STEP ONE: VEGETABLES and FRUITS

We are going to start breaking down the Food Pyramid for the next few posts. Following it will help with portion control and getting your body the nutrients it needs.

Our fist step is going to be about vegetable and fruit intake. When working on developing a healthier diet, it is important to have vegetables everyday for every single meal. Five to seven servings a day. Vegetables contain high fiber and a number of nutrients. When preparing a meal, it is nice to add a little color to the plate to get different nutrients different vegetables provide. Also, when eating the vegetables, it is even more important to keep the skins on our veggies and fruits. That is where the majority of the minerals and nutrients come from.

Some of my favorite veggies I eat are spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, green bell peppers, and asparagus. Spinach and other dark leafy greens, contains lipoic acid, which helps antioxidants, vitamin A and C, regenerate, protein, calcium, and fiber. Don't over cook spinach, thus killing all the nutrients. Eat it raw, and you have everything you need. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins, are 95% water which helps the body hydrate while also eliminating toxins. They also contain vitamin C in the skins, so don't peel it! I can go on with so many more veggies, but you can always do the research. 

On to fruits! You want to make sure not to have a high intake of fruits. They are loaded with sugar. Granted, it is natural sugar, but can still raise blood sugar. You still want fruit everyday, but try to eat them for your snacks when you feel a little hungry. The bright side of eat fruits is that they are low in fat, calories, sodium, high in fiber, and do not have cholesterol. They also include potassium, vitamin C and folic acid.

For those of you that love bananas, try not to eat so much. They are high in sugar. Try to switch with kiwis every now and then. They have just as much potassium but provide less sugar. But if you have to watch your GI, stay AWAY from tropical fruits. They are the highest in sugar levels. Here is a list of the best fruits you want if you need to watch your GI intake. http://www.livestrong.com/article/5375-lowsugar-fruits/

I also wanted to mention that in my opinion, don't buy the fruits that are already cut up and are ready for your purchase. They contain preservatives and I don't think taste that awesome anyway. So always buy fruit fresh!