Healthy eating with fruits and vegetables
Dietary
experts recommend that every person should eat at least five servings of fruits
and vegetables every day. The importance
of fruits and vegetables to a healthy diet has been known for quite some time,
but studies have shown that very few people eat the amount of fruits and
vegetables recommended for a healthy diet.
That’s
a shame, since eating a sufficient number of fruits and vegetables just may be
the single most effective thing you can do to improve your overall health. The five a day approach to healthy eating may
be the single most important strategy you can adopt for a healthier lifestyle.
The
many health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables have been established for
quite some time now. Study after study
has shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of certain
cancers, heart disease and other chronic diseases and conditions. Some studies have suggested that as many as
35% of cancer deaths can be attributed to diet, and that diets high in fats and
low in fruits and vegetables contributes to unnecessary cancer deaths.
Fruits
and vegetables have a lot of advantages besides just their nutritional
importance. For one thing, they taste
great and add a great deal of variety to everyday meals. Fruits and vegetables come in such a wide
variety of colors, textures and flavors that they can be used in virtually
every meal. Those seeking to maximize
their consumption of fruits and vegetables should get into the habit of using
fruits in salads, as toppings and as garnishes.
In
addition to their great taste, fruits and vegetables are packed full of many
essential vitamins and minerals, including many micronutrients that are not
included in packaged vitamin supplements.
For instance, foods like butternut squash, pumpkins, carrots, mangoes,
peaches, pawpaws and green leafy vegetables are rich in beta carotene. Beta carotene is vital for healthy skin and
eyes.
In
addition, most varieties of fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, another
important vitamin and a strong antioxidant.
Good sources of vitamin C include Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits,
strawberries, broccoli, nectarines and kiwi fruit. Many fruits and vegetables, including
spinach, broccoli and avocadoes, are also good sources of vitamin E, another
excellent antioxidant.
Men
and women alike should always strive to eat a healthy diet, but women have an
extra incentive to get all the nutrition they need. Proper nutrition is essential to a healthy
pregnancy, and some of the baby’s biggest nutritional needs happen before the
pregnancy is discovered. Folic acid is
perhaps the best known essential nutrient for pregnant women. Folic acid has been proven effective at
preventing a variety of birth defects, including Spina Bifida. Good dietary sources of folic acid include
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach and oranges. In addition, due to its importance to women
of child bearing years, many common foods such as cereals and breads, are
supplemented with folic acid.
In
addition to their importance as source of vitamins and minerals, fruits and
vegetables also provide essential dietary fiber. Adequate fiber in the diet is important in
preventing heart disease and some kinds of cancer.
Another
great feature of fruits and vegetables, especially to those watching their
weight, is the high nutrition, low fat, low calorie nature of these foods. Fruits and vegetables contain very low levels
of fats, and a diet low in fat can be quite effective for long term weight
loss. In addition, fruits and vegetables
contain no cholesterol, and they are lower in calories than many other types of
foods.
With
all these things going for them, it is no wonder so many dietary experts
recommend eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Not only are fruits and vegetables delicious
and nutritious, but they can be quite inexpensive as well. Buying fruits and vegetables that are locally
grown, and that are in season, is usually the most cost effective way to get
the freshest fruits and veggies at the lowest possible cost.
This
buying strategy also helps to ensure a steady stream of new fruits and
vegetables every month, as some go out of season while others are just coming
in. Trying a variety of different fruits
and vegetables, including some you may not be familiar with, is also a great
way to create exciting new dishes and prevent yourself from becoming bored with
the same old diet. Whether your goal is
to lose weight or just increase your level of fitness, it is hard to go wrong
with a diet rich in fruits and
vegetables.
Crazy Writer
I am a somehow who is very wild and wide with imagination and ideas so I love expressing those kinds of stuff in my head through writing. I can write just about anything and everything.
