Eat your fruits and veggies at least 3x's per day….
We are always trying to eat fruits and vegetables with each of our meals. But for week #4's challenge let's aim to eat them at least 3 times per day. What's in your refrigerator? To be successful at this challenge you need to be prepared and have your kitchen stocked with fresh veggies and fruits. Maybe you love fruit and that's a no-brainer for you, but adding veggies to every meal doesn't excite you. Be creative and ask a friend or significant other to do the challenges with you. There's strength in numbers, right?
You probably have heard all the benefits of vegetables since you were little, but here they are again! Veggies are full of important vitamins, phytochemicals, and fiber that are vital for your best physiological functioning. Eating proteins and whole grains is healthy for us but it causes acid loads to our blood stream. So you want to balance it out by consuming alkaline-rich vegetables and fruit as often as possible. Too much acid and not enough alkalinity causes loss of bone strength and lean muscles. Yikes! Fruits and vegetables also contain loads of water which will keep you hydrated, and they are full of fiber and low in calories. This is the formula you need to help you feel full and satisfied AND lose weight.
Research has shown that a diet packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components (found in fruits and veggies) may lower age-related cognitive declines and the risk of developing neurodevelopment diseases. Studies have also shown that a diet rich in plants can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Just by simply increasing the overall amount of fruits and veggies you eat can lower you risk for cancers by 20%. Wow!
Diets based on fruits and vegetables tend to be lower in saturated fats and cholesterol. They have a higher density of fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamins C and D, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. And you won;t get all the same benefits simply by taking a multi-vitamin. With all the benefits of fruits and vegetables, this should be motivation enough to include them 3 times a day (or more). So fill up your plate!
How will you include them in your meals?
