Healthy Habits: 10 Reasons to eat more fruit and veggies...

1. Eating more fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet may help you reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and some forms of cancer.
2. The fiber in fruits and vegetables may help to lower blood cholesterol levels.
3. Eating more fruits and vegetables may help reduce your chance of Type 2 diabetes.
4. Generally, fruits and vegetables are lower in calories than many other foods, so choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables can help to lower your overall calorie intake.
5. Foods that are rich in potassium like oranges and bananas may help you maintain a healthy blood pressure.
6. Almost all fruits and many vegetables are low in fat and sodium. Also, fruits and vegetables are naturally cholesterol free.
7. Eating whole fruits and vegetables adds fiber to your diet. Fiber fills you up. This feeling of fullness may help you maintain your weight.
8. If you are a woman of childbearing age or in your first trimester of pregnancy, you need folate (folic acid), a nutrient that is found in fruits and vegetables. Folate reduces the risk of birth defects during your baby’s development.
9. Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals (plant compounds) that may help prevent or delay disease and help you maintain good health.
10. And finally, here’s a great reason to eat more fruits and vegetables – the variety of colors, flavors, and textures that fruits and vegetables bring to meals and snacks.