My love for vegetables knows no end
I think I’m a flexitarian- am I…better than everyone? jk
So welcome back to my channel! [shameless plug, I actually do have a channel- feel free to subscribe as there’ll be kix, giggles and gems dropped there too!- TuereTalks. YouTube]
But seriously this vegetables thing, like why is it so serious? Basically, whether dark green and leafy or cruciferous or stem we can all benefit from a bit more in our diets. I know I know, inflation and flooding and literally if it isn’t one thing it’s the next, but we can make it if we try just a little harder (huge Stalin fan here).
My purpose is to elevate my community by sharing knowledge that helps with choices related to your health. It certainly doesn’t mean you must have mushrooms, spinach or brussel sprouts everyday, but it does mean you should know the benefits regarding nutrient absorption of these foods and how to get them more often than not.
There is also such a thing as food rotation. What we want is to switch up the way in which we get these nutrients and include a supplement ONLY if you realise you aren’t primarily getting enough from your diet.
Fibre
The average amount of fibre in vegetables contributes to about 8% of what is needed by your body on a daily basis. And in case you needed a reminder- we NEED fibre. It helps with the flourishing of good gut bacteria, it can regulate our appetite, it’s important for overall health. Inflammation in the body can sometimes be attributed to lifestyle factors, such as lack of physical activity and having ‘sometimes foods’ more than sometimes, but foods rich in fibre can combat this inflammation. According to the National Library of Medicine, among other effects, “Global obesity prevalence has tripled over the last half century” (Barber. T, Kabisch. S, Pfeiffer. A.F.H & Weickert. M.O, 2020) and including fibre-rich foods and decreasing foods rich in saturated fat, salt and sugar (not in isolation) can reduce inflammation and have a positive impact on body weight.
Folate
This form of Vitamin B9 is found in both animal and plant sources, like eggs and callaloo, bhagi, broccoli to name a few. We need folate to help our red blood cells mature and even to help produce certain proteins- sounds like a pretty serious job to me! Not to mention, there has been a link between folate intake and reduced cancer risk as well.
Iron
Non-heme iron is found specifically in, you guessed it- leafy greens! Don’t call it a come back lol. Low iron levels can sometimes result in low energy and even irritability. Even though heme iron is more easily absorbed by the body, a couple easy ways to increase non- heme absorption are pairing these foods with vitamin-c rich sources and perhaps even cooking in a cast iron pan.
“And with that, February’s blog has come to an end.”
When (not if) you watched my YouTube, you would realise I love a curry- so give me some curried bhagi and bodi any day! However, other easy ways to sneak some veggies in is a blended dip for snack plates or even a sauce for your pasta dishes.
Whatever your choice, remember to vary the vegetables that you get your nutrients from.
