If you were lucky enough to have a mother that told you to, "Eat your vegetables," let's hope you listened. Because she was right.
That is the most important rule to remember when it comes to health.
The Nurses’ Study, the China Study, USDA recommendations, and hundreds more scientific based, long term, easily maintained and followed guidelines, studies, recommendations, diets, and even your mom all agree. "Eat your vegetables."
You can spend a lifetime combing through empirical scientific data or examining healthy and sustainable diets. In the end, the one rule they will all agree upon is that a diet with lots of vegetables is the best answer to health and longevity. You can save yourself a ton of time in sorting through confusing and conflicting philosophies. Just, eat your veggies and you will be healthier.
When you choose your veggies to eat, there are only a few simple guidelines to observe.
Other helpful tips include:
Remember, this does not have to be expensive.
Experiment, ask questions, have fun and Eat Your Veggies!
That is the most important rule to remember when it comes to health.
The Nurses’ Study, the China Study, USDA recommendations, and hundreds more scientific based, long term, easily maintained and followed guidelines, studies, recommendations, diets, and even your mom all agree. "Eat your vegetables."
You can spend a lifetime combing through empirical scientific data or examining healthy and sustainable diets. In the end, the one rule they will all agree upon is that a diet with lots of vegetables is the best answer to health and longevity. You can save yourself a ton of time in sorting through confusing and conflicting philosophies. Just, eat your veggies and you will be healthier.
When you choose your veggies to eat, there are only a few simple guidelines to observe.
- You want a large portion of your vegetables to be dark leafy greens. This includes: spinach, broccoli, collards, kale, beet greens.
- Buy Organic when you can or beyond organic from Farmer's Markets and local growers or grow your own.
- Eat a variety of colors and kinds of vegetables.
Other helpful tips include:
- Do not overcook your vegetables. Vegetables that are lightly cooked maintain more nutrients, taste better and look more appetizing. There is little worse than the green toxic looking sludge of overcooked spinach. When cooking, try steaming or adding in your vegetables last. Additional reading is found in the article,"Cooked V. Raw...Is there a difference and which is better?"
- Learn to cook and prepare foods. You do not need to become an excellent chef. But you will gain enthusiasm to eat well when attempting new methods and techniques. If cooking in not your thing, take a cooking class.
- Expose yourself to unfamiliar food preparation methods. Ingredients and methods vary by region and culture. Just finding a few new items from time to time will expand your food horizons and keep the monotony at bay. No one wants the same thing week after week. Neither does your body.
Remember, this does not have to be expensive.
- Do not buy produce out of season, like strawberries in December. It costs much more and often is not the quality of in-season produce.
- “Buy Locally." When you buy from local growers, you save money. You are not paying the cost of import tariffs/taxes, transportation across the country or world. Buying directly eliminates the middleman.
- Watch for sales. Throughout the year, produce may become available at ridiculously reasonable prices. An example is whole pineapples for $1/each. Have a little mad money saved so you can take full advantage of deals. Jump on these sales, indulge and store them for future.
- Dehydrate or freeze produce. Canning is also an option, but as much as 80% of nutrients are lost during this process.
- Do not overlook the great deals that are found in the freezer section.
Experiment, ask questions, have fun and Eat Your Veggies!