Ohmigosh speaking of reading things, if you get 3 things out of this article please let one of them be this public service announcement: It is rude to interrupt someone who is reading! Especially when what you’re interrupting their reading for is something obnoxious like a complaint.
EEEEEnyway, I bet you are wondering why Vitamin E gets the superhero treatment, Eh? Gosh I could make these jokes all day. Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant for our cell membranes which are super vital because without them cell guts would spill out everywhere and nothing would function. This is especially helpful for the cells in our lungs, brain, and red blood cells because they are more susceptible to attack from free radicals. Some research suggests it also may play a role in antioxidant gene expression. Remember when we talked about epigenetics? This is another example of how you can help change your gene expression with food. Vitamin E not only acts as an antioxidant itself but it turns on transcription for other antioxidants that our body makes. Cool, huh?
More importantly though, where do you get this superhero vitamin? Sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens, papaya, asparagus, avocados, shellfish, and olive oil to name a few. Our homeboy is a fat-soluble vitamin though, so this is a great excuse to saute your greens in a little olive oil to get a double dose of the good stuff. Salads with leafy greens and topped with avocado are delightful choices and snacking on sunflower seeds and almonds is delicious and nutritious.
Do you know what isn’t delicious? Cottage cheese….. on your behind. Go exercise.