01/11/2022
Veggies, nuts and seeds!
There are a number of beneficial reasons as to why we should be loading our plates up with vegetables. One of them simply being that vegetables contain both fiber and phytonutrients (the nutrients that are known to give plants their pigment and act like an antioxidant in the body).
In addition to aiming to fill half our plates with vegetables, we should also strive to include a variety of vegetables throughout the week. Dietary diversity is important because each plant family has a unique combination of phytonutrients that may bind to specific proteins within our body. The video "Specific Receptors for Specific Fruits & Vegetables" dives more into that: http://bit.ly/2Lkxd5e
Dark-green, leafy vegetables are the healthiest foods on the planet, which is why they have their own category on Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen. As whole foods go, they offer the most nutrition per calorie. Of all the food groups analyzed by a team of Harvard University researchers, greens turned out to be associated with the strongest protection against major chronic diseases, including up to about a 20 percent reduction in risk for both heart attacks and strokes for every additional daily serving (https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/vegetables/).
A more plant-based diet, in general, may help prevent, treat, or reverse some of our leading causes of death, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure, and may improve not only body weight, blood sugar levels, and ability to control cholesterol, but also our emotional states, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, sense of well-being, and daily functioning (https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/plant-based-diets ).
So next time you prepare a meal, think about all the ways you could include more veggies in it. Add zucchini, greens, tomatoes, and broccoli to a pasta dish. Load up a bean burrito or burrito bowl with greens, tomatoes, purple cabbage, corn, peppers, and onions. Adding more veggies to your meals not only adds a nutritional punch, but it makes your dishes more colorful too.
