why you should eat veggies on a diet

although id like to think most of you are here for a lifestyle change - some of you still see it as a diet and arn't getting enough veggies, heres some reasons why you should.

High Daily Intake Of Fruits, Vegetables, Greens and Beans Can Help You Take Control


High levels of fruits, vegetables, greens and beans help you lose weight because they are low in calories, high in volume and high in critically important nutrients. On a very practical level they fill you up, without loading you up with fat and calories. And when your stomach is filled up with high volume, low calorie food, there is less room for other bad stuff.

There is also a growing body of evidence that shows that plant-based foods help to control food cravings and overeating. They are nutrient dense, which simply means they are packed with all sorts of good things for you, which is something most of us know.

But what is new is the idea that a diet very high (much more than the recommended 5 servings a day) can help turn off our cravings for processed foods. They can short circut the food addiction cycle, and help provide a jolt to your weight loss efforts.

Your Diet May Be Balanced- But Are You?

The average American diet is roughly 8% fruits, vegetables and beans. We are told to eat 5 or more portions a day, but to get real impact on your weight or health, you need to radically and dramatically increase daily intake, and put a special focus on green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and salad. Often what keeps us from doing this is that we are told to pursue a "balanced diet" and to "eat sensibly". But what if your body is out of balance and overweight? In order to attain balance, might we need to pursue an "unbalanced diet" where we simply invert the ratios of fruits and vegetables in relation to everything else?

For those of you following the PEERtrainer Cheat System, you know how easy this can be, even if you eat "normally" most days. The key thing we have discovered, is that many "health" plans are hard to follow, and can be unforgiving, especially for newcomers. Traditional diet plans are generally very "status quo" oriented, because that is where the money is. PEERtrainer's free system is a hybrid of the two approaches, and it works really well if you are willing to some very basic portion control. For those of you who have not downloaded your copy, you can find out how to do so here.

Why Fruits and Vegetables Fight Food Cravings

Our body is really smart, and often sends us signals. Hunger is a big signal. It is your own body telling you to eat. If you have ever been pregnant (or known someone who has!) you are familiar with peculiar food cravings. It is the same thing with your body and nutrients. Your body is looking for specific nutrients and is not getting them in nutrient poor processed foods, and anything marked low fat or low carb. So you eat and you eat and you eat but the body still hasn't gotten what it needs. It's still looking for the nutrients available in fruits and vegetables. Learning to listen to your body will be a skill you develop as you log daily on PEERtrainer or take part in our free coaching program. You will begin to see how you feel in relation to what you eat. You can test these ideas on yourself.

PEERtrainer Diet Tip: Beans Are A Dieters Best Friend

Did you know that a serving of beans (legumes) has the same amount of protein as a serving of meat? The calories are also the same, but the fat content of beans is negligible. The fiber content of beans is extremely high. Meat is the exact opposite. The most important part though, is that beans will fill you up even more so than a hamburger. A 1/4 pound of beans is simply much bigger in your stomach than 1/4 pound of hamburger. Try it and you will be amazed.

I Don't Like Fruits and Vegetables!!!!

What if you don't like fruits and vegetables? Take out a pen and list all the vegetables you've heard of and we'll bet there are a few you like. Artichokes? Corn? Cucumber? On this list, circle all the vegetables you like, and tape the list to your refrigerator. You don't have to eat a different one a day. Find a few you like, and start to incorporate them in your diet. Start by incorporating just one vegetable a day in each meal and one fruit. Maybe you are getting older and would be motivated by the fact that certain fruits like Pears help to preserve your eyesight, lower your cholesterol and help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Just being told that "something is good for you" often does nothing. But if you have a specific reason, for example mapping pears and fruit to better eyesight, it will help in your day to day decision making.

You'll find, as time goes on and you get suggestions of ways to prepare them from others, you'll start to try different ones. Just get the habit formed with ones you like and your body will start to build up its nutrient reserves. Getting in the habit of eating a huge salad or two each day is a great way to make the bulk of your diet healthy and nutrient dense. If you make enough of a change in your diet, your body will start to respond very quickly. If you replace meat and dairy with healthy foods, you will lose weight quickly.

What Vegetables and Fruits Speed Up Weight Loss

There is a growing body of evidence that shows that not all fruits and vegetables are created equally. Certain fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients per calorie than others, and these nutrients help your body do what it needs and wants to. When your body is getting what it needs, you are going to feel better physically. And you just may feel better emotionally. The absolute best vegetables to help speed up weight loss are green vegetables- Collard Greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage. If you are in a Chinese restaurant, pay very close attention to the vegetables they serve. And get in the habit of eating them. If you want to lose weight quickly, you need to eat a ton of these vegetables every day and start to get a sense of your portion sizes. Other things that will help you lose weight quickly are Romaine Lettuce, Vegetable Juice, Boston Lettuce, Carrot Juice, Tomato Sauce and Red and Green Peppers. If it grows, eat a LOT of it!!

Just like vegetables, not all fruit is created equally. You hear that certain fruits are "anti-oxidant superfoods." These fruits also will help you lose weight more quickly. Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries are at the top of the list when it comes to helping speed up weight loss. You might be worried about the calories in strawberries but you need to realize there are only 74 per cup and those are the calories you want. There are even fewer calories in raspberries. They will give you energy, make you feel great and help burn off fat very quickly. They also help to fight cancer. This summer, find a place where wild raspberries grow and take a hike to that place. And gorge on them! You will have a great day- and it is free. If you are a parent, these kinds of activities kids love and will help them form great behaviors for their lifetime. A gift to yourself and others.

"This Is Nothing I Have Not Heard Before, What Will Make It Different This Time?"

One thing we hear over and over is that people know a lot of this stuff but have a hard time following through and putting it into practice. The thing that we would observe is that people have developed an all or nothing mentality when it comes to weight loss. You really need to stop, take a deep breath and just give yourself a break first of all. A good way to think about adding fruits and vegetables to your diet is that you are "building your fruits and veggies muscle." Just build the muscle over time. Every meal is a chance for a workout. Every trip to the grocery store is a chance to plan your workout. And this workout you get to eat!

It also may be that you have some mindset issues to work on that are the real block to weight loss. We hear from so many people that they "know all this" about vegetables and greens, but they have a hard time with emotional eating and other issues relating to "knowing what to do but not being able to follow through on what they know.