Hippocrates, one of the founding fathers of medicine, once said to let, “medicine be thy food, and food be thy medicine.” So what did he mean by all that? For thousands of years, human beings have understood that eating fresh, whole foods that come from the earth and not a lab is ideal for maintaining good health and even improving poor-quality health. For example, eating a healthy diet has been proven to protect you against getting heart disease and having a heart attack. Getting adequate servings of vegetables and fruits in a healthy diet will give you numerous other health benefits, too. Ideally, adults should eat five servings of fruit and vegetables per day.

1. Add Fiber to Your Diet

Fresh fruit and vegetables are full of fiber, and dietary fiber is critical for maintaining an optimum level of health. People who eat a diet high in fruits and veggies naturally increase their fiber levels, which has numerous benefits:

• Eating enough fiber normalises and regulates bowel movements. Without sufficient fiber, constipation, a painful and annoying bowel issue, can happen. On average, people only get about 15 grams of fiber in their diet per day, with 31 grams being ideal, according to official dietary guidelines. To improve fiber levels, eat more fruits and vegetables. It’s a quick, easy, and tasty fix.
• When you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, you improve overall bowel health. 
• Dietary fiber from fruits and veggies helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
• Dietary fiber from servings of fruits and veggies can help you maintain an ideal weight.

There are two types of dietary fiber, and they can come from different sources. The first type of fiber is water-soluble. Once it comes into contact with water, it turns into a gel-like substance that can lower blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels. You can get water-soluble fiber from citrus fruits, apples, peas, and carrots. The second type of fiber is called insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is the kind that benefits the bowels. Cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes are good sources of insoluble fiber. 

2. Lose and Maintain a Healthy Weight

Fruits and vegetables, whether fresh or frozen or dried fruits, can help you lose or maintain a healthy weight. Natural whole foods tend to be lower in calories than processed foods, but they are higher in nutrients. Because these foods are more nutrient-dense, they nurture the body and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Processed foods are high in calories, but low in nutrition.

When you eat a diet that’s heavy in processed foods, you tend to feel hungry a lot more than if you were to eat whole natural foods. Your body is essentially starving for nutrients when you eat too many Frankenfoods instead of what’s healthy for you. This is one reason why people who are overweight may often feel hungry and suffer from a range of nutritional deficits. If you’re already a healthy weight, adding a variety of fruits and vegetables to your diet will help you get the right amount of vitamins and nutrients you need to stay healthy - without increasing your calorie count and gaining weight.

3. Reduce the Risk of Serious Health Conditions

Getting older doesn’t have to mean getting sicker. As you add years to the calendar, some people might think this means that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease are inevitable. But diet and lifestyle choices play a significant role in whether or not you end up with these conditions and other health problems as you age. 

Replacing Frankenfoods high in cholesterol and sodium with healthy fruits and veggies can reduce your risk of heart disease and other serious health issues. If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you can mitigate these conditions with diet changes. People with type 2 diabetes can also lower their blood sugar levels by replacing unhealthy processed foods high in sugar with fruits and vegetables. 

How can you benefit the most from the power of fruits and vegetables?

Not all fruits and vegetables are created equally, and depending on a person’s health, they may not benefit from eating certain types of fruits or vegetables. For one thing, people might think that replacing whole fruits with fruit juices is healthy, but that’s not entirely true. Fruit juices are full of added sugar. But phytonutrients and vitamins in fruits and vegetables are in all parts of the food, not just the juice. By only drinking the juice, consumers are missing out on other vital nutrients that their health could benefit from.

Phytonutrients are chemicals in plants that offer humans the most health benefits. These chemical compounds are what give fruits and vegetables their colour, texture, smell, and taste. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in many different colours is ideal for getting a balanced and healthy diet from these superfoods. 

Not everyone is lucky enough to live in an area where they have access year-round to a variety of high-quality fruits and vegetables. Fortunately, it is possible to order boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables from a reputable company. Get fresh fruits, and vegetables delivered straight to your door and start seeing massive improvements in your health.