Five-a-Day (Vegetables)

It's been a while since I did a Lifestyle post. This week I browsed through my health magazines and found amazing information on the benefits of eating enough fruit and vegetables. Today I'm posting about vegetables and I'll do a post on the benefits of fruit later. (The photos are downloaded from the Internet - Debbie and Emily have just begun to plant up our small vegetable garden out back)

Delicious versatile vegetables and also part of your recommended five-a-day, like fruit, pack an awesome nutritional punch. Whether you steam them, boil them, roast them or bake them, every forkful adds colour and variety to a meal while delivering amazing health benefits.

If you want the ultimate feel-good factor, then pile your plate with vegetables. Not only are they high in antioxidants and phytonutrients, which neutralise the harmful free radicals that have been linked to cancer, but they also contain vitamins, flavanoids and fibre which have been shown to have a protective effect against coronary heart disease.

Best of all, they are a LIFESAVER if you're trying to lose weight. Vegetables contain similar nutrients to fruit but they have less sugar, and are also lower in kilojoules. Therefore they are a great way to help you feel full at mealtimes without pushing up your kilojoule intake.

Did you know?

Eating more vegetables and fruit is likely to have important health benefits including reducing your risk of developing stroke, cardiovascular disease, various types of cancers and other diseases.

All vegetables and fruit contain dietary fibre which has been shown to be a major contributing factor to loweing blood cholestrol as well as regulating bowel habits.

Vegetables and fruit lower oxidative stress (a prime factor in ageing) reduce disease risk and help maintain your body weight.

You can increase your vegetable and fruit intake by serving them in bright combinations, blending them into smoothies, or including them in cooked foods.

Source: http://www.discovery.co.za/