Fruits & Veggies

I cannot overstate the importance of fruits and veggies to your physical and mental health. That’s right, I said mental health! Dr. Amen, in his book You, Happier recommends 8 servings of fruits and vegetables per day for optimum mental health and happiness. His book also says “tomatoes have been shown to lift mood.”

After reading his book, I immediately tried to eat 10 servings of fruits and veggies per day to see if this was true. It was extremely difficult, as I was making all these dishes from scratch. However, he was correct! I felt more focused, energized, and less grumpy. This year, I participated in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription where a local farmer delivered a box of produce to my door each week. I have long read about the benefits of local produce:

·        Local produce is fresher because it does not have to travel as far

·        Local produce has more nutrients. After picking, vegetables slowly lose their vitamins and nutrients over time.

·        Local produce begins with more nutrients. Unlike factory farms, local farms often implement sustainable practices like natural soil amendments, cover crops, crop rotation, and other elements that add to diversity in the soil. This enhance soil creates more nutrient-rich crops.

·        Local produce may have less pesticides.

After a year of eating local produce, I can absolutely feel and taste a difference. The flavors of these fruits and vegetables were superior and more dramatic than veggies from the supermarket. Also, when I ate the huge variety of produce each week, I felt more alive! My mind was clear and my body performed better during workouts. With a plate heaping with produce, I could get full without snacks. My digestion was impeccable.

I realize that 8 servings of fruits and vegetables may be overwhelming if you are just starting on a health journey. I started by making sure that I ate at least one vegetable per day and then moved to one vegetable per meal. My go-to first step was adding a handful of spinach to a sandwich I made myself for lunch at work. Even just that small change made me feel better and my digestion a little more easy. Baby steps are much easier to  manage than a huge diet makeover.