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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If youve read about the pH miracle diet and youve decided to give it a try, you have a few tasks ahead of you. Depending on how committed you are the program you may begin with clearing out your pantry and your refrigerator of all highly acidic foods. If you live with others who wont be on the diet with you, you may just want to remove the high acid treats that you find irresistible. Either way, whether you do a kitchen purge or just remove a few items from your shelves, youll need to go grocery shopping.

Shopping for the pH miracle diet can be done at any grocery store, but occasionally people find it easier to get specialty items at health foods stores or natural food chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. However, if you live in an area where there is no access to these types of stores, you can still easily purchase the items you need at a standard grocery store.

Before you make your shopping trip, youll need to start a list of items. You dont want to walk into the grocery store blind and try to remember what you need to buy. Some people like to work from the alkaline food lists in the book. This is a good approach if you have a lot of money to spend and just want to fill your kitchen with these foods. However, a better and more organized approach is to first make out a menu list for the following week. When you shop from a planned menu and the recipes that go with those meal choices, youll only buy what you need. Additionally, many of the foods on the alkaline list are fresh vegetables. Youll want to make sure that you actually need them before you buy them so you wont risk wasting money.

Remember, when you first start, your diet doesnt have to be 100% alkaline. In fact, even on strict versions of the pH miracle diet a balance between acid and alkaline is recommended. So when you make your menu and your grocery lists, keep that in mind. Foods that are slightly and moderately acidic include bananas, whole grain pasta, dried beans, eggs, milk, nuts and wheat bread. There are many others and you can consult different resources on the levels of acidity in foods. Strive to have balance in your daily diet of 70% alkaline to 30% acid.

When you arrive at the grocery store, with your list in hand, youll notice that you will be staying along the outer rim of the grocery store. Generally, the foods along the walls are fresher and more natural than the foods within the aisles. If you think about it, all of the foods in the center of the store are processed and packaged. The outer edges consist of the produce section, the dairy section and the deli and/or meat counter.

Produce, especially vegetables, is going to be the primary focus on your pH miracle diet shopping trip. Buy organic produce if you have the means to. However, the real importance is that you buy the vegetables and use them in your cooking. If you have to use conventionally grown produce or frozen produce that is better than using no produce at all.

The only word of caution is to avoid canned fruits and vegetables. The canning process has negative effects on the alkaline state of these foods. There is also a lot of sodium in canned fruits and vegetables. If you cannot buy fresh, look for frozen. Many stores that do not carry organic fresh produce will have organic frozen produce.

Its best to purchase balance of alkaline and acid foods as you get used to this way of living and eating. If you go cold turkey on your favorite foods and believe that you have to be super strict in order to be healthy, you will end up rebounding back to you acidic ways of eating. Strive for mostly alkaline to begin with, and then you can move further up the alkaline spectrum and eliminate more acidic foods.

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If youve read about the pH miracle diet and youve decided to parcel out live a try, you obtain a few tasks ahead of you. Depending on how committed you are the program you may begin with clearing out your pantry and your refrigerator of all highly acidic foods. If you live salt away others who wont be on the diet with you, you may just want to remove the high acid treats that you acquisition irresistible. Either way, whether you do a kitchen purge or just remove a few items from your shelves, youll need to go grocery shopping.

Shopping for the pH miracle diet can be done at any grocery store, but occasionally people asset it easier to get specialty items at health foods stores or natural food chains related Whole Foods and Trader Joes. However, if you live in an area where ace is no access to these types of stores, you can still easily purchase the items you need at a standard grocery store.

Before you make your shopping trip, youll need to initiation a list of items. You dont want to walk into the grocery pabulum blind and try to conjure up what you need to buy. Some people like to work from the alkaline food lists in the leave. This is a good approach if you have a lot of cash to spend and just want to fill your kitchen with these foods. However, a better and more organized approach is to first make out a menu list for the following week. When you shop from a eventual menu and the recipes that go with those meal choices, youll only buy what you need. Additionally, various of the foods on the alkaline list are fresh vegetables. Youll want to make sure that you actually need them before you play ball them so you wont risk wasting money.

Remember, when you first start, your diet doesnt have to be 100 % alkaline. In fact, even on strict versions of the pH miracle diet a invoice between acid and alkaline is recommended. So when you make your menu and your grocery lists, keep that in mind. Foods that are slightly and moderately acidic have bananas, whole grain pasta, dried beans, eggs, milk, nuts and wheat bread. There are many others and you can consult different resources on the levels of causticity in foods. Strive to have report in your daily diet of 70 % alkaline to 30 % acid.

When you be present at the grocery store, with your list in hand, youll notice that you will enact staying along the outer rim of the grocery store. Generally, the foods along the walls are fresher and more natural than the foods within the aisles. If you think about it, all of the foods in the focal point of the store are processed and packaged. The outer edges consist of the produce section, the dairy section and the deli and / or meat counter.

Produce, especially vegetables, is going to be the slightest focus on your pH miracle diet shopping trip. Yes organic produce if you have the ingredient to. However, the real importance is that you buy the vegetables and use them in your cooking. If you have to use conventionally grown produce or sleety produce that is higher quality than using no produce at all.

The only word of caution is to avoid canned fruits and vegetables. The canning process has negative effects on the alkaline state of these foods. There is also a lot of sodium in canned fruits and vegetables. If you cannot buy fresh, look for frozen. Many stores that do not carry organic fresh produce will have organic glacial produce.

Its best to purchase balance of alkaline and acid foods as you get used to this way of living and eating. If you go cold turkey on your favorite foods and believe that you have to be super strict in series to be healthy, you will end up rebounding back to you acidic ways of eating. Strive for chiefly alkaline to begin with, and then you can move supplementary maturity the alkaline spectrum and eliminate more acidic foods.

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If you are one of the millions of people trying to lose weight and having little to no success then maybe some tips on losing weight will help. Losing weight is important for your health and well-being but doing it safely is the most important aspect.

The first thing you need to know is that weight loss will not happen overnight. So, you need to find ways to keep yourself motivated to have the success you want. Tips on losing weight start with finding a work out buddy. This will keep things from getting too mundane and having a work out buddy will help keep your motivation at a high level. Make it sort of a competition between the two of you.

Keep close tabs on what you eat. You will want to start eating healthier and if you write everything down when you eat it then you will see where changes can be made and substitutions will be easier for you to make.

Stick with whole foods in their natural state. Overly processed foods are loaded with bad carbs and sodium to give them a longer shelf life. Eat lean meats or fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Although, if you want to get a good start on losing weight, steer clear of breads and cereals for at least the first two weeks then add them back in very slowly.

You need to do this to basically reset your insulin pump. Some carbohydrates you eat are immediately converted to simple sugars in your body. This, in turn, makes you pancreas release insulin to control the sugar content of your blood from skyrocketing. These simple sugars are supposed to be used as energy. If they do not get used as energy when they are available the body converts them to fat and then stores them around your mid-section.

If you do not feel that you are getting all the nutrients you need then by all means take a multi-vitamin supplement to enhance what you are getting. Typically, though if you are eating healthy then you are getting all you need in the form of vitamins and essential nutrients so you will not need to supplement. But, hey, it couldn’t hurt.

One of the best tips I could give you is, hydrate. Drink plenty of water. Some people think that they can drink anything to stay hydrated and this is just not the case. Too many things are loaded with empty calories, like those energy drinks or sports drinks. One of the worst things you can do for yourself is drink diet pop.

Diet pop will actually trick your body into staying fat. When you drink it, your body expects to be getting something of value and when it doesn’t get what it thinks it should be, you end up eating more at your next meal to compensate for the lack. Not to mention the chemicals they use to “sweeten” diet pop, yuck!

Eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and getting at least some moderate exercise everyday should put you on the right track for losing the weight you want to lose. These are the easiest, most effective tips on losing weight you can find. Start today and you could be fit and trim in no time.

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