes to relax at the end of the day is possibly the most commonly given advice for recovering from a stressful day. Such a simple solution and so satisfying. But how often do you actually do it? Seems I witness more time spent complaining about now having time than taking time to shut up and relax.

And it makes a world of difference. However, those few minutes would not be quite as decadent for me if not for adding a glass of wine to the equation. Also pretty common, I know. Again, when's the last time? And it's not such a bad idea. In moderation, wine can actually be a good thing. It can even have an antioxidant effect. For some adding chocolate makes for the ultimate de-stress recipe.

So stop fretting that you don't have time or can't afford the calories and sit down with a bite or sip of something nice. For five minutes. OK, two. Whatever. The point is this: ridding ourselves of a day's stress isn't about large quantities of time, wine, chocolate or anything else. It's about coming up with your perfect recipe, whatever that may be. Just so long as it's small and simple.

Mushrooms are very tricky. Eat one kind, and you're noshing on a tasty pizza topping or stir fry ingredient; eat another kind, and your Bruce Lee poster speaks to you and your bedroom fills up with lemonade and Care Bears; and eat yet another kind, and you can wind in the morgue. It goes without saying, then, that the kind of mushrooms that Arizona State researchers have linked to a reduction in heart disease risk must be those mentioned first.

In the study, it was discovered that a particular antioxidant in the fungi (known as ergothioneine) prevented the accumulation of the artery-clogging plaque. Evidently, this specific antioxidant helps reduce the number of adhesion molecules that cling to plaque-forming cells in your blood and pull them into blood vessel walls.

In separate studies, mushrooms have also been found to bolster immune function, suppress breast and prostate cancers, and help decrease tumor size.

Often associated with mold and decay, the color blue is typically not a popular one when it comes to all things food related. That's why you won't see too many blue plates in restaurants -- just not too appetizing, say food experts. Interestingly, you don't typically see too many blue foods either. Well, in Ireland you might. And other places too if you really look around. But let's stick with the Irish story.

The blue potato, once introduced by a family producing vegetables for 200 years, became all the rage in Dublin not long ago, where parents began urging kids to eat their blues.

Who knew the blue potato -- the color comes from the antioxidant anthocyanin -- would be such a hit when marketed to the masses. The idea was to appeal to children by selling them something with a little novelty. It worked -- initially. But interest may be waning. Why? The color.

How do you feel about blue? I'm OK with it. I like blueberries and blue chips, and well, I can't really think of anything else. Blue potatoes? I'd try them. How about you?

Feeling and looking like a superstar starts with eating superstar foods and when it comes to summer salads, you might know that veggies are good for you but do you know which ones are the best? In terms of antioxidant levels there are five veggies that stand out from the rest and you'll want to be sure to throw as many of them as you can in your salads this summer. Which veggie do you think is the absolute richest in antioxidants?

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Ever heard of goji berries? You should have -- they're the new kids on the superfoods block, the health food that everyone seems to be talking about these days (including us -- we wrote about them here, here , here and here.) Still not sure what all the hype is about? Here are some health benefits that have been attributed to goji berries:

• Boosted liver protection and immune function
  
• Improved eyesight
  
• increased sexual function and fertility
  
• Increased muscle strength
  
• Improved circulation
  
• Greater longevity

For thousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine has looked to the goji berry as a potent source of nutrients. Specifically used for its supposed anti-aging properties and its benefit to eyesight, goji's high vitamin C and B content also help make it a powerful combatant against kidney and liver problems.

Sometimes referred to as wolfberries, goji berries make a healthy and delicious little snack. In addition to the benefits listed above, some recent research into this rare fruit uncovered a potential link between its consumption and a decrease in blood pressure and cholesterol.

In addition to the berry, you can also try goji juice, which has somewhat of an unusual, but decent, taste. A word of caution for people taking the blood thinner warfarin, though. Just as many leafy green vegetables can lessen the effectiveness of this medication, goji may do the same. Talk to your doctor to see if goji is right for you.

The cardiovascular benefits of drinking a glass of red wine daily have long been known by scientists and everyday people like you and me for quite some time now. We've heard about how the antioxidant properties can help mitigate radical damage, and how reversatrol, a compound found in grape skins, has a direct effect on protecting our hearts.

But what about the rest of our body?

Well, it turns out that red wine can not only help us feel better, but it can also help us look better!! Researchers at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology in France found that drinking wine can help you lose weight and increase endurance.

Reversatrol, the same part of the grape skin that helps cardiac function, may also increase energy-producing components within muscle cells, according to the study. This compound can be found in supplement form as grape seed extract at GNC, Vitamin Shoppe and other retailers. As for where red wine can be found, well, I'm sure you know a place or two.

Several years ago a friend of mine moved down to the Atlanta area. I flew down for a visit before they even had their boxes unpacked. As we were driving along a road we saw a big stand advertising boiled peanuts. Being from the north we were both a bit puzzled and had never heard of such a thing. Curiosity got the better of us and we pulled over to try it out. My first impression wasn't too great as boiled peanuts don't smell all that great. But the flavor was good -- soft and a bit salty. It turns out that roadside treat had some health value as well.

Boiled peanuts have up to four times the phytochemicals of raw peanuts. Researchers think that antioxidants from the shell are absorbed during boiling -- making these tiny treats a nutritional powerhouse.

So far only worms are seeing the benefit, but in a recent study worms who had their insulin levels adjusted lived longer than their counterparts. Researchers found that added insulin reduces the activity of a gene-regulating protein called SKN-1. So, by lowering the levels of insulin in the worms researchers subsequently boosted the protein -- resulting in an increased lifespan. The SKN-1 protein essentially acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage.

Researchers believe the findings hold hope for future human medicine.

When it comes to health drinks, brands like Gatorade, Powerade, and EAS come to mind. Well, according to new research out of Cornell University, we can now add Hershey's to that list.

Based on a recent study, researchers found that hot cocoa can help your muscles recover from an intense workout. The tasty drink contains twice as many antioxidants as a glass of red wine, and almost five times as many as black tea.

Antioxidants have been shown to mitigate free radical damage, thus reducing the risk of certain types of cancer and heart disease. Free radical damage can also be caused by intense bouts of exercise, making a cup of hot cocoa a very healthy choice for regular exercisers.

Did you just eat a Big Mac? If so, what should you do next? According to new research, the answer to that question is to grab yourself something else to eat right away -- only this time, make sure that it's healthy!

Eating antioxidant-rich foods like kiwi, blueberries, cherries, nuts, tea, and grapes during meals can help reduce the oxidative stress caused by foods containing high amounts of saturated fat and fast-digesting sugars, say researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Vascular inflammation and a number of other diseases can result from consistently high oxidative stress levels, which is why it may be a good idea to add an antioxidant-rich food to your next order of Chicken McNuggets. However, the calories and fat will still do a number on your waistline, as there's not much the antioxidant-rich foods can do to help you in that regard.

Fortified foods are all the rage these days. But, there were foods rich in antioxidants and other healthy nutrients well before food and beverage companies began adding them. This is certainly the case with fruits and vegetables. So, the next time you're at the grocery store and are looking for some healthy eats, why not grab a bag of bloody oranges? Literally.

Blood oranges, the reddish variety that are in season from January to April, contain anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant that may help defend against heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Finding these oranges isn't always easy, though. More or less, they look like regular oranges from the outside (although they sometimes get a reddish hue on their skin, as well), so you have to keep an eye out for them.

If you're not the type that likes to tear into a piece of fruit and eat it as-is, then take a look at this page for a list of recipes for foods, drinks, and desserts that make use of the tasty blood orange.