Thursday, February 4, 2010

Veggies: How to eat them!

We all know that veggies are an essential part of our diet. They provide us with key vitamins and minerals. Certain green vegetables help keep our body alkaline, and other vegetables are high in fibre.

What I am noticing is that many people do not always get what they need out of vegetables, because of how they are prepared, or what they are prepared with. Since fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the true foundation to our vitamin and mineral supply, I figured I would offer some advise.

Have you ever eaten a cucmber and peeled it? Did you know that there are more nutrients in the peel than the insides? Its true, by peeling the cucumber, you lose some of the benefits.

Broccoli is a funny vegetable. When eaten raw, you do not get all the vitamins that are in broccoli. To get all the vitamins you need to steam broccoli for about 2 minutes until it turns super green... that healps release all the vitamins and minerals. The bad part about steaming vegetables is you lose the enzymes inside. I recommend eating broccoli both ways at different times. I mix raw broccoli into my salads, and eat steamed broccoli with my fish or chicken meals.

What about canned veggies? WASTE OF MONEY!!! They have been played around with so much and soaked in sodium to preserve them, you get zero benefit from them.

Over boiling your vegetables also kills any of the goodness they have inside. If you do prefer to boil vegetables, do so for a very short period,they should still have a crunch to them.

Recently while speaking to another holistic nutritionist, he discussed the "rule of color" which states that you should eat as many colors in one day as possible, from both fruits and vegetables. You guarantee your vitamin quota, and it helps bring out your true personality, since your body has what it needs to function properly.

A few vegetables that I recommend you try and eat often are:
Broccoli and cauliflower
Tomatos
Peppers of all colours, shapes and sizes
Spinach, kelp, and bok choi
Artichokes and hearts of palm
Onions, shallots, chives, and garlic
Cucumbers with their skin
Lettuce (all kinds) and red cabbage

Those are just a few, but trust me, add them to your diet and you will see how much better you feel.

If you have any questions about nutrition, fitness or health in general please contact me via my website at www.mytraineroz.com

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