Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

BolivarianSocialist — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 04:10:15 GMT

hello all: I have a question about fruits, specifically about apples. Ok the thing is that this article claims that fruits can make you fat, hinder weight loss and are treated the same as pizza or bread carbs. But i don't think this is true. Because fruits have lower glycemic index than potatoes, rice, or bagels.

I mean i am on a high protein, low starchy carbohydrate, low fat, diet and i love apples so much, that it would be hard to give them up. I can't eat an all protein 100% protein diet

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

sante — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 06:31:30 GMT

interesting that the govn recommendation is only 2 fruit, 3 vege - in Australia they are advertising 2 fruit & 5 vege as a minimum.

I find a great way to increase intake is in a smoothy (no milk of course), today I blended up:
1 tomato
hand full of berries
1 banana
1 mandarine
1 egg
tsp powdered greens
dash of juice to increase liquid
mmmmm, tasted yummy ..

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

Barbara Charis — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:33:42 GMT

Ten a day! Is the way! I love both fruits & veggies.
At 73 I have no physical complaints - and did the LA Marathon to celebrate birthdays - 60, 65 & 70. I did the last one in 2004 without training for it - simply ate lots of fruit & veggies for the year preceding it.
I'm planning on running the LA Marathon all the way in 2009 to celebrate my 75th birthday (and will train at least a year, because I would like to do it in less time than the last one). It was a 90 degree day and I had to take several sun breaks.
Bananas - my favorite fruit - have 5.4 grams of protein per lb.   People don't know that we can get all the protein we need from fruit & veggies - and that excessive protein, fat and carbs are the cause of most diseases.
Spinach has 10.3 grams of protein per lb. , yams 8 grams per lb. broccoli 14.85 grams per lb., etc. Most people need between 25 - 35 grams of protein max.
Where did people get the idea that they needed all this extra protein - when the largest vegetarian animals only eat vegetation?
When nutrition studies began in the 1920's or 1930's - rats were used to determine human protein needs. Rats eat grains, but are also carnivorous. They have sharp incisors for tearing & biting.
Humans are more like gorillas than rats - so how come rats were used to determine human protein needs?
In the beginning of human history - mankind lived in hot climates where fruit was abundant. Fruit is the primary food of mankind. Our problem today in handling fruit - stems from the fact that man has broken his pancreas down by eating foods that were not designed for human consumption - namely grains!
Since childhood, I haven't eaten grains often - so I can handle fruit in abundance.

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

garyt1992 — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:52:54 GMT

I'm currently working on improving my health I read everything I can find about health and obesity. I've come to this conclusion. Improving my breathing by breating using the lower diaphram to get more air into the lungs, drinking at least a half gallon of water and am now moving over to bottled water to get away from clorine and other chemical contaminates.
I walk two to five miles a day and do Qigong and Tai Chi for twenty minutes every day. I have just started using Organically produce vegetables and fruits. also eggs and meats. The latter is more difficult because of the food and drug industry. The old doctors were a different breed of cat. Our old Doc, when my daughter had a bad cough he said juice a lemon and mix it with a tablespoon of honey. That he said is the best cough medicine you can get. Those guys are far and few between in todays world. By the way I'm 73 years old and feel great, but I want to stay that way. I thank Dr. Mercola for being here for those that care.

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

Dr. Rick — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:08:05 GMT

I think this stuff about the palelolithic ancestors is bunk. They didn't live very long! They certainly only ate what was available wherever they were. Whatever food they stored became fungus-ridden, even if ths fungus was not visible, and most fungi have carginogens and other toxins. Maybe if they lived on tropical islands, where they could eat fish and guavas, they'd be okay. Anywhere inland, though, would present problems in terms of getting a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

TALKINGHERBALS — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:44:24 GMT

The research on the benefits of Pomegranates are amazing,heart disease, skin cancer, diabetes and more , I came across a great information site, called POMNEWS.com, This list the latest scientific studies on Pomegranate and other fruits.

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

annapavlova42 — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:35:42 GMT

Pat,

Thank you for responding about that other ,invasive comment. Thought I was the only one. Wonder why this is happening??????

Annapavlova42

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

annapavlova42 — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:57:15 GMT

While I have no idea why, I do know that even very small amounts of xylitol make both my husband and I horribly dizzy... To the point where I won't even get behind the wheel of a car and drive. Sometimes it's followed by an odd sort of headache that usually doesn't go away until I've taken a nap. I can't use it.

No one should use drugs of any kind, including animals.. We all know that the big corporations, Governments, and big farma are more in volved with the bottom line then anything else.

All of life- kind are holographic and are able to reproduce new cells and tissues with the proper nutritional diet and the lack of envirornmrntal toxins. Their are also homeopathic remedies, naturalpathic, holistic remedies to help us to flush out these toxins.

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

mrpaul — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 10:47:47 GMT

I was struck by the note about how the average lifespan in America has already fallen. I missed that one when it came out. It makes me wonder how many other Americans may not be aware of that fact as well. For me, at least, it seems to be a statistic that should be a powerful wake up call.

Now if only the mainstream media would go beyond the 'eat more fruit and veggies' message and explain to the populace how gluten-filled grains are damaging their digestive systems to the point of severely impairing the absorption of vital nutrients from those fruits and veggies...

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

enzo — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 10:22:47 GMT

With age comes wisdom (sometimes). When people are young they feel so energetic and indestructible they tend to follow their impulses. Advertisers work our weaknesses to their advantage, and they sell the hell out of their products to our youths. Think about that demographic…18-24…sound familiar? My God, that's the most sought after demographic in product promotion, because it hooks consumers into a lifetime pattern…(read: future sales).

As we age we have the experience, and the power of "reflection". Reflection enables us to look back on our lives with an honest and critical eye. We are able to finally understand what the power of peer pressure, and impulse manipulation has brought us to…and rarely is it a good place. Hence, when we ultimately reach "senior" status we are able to say with experience-bought wisdom:

"If I only knew then, what I know now…"

Time wasted…days spent foolishly…intentional physical self-neglect and abuse for brief moment of pleasure……Ahh, if only we could have done it right the first time…

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

Bryan - oz4caster — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 00:18:27 GMT

Let's see.....USDA.....US Dept of Aggravation?

May be one upped by the Federal Dept of Aggravation?

Big Pharma's Lunatic FDA Says Cherries Are Now DRUGS

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

PPARGammaGirl — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 22:52:52 GMT

I’m not entirely convinced about the healthfulness of most “modern fruit” as it has such a high sugar content compared to what our Palaeolithic ancestors would have eaten. The only fruit I eat are the smaller, sourer ones like plums and berries – the flavonol content is higher and the sugar content lower. Fruit “vegetables” (tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants – basically any vegetable with seeds in) are excellent because as opposed to starchy vegetables, they “want” to be eaten – their reproduction and propagation depends on it. Starchy vegetables have lectins (at varying levels) to dissuade animals from eating them and are probably not so healthy when raw.

As Duane would say – just my opinion.

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

Lloyd Fielder D.C. — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 22:14:43 GMT

Our government and our politicians are always on the lookout for adopting more access to drugs and surgery for people with the false assumption it will help them be well. Knowing the importance and direct causation between eating well and health/disease outcomes I think while a dream it would be great if they pushed for a vegetable and fruit program. That would be awesome :).

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

Josh Rubin — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 21:33:48 GMT

Besides the many other reasons why Americans don't eat veggies like, they are addicted to sugar, fast foods, etc. I feel most don't like veggies because the don't taste like anything. Most conventional veggies besides being pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide ridden, they are mostly water. Organic veggies taste so much different because they actually contain nutrients and life!

re: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables and Fruits?

Russ Bianchi — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:38:40 GMT

As the old saying goes: "Be Careful What You Wish For"...specifically, I refer to all fruits and veggies that are not created equal, as most regular Mercola readers already are aware.

Real unprocessed and natural produce is nutritionally bioavailabe and of benefit to one's health.

But for those of you not knowing, AVOID stripped, deionized, concentrated and essentially fiberless and nutrient void (as well as health benefit void) fruit juice products, or processed fruit products, counting as any fruit portion in a healthy diet.

Said another way, fruit leather (candy), fruit smoothies/shakes/dietary supplement drinks (mostly stripped sugars from things like pasteurized banana purees as a base bulking ingredient), fruit flavored gummies (now being touted in children's fake vitamins and minerals brands named after prehistoric cartoon characters, that are not absorbable) or most fruit sorbets (loaded with emuslifiers, stabilizers, preservatives, binders and cheap sugars) are NOT real fruit for health benefit.

Ditto on veggies. The more processed, cooked, frozen, nuked, par boil, aseptically packed, vacuum dried, powdered, etc., the worse nutritionally for you.

It remains non rocket science to figure out that many primary disease pandemics, including cancer, obesity, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and cardio vascular disease, are directly linked and caused by the horrendous toxic triggers in our current food, beverage, pharmaceutical and packaging delivery in America, Europe, Asia and other emerging global economies.