What is a Vegetable? Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Vegetables to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Why are Vegetables Important for Heart Disease?
Why are vegetables important? I keep on talking about how your arteries are a muscle not a pipe. We just cannot go into our arteries and clean them out like a pipe. They have to heal like any muscle in your body. The issue is that you necessarily cannot see the healing or disease process until a heart attack or stroke.
One of the best things to have your arteries heal is to give them the right environment to do so. We all know the difference between something good and bad. Well if you have something bad going on in your arteries vegetables should be the base of support for the way you eat. Trust me they don’t taste bad and more importantly you feel better when you eat better. Vegetables and fruits will provide the essential vitamins, minerals, nutrients and anti-oxidants to prevent and reverse heart disease and more importantly have your arteries reverse the disease process. It does take work so enjoy the rest of the post to understand how much vegetables we require.
What are the best types of Vegetables?
It is best to eat vegetables as they are in season. Vegetables that are green and leafy are going to be my number one recommendation as they will heal the artery walls the best.
Winter:
Mushrooms, onions and leeks, sweet potatoes, turnips and yams
Spring:
Broccoli, cabbage, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, onions and leeks, peas, rhubarb, and spinach
Summer:
Beets, eggplant, garlic, green beans, lima beans, mushrooms, peas, radishes and tomatoes.
Fall:
Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, parsnips, sweet potatoes, yams (not yam fries) and mushrooms.
What is a serving of Vegetables?
So here I think it is best to provide images of what a serving size is of a vegetable. It is not hard to get up to my recommendation of 10 servings a day. Having a green smoothie or soup allows you to consume a good amount on one sitting ( that is what I do).
1 serving of Vegetables: 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables (about the size of a small fist), 1/2 cup of other vegetables or 1/2 cup of fresh pressed vegetable juice.
To be a little more specific: 1/2 cup of raw or cooked vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, onions)
1 large celery stalk. 1 medium sized carrot or 1/2 dozen baby carrots. 1 cup of leafy vegetables (which are my favourite for reversing disease process).
Since Fruits are important too: 1 medium fruit (medium is defined as the size of a baseball); 1/2 cup chopped, cooked or canned fruit; or 1/2 cup pressed juice.
What if you feel you still cannot get enough Vegetables and Fruits?
Then I recommend supplementing like I do. I am human. I managed to reverse a big GI problem with nutrition and a lot had to do with vegetables. Our food guide talks about 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables. Really it should be closer to 10. If you are trying to reverse a disease you should be at least 10. The average person is lucky to get 3.
I have a smoothie for breakfast and this gets me on the right track for the day, but when I add up what I have in a day I am lucky to get to seven or so. Well if you have concerns maintaining a high amount of vegetables in your diet just let me know. Fill the form below or respond to me via email and I will be happy to share what I am doing.