According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost all of us need to increase our daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. For example, a 40 year old male who is physically active for 30 minutes a day should be consuming 2 cups of fruit and 3.5 cups of vegetables every day . (To calculate your fruit and veggie need go to www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov). Most of us are not even close to this recommendation. With the staggering increase in obesity, Type II Diabetes and other chronic diseases, the need for fresh produce has never been greater. The health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables are undisputed and include important things such as lowered blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and probably some forms of cancer, as well as, improved eye and digestive health.
Everyone knows that they should be eating their vegetables, we have been hearing it for years: from our mothers, from our doctors and health care specialists, from the news and from our conscience. With all this knowledge, it would seem that we would have a population full of super-powered humans raised on a diet saturated with produce, especially here in California where literally every season has a bounty of beautifully colored, richly flavored and densely vitamined fruits and vegetables grown and harvested locally for our enjoyment. Yet we appear to be moving in the opposite direction, relying more on processed, packaged and frozen food options, and skipping the produce section, farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms, forgetting what we know or acting in defiance against ourselves.
So how do we turn the tide? We all could make a pledge, a promise, a resolution to our own health, our family’s health and our future. We could all meet or exceed our recommended fruit and vegetable needs. We could create a generation of people who prefer a carrot to a Cheeto. Set your own goals, write them down and keep track of how you are doing. Focus on high quality, local (if possible) and fresh produce. It might just be that once you overcome the initial adjustment that all change requires, you might actually enjoy your meals a little more and feel a little better. Try something new or forgotten: pick up a persimmon, try a turnip, befriend a butternut squash and explore the diversity that our beautiful planet provides.
Written by Michaela Shoberg, M.S.
Michaela is a graduate from the Master’s program in Exercise Physiology at San Francisco State University. She graduated suma cum laude and received the Distinguished Academic Achievement award for her thesis work on cycling economy. While at San Francisco State University, she taught undergraduate physical activity courses including aerobics and strength training and assisted with undergraduate research projects. Michaela is classically trained in ballet and other dance forms and has spent many years as a professional dancer.
