Eating more vegetables is not as hard as you think. Above Ground Veggies add a whole lot more nutritional value than the processed carbs that we love to consume and are actually killing us slowly!
The community of bugs in your gut (microbiome) consume exactly what you do, so to help them help you to fight off infections, you need to be feeding them a variety of healthful plants.
Research shows that increasing your intake of (especially above ground ) vegetables lowers your risk of heart disease, some cancers and reduces your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. In comparison to fruit, above-ground vegetables contain less fructose. Fructose (fruit sugar) might sound healthy, but its actually a simple sugar that can overload your liver. This is because the liver is the only organ that can metabolise fructose in a significant amount.
So in this blog, we are going to be taking you through some simple ways to bring more vegetables into your diet and improve your health.
1. Switch up your mashed potatoes! Adding different root vegetables such as swede, parsnips or celery into your mashed potatoes is a simple way of consuming a wider range of nutrients. These extra vegetables hold a subtle flavour however, it can have a big impact.
2. Make your own sauce! Instead of buying pre-packaged sauces, packed with sugar and seed oils, create your own! Using fresh tomatoes, onion, courgettes, and different herbs, you can blend them and use the sauce on any meal you prefer. The opportunities are endless!
3. Add some healthy fats to make your vegetables less boring! Avocado and cashews can act as an excellent base to a salad dressing or dip.
4. Make a salad! This is one of the easiest ways to consume a large number of plant in one sitting. Chuck lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, peppers, and mozzarella in a bowl. Add some protein in the form of tinned tuna or salmon for example and “hey presto” there’s an on-the-go lunch. Let the health benefits roll.
5. Add seeds to your salads! You can do this by purchasing a mixed pack of seeds and nuts. Simply add them to your salad, get that extra crunch and those extra benefits too.
TV Doctor, Chris Van Tulleken, recently carried out an experiment where he consumed ultra-processed foods to see what the impact on his body would be. This was after statistics were released showing that one in five people in the UK have a diet consisting of up to 80% (yes eighty per cent!) ultra-processed foods. Chris’ results were conclusive: he felt ten years older and extremely sluggish after only four weeks. Can you imagine what this is doing to our society? It is killing us! You can read the full article here: What happened when I ate ultra-processed food for a month – BBC Food
Whole foods are simply much better for your health and will be by far the most beneficial for your body in the long run. None of this is a secret, but the food industry wants to keep feeding you lies so you believe that the highly processed foods (which are far more profitable) are ‘healthy’
Just like the tobacco industry 50 did years ago, fast-food want to see our kids addicted to their unhealthy wares. The results are the same, with increasingly higher rates of diabetes and heart disease.
We recommend consuming 40 different plants a week. Your body will thank you! (Especially compared to a typical lunch time snack of a chocolate muffin and a can of Coke)
We are here to call out the lies perpetrated by an industry fixated on profit at all cost, and inform you of the truth and thus support your health journey.
If you are looking for a more tailored approach to reduce your health risks and regulate your hormone levels, contact us here to book a free 15-minute consultation.