The right '5-a-day' mix of Fruits, Vegetables Improves Your Health

The right '5-a-day' mix of Fruits, Vegetables Improves Your Health

Happiness  is a feeling of satisfaction, exhilaration, elation and joy, which wells from within. My strong belief in this saying makes me certain that a happy person in his human relationships is a person who is able to please himself first, and part of this self-happiness lies in a person's preservation of his health through proper nutrition and self-care.

A happy  fit person , healthy & physically is able to give and receive  doses of love & tender with all the people around him.

According to an article published on the "healthline" website, researchers say that a diet consisting of a mixture of fruits and vegetables "5 a day" can improve your health and help you live longer. Researchers recommend people start by adding 1 or 2 fruits or vegetables a day to their diets, and they indicated that some vegetables and fruits are healthier than others. True, there is no magic formula for a longer life, but the recommendation to eat 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day gets close.

These "five-a-day" diets are closely related to longevity, according to research published in the Journal of Circulation of the American Heart Association, where researchers studied the diet and mortality of more than 100,000 men and women in the United States over a period of nearly 3 decades, along with data. From similar studies conducted around the world, information on more than 2 million study participants was included.

The researchers concluded that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps reduce the risk of developing chronic health conditions that are major causes of death, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. For example, people who followed a 5-day diet had fewer. 13 percent risk of death from all causes, 12 percent risk of death from cardiovascular disease, 10 percent risk of cancer death, and 35 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory disease - compared to those who ate less fruit And vegetables

Good fruits and vegetables

 "Fruits and vegetables are naturally encapsulated sources of nutrients that can be included in most meals and snacks, and are essential to keeping our hearts and our bodies healthy," said Dr. Ann Thorndike, Chair of the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee and Associate.

Research has consistently shown that a diet rich in a variety of whole fruits and vegetables leads to better health outcomes, according to René Puyo, a registered dietitian and director of Metabolic Kitchen in Pennington. Diets like DASH and the Mediterranean, which are consistently ranked at the top of the “best diets” list. “One of the easiest ways for a person to improve their overall diet is to add a serving of fruit or vegetables every day, or even better, to each a meal."

However, not all fruits and vegetables are alike.Researchers have found longevity benefits in foods such as leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, and kale, as well as fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, berries, and carrots. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychologist and author of "This Is Your Brain on Food," said green leafy vegetables are "foods rich in folic acid [which are] highly anti-inflammatory, enhance the body's natural detoxification process and improve mental health."

Also non-starchy vegetables such as cucumbers, radishes, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. It is rich in polyphenols and fiber, which improves gut health and promotes an immune system and a balanced mood. " Nevertheless, Courtney Vickery, a registered dietitian and dietitian in Georgia, emphasized: "It is recommended that the plate be half a fruit and / or vegetable, which helps many people achieve 5 servings per day of the benefits mentioned in this study."

"For those who don't normally eat fruits and vegetables, it might seem difficult for them to get 5 times a day," Sandy Yunnan, dietitian at The Dish on Nutrition told Healthline. "However, if you start with at least one dose per day, it will be easier to build up to 5 servings per day."

How to get more into your diet:

Yunnan recommended several ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, including:

• Have an apple, banana, tangerine, or pear as a quick snack between meals. 
• Snack on celery sticks and carrots with different sauces such as chickpeas or tzatziki sauce. 
• Buy pre-mixed salads that are easy to serve with little or no preparation.
•  Add vegetables to your favorite meals, such as an omelette.

Eat More , Weight less 

"If you are not already eating 5 servings a day, start by adding at least one serving of fruit or vegetables until you reach 5 servings," she said. "You will eventually reach your goal." Eat more if you can. While the study found no additional benefit to eating more than 5 servings per day, some nutritionists say it is still important to include as many fruits and vegetables as possible in your diet.

"We have known for decades that eating more fruits and vegetables is the key to good health, but these results help confirm this," Heather Hanks, a dietitian in Plymouth, Michigan, told Healthline. "Vegetables should make up the majority of your meals, with meat and other foods used as side dishes or as an accompaniment," Hanks added. 

"The fact that you can increase lifespan and prevent death simply by eating more fruits and vegetables is amazing, and there is no reason why people should not eat as many food as possible."

Source:

Healthline.com