Eating More Fruits and Vegetables

By Francine Summerstone

The cornerstone of any diet should be several servings of fruits and vegetables everyday. In fact you should be eating at least five servings and nine is much better. The FDA officially recommends 3 to 4 servings of fruit and 4 to 5 servings of veggies. There are more benefits to eating more fruits and vegetables than we can easily discuss in one article, but let's take a look at some of them.

When you start eating more fruits and vegetables, you'll notice one of the benefits right away. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, which not only keeps you regular but helps you feel full quicker and stay that way longer. This means that you'll have less desire for more food and can lead to weight loss.

Fruits and vegetables are also chock full of antioxidants, which can both help prevent cancer and slow the growth of existing cancers. Broccoli and other green leafy vegetables are especially beneficial in this regard. Fruits and veggies also contain large amounts of natural vitamins and minerals which are necessary for your body to function.

Your body is also able to digest and process whole foods such as fruits and vegetables more easily than it can junk food. Having your body spend less energy on digestion means you'll feel more alert and have more energy.

If you have a craving for a sweet snack but don't like the crash you feel afterward, fruit is your answer. Since fruit contains natural, non-processed sugars, your body handles it differently and doesn't dump a huge amount of sugar right into your bloodstream. Instead you feel a constant surge of energy that lasts for hours with no crash when it's gone.

There are a whole host of problems that are caused by lack of fruit and vegetables in the diet. Constipation, hemorrhoids and irritable bowel syndrome can all be helped by eating more fruits and vegetables. - 17274

About the Author:

Francine Summerstone writes about health and benefits of fresh juice at her Jack Lalanne Power Juicer blog.