In recent months, the importance of having a strong immune system and eating healthily could be the deciding factor on how your body fights viruses and infection. Valerie McKen discusses how easy it is to consume your daily requirements, even if you don’t like them.
Nearly 20 years after the launch of the 5-a-day campaign, only 31% of adults aged between 19 and 64 are eating the recommended five portions of fruit and veg every day. The body needs these foods, along with other important nutrients to stay healthy and to be able to fight off bugs and viruses when it needs to.
There are a number of reasons why most of are not eating enough fruit and veg, but the fact is, depriving ourselves of eating the required amount every day means that our bodies are not getting the important nutrients needed to metabolize foods properly. Low fruit and veg consumption can result in the following far-reaching and impactful outcomes:
- Weight gain
- Food allergies
- Anxiety, depression, mood changes
- Bloating, IBS or constipation
- Low energy, stamina
- Low sex drive.
A simple way to cheat your body into eating more fruit and veg is by drinking them. Hello smoothies! An added benefit to drinking your fruit and veg is that your body does not have to work so hard to break down the nutrients, as they are in a pre-digestible state. So, instead of having to prepare and eat mountains of vegetables greens or fruits, you are packing them into one nutrient-dense smoothie. Win, win!
Regularly consuming fruit and veg-rich smoothies have numerous benefits. Namely, they will help you fight:
Tiredness
By avoiding heavy foods, less energy is required, thus freeing up that energy for you.
Food intolerances or allergies
By reducing your intake on high allergenic foods such as wheat, eggs and soya.
Low immunity health
By increasing your intake of vitamins and minerals you strengthen your immune system.
Bad skin problems
Through increased hydration thanks to the extra water you’ll be consuming via the water rich fruit and vegetables, you’ll reduce outbreaks of spotty, itchy dry skin.
Smoothies at this time of year are perfect because there is more choice of delicious ripe fruit and vegetables and blending them makes it easier for you to consume more. Frozen fruit and veg are just as good and means that you can keep up your daily five-a-day requirement all year round.
The real-life benefits of regularly ingesting fruit and veg-rich smoothies are many. If you’re still not sure, think about how fruit and veg-rich smoothies are:
- Chock full of vitamins, enzymes, and minerals
- Easy to digest, which means optimal assimilation of nutrients
- Great for stabilising blood sugar (to beat those cravings)
- A fabulous way to consume a variety of different fruits or vegetables at one time
- Terrific for cleansing the body of toxicity
- An easy way to add more fibre to your diet for optimal bowel function.
The ultimate is to make smoothies from the fruits (pun intended) of your own labour by growing your own. But that’s another article for another day.
So, we hope we’ve convinced you to dust off your NutriBullet that’s busy gathering dust and put it back in service.
Look out for our delicious green smoothie recipes next week.
