To be honest I heard this statistic a few years ago at a Dr Libby seminar so it may have changed since then. But given the fact that New Zealand still ranks third in the OECD for Obesity (as reported by the Ministry of Health) I highly doubt the 10% statistic has changed that much.
What is it that only a small percentage of Kiwis are getting? 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables a day!!
Australia recommends 7+ per day!!
Can you believe it that people aren’t getting all their fruits and veges?
I can.
Perception is key. When I see that Kiwifruit are (at the time of writing this blog) being sold at over $7 a kilo it’s very easy to see why people think healthy eating is expensive. But if you shop around there are still plenty of fruit and vege options. Buy seasonally.
I’ve started buying The Odd Bunch brand. To my knowledge they do tomatoes, potatoes, onions, maybe carrots? They aren’t perfect looking but so what?? They are going to get chopped up anyway and as long as your digestive system is working the way it should is the look going to make any difference to the nutrients that will get absorbed?
As a one income household I get it. We watch our spending habits definitely but it’s all about choices right? As the income provider and the runner of the household I choose what goes in the cupboard. My kids often like to complain that “there’s nothing to eat!!” when in reality there’s just nothing they want to take time to make.
But it’s not my job to provide them with “convenient junk” that does not serve or nourish them. It just isn’t.
When we eat in a way that is balanced and nourishing and focus on whole and real foods then we don’t actually need to eat as much in portion sizes as we think. We just don’t. So food lasts longer.
I’m not even going to mention the long term financial impact of poor food choices both on the individual and the tax payer. I know where I’d rather be spending my money and it’s definitely not lining the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies who make a killing on diseases that can be largely prevented by better food choices.
And a great place to start includes boosting our intake of fruits and vegetables. Aside from all the different nutrients that come from fruits and vegetables they are great sources of fibre to help keep us regular. (As a side note if you’re not taking a crap every single day then that needs to be sorted – fibre will help) Fibre alongside proteins and healthy fats will help to keep you fuller for longer and you energy levels more balanced so you aren’t experiencing the highs and lows in your energy throughout the day. And the portion sizes don’t need to be huge.
Remember, it doesn’t have to all be fresh. Frozen is fine, even tinned (just make sure you get the ones in their own juice not syrup).
So where do nutrition shakes fit in to the equation? Well, we already are aware that our food supply is lacking several essential nutrients such as (but not limited to) zinc and selenium so a quality nutrition shake will help take the question mark out of “am I getting everything my bodies needs?”. Remember, you still need to eat whole and real foods, quality shakes and supplements are designed to SUPPORT good whole food eating.
Shakes/smoothies are also a great opportunity to get your fruits and veges in. Just chuck it all in the blender and blend away. And then drink it down. You could easily have your 2 serves of fruit and 2 – 3 serves of veges before you get to dinner time.
And sometimes, before we start eliminating stuff out of our eating, it may be better to just add stuff in such as the fruits and vegetables. So focus on adding in rather than eliminating if that works better for you (for optimal health though you will need to eliminate eventually all the stuff that doesn’t serve you such as unhealthy fats, excess sugar, white flour, excess salt, preservatives, food coloring).
Our goal is to be nourishing our bodies with vitamins, minerals, fibre, quality carbohydrates, healthy fats, proteins, amino acids, phytonutrients, and antioxidants because that’s what our bodies are designed to digest, not all the other rubbish.
Your body will thank you for it and reward you with more energy and move you towards better health.
But don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself, see what happens for you in just 5 days with our low cost trial either at our Lower Hutt Based Smoothie Club or from the comfort of your own home.
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Email: helen@trilogynz.com
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