Eat Your Vegetables

“Eat your vegetables!” “You cannot leave the table until you eat your vegetables!” .How many of us remember this admonition from our Moms as we sat looking at those greens sitting on our plates?  Have you ever wondered why this was such an important part of your meal?  Vegetables contain nutrients that are vital to many functions in your body.  Nutrients play a role in your ability to see, to keep your skin healthy, to keep your heart pumping efficiently, and to cleanse your liver. Additionally, vegetables offer protection against heart disease and cancer.
What exactly are the nutrients in vegetables?  Vegetables are known as complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are sources of energy. Complex carbohydrates break down slowly in the blood, giving you a steady flow of energy. This is very desirable and keeps blood sugar at an even keel. 
You may wonder if you can skip the whole vegetable thing and just take a vitamin every day. Vitamins are not a substitute for eating vegetables. Vitamins are synthetic forms of the nutrients that are extracted from a vegetable. Synthetic forms are a poor substitute for the real thing. They are not surrounded by the fiber contained in vegetables so they won’t fill you up, and they won’t support daily bowel movements, a necessary part of good digestive health.
If you want to be healthy, plan to make vegetables a part of your day. Eating three to six serving of vegetables is a good target. Eat a salad or soup with your lunch and you will already have 3 of those vegetables. For dinner, have a sweet potato along with green beans and carrots, and your vegetable intake is at a great level. If you also snack on some carrots at mid-day, you will really be in the money! 
You may be thinking this is too difficult to maintain. Like any lifestyle change, it takes time and attention initially, but when you start to feel the positive effects, you will find it is all worthwhile. Think simple and choose from an array of colorful vegetables: white, green, orange, yellow, purple and red ensures many of the daily nutrients are covered.
Andrew Weil, MD recommends broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables because they promote a healthy nervous system, provide calcium and vitamin K and have high levels of Vitamin C.  Cruciferous vegetables are also known for cancer prevention because of the nutrients in them.
Dr. Neal Barnard, chair of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, demonstrates in multiple research projects the powerful benefits of a vegetarian diet.
My advice is to experiment with many vegetables and find the ones you really like.  Find different ways to prepare them – sauté, blanch, bake, steam – or eat them raw. Season with herbs and spices you enjoy, and watch your health and energy improve and your weight reach a good level for you.