Antioxidants

lizb@herald-mail.com After opening her tea and coffee cafe only four months after acquiring the Keedysville building, former Town Councilwoman Yvonne Hope said her next step will be to "get some sleep. " Hope, 47, bought the building at 38 N. Main St. in July 2001 and transformed the former Woman's Christian Temperance Hall into the Full Circle Cafe, one of the few commercial businesses in Keedysville. Hope said she swore for 30 years she would never work in food service again after working in a Columbia, Md., restaurant.

Healthful eating starts with supportive nutrition. This means clean eating, or choosing foods that provide you with essential nutrients, including healthful fats (such as Omega-3), antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and especially protein. The easiest way to start eating clean is to get rid of the food in your day that supports your goals the least. What you are about to read consists of four unsupportive, unhealthful foods, but it is not exhaustive. But replacing these foods in your day with better options will go a long way to ensure you are on the right path to consistent clean eating.

Valentine's Day is a hol iday when sales of chocolate soar for confectioners nationwide. Men buy it in its numerous forms to give to their special ladies in hopes of winning or keeping their hearts (or just to keep the peace). Sure it makes a tasty gift, but did you know chocolate might actually have some healthful benefits? Chocolate is made from the cocoa plant, which has a high concentration of antioxidants that help remove potentially harmful contaminants from your body.

The foods you choose can make a difference in how you look and feel.  Whole-grain foods provide you with health-promoting vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent heart disease and some cancers. Experts recommend making half your grains whole grains every day. Researchers recommend making one-half your plate fruits and vegetables. Fruits, such as blueberries, and vegetables, such as broccoli, offer antioxidants and phytochemicals that reduce the oxidative damage associated with aging, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

Blueberries Local season runs through August By TERI JOHNSON Staff Writer Blueberries are a quick way to stay cool on a scorching summer day. They're appealing because they need no peeling - or pitting, coring or cutting. Just wash them, and they're ready. Blueberries can be eaten from the box or in an ice-cold bowl of milk, but they are equally at home in salads, sauces or soups. The colorful fruit also can be used to top a dessert pizza, says Lisa Gehman of Mount Airy, Md., author of the cookbook "Blueberry Blessings.

Activities and programs scheduled for Monday, Feb. 11, through Friday, Feb. 15, at senior citizens centers in Washington County, Md., and Franklin County, Pa.: Maryland Francis Murphy 20014 Rosebank Way, Hagerstown 240-313-9300, ext. 154 Bingo with Cora and Mae - Monday, 9:30 a.m. Blood pressure screening with Meritus Home Health Care - Tuesday, 10 a.m. Birthday Club with Len Mosby - Wednesday, noon...

Some foods stand out as superstars with many nutrients to enhance health and prevent disease. Here are some smart food choices to make every day. o Spinach. This dark green veggie is full of nutrients and is one of the few foods rich in vitamin K, which helps with blood clotting. It also contains vitamin A for healthy skin and vision, folate for red blood cell formation and iron for oxygen transport within the body. Spinach also contains calcium, potassium (which can help lower blood pressure)

This is the season to check out locally grown berries and one of the best choices for your health is fresh blueberries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ranks blueberries among the highest in antioxidant content and as a powerful ally in fighting aging and associated ailments. Blueberries are not only a taste treat, but are really considered an antioxidant powerhouse. The antioxidant anthocyanidin, found in the bluish pigment, helps neutralize free radicals that damage cells and protects our bodies from developing cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins and certain cancers.

Want to live longer and keep your heart healthy? Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables: Decrease your intake of fat, sodium and sugar and live a more active lifestyle. Here are more specifics: Choose low-fat foods often. Low-fat foods are generally crisp, watery, dry or chewy. This describes most fruits and vegetables, dried beans and peas, low-fat dairy products, whole grain breads and cereals and lean meats such as turkey, chicken and fish. Eat more soluble fiber.

Green, black, red teas have power to ward off cancer After water, tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world. This is good news, because tea offers important health benefits. Green tea was the first tea studied for its cancer-fighting benefits. Recent research shows that any tea derived from the leaf of a warm-weather evergreen known as Camellia sinensis has similar cancer-fighting properties. This includes all green, black and red (oolong) teas. The leaves of this tree contain chemicals called polyphenols, which give tea its antioxidant properties.