Marion Couffon,  who is in charge of the marketing and training for a new health and wellness platform expanding in the UK and a Yoga West member, has shared her knowledge on why antioxidants are so important to maintain optimal health and how we can determine if we are giving our body the right amount of them.

What are antioxidants and why are they so important?

Medical professionals suggest antioxidants are a necessity in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Found in fruits and vegetables, it seems simple enough to pack our diets with these little miracle molecules… so why is it we are sometimes not just seeing the effects?

More and more studies suggest it is because we may not just be getting enough of these vital antioxidants.

Our bodies are made up of over ten trillion cells, each being composed of molecules which are made up of one or more atoms joined by chemical bonds. With every single one of these cells every single second of the day, biochemical reactions occur which are vital for our survival. One of the most important reaction is cellular respiration which occurs deep in the mitochondria.

Cellular respiration uses carbon atoms from the food we eat and the oxygen we breath to create a substance called ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) which is a major fuelling source for cells. However during this vital process wasted radicals are generated which are atoms with an unpaired electron in their outer shell.

This is exactly where antioxidant take their place: they sacrifice themselves in order to give free radicals their missing electron, forcing them to become a stable atom and ultimately preventing damage to other molecules in the cell. The body’s harmful free radicals can be neutralized by antioxidants, preventing the possibility of illness or health problems.

Many fruits, vegetables and pulses can have a high antioxidant capacity. Carotenoid for example is one type of antioxidants found in carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and dark leafy greens like kale and spinach.

If avoiding illness ranks high on your priority list, carotenoid-rich foods may benefit you. Carotenoids, a group of A vitamins that includes beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein, are leading forces in the fight against free-radical damage. As mentioned earlier, free radicals are associated with serious diseases, including macular degeneration and types of cancer. Carotenoids also promote healthy skin, bones and immune function. However the benefits of eating these foods depend on how the body absorbs and utilize them.

So how do we know if we give our body the right amount of antioxidants?

You can either check your antioxidant score with a blood or urine test. But these methods will only measure a score based on what you ate the few days before the test.

There is now a cutting edge tool that non-invasively measures carotenoid levels in your skin and provides you with a personalised Skin Carotenoid Score (SCS), to give you an immediate evidence of your carotenoid level.

Based on Nobel Prize winning science this scanner represents a culmination of over 15 years of research and development. It is the only patented instrument that in 30 seconds conducts a live non-invasive tissue measurement and provides an immediate personal antioxidant assessment. Developed by scientists and doctors at a top U.S research university, it is the world’s first and only clinically proven tool that measures carotenoid antioxidant levels non-invasively in living human tissue.

The good news is this scanner is now available in West London and Marion Couffon, a Yoga West member is offering you to check if you give your body the right level of antioxidant with a scan check for only £10.This offer is valid till 15 July 2016 and all Yoga west members and families can benefit from it. Marion can meet you either at Yoga West or in the Chiswick or Acton area. The scan is non invasive and will take less than 40 seconds.

You can see more information at  www.pharmanexscanner.com and contact Marion Couffon on 07768256556.