5 tips to eating your veggies.

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

Just about everyone knows that any healthy diet should be based primarily in vegetables. With a fat loss diet, more than half the total food volume comes from vegetables. Most of the rest comes from lean protein. Then a small amount comes in the form of good quality starches, fruits, and a small amount of dairy. Here in the South some of the most popular restaurants are all-you-can-eat, buffet-style places. If you have ever been in one of these places I suggest you go. It is actually very instructive. If you take a look around at what people are selecting from the buffet what you will see is pasta next to potatoes on top of rolls and rice. Then you will see a big fatty piece of meat. Wedged between the fatty meat and all that white starch you will find 1 to 3 little green beans.

Vegetables just don't seem to be a priority for most people. However, if you are going to achieve fat loss you are going to need to learn to eat vegetables. Vegetables are the best source of fiber since, unlike whole grains, it comes with very little starch/sugar. This is the major reason you should seek out vegetables for your fiber rather than grains. The sugar:fiber ratio is one of the most important aspect of a fat loss diet since it will determine the total insulin production from a meal and impact how full you feel and therefore how many calories you may consume.

Here are 5 tips to getting the benefits of vegetables in a quick paced world:

1. Eat a salad as a starter to every meal. Most people want to start with chips, bread, or alcohol before their meals. All of these will make it more likely shut down fat burning and increase fat storage because they create the one-two punch of fat gain; high calories and hormonal imbalance. A salad will keep you occupied while everyone else gets stuffed on bread. The bitter compounds in salad greens are also known as a great way to stimulate digestive enzymes, and activate GLP-1 a hunger hormone that makes you feel full more quickly. Salads are also very low in calories, but high in water and fiber, a good combination for fat burning. Finally, by adding a vinegar based dressing like balsamic vinaigrette or Italian, you can reap the benefits of vinegar which has been shown to make you full more quickly and keep you that way for longer. It is also an effective way to lower the insulin response of a meal.

2. Use Vegetables as snacks. Cut up vegetables like celery, carrots, and peppers are a quick and easy snack and something to munch on. Eating vegetables instead of grains, chips, and processed snacks has a huge advantage for fat loss. Adding a small amount of peanut butter or nut butters will help improve the taste and satisfy you for longer.

3. Use a vegetable and fruit based fiber supplement. If you are not using a fiber supplement than chances are you be complaining of feeling hungry, having issues with digestion, or are struggling with fat loss. Vegetable and fruit fibers and gums like pectin, guar gum, and cellulose slow food transit, feed good bacteria in the gut, release hormones that help you feel full, and normalize bowel function. A fiber supplement is one of the most effective fat loss aids we have seen, but it is frequently the last thing people think of. Taking 30g or more per day of a supplemental mixed vegetable/fiber supplement is an important step in getting the true benefits of a vegetable based diet. Make sure you add the fiber into the diet slowly to avoid gas or GI upset.

4. Use a greens and reds drink. Science is now finding that plant chemicals in food act as biological modifiers. This means every time you eat vegetables you are taking in a whole array of compounds that are able to change the way your metabolism functions by interacting with cell receptors the same way your own hormones do. Most people never eat enough vegetables or fruit to derive the benefits from these substances. This has led many companies to develop different juices that have some of these compounds in them. The problem is these juices come with sugar as well and that is one thing we don't need anymore of. A great way to get these compounds is through greens and reds powders. Many of these powders are filled with grasses, maltodextrins, and other fillers. Try to find one that is mostly organic, cold processed, and contains real vegetables. The one we use here at Metabolic Effect is mostly organic has very little grasses, no maltodextrin fillers, and real vegetables like kale, broccoli, chard, spinach, and others loaded with phytonutrients. These powders deliver a concentrated source of real vegetables. 1 Tablespoon of the greens and reds powders we use contains the equivalent antioxidant capacity of 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables. Obviously the real thing is always better, but the powders are a great substitute.

5. Make your own vegetable replacement. Let's face it, vegetables can take time to cook. However, if you have the right ingredients you can make 10 servings of fruits & vegetables in 30s. Add 1 tablespoon greens powder, 1 tablespoon reds powder, 1/2 tablespoon fiber, 1/2 teaspoon vitamin C and 12 oz water. Blend and drink. Do this twice a day and you have just switched your fat burning, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms into higher gear. This is one of the easiest ways to get those who don't like to eat vegetables, or just don't have time to cook them, to get them in quickly and conveniently. And the taste is something even my nephews drink. They call it Yoda juice because they think it gives them THE FORCE.

We would be glad to share this unique vegetable replacement with you. But we all know that actual vegetables are best so I will also share a fresh veggie/fruit smoothie your kids will actually like as well.

Version 1: The Real Veg Drink.

- 1 cup frozen kale
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 cup frozen cherries
- 1-2 droppers full of liquid stevia
- fill to the top of the veggies and fruit with water
- blend using a blendtech or Vitamix until smooth
- serve makes about 4-5 cups