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I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.
—George H. W. Bush
Perhaps Mr. Bush was a super taster who was particularly sensitive to the bitterness or sulfurous odor of broccoli. The super nutritious broccoli family includes vegetables such as kale, Brussels sprouts, and arugula. They exemplify the reason why vegetables are good for you—the power of plants in preventing cancer and promoting overall health.
Whole Food Plant-Based Eating
Different people can react differently to the same diet.
Not everyone loses weight by eating low carb. Keto can benefit certain people, but for many others, it isn't healthy long term.
We can argue all day about various diets, but two things that all health care professionals can agree upon are:
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Eat significantly more plants, especially vegetables
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Eat whole foods and not processed food <Learn more>
Vegans and vegetarians are plant-based, but whole food plant-based eating isn’t necessarily vegan or vegetarian. There are junk food vegans who don’t eat whole foods as well as whole food flexitarian omnivores who eat 60% plant-based and don’t consider themselves vegetarians.
There’s plenty of debate over vegetarianism. However, there’s no disputing that eating significantly more vegetables and mostly whole foods is good for our health.
Some diets forbid nightshade plants such as eggplant and tomatoes. Others condemn the oxalates in certain greens such as spinach and chard. There are even diets that avoid lectins, which are found mostly in beans and grains. Yet the proponents of all of these diets can still agree on the benefits of eating more vegetables in general.
Phytonutrients
In addition to the vitamins we know of, plants have phytochemicals such as antioxidants that prevent cancer and aging. Phytochemicals include the resveratrol that is found in red wine and the sulfurous compounds in garlic. Get your nutrients from real food. Taking supplements may be useless and even toxic in large amounts. <Learn more>
Phytochemicals help plants to protect themselves from predators. Yet some phytochemicals are toxic to us while others, also referred to as phytonutrients, support our immunity and prevent disease.
In fact, crumpling lettuce 10 minutes before eating it will provoke more protective phytochemical secretion—more nutritious for us! Read Jo Robinson’s Eating on the Wild Side for more details.
Robinson also explains that most of our fruits and vegetables today have been selectively bred over thousands of years. They’re larger, sweeter, and lower in phytonutrients, i.e. less nutritious, than their Paleolithic predecessors. Plants closer to their wild ancestral state, such as dandelion greens, arugula, ferns, and herbs, are usually higher in phytonutrients. Likewise, plants that have a strong sour or bitter flavor, such as the broccoli Mr. Bush despised, have more phytochemicals.
Help Lower Blood Sugar Naturally
High levels of blood sugar can lead to insulin resistance, which is associated with weight gain, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases. Given the high rate of metabolic syndrome and diabetes in the U.S., managing blood sugar is crucial. Besides feeding the microbiome, the fiber in plants, including vegetables and beans, slow down digestion and sugar absorption to help lower blood sugar naturally. Some phytonutrients may help prevent insulin resistance, though the mechanisms of how aren't known yet.
Plants Nourish the Microbiome
It makes sense that the microbiome would be related to the gastrointestinal system. Yet who would have imagined that microbes in the gut could affect mood, immunity, blood pressure, weight, and insulin response?
Barely a blip on the radar 20 years ago, there is still a lot to be learned about the microbiome. Yet it appears that its beneficial bacteria suffer when fed processed food while flourishing on prebiotics such as vegetable fiber. Artichokes, asparagus, onions, garlic, beans, and apple peels are rich sources of prebiotic fiber.
This is another reason why we can’t thrive on processed nutrition bars, despite their “perfect on paper” macronutrient profile.
Local Fruits and Vegetables
For the most part, farmer’s market produce is fresher and of better quality than what is in a grocery store. Produce for sale in stores have to be picked unripe to survive the journey and have an extended shelf life.
In addition, seasonal local produce has a much lower carbon footprint. Produce that is out of season has to be sourced from a distance—often from another continent!
Of course, even at a farmer’s market, there will be variations in the quality of the produce. Some farms grow unbelievably beautiful plants, shiny and full of life! It seems that their vivid life force will be passed on to you when you eat them.
Organic Industrialized Farming vs. Holistic Organic
Likewise, now that most people are on-board with the benefits of organic food, don’t be fooled by marketing. Consider the industrial method of organic farming, which involves raising monocrops.
On the other end of the spectrum is holistic organic farming, which supports a balanced ecosystem and biodiversity. Holistic practices include using ladybugs or bats to eat pests and planting companion crops that protect neighboring plants from pests. Unlike industrial feedlots which truck out cow manure and bring in feed grown elsewhere, holistic farmers make fertilizer on-site.
There are many variables that determine where and how we decide to shop. Don’t be manipulated into buying something simply because it’s labeled “organic.” There might be a local farmer, for instance, who practices holistic organic farming, but can’t afford organic certification.
Harness the Health Benefits of Vegetables
It’s not just that mothers know best—there are countless health benefits of vegetables. Vegetables help prevent insulin resistance, are rich in phytonutrients, and nourish the microbiome. Local, organic, and holistic farming cultivates the most vibrant produce.
If you do just two things—eat more vegetables and unprocessed food—you’re already at 80% to eating well! And rather than trying to optimize that last 20%, how about spending your time doing other things that you enjoy?
Like this post and want to learn more? Find out more about reconnecting with whole foods and plants in my book, Nature's Palette: A Food Journey.
Want to incorporate more vegetables and whole foods into your diet? I can create a tailor-made eating plan for you and teach you how to shop intelligently and prepare easy and delicious meals. Schedule a free consultation.