Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins and minerals as well as some lesser known but equally as important nutrients.
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is one of the most powerful wound-healers and blood-builders known. Chlorophyll is found most abundantly in dark green vegetables. Dark green vegetables are also higher in bioavailable calcium than dairy products.
Indoles
Indoles are a phytonutrient that supports key liver enzyme functions and detoxification pathways that can neutralize dangerous hormones and carcinogens. They are found in cruciferous vegetables, including kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collard, and brussels sprouts.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are phytonutrients that boost immune function and are full of powerful antioxidants. They are found in fresh produce that is yellow, orange, green, purple, and red.
Fiber
Fiber that is found in whole fruits and vegetables binds to cancer-promoting hormones and chemicals and carries them out of our bodies. Ideally, we should be consuming 50g of fiber per day, whereas most Americans are only consuming 5g of fiber per day.
Research shows that to give our bodies the amount of nutrients it truly needs to have a strong immune system and fight disease we should be consuming three servings of fruit and six to seven servings of vegetables each day. It is important to eat more vegetables than fruit as the sugar content in fruit is much higher than vegetables. Getting the proper amount of fruits and vegetables can be challenging, especially for busy families. Smoothies are a great way to consume a large amount of fruits and vegetables in one meal or snack. Smoothies are also a great place to sneak those dark green, leafy vegetables into your children’s diet. When blended with frozen berries, they’ll never even taste a few handfuls of kale or spinach, but they will benefit from the essential nutrients.
Filed Under: carotenoids, chlorophyll, diet, fiber, fruits, indoles