Eating Antioxidants is Cheap Health Care

There's no cheaper health care plan than to avoid illness and injury.

Unfortunately, that would require living in a bubble, inside your home, with air purifiers running 24/7, armed guards around the perimeter of your property - and oh, yeah - great genetics.

For most of us, that kind of lifestyle just isn't going to work. We like going outside once in a while. Besides, the bubble, air purifiers and armed guards would cost more than you would save.

Luckily, there are other ways to take take care of yourself on the cheap. One of the best, cheapest - and tastiest - ways to do so is by feeding your body antioxidants.

Antioxidants are thought to help prevent heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, lower blood pressure and maybe even slow the aging process.

The good news is you don't have to buy expensive pills to get your fill of antioxidants. Local farmers and the produce section at your local grocery store will supply all the antioxidants you need. Here are a few of the best food that are rich in antioxidants:

Berries. Even when blueberries and raspberries are are in season, they're usually pretty expensive at the grocery store. A cheaper route is to go to your locally-owned berry patch and pick your own berries. In addition to saving up to $2 per quart, you'll be loading up on proanthocyanidins (among other hard-to pronounce antioxidants), which, again, can reduce blood pressure and may stave off cancer.

Garlic. It's hard to beat the flavor per cost of "the stinking rose." A little garlic in your recipes goes a long way, and even if you like to heap garlic on, you're still frugal - a large bulb might only run you 50 cents at the supermarket. From a health standpoint, garlic has antioxidants that lower cholesterol levels, speed healing, and even treat asthma and yeast infections. Now THAT's a bargain!

Broccoli. No matter what time of year, you can find good-quality, low-cost broccoli. Whether you boil, bake, grill or eat it raw, broccoli is packed with antioxidants - and at a low cost, too! The antioxidants in broccoli (like indole-3-carbinol) helps reduce the risk of breast cancer and ovary-related cancers. You want a low-cost health care plan? Eat broccoli!

By eating foods rich in antioxidants, you can reduce your health care bills and feel great. And the best news is that it won't cost you a lot of money, either!