| You may think after all of the talk lately about | | | | of dark, leafy greens, one half cup of red |
| carb reduction that you need to avoid eating | | | | tomatoes, one half cup of yellow peppers, six |
| carbohydrates. But the exact opposite is the case. | | | | ounces of orange juice and one half cup of |
| The kinds of carbohydrates you get from fruits | | | | blueberries. This is only one example of how you |
| and vegetables are a necessary basis of your | | | | can consume "five a day" of fruits and vegetables |
| daily diet. Instead of helping you "pack on the | | | | to keep your complex carb ratio up. Please notice |
| pounds," they actually help you to burn fat. They | | | | this includes only one serving of fruit juice. Various |
| are also a major source of fuel for your body, | | | | nutrition experts state that you should eat whole, |
| especially your muscles, brain and nervous | | | | fresh fruits more often than drinking fruit juice, |
| system. | | | | which keeps those simple sugars from adding to |
| Carbs occur in two types: simple and complex. | | | | your weight problem. |
| They are broken down into glucose, or blood | | | | This is because simple sugars are more |
| sugar, which is metabolized by your body for | | | | concentrated in fruit juices than in whole fruits. |
| energy. Glucose not immediately used by you is | | | | You should eat at least two cups of fruit a day, in |
| stored in your muscles as glycogen, but if your | | | | a variety of fresh choices, such as one small |
| body has an excess of glycogen, it is converted | | | | banana, one large orange and one quarter cup of |
| into fat. However, because carbs prime your | | | | fresh or canned apricots or peaches. Also, eating |
| metabolism, you need them in order to burn fat. | | | | fresh fruit adds more fiber to your diet and helps |
| This is one of the major reasons you must not | | | | flush toxins from your system better than only |
| starve yourself and eat too few carbs. You must | | | | drinking fruit juice does. |
| eat a good intake of complex carbs, such as | | | | You should also eat plenty of dark, leafy green |
| those found in fruits and veggies. | | | | veggies, which are among the best foods for you. |
| Simple carbs, such as those found in candies and | | | | Eat broccoli and kale, as well as mustard greens |
| sweets, and also fruit, are turned into glucose | | | | and spinach. Also, you should eat "orange" veggies |
| quickly. These are the kind which can add to your | | | | such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and |
| weight problem. Complex carbs, such as those | | | | winter squash. For peas and beans, among the |
| found in brown rice, veggies, legumes (peas, | | | | best are pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, |
| beans and lentils), and whole grains breads and | | | | garbanzo beans, split peas and lentils. Foods such |
| cereals are digested and thus used at a much | | | | as these are extremely healthy, low in fat, and |
| slower rate, giving your body time to prime its | | | | terrific for raising your energy levels. |
| metabolism. | | | | Eating fruits and veggies will also greater lower |
| There are four calories in each and every gram | | | | your risk for cancer. Researchers at the Human |
| of carbohydrate. Nutritionists say that 50% of | | | | Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts |
| your diet should consist of complex carbs. Simple | | | | University have made "top ten" lists of the best |
| carbs are high in calories but low in vitamins and | | | | antioxidant (anti-cancer) fruits and vegetables. |
| minerals. These are the so-called "empty calories" | | | | Here are some of the most antioxidant members |
| that you find in sodas, deserts and other such | | | | of the fruit and vegetable families of foods: |
| sweets, and to some extent in fruits -- especially | | | | 1) Fruits: prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, |
| fruit juices and fruit juice drinks. You should be | | | | strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, red |
| getting your major carb intake from whole fruits, | | | | grapes and cherries |
| whole grains and vegetables. | | | | 2) Veggies: kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, alfalfa |
| Good high carb veggies are peas, peppers, | | | | sprouts, broccoli, beets, red bell peppers, onions, |
| pumpkin, radishes, spinach, squash, succotash, | | | | corn and eggplant |
| sweet potatoes, tomatoes and turnips. Succotash, | | | | While the average American seldom gets as |
| sweet potatoes and green cooked peas are the | | | | much as two servings of these good foods per |
| highest in carbs. You need several servings per | | | | day, nutrition experts say that five to seven |
| day of complex carb foods such as these to | | | | servings a day need to become a staple of the |
| maintain your energy levels and keep you from | | | | ordinary American diet. You can easily sneak |
| getting those "sluggish" feelings that make you | | | | these into your family's eating patterns. Try |
| feel sick and tired. | | | | serving raw veggies at every meal, and take |
| By eating five or more servings of fruits and | | | | advantage of packaged, prepared veggies. Put |
| vegetables every day, you will be boosting your | | | | veggies into your breakfast and lunch, and start |
| health through better carb consumption. The | | | | each family dinner with a mixed green salad. |
| National Cancer Institute recommends that you | | | | Serve a salad entrée dish once per week, |
| have fruit juice -- or better yet fresh fruit - | | | | fill your spaghetti sauce with vegetables, and begin |
| every day for breakfast. You should have a fresh | | | | ordering a weekly pizza - with an extra serving of |
| fruit or vegetable snack every day. You need to | | | | healthy vegetables. |
| stock up on dried, frozen and canned fruits and | | | | If we were to eat more veggies and fewer |
| veggies. You must make these foods visible and | | | | processed foods, we as a country would lose |
| easy to access throughout your daily routine. And | | | | weight, clean out our clogged arteries, balance our |
| you have to "sample the delicious spectrum" | | | | blood sugar and shut down a large number of |
| when it comes to the many different colors and | | | | hospitals in the process. This would roughly solve |
| varieties of fruits and vegetables. | | | | America's growing health and obesity problems - |
| You will get your "five a day" if you eat one cup | | | | in a nutshell. |