If you're smart, you should not only be focused on your goal to lose weight but to maximize your weight loss program to its full extent by getting some health benfits out of it as well, and make them priority #1. One of the health benefits you should be aiming for as you lose weight should be getting a good daily dosage of antioxidants while on your weight loss plan and even afterward while in maintainence mode. Just a few short years ago, the average person had never even heard of an antioxidant, let alone could actually tell you what one was. Now, antioxidants are one of the biggest buzz words in health and fitness. Nearly every other product on the market claims to be chuck full of them. So what are they? REALLY? And what's so darn good about them that it creates such hoopla? Simply put, antioxidants fight to help eliminate the body of one of its most dangerous internal enemies---free radicals. "Free Radical" is the layman's term for an oxygen atom that has been split in half so that it only has one electron as opposed to the two that it is supposed to have. These split particles are constantly being made in the body, and if they are left unchecked, they can cause a myriad of problems. One such problem is to bump into and damage the internal tissues of the body's organs and systems. A second problem is to attached themselves to molecules within the body and throw of the chemical balance within us, setting off chemical chain reactions and causing health problems while multiplying more and more new free radical particles from these reactions. Damage from free radicals has been proven to contribute to such common and deadly illnesses as atherosclerosis, cancer, quickening the aging process, and eye cataracts. There are currently 3 vitamins and 2 minerals that have been identified to have antioxidant properties: Vitamins:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• beta carotene

Minerals:

• Sulfur
• Selenium

As you embark on your weight loss program, remember that your goal is not only to lose weight, but to gain optimum health. Weight loss itself is just an added benefit of being a wholistically healthy person. To YourBestBody, Lawrence Cole
Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach
See this Weight Loss Article YourBestBodyNOW.com