Vegetables are a vital component to a balanced, healthy, and nutrient-dense diet. Without vegetables we can easily become deficient in vitamins and fibre, which can leave us feeling bloated, fatigued and often depressed. For our bodies to fully thrive it is essential we are providing them with the right nutrients and supplementing for any lingering issues that need addressing. Anxiety, depression, fatigue and brain-fog can be clear signs that you are lacking in essential vitamins and minerals and no amount of sleep can replace an unhealthy diet. For our bodies to restore themselves adequately while we sleep, we need to provide them with enough nutrients while we are awake. If you’re having trouble reaching your daily suggested serving of 5 vegetables, follow these quick, easy steps to boost your diet and start feeling a whole lot better.
- Replace Carbs with Vegetables
If you’re having spag bowl for dinner ditch the pasta and replace it with zucchini or cauliflower. Switch bread for a side of sweet potato or roasted pumpkin.
- Try 1 New Vegetable Every Day
Have you ever had eggplant before? What about squash? Perhaps it’s been years since you’ve eaten a parsnip. A great game I get my patients to play is to try 1 new vegetable every day for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks you’ll be surprised by how many new favourite vegetables you have.
- Change How You Cook Vegetables
Vegetables don’t need to be blanched and boiled all the time (in fact, boiling vegetables can destroy some of the micronutrients). Try baking, steaming and mashing vegetables with herbs and spices for new flavours and textures.
- Make Big Salads
Salads can get boring when they only include the odd tomato and a few slices of cucumber. Revamp your salads with plenty of chopped or grated carrots, sprouts, snow peas, shallots, capsicum, beetroot, avocado, celery and baked pumpkin pieces. Sprinkle with seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds for extra crunch.
- Enjoy Salad Dips
Carrot, celery, snow peas and beans are amazing with fresh hummus or home-made guacamole.
As always, please feel free to get in touch with me via the www.herbsonlineshop.com contact page and if you’re not already, why not follow the @herbsonlineshop Instagram account and Facebook page and group. I post daily about my clinic, my top health tips and information about custom herbs and supplements, just for you!