Can fruit and veg boost your short term health?
There’s reams of research about how healthy eating can help reduce the long term likelihood of a variety of diseases. But most people are more concerned with the here and the now…how fast do positive changes happen?
So with National Vegetarian Week upon us, it’s time to celebrate the amazing short term right-here-right-now benefits of building a respectable amount of fruit and veg into your diet.
Vegetarians are forward thinking in their approach. As we celebrate them, copy them or become one of them, here are the key reasons why eating lots of fruit and veg can only be a good thing.
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Your mood will be more cheerful
Hot off the back of Mental Health Awareness week, National Vegetarian Week gives us chance to reflect on how amazing a large intake of fruit and veg is for your mood and wellbeing. People with stress, anxiety, depression all benefit from the broad nutrient profile of fruit, veg, beans and legumes. They’re full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre…all powerful tools in the war on stress. Fruit and veg have them in abundance and the positive effects start to take hold within a week or two.
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Sleep better
Who couldn’t benefit from a better nights’ sleep? Several studies have concluded that kiwi fruit in particular have a huge positive effect in helping induce sleep - and keep you sleeping soundly all night. But aside from kiwis, there’s lots of other delicious fruit and veg that promote melatonin and serotonin production: cherries, bananas, passion fruit and tomatoes among them. How long does it take to work? The same day! Zzzzzzzzzzz.
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Heal quicker
Fruit and veg are packed with antioxidants - the ‘real’ role of antioxidants is plants using them to repair their own cell damage. When we eat them, their power is passed on to us. As well as having stronger immune systems, people who eat a lot of fruit and veg actually heal from cuts and grazes quicker. Two to four weeks of healthy eating and you might notice the difference.
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Reach / maintain a healthy weight
Vegetables have lots of fibre, which can help you to feel full and satiated (particularly if you mix them with beans and legumes, for their protein). With exercise, you should notice a difference in a month…. your friends will notice in two months.
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Kick start your digestive system
Indigestion, bloating and water retention don’t stand a chance when you’re getting your fair share of fresh fruit and vegetables. Switch to a vegetarian diet and you’ll feel lighter and less sluggish (meat is the hardest thing to process). It’ll even help you enjoy your workouts more! You should start feeling a lot better within a couple of weeks to a month.
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Don’t forget… Vegetables are actually delicious - fruit even more so.
We grow up thinking they’re boring - maybe they were years ago. But now there’s so much more variety of produce and recipe inspiration, there’s no excuse. The general level of cooking skill is on the rise, there’s absolutely no reason veg-based meals shouldn’t be a treat for your tastebuds as well as the rest of your body.
And fresh fruit, what could be a finer treat for your sweet tooth? And guilt free too!
How long does it take to enjoy fresh fruit? Order now and we’ll have a box with you in the morning. Click here.
