In addition to strong evidence of a positive relationship between eating fruits and vegetables and the prevention of some cancers, there is consistent evidence that many fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower blood pressure increase.

Fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of certain eye diseases (such as cataracts and macular degeneration) and respiratory diseases (COPD = Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Finally, fruits and vegetables help maintain a healthy weight.

Fruits and vegetables supply low calorie and high vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Because the fiber in fruits and vegetables provide a satiety, there is less chance of overeating and it reduces overweight.

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Eat lots of vegetables and fruit, but leave potatoes if possible. Diet with lots of fruits and vegetables lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of a heart attack and stroke, protects you against all types of cancer and reduces the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Eat less potatoes because of their large impact on blood sugar and insulin levels.

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Vegetables are known to be an important source of vitamins. When vegetables are cooked between twenty and fifty percent of the amount vitamins are lost.
Therefore it is advisable to heat vegetables no longer than necessary and frequently choose raw vegetables. Cook vegetables in just a little water and avoid too many nutrients in the liquid behind.

Tip: Use the cooking water for making sauces!

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Raw vegetables are healthy, but only raw food is not recommended. Some nutrients are more readily available for inclusion in cooked vegetables because the cell wall structure is then broken up.

Examples include lycopene from tomatoes and glucosinolates in cabbage.

Good chewing helps include more nutrients from raw vegetables. Chew through the cell wall also partially destroyed and can improve intestinal digestive enzymes in the act.

For the absorption of fat soluble nutrients such as vitamin E, lycopene and other carotenoids, is a small amount of fat is necessary. Vegetables are often eaten as part of the dinner, there is usually enough fat is present.

Another advantage of cooked vegetables compared with raw vegetables is that you can eat more easily. A larger portion of vegetables means more nutrients from the applicator.

Sometimes the level of nutrients per 100 grams of prepared vegetables even higher than the same amount of raw vegetables. This is the case when, during the preparation a lot of moisture ratio (weight) is lost and relatively few nutrients.

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Ideally, fruit and vegetables come directly from the field or from the tree on our plates. Ultra fresh. In reality, however, it is usually different.

Fruits and vegetables often have a long way to go from producer to consumer. Shopping is considered by many to be time consuming. A single visit to the supermarket is often enough to provide the family for the rest of the week of the necessary supplies.

This means that fruit and vegetables should be stored for several days and that inevitably involves loss of quality vitamins. Look out for the freshness of the product.

Store vegetables no longer than 2 to 3 days! Unable to regular groceries? Use the first day after first purchase fresh vegetables and then the tin, jar - or frozen vegetables. The raw materials used in the industrial production of frozen vegetables are usually very fresh. Wilted vegetables have often less vitamins than their frozen industrial counterparts.

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True or False: spinach and other nitrate-rich vegetables are unhealthy and you should not eat? The answer is not true. Vegetable is never not healthy. Nitrate in large quantities get negative effects on the body. Our body will convert part of the nitrate from food and drink into nitrite.

Nitrite can turn the availability of oxygen in the blood. Therefore the advice is eating nitrate-rich vegetables not more than twice a week such as spinach, bok choy, lettuce, radishes, endive, beets and red cabbage.

Whatch extra to the combination of nitrate-rich vegetables and fish: the fish nitrite promotes the formation of nitrosamines, which may cause cancer! Baby's are extra sensitive to nitrate, so children under 1 year do not like a nitrate-rich diet.

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