Focus on More Fruits and Veggies to Improve Your Health

Eat More Fruits and Veggies to Improve Your Health

There’s no easy way to say this, so let’s just get it over with. If you’ve been spending money on diet pills, weight-loss supplements, and magic potions that promise to help you tip the scale in the right direction, you’ve probably been wasting your money.

In fact, a recent study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, researchers examined dozens of weight-loss products. Dr. Melinda Manore says, “There is no strong research evidence indicating that a specific supplement will produce significant weight loss, especially in the long term.”

In other words, there is no magic pill to losing weight. So what should you do if you need to drop a few pounds? Stop obsessing about body image. And stop comparing yourself to Hollywood celebrities who probably have a lot more time and money to work out and eat right. Instead focus on developing healthy habits. Still wondering how to go about losing weight?

Here’s the big unexciting, not-so-secret nutrition solution to losing weight and keeping it off. Eat more fruits and veggies. That’s it.

What does your daily intake of fruits and vegetables look like? Probably not that great. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 76 percent of adults don’t eat enough fruits, and 87 percent don’t eat enough vegetables. So what are you eating? Probably a lot of foods high in calories, sugar, carbohydrates, sodium, and unhealthy fats.

And that’s just not going to help you lose weight and keep it off. Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense foods that are low in calories, but contain essential vitamins and minerals your body needs for best health. Plus foods high in fiber like whole grains, broccoli, kale, cabbage, and carrots are high in fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer and aids in weight management.

There really isn’t a shortcut to weight loss and better health. But eat more fruits and vegetables every day for just two weeks (and less junk food), and you’ll be amazed at how you feel. You’ll probably even notice a difference when you step on the scale. Stick with it, and you’ll developing healthy eating habits that will help you lose weight, keep it off, and feel better about yourself.

Forget about spending a fortune on weight-loss supplements that don’t work. Instead, budget a fraction of that amount for healthy eating. You’ll find a great selection of healthy meals with just the right amount of calories, and plenty of veggies on our Portion Control menu.