One More Great Reason to Eat Your Veggies

By Stepy Kamei

Make sure you're eating plenty of vegetables every day!

You've no doubt been hearing this same message your whole life. Of course, it's not without reason. Vegetables provide the body with many important nutrients, including vitamins and minerals that are hard or impossible to obtain from any other outside source. Nutritionists and healthcare experts alike are consistently encouraging their clients to increase their intake of fresh vegetables alongside their meals. Getting the proper amount of vegetables in a day can help you receive proper amounts of nutrients such as iron, Vitamin A, zinc, and magnesium, which all play important roles in keeping the body well-maintained and functioning to the best of its ability. As if this weren't enough to convince you to add another scoop of broccoli to your plate, it turns out that consuming enough vegetables on a regular, daily basis can also help to reduce levels of stress and anxiety in the body.

Studies Show ...

A recent study that was performed in Australia revealed that test subjects who reported consuming 3 to 4 servings of veggies per day tended to report lower levels of stress, compared to their counterparts who were consuming between only 0 to 2 servings each day. The positive benefits a healthy diet that includes fresh veggies can have on the physical body can also greatly impact a person's mental well-being. 

Eating more servings of fruit and whole grains, as well as lean proteins such as salmon, can also have a similar positive impact on a person's stress and anxiety levels. 

Be Sure to Combine This With a Healthy Lifestyle

It's not enough to merely eat a few more veggies if you really want to see a positive and lasting change to your physical and mental health and wellness. Be sure to make sure your diet is, in general, a pretty healthy one. Diets which consist mainly of whole ingredients, with as little processed foods as possible, are always a good bet. Try avoiding high amounts of salt, fat, and sugar, and aim for plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, as well as lean proteins and whole grains. Combine this type of diet with an active lifestyle in which you're getting proper amounts of exercise and you should begin to see a great step forward in your health. You'll be glad you did.

To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.