We’re all guilty of overindulging sometimes—an extra helping of potatoes here, a wedge of key lime pie there. But loading up on calories forces your body into overdrive as it tries to deconstruct the damage.
“Just metabolizing food—especially fatty and carbohydrate-rich fare—causes the body to produce free radicals, which attack cells and can promote the development of chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes and cancer,” says Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D., research chemist and nutritionist with the USDA at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center.
The more you consume, the more free radicals you produce. In fact, that’s one theory why caloric restriction—a practice of cutting calories by 25 to 30 percent—may protect against some disease. But recent research suggests that there are two ways to reduce free radicals: eating fewer calories and consuming more nutrient-rich fare, such as the following. (We suggest you do both.)
1. Drink wine.
Antioxidants in red wine, called polyphenols, may reduce the negative impact of high-fat foods, according to a study published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology in January.
2. Drizzle vinegar.
Having a tablespoon of vinegar with your meal, perhaps drizzled on your salad, may temper the spike in blood sugar (a.k.a. glucose) that occurs after eating a big, carbohydrate-rich meal.
3. Eat fruit.
If you’ve indulged in a decadent meal, consider fruit for dessert.
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