It’s Time To Make A Change (Tip Below)

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Here's Today's Tip... Habits of Highly Effective Nutrition Plans.

We are discussing “Habits”.  This is part of a series, so if you feel you have missed any, please let me know and I will make sure to get them over to you.

Re-cap -

• Tuesday we covered...  Habit 1: SLOW Down.
• Thursday... Habit 2: Power Up with Protein.
• Saturday... Habit 3: Control Your Carbs.
• Monday... Habit 4: Don’t Fear the Fat.

Today, I want to foucs on Habit 5: Eat Your Veggies. 

Mom and grandma were right: Veggies are good for your health and your body composition.

Studies show that folks who eat more veggies tend to do a better job of losing fat and keeping it off. What’s more, a diet high in vegetables helps balance the body’s pH, which is important for both bone and muscle strength. Vegetables have a high nutrient-density and low energy-density, which means that you can consume a relatively large volume comparative to their calorie content.

Along those lines, researchers have found that when folks consume low-energy-dense foods, they feel satisfied earlier and those feelings of fullness persist for relatively longer periods of time—despite reductions in calorie intake. In other words, diets rich in low-energy-dense foods like vegetables allow folks to eat more total food, which leads to greater feelings of satiety, all while reducing calorie intake. By definition, that’s eating more (overall food) and less (calories). Bingo!

While vegetables are packed with important micronutrients (e.g., vitamins and minerals), they are also loaded with important phytochemicals that are necessary for optimal physiological functioning. These same plant chemicals often serve as antioxidants that combat oxidative stress, one of the most important factors mediating the deleterious effects of aging.

Vegetables can essentially be prepared any way that you like; you can even drink them by blending them up with a protein smoothie. While there’s not a limit on the number of non-starchy vegetables that you can include, the following are a good starting points:

• Women start with at least 1 fist-sized portion per feeding.
• Men aim for 2 fist-sized portions per feeding.

Note: It’s a good idea to include some healthy fats with your veggies to maximize absorption of key nutrients (e.g., fat-soluble vitamins and phytonutrients).

Generally speaking, the more color (and the more varieties of colors) means the greatest array of beneficial phytonutrients, and it’s a good idea to consume a variety of vegetables each day. To optimize health, you may consider trying to include at least one serving of each of the primary colors each day:

• Greens: Various lettuces, spinach, kale, arugula, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini
• Reds: Tomatoes, red bell peppers, red cabbage
• Oranges: Carrots, orange bell peppers, various squashes, pumpkin
• Whites: Onions, garlic, parsnips, cauliflower, yellow squash
• Purples: Eggplant, purple cabbage, beets

So, listen to the women in your life and eat your veggies!

To The Veggies, 

Change That Up