Maintaining our health and wellbeing is of the highest priority. It is why we look for ways to improve it. Did you know that what we eat plays a significant role in improving our overall health? It is why it is essential to eat right. This can be difficult because most foods we eat are far from nature.
You go to the grocery store and what you find are canned and processed foods. And processed foods are filled with additives and preservatives that aren’t helpful to health.
Also, I know of some people who instead eat fast foods than home-made meals. There are several disadvantages of consistently consuming fast-food. Other than the fact that they cost more spending, they have adverse effects on the health.
To dive into the story, it is essential to eat lots and lots of vegetables. This is because they have rich properties that improve overall health. Also, they help to combat certain medical diseases. The link here has more on how veggies can be beneficial to health.
I remember my parents always screaming at me when I failed to eat my veggies. I am not entirely sure they were aware of all the benefits of doing so. But least, they knew that adding veggies to a diet help to enhance body functions.
The benefits of vegetables cannot be overstated. They are available in a variety. They are convenient, and they are easy to prepare. Below are the significant reasons why it is crucial to consume veggies regularly.
Vegetables Offer plenty of Nutrients
Vegetables are a primary source of fiber, minerals, vitamins. They are also low in carbs and calories and provide phytochemicals. These phytochemicals help to combat certain diseases in the body.
They are also a great source of antioxidants. And antioxidants help to eradicate free radicals from the body. Also, antioxidants help to prevent inflammation, which can cause heart diseases. The nutrients you get from veggies largely depend on the type you consume. As I said earlier, they come in varieties.
I recommend you consume the rainbow-colored veggie. This is so as you can get a wide range of nutrients.
Vegetables are an Excellent Aid for Weight Management
This might be a shocker to some people. Nonetheless, veggies assist in weight management. Several contributing factors make this possible. The first is that they are low in calories and rich in carbs. This gets you full, and at the same time, doesn’t contribute fat to the body.
Secondly, they are rich in fiber and have a great deal of water content. This also gets you full longer because it occupies lots of stomach space.
Lastly, the fiber in them contains prebiotic. And prebiotics generates food to feed the gut’s healthy bacteria. The result from this is that body’s weight is managed instead of increased.
Both raw and cooked veggies can aid weight management. Also, I recommend you opt for the non-starchy ones.
Vegetables help to Improve Brain Health
Studies have shown that veggies help maintain the brains’ performance. Also, it helps to combat certain neurological disorders. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are most common in older adults.
A study conducted on the effect of veggies and fruits in a veteran’s life yielded positive results. It showed that veterans who consumed vegetable-rich diets had excellent brain health compared to those who didn’t.
So, I recommend that older adults should increase their vegetable intake. Broccoli, spinach, kale, and collards are excellent choices. They are rich in nutrients and vitamins. And these vitamins help to maintain the brain’s overall function. You can click here if you want to learn how to harvest broccoli leaves when you plant them in your garden.
Vegetables help to Improve Bone Health
Veggies help improve the bone’s performance. They are rich in protein. And not only that, but they are also rich in nutrients that improve bone health. Some of its nutrients include vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, and much more.
Studies have shown that veggies offer an alkalizing effect. This also helps to influence the performance of the bone. Note that you have to match your greens with certain dairy products to meet a proper calcium intake.
I advise that you include certain greens in your diet to experience the above-named function. Feel free to include vitamin K-rich vegetables. Examples of such veggies include mustard greens, collard greens, kale, turnip greens, and spinach.
Also, veggies rich in vitamin C and potassium are excellent choices. Examples of such greens include spinach, tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, Brussel sprouts, strawberries, and broccoli.
Vegetables Aid in Lowering Blood Pressure
Being hypertensive or having high blood pressure can be a bummer. In medical terms, it refers to a force of blood against the artery walls. Having high blood pressure can further lead to certain life-threatening diseases. Some of which include stroke, kidney disease, and heart disease.
There are several ways that individuals can prevent high blood pressure. One of such ways is having a rich veggie diet. It is beneficial in lowering blood pressure. This is because the leafy greens have rich fibers in them.
They are also rich in potassium, magnesium, minerals, and vitamins. Potassium is crucial in the body. This is because it helps to maintain the body’s salt levels. This, in turn, helps to reduce blood pressure.
Also, studies have taught us that leafy greens help to prevent hypertension. This is mainly because they belong to the DASH diet. DASH means Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
Hypertensive individuals should employ the DASH diet. They should try following this for two weeks or thereabout as this will help to lower blood pressure.
Take Away
Most people enjoy eating vegetables. This is not because of its taste but because of what it offers to the body. Research has proven that leafy green has remarkable properties that balance the body. It also helps to combat certain diseases, which in turn helps us last longer.
There are excellent choices of veggies in the market. You can try integrating them into your diet. Make sure to find greens that are rich in vitamin K and C, potassium, and magnesium. These are excellent leafy green choices that help to improve the quality of life of an individual.