Seven Servings of Produce? You Can Do It!

By Donna Stark

You may feel like the epitome of health after eating a giant salad for lunch, but don't kid yourself. That once-a-month salad isn't going to make a dent in your overall wellness. You need a lot more than that. In fact, if you aren't eating at least seven servings of fruit and vegetables every day, you are seriously depriving your body of all the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function at its best. Oftentimes, the biggest roadblock preventing most people from consuming the amount of produce they need is to simply get started. So if that's where you stand at the moment, take heart! It's not as difficult as it seems.

Consuming More Fruit and Veggies

Unfortunately, wine, strawberry-flavored cereal, and potato chips don't count as servings of fruit or vegetables, so you will need to push those aside and fill your diet with what really counts! Sure, that may seem like a challenge you don't want to take on or you may not like the taste of many vegetables, but adding more of these nutrient powerhouses to your meals will make a significant impact to your overall health. In other words, you can't afford not to. Here are some easy tricks on how to add an abundance of diversity to your meals.

• Go to the market - Familiarizing yourself with new fruits and vegetables, and learning about what's in season, is a great start to incorporate more nutrition into your diet. And you couldn't have better teachers than those who have produce stands at your local farmers market!
• Keep track - You won't know how much of a change you need to make unless you know where you are starting from, so keep track of your current habits and increase that amount until you reach your goal! This is a great way to mark your progress and hold yourself accountable.
• Make smoothies - Increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables couldn't be any easier than tossing a bunch into a morning smoothie! It's also a great way to mask the flavor or texture of those vegetables you don't like, so start experimenting and tap into your creative side! 
• Snack healthily - Purge your pantry of those chips and cookies and start snacking from your refrigerator instead! Start your week off right by cleaning and slicing plenty of raw fruit and vegetables and keep them in your refrigerator for healthier, on-the-go snack options.

Natural Energy for Improved Wellness

Adding more fruit and vegetable servings to your diet is the easiest and most delicious way you can improve your overall health and wellness. So what are you waiting for? It's time to become a real epitome of health. Get to those seven servings every day and watch what it will do for you! It may be the surprise of a lifetime!

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