Health Tip of the Week: Vegetables and Fruit

Did you know that eating vegetables and fruits can lower your risk of stroke?

A meta-analysis study published May 2014 compiled the results of over 700,000 participants with 16,981 stroke events. Their conclusion was that for every 200 gram increase in fruit consumption there was a 32% decrease in the risk of stroke and for every 200 gram increase in vegetable consumption an 11% reduction of stroke risk.

So how many fruits and vegetables do we need to eat?

Well, 400 grams of fruit is approximately 5 servings.

Canada’s Food Guide recommends that teens and adults eat between 7-10 servings of vegetables and fruits every day for optimal health.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, I agree. Vegetable and fruit intake is one of the most singularly important prescriptions of preventative healthcare.

Unhealthy foods get a whole lot of attention for substances that we are supposed to be avoiding. If we could talk more about what we should be eating rather than what we should be avoiding we could start switching our perspectives from reactive to preventative and from negative to positive.

So this week I challenge you to eat at least 7 servings of vegetables and fruits every single day.

An apple, a tomato, 2 handfuls of spinach, 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup of cucumber, 1/2 cup broccoli.

That’s an example but choose the kinds you love.

Focus on the positive.

Enjoy the benefits of adding this preventative tip into your life!