Fresh Fruits and Vegetables...Why are They Important?

Five Great Reasons to Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

1. We Need Slow Carbs – Not Fast Carbs –Carbohydrates may have gotten a bad reputation in recent years, but the fact is that your body needs carbohydrates for energy and brain function. The important question is: Are your carbohydrates fast or slow? Are you consuming quick sugar fixes or opting for slowly absorbed complex carbohydrates?
   Simple carbohydrates...fast! Simple carbohydrates, such as starch from pasta, or the sucrose from apple juice, are comprised of molecules that look like a straight link of chain. These are easily broken apart, and instantly absorbed into the blood stream, creating blood sugar imbalances. Over time this imbalance can contribute to weight gain, heart disease, and/or type 2 diabetes.
   Complex carbohydrates...slow! Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole fruits, grains and root vegetables, are made of molecules that branch out in complex patterns, like the limbs of a tree. These molecules break apart more slowly, entering the blood stream in an even, regulated way, giving you the quality and quantity of glucose you need to sustain you in your daily activities.
2. Nutritional Value – Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, providing what your body needs, in the best, most natural way for your body to absorb them.
3. Fiber – Fresh fruits and vegetables provide natural fiber, which is good for the heart, bowels and hormone balance.
4. Hydration - Moisture content from fruits and vegetables provides essential oxygen to brain and other organs necessary to their function.
5. We Need Fresh Food - Processed food contains far less nutrition than fresh food. Every time food is put through processing, it loses some of its nutrition. Heating, drying, freezing and reheating, each create deterioration in the nutrient value of our food.

Fresh Fruits and Veggies...Which Should I Pick?

• How Much – Five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day is best. However, it’s important to remember that any amount is better than none.
• Color is Healthy – Bright, richly colored fruits and vegetables contain the more of the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Treat yourself to red cherries and mangos, before reaching for white potatoes.
• Choose Variety - Make new combinations often, and try new flavors. A cornucopia of seasonal produce will give your body a broader range of nutrients, and your palate more to enjoy.
• Whole, Not Juiced - While fresh carrot juice makes a nice treat, it’s more of a dessert, not a food staple. Juicing concentrates sugars and reduces the much-needed fiber originally provided by the whole fruits and vegetables.

Fresh Fruits and Veggies...Serving and Eating

• A Healthy Plate - If your plate consists of 50% fruits and vegetables, 20% starch (from grains or root vegetables), and 30% protein, you’re off to a great start. Add a couple of snack servings, and that should cover your average daily needs for fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Cooked or Raw? - Both, actually. If we only ate raw vegetables, our servings would mount up to 1.5 pounds a day. The same amount of produce cooked, would measure only .75 pounds. As with flavors, again, a variety of cooking methods is best for your body. Some fruits and vegetables are tasty and very healthy raw. However, spinach, for example, needs to be cooked for your body to absorb the rich iron content. A bit of creativity in the kitchen not only offers more interesting meals, it’s also provides healthier meals.
• Varieties of Preparation and Seasoning – You can always begin with the basics. Steaming and sautéing your produce is quick, easy and healthy. Baking and roasting provide subtly different tastes and textures. Nothing quite matches the flavor and comfort of soup made from fresh seasonal vegetables. Have fun in your kitchen, change-up recipes. The internet will always give you quick variations on old standards. Cookbooks from the library tell you how to create something unusual, from anywhere in the world. Try it once a week. You can make simple additions, like cooking with olive oil, which adds flavor and essential Omega 3 fatty acids. Spices, such as: salt, pepper, basil, and chervil create simple, delicious dishes. You might also experiment with new tastes occasionally, and see how other cultures serve fresh produce.

Changing Your Diet...Start Where You Are

• Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables? If not, start by improving on what you’re already doing. If you aren’t eating any fresh produce, adding any is a good beginning step. Fruit is widely available, and an easy substitute for less healthy snacks. If you don’t typically cook or eat vegetables, pick up a cookbook and add something new to one meal a day.
• There is no right diet for everyone. If you’re trying to lose weight, for example, you may eat less starchy root vegetables. If you’re training for an athletic event, you may need to pack in every healthy calorie you can get.
• Consult a Professional. When choosing a diet plan that is right for you, consulting a professional is always a good idea. A well-informed professional can steer you away from diet fads, and toward a plan you can sustain and enjoy. For a more precise, individual assessment, call a qualified nutritionist or a naturopath today.

Slow Carb Supplements that can Help You Get The Nutrition and Fiber You Need

• MediClear Plus Thorne MediClear Plus Detox Formula is an easy-to-implement, affordable 3-week detoxification program emphasizing dietary changes coupled with MediClear supplementation. It provides liver, GI, and whole-body detoxification. Compared to similar detox formulas, MediClear Plus contains more protein, fewer carbohydrates, more detox co-factors, and special nutrients along with a probiotic for gut health. It is also more affordable. The Plus Formula contains curcumin, grape seed, and green tea phytosomes – for further reducing inflammatory responses in your body.
• Ultra Fiber Plus BioGenesis Ultra Fiber Plus is a good source of prebiotics & probiotics for the relief of occasional constipation, the promotion of bowel regularity, and the maintenance of healthy intestinal function.
• Zing Bars by the Box Zing Bars are a healthy snack with a low glycemic index, partially due to its high soluble fiber content, complex carbohydrates, and high protien profile. Absolutely NO added flavorings, artificial ingredients, binders, or sugars. ALL GLUTEN FREE, most are SOY FREE and DAIRY FREE. Satisfying and sustaining, Zing Bars are a well-balanced, all-natural treat. And DELICIOUS. For ages 1 through 101.

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