Your Mom was right!!!! Eat your VEGGIES

Not a veggie lover?! And why should you be? Well that’s because plants are pretty incredible, so important to our overall health.

Here are a just a few examples:

- Eating blueberries before a big test can promote cognitive function and improve academic performance. Students, are you listening!

- Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center estimated that people who regularly consume about 1.3 servings of leafy green vegetables per day had brains that were about 11 years younger compared with those who consumed fewer servings!

- I don’t know about you but that is reason enough for me right there.

- Beans are the longevity all-star and eating about a cup a day could help increase one’s lifespan by 5-10 years. The # 1 bean is black beans, but they ALL have so many benefits.

- Drinking beet juice before a big race can improve athletic performance by increasing blood flow and improving lung function. It’s also great for heart health. I add freeze dried beet crystals to my smoothies and protein shakes often for a little boost of nutrition.

- Broccoli is known as a “cancer crusher” because of a phytochemical called sulforaphane that has been linked to reducing the risk of a variety of cancers.

So many people miss out on these benefits, did you know only 1 in 10 North Americans are eating the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily.

But I do get it, I have been at this fitness and wellness thing a long time. We need to make our health a priority. It doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming.

Vegetables are sometimes not as tasty as other foods so we need to add in flavour with herbs, garlic, onions….substance with beans and whole grains. And of course bits of cheese or cheese alternatives always help.

We can make eating more veggies more convenient by using frozen veggies too. They have been harvested at their peak times and are full of nutrition.

The world’s healthiest diet is centered around whole plant foods.

It is proven, and one of those things that we almost all can improve on. Look up ‘Blue Zone’ or ‘Mediterranean Diet’.

It starts with baby steps.

EASE into eating more plant foods, you will get more and more creative with your food choices, explore different recipes. I have posted some, more are coming and there are TONS of creative recipes and ideas online. Making your own great healthy food is fun, it’s easy, it’s cost effective AND you will FEEL SO MUCH BETTER.

Eating plant based, moving everyday, taking the time to be mindful and sleep well are key. It’s the smart way to age well and stay active into your 90’s.