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and at least half of the veggies you consume should be either raw, lightly steamed or in soups. Vegetables in their natural or ‘live’ form contain enzymes, which are destroyed by
overcooking.

Vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories— some, like celery, cucumber and radish are calorie- negative, which means they consume more calories being digested than they contain. They are good sources of vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid, vitamins a, b and C, potassium, etc. a veggie-rich diet helps the gut to function well.

Green Power

‘Eat your greens’ is what mothers have said the world over. Well, they certainly knew their business. several scientific studies have found that green leafy vegetables provide strong protection against heart disease and chronic degenerative diseases. all brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables contain healthy plant pigments, vitamins and minerals, but greens have the magic one, chlorophyll. It blocks carcinogens by binding to them and making them unavailable to the body. It also helps regenerate critical antioxidants in the body (the production of these decreases with age).

In fact, even red, orange and purple plants are green in the nascent stage and as they ripen, the chlorophyll breaks down and other pigments increase in proportion. When choosing fruits and vegetables, just follow the rainbow. The more brightly-hued your plate, the more phytonutrients you get.

How much veg is right ?

• dedicate one meal to just vegetables (or fruit)
• In other meals, half your plate should be full
of veggies
• That means five to nine servings a day
• one serving is approx. half a cup
• Total: three to four cups of vegetables every day
• at least half should be raw or lightly cooked

Relish Fruits: Fruits are carbohydrates, yes, but valuable components of the daily diet. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that help protect us from disease. The only caveat: since they contain sugar, one to three servings of fruit are adequate.


To be continued....