Five Reasons to Eat More Vegetables and Fruit
“Five plus per day” seems like quite old-fashioned advice but it’s still one of my cornerstone recommendations for good health. If you believe everything you read then eating fresh produce is no longer good enough. You need special blenders or juicers, the latest “it” green food and if it’s not organic it’s not worth it. Fructose is the devil and probably the thing standing between you and your weight loss. Ignore the hype and focus on the fresh stuff. There are five ways that vegetables and fruit can help your health.
Vegetables provide hydration and vitamins
Firstly, vegetables are a great source of hydration and vitamins, enabling the body and mind to perform at optimal levels.
Vegetables provide fibre
Secondly, vegetables and fruit provide fibre which improves digestive health and helps prevent against bowel cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Also, fibre helps regulate your appetite and blood sugar levels, minimizing cravings for treat foods.
Vegetables enhance gut health
Thirdly, vegetables and fruit enhance your gut health which improves mood, sleep, nutrient absorption and immunity.
Vegetables crowd out treat foods
Fourthly, vegetables and fruit reduce your intake of treat foods by crowding out ultra-processed options from your diet. Ultra-processed foods are low in nutrients, high in empty calories and highly addictive.
Vegetables support healthy body fat
Finally, eating vegetables and fruit helps you lose weight. The combination of hydration, digestion, blood sugar control and appetite management all contributes to reduced body fat.
The New Zealand Ministry of Health chose “Five plus” (two fruit, three vegetables) as a target because it was judged to be a compromise between what is optimal and what is manageable for the average person. Currently only 62% of New Zealand adults eat the recommended serving of vegetables and 55% eat the recommended serving of fruit. When the two recommendations are put together, only 40% of New Zealand adults eat the recommended “five plus” a day. The National Heart Foundation recommends “ten plus” servings of vegetables and fruit per day (approx. 80 grams per serve) to provide maximum protection from heart disease and cancer. This quantity is estimated to result in a 31% reduction in likelihood of premature death.
“Ten plus” is a lot to consider, but wherever you are now is the starting point for improvement.
Vegetables provide hydration and vitamins
Firstly, vegetables are a great source of hydration and vitamins, enabling the body and mind to perform at optimal levels.
Vegetables provide fibre
Secondly, vegetables and fruit provide fibre which improves digestive health and helps prevent against bowel cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Also, fibre helps regulate your appetite and blood sugar levels, minimizing cravings for treat foods.
Vegetables enhance gut health
Thirdly, vegetables and fruit enhance your gut health which improves mood, sleep, nutrient absorption and immunity.
Vegetables crowd out treat foods
Fourthly, vegetables and fruit reduce your intake of treat foods by crowding out ultra-processed options from your diet. Ultra-processed foods are low in nutrients, high in empty calories and highly addictive.
Vegetables support healthy body fat
Finally, eating vegetables and fruit helps you lose weight. The combination of hydration, digestion, blood sugar control and appetite management all contributes to reduced body fat.
The New Zealand Ministry of Health chose “Five plus” (two fruit, three vegetables) as a target because it was judged to be a compromise between what is optimal and what is manageable for the average person. Currently only 62% of New Zealand adults eat the recommended serving of vegetables and 55% eat the recommended serving of fruit. When the two recommendations are put together, only 40% of New Zealand adults eat the recommended “five plus” a day. The National Heart Foundation recommends “ten plus” servings of vegetables and fruit per day (approx. 80 grams per serve) to provide maximum protection from heart disease and cancer. This quantity is estimated to result in a 31% reduction in likelihood of premature death.
“Ten plus” is a lot to consider, but wherever you are now is the starting point for improvement.