You may not like fruits and vegetables, but… you have to eat them.
Even if you are not a fan of fruits (which is relatively rare) and vegetables (this is already a more common case), you still have to force yourself to include them in your daily diet. You are an adult, you know that sometimes you have no choice and that some things you just have to. Well, you should apply that principle to fruits and vegetables as well. No, "I don't like", but - eat and you're done.
Here's what to expect if you avoid fruits and vegetables:
You will miss many important vitamins and minerals
Fruits and vegetables contain some of the most important nutrients, without which you will hardly stay healthy. Despite that, a study conducted at Johns Hopkins University showed that only 11 percent of adults in America eat the recommended three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits during the day.
What happens if you don't eat enough fruits and vegetables? You will very soon feel the consequences in the form of a deficiency of important nutrients. And don't be fooled. Vitamins and minerals from supplements can't even "smell" those you get if you eat fruits and vegetables.
You will have problems with digestion
If you do not eat fruits and vegetables, you will be prone to digestive problems, such as constipation and hemorrhoids. Fruits and vegetables contain cellulose which aids digestion, facilitates the work and emptying of the intestines. In addition, they are rich in fiber, which stimulates bowel movements and reduces the risk of varicose veins in the rectal region.
The risk of cancer increases
There are no foods that can completely protect you from cancer, but a diet based on fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk. Antioxidants such as vitamins E, C, and carotenoids reduce the risk of cancer, protecting cells from the harmful effects of free radicals.
Carotenoids - pigments, including beta-carotene, found in spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, dark orange fruits and vegetables, sweet potatoes, oranges, carrots, protect cells from damage and are associated with a lower risk of various types of cancer.
In addition, the risk of cancer is increased by a diet rich in unhealthy fats, and fruits and vegetables are a great way to eat less unhealthy foods and still be full. And healthy, of course.
You will gain weight
If you don't eat fruits and vegetables, you're probably "overwhelmed" with foods that have a much higher percentage of fat and a lot more calories… A study by scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine showed that insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables is unequivocally associated with overweight and the problem of portion control, which results in a large number of obese and morbidly obese adults in the group who generally do not eat fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, so you can eat more and be full without exceeding the recommended daily caloric intake.
The risk of diabetes increases
Higher body weight also means a higher risk of diabetes (see paragraph above). In addition, studies have shown that consuming green leafy vegetables and fruits lowers the risk of type two diabetes. And if you already have diabetes, avoiding fruits and vegetables will only make your condition worse.
Dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, blue eggplant help keep blood sugar levels within healthy limits.
Smile and high blood pressure
A diet that is dominated by foods rich in sodium and in which fruits and vegetables are not sufficiently increased increases the risk of high blood pressure. Studies have shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can even lower blood pressure in people who have already been diagnosed with hypertension. If you eat fruits and vegetables that are rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and contain very little sodium, you neutralize large amounts of sodium that you take in with other, primarily processed foods, thus regulating blood pressure in a natural way.
The risk of cardiovascular disease increases
Partly because of this effect on blood pressure, large amounts of fruits and vegetables in the diet reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. People who eat less than one and a half servings of fruits and vegetables a day have a 30 percent higher risk of having a stroke or heart attack than those who eat eight servings of fruits and vegetables during the day, according to research conducted at Harvard, reports Reader's Digest.
You are more likely to start suffering from depression
Research into the impact of diet on our mental health is still in its infancy. But a large study conducted in Spain showed that people who eat enough fruits and vegetables are at a lower risk of depression. Scientists still do not have an irrefutable explanation as to why this is so, but it is assumed that it is a high content of vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid, the deficiency of which increases the risk of depression.
Author: Velimirveki97
