Friday, November 25, 2011

Don't Forget your Fruits and Vegetables

If you have ever tried to lose weight but felt like you were hungry all the time and unable to eat much volume of food, this post may be for you. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Yes, it really can be that simple. Most Americans get far too few fruits and vegetables in their diet.

Because fruits and vegetables are low in calories but provide a lot of bulk in your stomach, they can really help to keep your hands out of the cookie jar. Or...at least lower the occurrences of your hand entering the cookie jar! You can really eat a large volume of fruits and vegetables before the calories start adding up to much of anything. So, before all of those holiday parties and meals this season, consider loading up on some fruits and vegetables. I think you will really be surprised at how much less high-fat, high-sugar foods you will allow to cross your lips.

A diet lacking in fruits and vegetables is really a tragedy because it puts a person at a much higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other chronic illnesses. Fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals that just can't be reproduced in a pill form. That's right, taking a daily vitamin may help to replenish some of the lacking nutrients in your diet, but it will never come close to replacing all of the nutrients. Vitamins also do not produce the same protective effect from chronic diseases that fruits and vegetables offer.

So go ahead and stock your refrigerator full of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Keep a bag of apples in your car, carrots on your desk, and leave yourself a note to grab fruits and vegetables first!

1 comment:

  1. Great post. Not getting your fruits and veggies = cardiac risk factor!

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