- Eating fruits and vegetables makes you happy!
While it is well known that eating lots of fruit and vegetable is good for physical health, new research says that the benefits include mental health as well. They are believed not just to promote general wellbeing but are also said to keep you happy. Sounds unbelievable? There is research to support it!
- What does the study say?
The new study, conducted by Neel Ocean and Peter Howley from the University of Leeds, shows that an increase in the consumption of fruit and vegetable can be linked to an increase in self-reported mental well-being, and life satisfaction in data that spans a five-year period, reported CNN.
- Good for mental health
The work suggests that adding one portion of fruit or veggies to the diet per day can be as beneficial to mental well-being as going for a walk on an extra seven to eight days a month. For example, vitamins C and E has been shown to lower inflammatory markers linked to depressive mood.
- Only a portion does the magic
One portion is equal to one cup of raw vegetable (the size of a fist), half a cup of cooked vegetable or chopped fruit, or one piece of whole fruit. This result means that there is a way to improve mental health and that could be something as simple as eating an extra piece of fruit every day or having a salad with a meal.
- The best way to eat fruits
Eating whole fruits is the best way to get the most out of them. Avoid peeling apples, pears and guava if you buy them organic. Having fruits as a snack is the best thing you can do to your body. They not just keep you satiated but also help you lose weight.
- The best way to eat veggies
The best way to eat veggies is not to overcook them. Cooking them too much on high temperature leaches away their nutrients. The best way to have leafy vegetables is to blanch them and for green veggies, one should parboil them.