The Perfect 5 a Day

You’ve heard the recommendation to eat ‘5-A-Day.” Eating more fruits and vegetables reduces your risk of chronic disease and helps you live a longer and healthier life. But does it matter exactly which fruits and vegetables you choose to fill these 5?

A study just published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation looked at data from nearly 2 million adults to answer this question. Some of the data they looked at tracked people for as long as 30 years. Here’s what they found:

• Eating 5 fruits and vegetable servings per day was associated with the lowest risk of death.

• Eating more than 5 was not associated with any additional benefit.

• Not all foods that people consider to be ‘fruits and vegetables’ offered the same benefit.

• Foods that DID NOT reduce the risk of death or chronic disease were starchy vegetables, peas, potatoes, corn, and fruit juices.

• Foods that DID reduce the risk of death or chronic disease were green leafy vegetables, carrots, citrus fruits, and berries.

• The perfect mix of 5 was 2 fruits + 3 vegetables per day.

I love this type of research because it is extremely thorough and backs up recommendations I make every day! Don’t count your corn and potatoes as vegetables!!

Load up on greens, like spinach, kale, collards, and broccoli. Snack on fruits that have a more balancing effect on blood sugars—like pears, green apples, blueberries, and raspberries.

I also believe that no single diet is best for every person. We need to look at your family history, predispositions, and unique biochemistry. I work on making healthy eating easy for every person I work with, because this lays your foundation for excellent health.