5 Veg and 2 fruit serves a great health hack

5 veg and 2 fruit serves a great health hack, every day. Most people these days don’t eat enough vegetables and fruit. Certainly nowhere near the Australian Dietary guidelines of 5 vegetable and 2 fruit serves a day. We explain why vegetable and fruit are important for your health.

Why are 5 veg and 2 fruit serves important?

Every fruit, vegetable, whole grain, legume, seed and nut has its own unique blend of fibre, phytochemicals and microbes. These are not found in other food groups.

1. Phytochemicals have unique healing properties which help protect us against the effects of lifestyle diseases.

2. Our body’s defence system relies on the phytochemicals found in the coloured vegetables & fruit we eat.

3. They are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and detoxifying.

4. The fibre in vegetables and fruit feeds our microbiota. This supports healthy bowel habits and detoxification.

5. Diets now contain starchy fillers such as white rice, potato, pasta and bread. We also over-consume animal proteins. This can result in an imbalance in the microbiota of the gut.

Our advice

“Eat the rainbow” to ensure you get the full spectrum of phytochemicals to benefit the various areas of your health. In our Eat the rainbow table below, we list the benefits the different coloured vegetables can bring you when added to your diet.

Meat consumption.

There is evidence decreasing your consumption of processed meat and red meat will have positive effect on your health .

Deli Meats

Deli meats are high in sodium and preservatives.

Have low nutritional value.

There is evidence linking them to an increased risk of developing stomach and colorectal cancer.

The World Health Organisation has classified processed meats ,ham, bacon, salami and frankfurts as a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer).

Meat

Beef, lamb and pork, are classified as a Group 2A carcinogen which means it is likely to cause cancer.

Our Tips

Diversity is key! Choose food that nourish and sustain your health rather than those that disrupt your gut microbiome.
Have a “no-meat” day a few times per week. This will reduce your intake of lean red meat (beef, lamb, pork).
Keep your red meat portion size to around 100gm, raw.
Try something different and introduce new veggies into your diet.
Aim for at least three different coloured veggies every day to ensure a diverse microbiome.
Make sure non-starchy veggies make up the bulk of your daily 5 serves.

– A serve of vegetables: 1 cup fresh salad veggies or ½ cup cooked veggies.

– A serve of fruit: medium apple, pear, orange, 2 small apricots or kiwi fruit, 1 cup diced fresh fruit or berries

7. Try probiotic-rich fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and miso.

8. Add fresh flavours to salads to make them tastier.

9. A spoonful of kimchi or kraut

10. Herbs like mint, basil, coriander, parsley and add capers or olives

11. Try the delicious GREEN GODDESS DRESSING.

12. Add a serve of spinach to a smoothie with some fresh mint.

13. Start the day with a veggie omelette – you’d be surprised how many serves you can get at breakfast!

14. Try to cut out processed meats altogether or keep them to an absolute minimum.

15. Swap your red meat for chicken breast or wild caught oily fish such as salmon.

If you want to find out more you should follow this link to the Eating Well page of the Department of Health and Age care. Here you can find links to further sources of information and the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

Healthy habits aren’t just important during the festive season. They are important to maintain for a healthy life style. Find out more about how we incorporate healthy habits into your exercise program by contacting your local venue here.

EAT THE RAINBOW TABLE

Colour	Plant	Phytochemical	Benefits
Red	Tomatoes, red capsicum, pomegranate, beetroot, red chillies, strawberries, cherries, plums,	Lycopene	Antioxidant, protects against prostate cancer, heart health, sun protection
Orange	Carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, orange capsicum, papaya, mango, peaches, nectarines, oranges	Beta-carotene	Vision & eye health, healthy skin & mucous membranes, immune system
Yellow	Lemons, peaches, yellow squash, yellow carrots, yellow capsicum, pineapple, ginger, turmeric	Flavonoids	Protects against cancer and heart disease, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant
Green	Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Bok choy, Broccoli, brussels sprouts, Bok choy, dandelion greens, rocket, lettuce, snow peas, green beans, mint, parsley, coriander, spinach, swiss chard, avocado, collard greens, green capsicum, green chillies, kale, kiwi fruit, spirulina, wheat grass	Chlorophyll	Protects against cancer, blood purifier, antioxidant, supports circulation, protects the eyes
Blue	Blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, damson plums, blue tomatoes	Anthocyanins	Potent antioxidant which protects the brain and neurons, promotes neural plasticity, improves cognition, memory and learning, heart health
Purple	Eggplant, purple carrots, beetroot, radicchio, purple lettuce, plums, purple grapes, mulberries	Resveratrol	Lowers cholesterol, protects against clots, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
White/ Green	Garlic, onions, chives, shallots, scallions, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, zucchini, cucumber, daikon radish, radish, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, rocket, watercress, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, white beans, pears, coconut	Allyl sulphides (sulphur-rich)	Anti-cancer, lowers cholesterol, reduces risk of stomach cancer and heart disease, lung health, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory