Choosing Fruits and Vegetables For A Healthy Diet
Dave Saunders

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat about nine servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables each and every day. This is important to provide your body with the minimal levels of essential nutrients and antioxidants needed by each and every cell in your body to support optimal health. When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your healthy diet plan. Shelves of the grocery stores are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. Uncooked, these provide essential nutrients, fiber and even a portion of the water you need every day of your life. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

Adding nine servings of fruits and vegetables to your healthy diet plan is not as difficult as it sounds. Seek a variety of foods; choose foods with different colors because those colors are indicators of different nutrients inside the cells of the food. As a general guideline, the nine servings come out to two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. Most people who add this to their diet quickly find that they no longer have cravings during the day and save money on other snack foods which typically provide no nourishment of any kind. So not only do you improve your diet, you can save money and experience the health benefits of a diet, high in whole foods and low in sodium, fat, simple carbs and preservatives.

As your wean yourself from a life of snack foods to better foods, you may experience some changes as your body uses the improved fiber and higher levels of nutrients to deal with your biological “to do list.” This is normal so keep at it and eventually you should experience more energy, better sleep and a variety of other benefits reported by people who share a better diet.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely aesthetic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. Be sure that you’re cooking things lightly to preserve as many of the essential nutrients as possible. Try to avoid putting any of your food through the microwave because the penetrating radiation heats water, sugar and fat molecules inside the food as well as on the surface and will damage even more of the essential nutrients than conventional cooking practices.

Many people mistakenly believe they do not need to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Nothing could be further from the truth. Supplementation should be a means to supplement, not substitute, the benefits of a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables contain far more than micronutrients. They also contain the more complex phytochemicals, phytosterols and essential fiber that you need to support proper cell function and optimal health.

While fresh fruits and vegetables are not the only component of a health diet, they are an essential one and are typically left out of the Standard American Diet (which is S.A.D.). Choose optimal health and choose a healthy diet. By adding fresh, raw fruits and vegetables to your daily diet, you too will discover the benefits that others do when they choose a healthy diet.
About the Author

Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and certified nutritional educator. He enjoys creating interconnections through his writings and lectures to help others create context and see new discoveries and technologies in more a practical light. You can find out more about new discoveries how to benefit from a Healthy Diet at www.glycoboy.com

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One doctors quick weight loss diet that I found is called Medifast. Touted as one of the best kept weight loss secrets around today, Medifast can help improve your overall health by assisting you in your weight loss efforts with excellent nutrition and a great support staff.

Medifast was developed by a doctor and is an awesome weight loss program. Because it was developed by a doctor, other doctor’s trust it and therefore have recommended Medifast to their patients more than any other doctors quick weight loss diet since 1980.

If you want to lose weight quickly and not be hungry in the process, this is good because Medifast has been formulated with something called the High Fullness Index. You can lose any where form 2 to 5 pounds a week while on the plan and learn how to cook and live healthier all the while.

The meals you get while on the Medifast plan are high protein, low fat, with lots of fiber, and fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. You can rest assured that you are receiving all the nutrition your body needs and still lose all the weight you want and need to. while also adhering to the low glycemic index recommendations the Medifast meals are perfect for people with Type II diabetes.

People without diabetes benefit also because the low glycemic index recommendations are not just for people with diabetes, and if you follow this or any diet that adheres to these recommendations you can stop the insulin dumping that can happen and maybe even curb some of those cravings you have for sweets.

Medifast meals include: shakes, bars, brownies, soft serve ice cream, pudding, soups, beverages, breakfast items like oatmeal, pancakes, and scrambled eggs, and snack foods like pretzels and cheese puffs.

With your choice of 4-week meal packages, 2-week meal packages, diabetic and gluten-free meal packages or enhanced meal packages, and a support system that is second to none when it comes to offering hope to people who thought all was lost, Medifast offers the variety you need and want and treats each customer with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Medifast meals are developed by dedicated individuals who are committed to creating high quality, superior products at fair market pricing. Research teams continue to expand product lines and strive to maintain the exceptional quality of the products developed by Medifast.

Support comes in the forms of several different programs such as, discussion groups, blogs videos, along with free guides and tools to help make sure you succeed. You can also have access to your own personal coach to help teach you how to change your lifestyle and form new habits. One on one counseling is also available.

You can also choose to work with a personal medical practitioner throughout your weight loss journey with Medifast so you can get support from someone you trust who knows you and your history. You owe it to yourself to choose Medifast as your next and maybe last doctors quick weight loss diet plan.

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Lately, the media has been abuzz with news about trans fats. In 2006, the US Government ruled that any product containing trans fat must be labeled as such. Since then, foods and restaurants have been scrambling to remove trans fats from their products. But what do you actually know about these harmful fats, and how they may be damaging your diet.

Trans fats are fats with an extra molecule added during a manufacturing process. You know saturated fat is bad – think of trans fats as super saturated fats. The chemical engineering process used to create trans fat makes the fat much more shelf stable. This makes trans fats an extremely convenient option for use in restaurants and snack foods, since they do not break down like traditional fat. However, this convenient fat becomes incredibly inconvenient when you take into account the damage it does to the human body. Trans fats are truly a dangerous food to be avoided whenever possible.

Trans fats act in a harmful way on your cholesterol levels. Trans fats raise your bad cholesterol. There are many types of foods that do this, such as eggs, breakfast meats, and fatty foods, so it may not seem like such a big deal. However, trans fats are worse for you than that plate of bacon, as they also lower your good cholesterol. This means that trans fats truly pack a double whammy they harm your body in two ways at the same time. Trans fat is an unnatural food that has an unnatural effect on your body.

Theres good news, however. Now, all foods that contain these harmful fats are required to state so on the label. This is leading to a fat revolution in America. Makers of snack foods and frozen dinners, as well as restaurant owners across the country, are revamping their recipes. This means that there are more healthy options available, and it is easier to spot foods that do contain these damaging fats.

Its easier than ever to remove trans fats from your diet. Take the time to read labels and information on restaurant menus. Look specifically to see how much trans fat your favorite foods contain. More and more foods are removing trans fat completely. If your favorite has not, it may be time to find a new favorite! Trans fats are dangerous, and need to be avoided at all costs cut them out of your diet today.

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor should it be interpreted or substituted as medical advice. Prior to making changes to your physical exercise routine and your diet, you should always consult your personal physician. Better safe than sorry.

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