Must – Eat – Vegetables for Wellness: Part 1

Wellness is defined as the condition or state of having good physical and mental health, especially as the result of deliberate effort that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life by proper diet, exercise and maintaining good health habits, as opposed to treating diseases.

When I was growing up, my grand mom and mother used to say “Eat your veggies, it will keep you strong and safe” or they’d say “Eat your salad, you won’t turn into a rabbit instead you will be as strong and as fast as a horse”. To be honest, I grew up liking vegetables due to repetition, being a writer-researcher has opened my eyes to the miracles of plants, vegetables and fruits. 

Wellness has now become a popular topic for people around the world. Social media has made it possible for people to read health tips from their mobile devices or chancing about their friends’ latest fruit “Like” and more. People have the power to “share” the things they like or articles they think would help other people stay healthy and glow with beauty. Below is my personal list of veggies our fridge often has an abundance of; I recommend you do the same and you will feel light and healthier even more.

Here are my most recommended Wellness Vegetables:

1. Broccoli

Cardiologists all over the world must have seen the documentary Fat Sick and Nearly Dead by Joe Cross, which chronicles Joe’s journey to healthy living though juicing, to answer their patients million dollar question: will that also work for me? The answer is yes. Cells in the body need frequent supply of nutrients to function well. When cells receive adequate micronutrients the body will feel fully energized. Juicing vegetables like broccoli will grant the body much needed fiber, phytonutrients such as sulforphane and provide natural anti-oxidants.

Broccoli or Brassica oleracea (from the Italian plural of broccolo, refers to the: “flowering top of a cabbage”) is defined as an edible green plant belonging to the cabbage family, whose huge flower head is used as a vegetable. Abundant in beta-carotene, folate and rich in vitamin C, this green veggie is notorious for boosting your immune system to fight the common flu and colds. The wellness gurus of the world now endorse this vegetable as part of the “cannot live without” list of food to eat in a week. Some eat it steamed with a special sweet-salty sauce or mixed with other veggies for variety, either way it will not lose its cancer-fighting abilities; also rich in vitamin K, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Lutein. Studies show that this green fighter can help reduce the risk of lung, stomach and rectal cancers since it if jam-packed with antioxidants. Juicing broccoli and other vegetables work explains Dr. Kahn, a cardiologist and medical director of Preventive Cardiology at the Detroit Medical Center. Dr. Joel Kahn is also a clinical professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Kahn is also the Director of Cardiac Wellness at Michigan Healthcare. You can build a plant-based nutrition program rich in phytochemicals through juicing veggies. This also makes it easier to reach your goal of 5-10 servings per day of vegetables. So learn from the experts and learn well, eat broccoli to stay healthy.