Live Longer and Healthier with Fruits and Veggies

As you may have heard, “we are what we eat.” There is a lot truth to this statement. How we feel on a day to day basis, our energy levels, and our health at the deepest level of our biochemistry is affected by our diet. We use the nutrients from our food to keep our brains and organs running at optimal condition, to fuel our muscles, repair tissues, and help fight off disease (especially relevant in these times!). Besides the basic components of our food (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) our food also contains vital components such as vitamins and minerals. One of the most natural and abundant sources of these critical compounds are the fruits and vegetables we consume, making it extremely important to include them in our daily diet. Besides carrying these valuable molecules, fruits and vegetables contain many other important compounds that our body cannot get from other food sources and can help in our efforts to maintain our health and wellness.

Vegetables, in particular, hold many essential components for our health. For example Carotenoids, the molecules our body uses to make vitamin A, are responsible for the red, orange, and yellow colors we see in carrots, bell peppers, etc. (Vitamin A helps to promote healthy function of the eyes, lungs, and intestines.) The function of these bio-molecules in plants is to capture the energy of the sun; they have become increasingly more important to our bodies due to their antioxidant properties. Free radicals form in our body as a result of environmental factors we come into contact with such as UV radiation, smoke, pollution, alcohol consumption, and even exercise. They are responsible for diseases such as certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and the aging process as a whole. Antioxidants we get in our diet, such as carotenoids from colorful fruits and vegetables, help to control activity of free radicals by preventing their formation, which in turn can prevent atherosclerosis (a beginning stage of cardiovascular disease) and lower your risk for heart-attack. In general, studies show that people who consume a diet high in fruits and vegetables compared to those who eat less are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.

In addition, fruits also play an important role in disease prevention. Besides their antioxidant properties, many fruits carry essential vitamins, minerals, are high in fiber, low in fat, provide a natural source of carbohydrates for energy, and contribute to a positive mental well-being. In fact, studies have shown that a regular intake of fruit can reduce the risk of developing panic attacks, mood swings, anxiety, and depression. It is important to remember when including fruit in your diet that it is always better to choose whole fruit over fruit drinks, juices, and even dried fruit. It is better to eat the whole fruit because it contains the added fiber that helps you feel full. One 6-ounce serving of orange juice has 85 calories, compared to just 65 calories in a medium orange. Also, fruit juices are notorious for being high in sugar (either added or as fructose), as well as being pasteurized, which kills the enzymes that are naturally present in the fruit, and provide much of the above mentioned benefits to our body. Vegetable juices are ok if they are fresh, and a good alternative for juice is a smoothie with fresh fruit.

When deciding to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet try to follow these 3 tips:

1. To get a healthy variety, think color. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, such as fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Some examples include green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon, and white onions. For more variety, try new fruits and vegetables regularly. Try to consume at lease 3 to 5 servings a day and gradually increase from there.

2. Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables first (they should take up about ½ of the plate!) and then add healthy protein and fat choices to complete your meal.


3. Buy organic whenever possible. Organic fruits and vegetables typically offer more nutrition than conventionally grown produce and therefore will provide our bodies with the health and vitality we are seeking. We also forego the chemicals and pesticides that go hand in hand with conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.

By implementing these 3 steps into your everyday diet, you will reap the amazing benefits that fruits and vegetables have to offer and help your body maintain a healthy weight and positive mental well-being.



Ashley Haug, CPT CMT has a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She specializes in Pre/Post-natal Exercise and Nutrition, Post-Rehabilitation and Sports-Specific Training and Nutrition. She can be reached at Ashley@ConditioningSpecialists.com for more information and nutritional advice.