5 a day: is it possible?

[Lisalu 89]

I know that the CDC recommends 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Will this ever be possible for me again? Is it necessary for good health? I'm OK with taking Vitamins but not thrilled about taking Vitamins instead of eating enough veggies because evidence shows that the vegetables are better for us. Could I do vegetable juice shots (non-starchy only)? How many vegetables are recommended for us?

Thanks in advance for any insight about this.

Lisa

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

A serving is half a cup, so after a few months, it's definitely possible, IMO. Until then, I made my boyfriend buy me a juicer, lol.

[mommaof4yoopers 3]

I agree with Black Berry... I love veggies, not so much fruit and cannot do the Protein Drinks. Sneaking in veggies and fruits came fairly easily since I've done it for my kids.

[Stacy160 201]

It'd be very difficult to get the 5 servings in for the first few months at least, especially following protein-first guidelines. That's why they're so strict about having us supplement with multis, Calcium, etc.

[Tiffykins 673]

I could get in 5 servings a day if I wanted to, but I try to focus on Protein because my body runs best on more Protein than it does veggies and/or fruit. I rarely eat fruit to be honest because it's sugary, and just leaves me feeling blah. I will eat watermelon with a steak. I know that sounds gross, but it's a cool combo on a hot summer day. I might get close to 3 servings of veggies a day. Especially on days that I eat an entire salad without the chicken.

I sneak a lot of spinach in our diet through meals so I'm sure that helps my veggie serving counts. But, other veggies, I try to get what I can and go about my day. I'll take a multi for the rest of my life. I did it pre-band, and love that my PCP and surgeon that all women in our children-bearing years need to focus on a high quality Vitamin and calcium citrate supplementation so we don't have to play catch up once we hit middle age.

[KabinKitty 11]

I had been wondering if it would be a good idea to get a good juicer. You know how they show on TV (ie Jack LaLane) that you can put beets (I LOVE THEM), spinach, carrots, etc. in with some fruit and make a Vitamin and mineral packed juice drink?

I suppose it wouldn't curb your hunger for very long, but it sure would be a great way to supplement your limited food intake, especially early on.

What do you experts think?

[Lisalu 89]

I made portabello/broccoli Soup last night--yum! I simmered 1/2 cup broccoli and 1/2 a large portabello cap (diced) in about 1 1/2 c chicken broth until super tender. I blended them with 1/4 a block of mori-nu silken tofu (extra firm). It was excellent. I had it for dinner but could eat less than 1/2. I had onther 1/4 for Breakfast this morning.

I feel better. When I don't eat enough veggies I feel yucky and sick. My digestive track feels better. So I'll probably have to take Protein supplements longer if I use my meals for veggies, but right now it is worth it!

[Jachut 487]

I think its VERY important and I place getting a wide variety of vegetables particularly and some fruit way way above Protein. I think most people that are eating 1200 to 1500 are going to get enough Protein with normal eating patterns, I simply dont hold with the theory that you need like a gram per pound.

I lost all my weight on a normal protein intake of around 50 to 60 grams a day, I did not lose muscle, I'm not flabby and "skinny fat", I have a good healthy body composition with 23% body fat. I did not need to do shakes or eat protein first to do that (its not what we're advised to do in Australia). I focus more on fruit and vegetables and whole grains.

For a while I've not eaten a lot of grain food, barely ever eat bread, and I've had quite severe bowel problems as a result, despite my high intake of fruit and veg. I added some bread and good cereals back in and the bulk it provided has fixed my problems - fibre on its own isnt enough, you need bulk.

I truly do not believe a diet focussed on protein is a healthy one. With limited stomach capacity, you simply will not get enough fruit and vegies and you do need some grainy foods too.

I wouldnt buy a juicer but rather a super duper powerful blender that will crush the pulp so that its drinkable, that way you're not removing half the good stuff from your fruit or vegies. I have a vitamix blender, I start most days with a "juice" of one or two fruits (not entire pieces, just a chunk), Water and a green such as spinach to make a green smoothie - its not delicious by a long shot but drinkable in a small glass. I usually follow that a bit later on with a serve of a good Cereal.

At morning tea time I usually ahve cut up raw vegies - carrot, cucumber, red capsicum, snow peas, whatever I have on hand, about a cups worth (it crunches down to very little in your stomach). lunch is VERY often Soup, always home made and vegetable based, I snack on things like pumpkin seeds (10 grams protein per half cup, lots of fibre and good fats) and dinner is usually a meat based meal. I dont eat a lot in volume, but I've done really well on this sort of diet and it suits my body/metabolism.

I know it goes against popular opinion, and I know there's compelling reasons to eat lots of protein but in reality diets like Atkins or other high protein low carb plans are meant to be eaten with huge quantities of vegetables, particularly green non starchy ones. You cant do that with a sleeve or band, and you end up eating a very unbalanced diet that includes lots of protein (and often from rather questionable sources such as too many shakes) and nowhere near enough of other nutrients.

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

To be the devil's advocate, I don't think you NEED large quantities of fruits and vegetables to be healthy. Consider some of the Aboriginal diets around the world. The Inuit subsist almost entirely on fatty meats and fish. The Prairie Indians in Canada had a diet that was almost 80% lean meat and fish, with a small amount of corn, chokecherry and bread root to provide roughage and Vitamins. I have a close friend who's Prairie Indian, and her greatgrandparents and grandparents have hit their 100s living the traditional lifestyle on the reserve. Yet now that these peoples have switched to the Western-style diet, they are plagued by diabetes and heart disease to a much greater extent than white Canadians. For many, switching to the traditional diet has provided greater relief than insulin ever did. As a medical student, I find it extremely interesting. I don't think the Western approach to health is the only one that's "correct." Yes, there's proof that the DASH diet (which is heavy in fruits and vegetables) improves cardiovascular health, but there's not enough research into other ways of eating to discard some diets that are not as high in fruits and vegetables as unhealthy.

[Jachut 487]

That's very true - I think its really important to avoid notions of a "right" or 'wrong" way to eat. There's pros and cons of everything. The risks of a higher carb fruit and vegie heavy diet include things like diabetes and even heart disease as a result of the work it creates for your body to digest and store all that instant energy to put it in layman's terms. However, if you're like me, with problems in that area, its very very necessary to prevent nasties like bowel cancer. The great things about a hgih Protein diet include great blood sugar control and less fat storage as a result of the lack of huge amounts of sugar hitting your bloodstream quickly and this too can result in less heart disease. However, this sort of diet can be incredibly heavy in saturated fat, which again, might work for some cultures that dont have exposure to all the other elements of our western lifestyle but may not be so safe for those of us living in different circumstances - for example the inuit would have lived on seal blubber and fresh caught oily fish, not grain fed beef full of hormones and unaturally large chickens and dairy products. by the same token other "healthy" cultures live on much more carb based diets - the Japanese traditionally lived on rice and vegetables as well as fish, whislt mediterranean cultures ate more olive oil, fruits and vegetables and there's also been plenty of publicity on how healthy those diets are too, despite how different they all are.

Its a matter of working out what works best for you and makes you feel best.

There's another huge factor too of course - we live so long now. The anti cancer effects of lots of fruit and veg for example, become important when you live to 80 or more, didnt matter much when you got eaten by a wooly mammoth at 30. Nor did keeping your teeth, or your eyesight.

Personally, I think one of the most important things of all is actually exercise. I think we're evolved to MOVE and that's a root cause of all our problems - we dont move enough.

Edited August 2, 2010 by Jachut

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

Personally, I think one of the most important things of all is actually exercise. I think we're evolved to MOVE and that's a root cause of all our problems - we dont move enough.

I was actually going to post the same thing in my original response, but it was getting long-winded (I have a knack for drawn-out posts!), so I decided not to. But yes, I totally agree! I remember Women's Health or some other fitness magazine in that vein quoting a study that showed that overweight people (BMI 25-29.9) who exercise regularly tend to have better results on their health tests and live longer lives than normal-weight people (BMI under 25) who are sedentary. Very intriguing, for sure.

[Booklean 4]

I find this fruit and veg topic very interesting. I am 3 months post surgery.

I have developed a new habit or routine that is working very well for me.

Every weekend I make a large quantity of Soup with a large variety of veg, and I also add some soup mix ( barley, lentils) and also some Beans. I also add some potatoes to this soup. Separately I roast some turkey or chicken. When everything is cooked I toss the soup and meat into a blender (not liquidizer) and then divide into portions and freeze.

I take one of these portions to work everyday and I enjoy the smell and taste and nutrition. It is high in Protein, veg and also has some carbs. It is really convenient and works well in my lifestyle. I feel this combination agrees with my digestion and also satisfies me better than eating in a canteen or restaurant.

I occasionally eat this meal a second time in the day especially when I am not organised to prepare an evening meal or am running late etc. etc.

I believe this is a very balanced meal and an excellent way of getting all the necessary food groups.