Recently, a couple studies came out regarding diet that recommended what we should already know. The first study performed by Harvard nurses, monitored the diets of 110,000 people for 14 years. They found that the people who ate more fruits and vegetables had lower risk of developing heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. accounting for almost 1 out of every 2 deaths! The nurses concluded that increasing your daily fruit/vegetable intake will decrease your risk of heart disease by 4 percent per serving.
A similar study done at University College London found that diets including plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish help decrease the risk of depression. In the study, those who ate a diet based on fresh, whole foods had a 26% lower risk of depression. Furthermore, those who ate diets high in fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy and sugar had a 58% higher incidence of depression. Despite their risk of suicide, deeper depression and outcomes that are often not any better than placebos, anti-depression drugs are one of the most common prescriptions in the U.S. What if simple changes in diet along with regular exercise could eliminate depression for most people?
The recommendation on fruits/vegetables is five-to-thirteen servings per day depending on whether your sources are organic or lower quality mass produced sources. As I’ve discussed in the past, fruits, vegetables, and fish are the foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids that reduce the inflammation associated with heart disease, depression and most other common ailments. One of the best health tips you could ever implement is to include a fruit or a vegetable with every meal. Plan this for yourself and your family and you will see the results within a very short time. I don’t care if it’s the same vegetable every single meal; just do it! The only thing I would recommend is that you try to keep your fruit/vegetable sources raw or lightly cooked. Heavy cooking, freezing and canning can destroy the fiber, enzymes, and vitamin/mineral complexes you are trying to gain by eating these foods.
