Article: - 5 a day health and beauty
Why should I eat fruit and veg?
We were always told by our parents to “eat your greens, otherwise no pudding for you…” and at school in Biology class to “eat your 5 a day of any fruit and veg” normally by an overweight teacher! Ha!
OK not all vegetables taste nice, especially sprouts. (Why do our parents always insist in adding a spoonful of these poison pellets on our plates and polluting the rest of our scrummy roast dinner at Christmas time?)
Well this is why…
• They contain heaps of vitamins and minerals which boost the immune system - so great at fighting off colds and sniffles – snotty tissue look is not particularly attractive!!
• They contain fibre which helps to keep your digestive system healthy and helps you detoxify the body - helps you do a healthy number 2 – so Gillian McKeith will be proud
• They contain antioxidants which help to remove destructive ‘free radical’ cells from the body – if you were not paying attention in Biology you will be thinking “huh? English please…” Well basically antioxidants protect your body cells from becoming damaged by those horrible cancer cells which seem to be out and about everywhere. We are not saying…. Only eat veg and you will never get cancer, but we are saying… eat veg as they will really help to reduce your chances of getting cancer. Worth giving a go don’t you think?
• They are low in fat and low in calories, making them great to snack on, as well to eat with your main meals – OK so you might be thinking, that they taste a bit boring compared to a nice chunky bar of dairy milk, but just think how nice you are being to that body of yours, by going for the healthier option. You can also zaz up your vegetable snacks. Try dipping it in some yummy salsa dip or have you tried houmous? It is really tasty.
• They help you to reduce your chance of getting heart disease and some other serious illnesses. Well enough said… our parents were right – even though they might not have even known the real reasons why we should eat sprouts. You should go and test them… you might teach them a thing or two.
This great mix of healthy stuff in fruit and veg means that you keep your body happy and toxin-free, which also means your skin looks happy too! The better your diet, the better your skin will be.
Which fruit and veg is best for my skin?
Ideally, you should have a wide range of fruit and veg in your diet so you get the benefits of all the many different nutrients.
However, here are a few yummy tasting ones…
- Tangerines and tomatoes: Vitamin C
- Carrots: Vitamin A, Vitamin C & Beta Carotene
- Lettuce: Sulphur, Choline, Silicon & B Complex
- Peppers: Silicon
- Watermelon juice: Zinc & Vitamin A
They also contain a whole lot more goodness which will help your general wellbeing but these are the nutrients which are especially good for your skin.
Remember!
Your ‘5 a day’ don’t have to be boring. You can make all kinds of delicious smoothies from fruit and veg.