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- There’s a long list of reasons to add more vegetables into your diet.
- While some might be obvious — like helping you to lose weight — others, like the emotional aspects, aren’t as intuitive.
- Here is why, according to health and wellness experts, you should load your plate with vegetables, even if you don’t want to.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Americans have a lover affair with foods filled with fat, salt, and sugar.
For some people, eating unhealthy foods is a result of not knowing which ones are good or bad for them. For others, it may be a primary emotional coping mechanism.
But it’s important to remember that no matter the emotion, whether it be stress, anger, boredom, loneliness, or something else, it can’t be filled with food.
In fact, a diet high in processed foods and low in vegetables has been associated with depression, whereas a diet high in fresh produce has been linked to an improvement in mental health.
There’s clearly a long list of reasons to add more vegetables into your diet. While some might be obvious — like having an easier time slipping into skinny jeans you bought last year — others, like the emotional aspects, aren’t as intuitive.
We reached out to health and wellness experts and asked them to share reasons why you should load your plate with vegetables, even if you don’t want to.
You’ll be happier
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An oft-quoted 2016 study showed that increased vegetable consumption was correlated with more happiness and life satisfaction, but there are many more where that came from. In fact, just earlier this year a new study was published that showed there was a strong connection between eating vegetables and improved mental health.
Read more: The 12 healthiest lettuces and leafy greens for you, ranked
"As vegetables increase in the diet, happiness might be a change that is noticed before specific physical changes in the body, so I always tell people to consider eating vegetables an investment in happiness," Naomi Whittel, a wellness expert and author of "Glow15," told Business Insider.
It will boost brain health
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"Veggies such as avocado, tomatoes, kale, and spinach have antioxidants that are known to help reduce inflammation and have the ability to protect your vital organs such as your brain," Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, a dietitian with the chickpea pasta brand Banza, told Business Insider. "These nutrients are also key drivers for optimal brain functioning and mood stability."
Dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach have been particularly singled for their ability to slow memory decline.
You’ll sleep better
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Several studies have looked at the association between vegetable consumption and sleep length and quality.
"It’s no surprise that more veggies equals better sleep as the micronutrients in vegetables help to promote healthy circadian rhythms," Whittel said. "Better sleep means better work ability and efficiency, so eat those veggies and get your Z’s."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Sharon Feiereisen)