There have been a number of studies indicating that regularly eating cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts) is highly correlated with a reduction in the risk of occurrence, re-occurence and death from all types of cancer. 

This is thought to be because they seem to act on a specific gene that allows cancer to spread.

The World Cancer Research Fund also recommends eating a diet rich in wholegrains, vegetables, fruits and grains to help protect you from cancer.

In fact, they recommend that you fill at least 3/4 of your plate with wholegrains, vegetables, pulses amd fruit at every meal.

There are hundreds of species of bacteria in your intestines, each of which plays a specific role in health and requires different nutrients for growth.

Generally speaking, a diverse microbiome is considered a healthy one. This is because the more species of bacteria you have, the more health benefits you get from them.

A diet consisting of different food types can lead to a more diverse microbiome. Fruits and veggies are the things that our gut biomes like best! They’re high in fibre which our bodies can’t digest….but the bacteria in our guts can.. And in fact, it stimulates the growth of “good” bacteria while discouraging the growth of those that cause disease and inflammation.

Foods that are high in fibre and that’re good for your gut include raspberries, broccoli, peas, chickpeas, lentils, beans and apples.

Apples, artichokes, blueberries, almonds, and pistachios have all been shown to increase Bifidobacteria in humans. These are considered beneficial bacteria, as they can help prevent intestinal inflammation and enhance gut health. 

Bifidobacteria have also been shown to reduce insulin, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in people with obesity, which could be beneficial for the prevention of conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

As we’re all seeing the cost of our weekly shop increase, watch your shopping bill plunge when you start adding the veggies and removing meat and processed foods!  You’re welcome.

Ultimately, the planet and our bodies need us to consume more vegetables and they're both cheaper and more sustainable than meat/fish and with a little thought/imagination and preparation they can become the ROCKSTARS of our daily nutrition, so what’s not to love?

Women’s Health ‘Thought Leaders’ such as Sara Gottfried suggest eating 2kg (!) of veggies daily and other schools of thought suggest aiming to get 30 different types of veggies into your diet in a week. 

If you fill your plate with this many veggies, you're certainly going to spend less on meat! 

There’s also significant research into the benefit of Butyrate (produced by vegetables in the gut) to positive gut health and consequently positive mental health.

Now that you're thinking about adding more fruit and veggies to your plate, it's worth speaking briefly about whether or not you should go organic.

Are you aware of the "dirty dozen"? These are the twelve fruit and vegetables that are more likely to be contaminated by pesticides and other farming chemicals. The list is updated every year. 

Examples of "dirty dozen" fruit and veg are strawberries, spinach, nectarines and spinach.

You might wish to consider buying organic for these.

On the other hand, there are the "clean 15" - fruit and vegetables that are much less likely to absorb these chemicals. You can probably buy regular.

Examples of "clean 15" fruit and veg are avocados, aubergine, asparagus and broccoli.

Check out the 2021 list here.