If you’ve read any of our blogs or our latest book, The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure, you know it’s no secret that we have a love affair with veggies! And you likely know how important it is to eat your vegetables. After all, veggies are like nature’s superheroes fighting for your health! It may seem obvious that eating more veggies is good for you (they aid in weight loss and prevent diseases), but there are so many reasons to pile your plate high with vegetables.
Did you know that fennel can help you feel bikini-ready, or that leafy greens are major bone protectors? Eating vegetables will even help to reduce stress, so go ahead and snack on some bell peppers when a project at work or school leaves you feeling anxious.
Did you know that veggies fight bloat? In fact, we share this secret in an article we wrote for CNN (link to article below). Here’s the low-down.
Although you may associate vegetables with creating a bloated belly, most vegetables actually do the opposite. Vegetables are rich in fiber, which flushes out waste and gastric irritants and prevents constipation by keeping the digestive tract moving.
Vegetables can also help you look leaner by counteracting bloat caused by salt. Most American adults get nearly twice the recommended sodium limit. Eating a bacon and egg biscuit, a typical restaurant meal, or instant soup means consuming nearly an entire day’s sodium allotment. Vegetables are rich in both potassium and water, which help flush excess sodium out of the body while restoring the body’s normal fluid balance.
To ease that full feeling in your stomach, try eating fennel, cucumbers, summer squash, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce or tomatoes.
If you experience gas when you start to add more fiber and vegetables to your diet, choose steamed vegetables rather than raw ones. The heat from cooking breaks down some of the fiber and will keep gastric distress to a minimum as your body adjusts to consuming the fiber you need.
Want more insider’s tips about veggies and three more surprising benefits of vegetables? Check out our full article on CNN. Plus, learn more about The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure
