Most people need to eat more fruits and vegetables. We have all heard that numerous times from TV, the internet, newspapers, magazines, friends, family, and even our doctors. But did you know that there is another important step to this? We need to eat more raw produce. Many of the antioxidants, fiber, and other health benefits in these foods can be lost from cooking. Using more cooked produce in your diet is better than nothing, but do not forget to eat some of it fresh!
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The National Cancer Institute recommends at least 5 servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruit per day and most Americans get less than one-half of that. These raw fruits and vegetables have disease fighting compounds known as phytochemicals which are thought to prevent cell damage. That means you can look and feel less old as you age and help to prevent cancer and other diseases at the same time.
One of the easiest ways to increase the number of raw vegetables and fruits that you are eating is to not eat them at all. You can drink fresh produce by juicing it. Juicing these foods is an easy way to drink plenty of them to take in enough of these disease fighting enzymes. You can also add these fruits and smoothies into smoothies. Whether you are making green or dairy based smoothies, you can easily consume your minimum daily recommendation of fruits and vegetables while still getting the fiber from vegetables that can be lost from juicing. Drinking these ingredients in smoothies or juices can also be easy ways to detoxify your body and even an easy way to reduce your calorie intake. When having these drinks in place of meals, you can easily reduce the number of calories you eat every day.
Actually eating fruits and vegetables is easy as well. One of the most of obvious ways to eat fresh produce is in salads. Use dark leafy greens, tomatoes, a variety of vegetables that are in season and tasty as the basis for any salad. If you crave something sweet in your salad, try adding a serving of fruit. Apples, pears, oranges, grapes, and cherries can all bring interesting flavors to any salad. Avoid unhealthy, store bought dressing if possible. Especially since it is so easy to buy a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and vinegar and make your own. One great way to limit carbohydrates and fat is to eat salads as dinners rather than just as a side dish or lunch. Add in beans, low fat and natural cheeses, or a little lean meat and you suddenly have a meal that is well-balanced and is full of phytochemicals.
Raw fruits and vegetables make a satisfying and easy to transport snack. Instead of that sugar-rich candy bar, try an apple. There are carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli crowns, slices of cucumber and many other snack possibilities from raw fruits and vegetables.
Eating raw produce has many health benefits like preventing cancer. But it can also promote eating healthier in general. Learning to eat more fresh vegetables and fruit can be an easy way to reduce calories while taking in plenty of phytochemicals to prevent diseases or fiber to help promote healthy digestion.
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