Eat Your Veggies!

Eat your veggies! The fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals we derive from vegetables provide the goods to optimize our health. Aiming for 5-9 servings each day helps us maintain heart health, improve digestion, prevent cancer and other disease. A recent study showed that eating 4 cups of veggies per day lowered ALL-CAUSE mortality by 42%! That is an astounding statistic! So, what is the best way to get all those veggies in? Mix it up! Salads are great, but there are many other ways to incorporate veggies into our daily routine. Try serving your stir fry or stew over a bed of spaghetti squash or cauliflower "mashers" (steam cauliflower, mash, add coconut oil, salt and pepper-VOILA!). Take a container of cut raw veggies to work with hummus to satisfy the mid-afternoon munchies. Sauté or roast a bounty of veggies in coconut oil and serve them over last night's leftovers for a grab and go lunch! Think out of the box! Most of us eat the same foods day in and day out, challenge yourself to try a new veggie every week. Eggplant, jicama, kohlrabi, butternut squash, sweet potato, zucchini, Brussel sprouts, Dandelion greens, parsnips… let your imagination run wild and enjoy the health benefits that will surely follow.