About Oxidative Stress

by Caroline Lewis-Jones

Happy January everyone. So excited to be back here and sharing with you what I love the most…a plant-based lifestyle. Last month we covered the Microbiome and the importance of eating more Plant Fiber to increase your good microbiome. Today I want to talk about Oxidative Stress. We immediately hear the word "stress" and we get stressed, right? This kind of stress is a little bit different, you don’t feel it right away and it affects the cells inside your body.

Oxygen is essential for life. Without it, we cannot live. However, there is a by-product of oxygen and it’s called a "Free Radical". When we breathe and move our dancing bodies, we create free radicals. Free Radicals are unstable molecules that are missing an electron. They are in desperate need of an electron so they go to the stable molecules in your bodies and steal electrons.

So what happens next? If not taken care of, these now damaged molecules in your body can cause several things; disease/illness if not taken care of, damaged DNA, poor athletic performance, and/or aging of the skin. Yikes, as a mom and athlete myself, this is the total opposite of what I am trying to achieve. So how do we get rid of this oxidative stress? We always hear, eat antioxidants, eat antioxidants, eat antioxidants. For years I heard this, ate them, but wasn’t quite sure why I needed them.

This is so super cool and yes I am a dancing geek. Every time you eat a fruit, a vegetable, a whole grain, a nut, or any kind of plant, they donate an electron back to the unstable molecule and repair it. Say What! Yes, it is true. Antioxidants aid in getting rid of Oxidative Stress. This is what we call Cellular Nutrition my friends. You can literally repair your cells inside your body with plants. It is a process that is happening constantly all day long in your body. Now, remember, you don’t feel this and this is why many people don’t stick with a plant-based diet, because all you precious people want instant gratification. 

Don’t make resolutions this 2020 year, let us make habits that create true long-lasting health. As an Artistic Athlete, you have super high levels of oxidative stress. So what are we going to do more of? We are going to eat more plant-based foods to repair our cells. After a hard dancing day, the number one thing you need after training is all the colors of the rainbow. For the best recovery and to protect your cells, eat your plants. Next month, we will cover re-storing Glycogen and the importance of Complex Carbohydrates.

If you want to be the best athlete and version of yourself, eat more Plant-Based. It will change your life.  Will you feel it right away, probably not, but you will. This lifestyle is changing athletic performance and mindset around the world for so many. Along with eating the way I do, I have also used Plant Powders for 16 years. This helps me fill the gap for what I want to get every day, but with travels and being a busy mom, I don’t always get. If you want to learn more about these Plant Powders, message me at clinelewisjones@gmail.com or on insta @clinelewisjones and I will educate you further.

Let us make 2020 the year of YOU. Don’t let FEAR get in the way of trying this lifestyle. Remember Fear really means Face Everything And Rise.