Hey, Guys, It’s Time to Eat Your Veggies

The Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits are an essential part of our diet, and nutritionists, doctors and dietitians all recommend the inclusion of vegetables and fruits in well-rounded meals.

Incorporating fruits and vegetables in your diet is proven to be effective against one of the world’s leading causes of death: cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis of cohort studies following 469,551 participants discovered that an increased intake of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by four percent for each serving.

The risk of certain cancers, diabetes and gastrointestinal diseases can also be reduced by incorporating fruits and vegetables into your way of eating, so long as it remains balanced and is complemented by an active lifestyle.

Incorporating Fruits and Vegetables into Your Diet

You can include fruits and vegetables in your diet by considering the serving sizes for the daily recommended intake. Depending on your age and certain conditions, five servings per day of fruits and vegetables is the magic number for daily intake as recommended by the National Cancer Institute. All you need is two cups of fruits and three cups of vegetables per day to get your five servings.

The fruits can be fresh, chopped or canned (with no sugar added), while vegetables are best raw, lightly cooked (such as steaming, flash cooking) is a better option than cooking veggies to mush, since they’ll retain more of their beneficial minerals and nutrients.

So, guys, it’s time to dig into five servings a day to live longer, fuller lives and reduce the risks of free radicals – all thanks to the immunity-enhancing antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables.

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