I’m stating the obvious here: Better eating is essential to better health. You can’t spend a lifetime eating sugar, fat and fried foods and expect to be fit and healthy well into your 80s. Strong genes will only take you so far. Yes, I know. Change is tough! We understand. So this month, take baby steps towards making better choices.

 Start by adding at least one fistful of something green to your daily diet. I didn’t say “Add fruits and veggies to your diet.” I said one fistful of  “something green.” There’s a big difference. Leafy green vegetables in particular are the most ideal vegetable that humans can consume. Most importantly, green foods have enormous benefits. Did you know that “calorie for calorie, green leafy vegetables like spinach provide more nutrients than almost any other food on the planet”?¹ So add a fistful of green every day to your meals (small salad, a fistful of fresh spinach in your omelette, a side of broccoli with dinner). Work up to adding another fistful of fruits and veggies from the list below.

 Veggies

Spinach, Romaine, Broccoli, Iceberg (Lettuce), Endive, Arugula, Dandelion, Watercress, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Collard Greens, Kale, Chard, Horseradish, Rutabaga, Onion, Okra, Purslane, Turnip, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mushroom, Leek, Broccoli Rabe, Daikon, Bok Choy, Radish, Beet, Potato, Carrot, Sweet Potato, Taro, Yam, Jicama, Parsnip, Bean (Red, White, Pinto and Navy), Squash (Yellow, Acorn, Butternut and Spaghetti), Pumpkin, Zucchini, Bell Pepper (Green, Red, Yellow and Orange), Green Bean, Tomato, Cucumber and Celery

 Fruits

Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Clementine, Coconut, Cranberry, Fig, Grapefruit, Guava, Kiwi, Lemon, Mango, Orange, Papaya, Peach, Pineapple, Plum, Pomegranate, Quince, Raspberry, Açai Berry, Satsuma, Sharon Fruit (Persimmon), Strawberry and Watermelon

 Coming Up Next Week:  Four Weeks to Healthy Eating: Week Two—Add Whole Grains to your Diet 

1. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. Fair Winds Press, Gloucester, MA, 2007.

Tags: diet, eating, eating for health, eating green, eating healthy, fistful of green, Four Weeks to Eating Healthy, green diet, health and diet, healthy diet, healthy eating

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