Advantages of vegetables

Everyone agrees on the importance of eating more fresh fruits & vegetables, but not enough people are following this important advice. Dietary experts recommend that every person should eat at least five servings of fresh fruits & vegetables every day. Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest changes you can make to increase your level of health, lose weight and gain fitness.The latest food guidelines recommend that adults eat from five to nine servings of fresh fruit & vegetables every day. While that may seem like a lot, it is an important goal to strive for, and a very reachable one.A serving of a fruit or vegetable is equal to:1. 1 medium sized vegetable or fruit (such as an apple, orange or banana)2. 2 small fruits (such as kiwi fruit or plums)3. � cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables4. � cup of 100% fruit juice5. � cup of dried fruit6. 1 cup of green saladStudy after study has shown that a diet rich in fresh fruit & vegetables lowers the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and other chronic diseases and conditions. One reason for the recommendation that everyone increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables is that many of these foods have been shown to have strong antioxidant qualities.Many fresh fruits & vegetables have high amounts of many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C. In addition to their importance as source of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables also provide essential dietary fiber.Many people do not realize, that in addition to vitamin C, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits also contain significant amounts of fiber. Fiber plays an important role in digestion, and it is thought to have protective qualities against heart disease and some forms of cancer. In addition, fiber is thought to have the ability to lower high levels of cholesterol in the blood.