Today a beautiful fb friend inspired me to just GET OUT THERE!!! So... I'm on my way out for a little 3 to 5 miler! Thank you Ms. Lynette!! =D

Had my Isotonix cocktail early on... and 1 pc of wheat bread w/peanut butter and jelly and about 1/4 glass of milk... When I return... I will have my protein shake with the complete greens supplement, fresh fruit, oatmeal and flax seed. Mmmmm!!! ;)

Snack will have to stay light with some raw veggies and/or a pear. Then dinner is a small portion of whatever I end up making...

I would REALLY like to shed another 8 pounds... but I'm thinking it is going to be close to impossible. (My 15yr old son is a big time athlete, and weighs 140) Let's see what happens...

Hope you guys enjoy this next piece. Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

The Antioxidant Properties of Caffeine

Author: Sean Wells

Here in the U.S., there aren’t too many among us who doubt the practical applications of caffeine–the primary benefit this compound offers is of course an increased sense of alertness, focus and energy. This is an advantage that is perhaps more readily apparent on a Monday morning than any other day of the week.

Apart from that immediate gain, however, studies focused much more on long-term health have also investigated caffeine, and their results indicate that it’s benefits extend beyond mere performance enhancement. Among other features related to memory and pain relief, caffeine has also been shown to display antioxidant activity.

In particular, hydroxyl radical (OH) is one of the most damaging free radicals that can occur in the human body. This particular form of free radical cannot be deactivated by an enzyme system and therefore most often is neutralized by antioxidant nutrients acquired from the diet. If left unchecked, like all free radicals the hydroxyl radical is capable of inducing damage on cell membranes and structural proteins, as well as DNA itself at the cellular level.

Studies have shown, however, that caffeine is capable of binding to and neutralizing this free radical directly, after which it is eliminated from the system. The addition of such antioxidants to the diet is thought to potentially reduce the long-term risk of many health afflictions that have been linked with long-term inflammation, including diabetes and heart disease. Perhaps not surprisingly, in the case of caffeine, these antioxidant properties appear to be more applicable to those disorders related to cognitive impairment, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

For those who are able to tolerate its effects–and of course those who are able to enjoy them–it appears that caffeine offers potential benefits beyond a simple kick-start. This common compound may offer benefits not just on a typical Monday, but for all the Mondays to come.

What Makes Isotonix OPC-3® Unique?

Isotonix OPC-3® is an isotonic-capable food supplement that is made from a combination of bilberry, grape seed, red wine and pine bark extracts, and citrus extract bioflavonoids, all found to be powerful antioxidants. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) are bioflavonoids (complex organic plant compounds) found in fruits, vegetables and certain tree barks that provide exceptional nutritional benefits to the human body. Studies have shown OPCs to be up to 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals. Isotonix OPC-3 contains the only isotonic form of Pycnogenol® in the world. Pycnogenol is a natural plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree and the most clinically researched and potent bioflavonoid.

Isotonic, which means “same pressure,” bears the same chemical resemblance of the body’s blood, plasma and tears. All fluids in the body have a certain concentration, referred to as osmotic pressure. The body’s common osmotic pressure, which is isotonic, allows a consistent maintenance of body tissues. In order for a substance to be absorbed and used in the body’s metabolism, it must be transported in an isotonic state.

Isotonix® dietary supplements are delivered in an isotonic solution. This means that the body has less work to do to in obtaining maximum absorption. The isotonic state of the suspension allows nutrients to pass directly into the small intestine and be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. With Isotonix products, little nutritive value is lost, making the absorption of nutrients highly efficient while delivering maximum results.