How NOT to Neglect Fruit and Veggies

Do you ever go an entire day without eating more than maybe one or two meager servings of fruit and veggies? I have! Once you’re used to nourishing your body, the effects of fruit and veggie neglect can feel awful rather quickly…slumping energy levels, major lack of motivation (do I really need to go the gym today?), and tendency to downward spiral into an unhealthy eating pattern every day. Don’t allow this to happen to you! Here are some easy ways to get in your fruits and veggies.

• Add berries to your morning cereal.

• Add sliced cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, parsley, or cilantro to your sandwiches.

• Keep a fruit bowl filled with seasonal fruit in your home and at your office.

• If you have limited time to whip up a healthy dinner, do the pasta thing, but add shredded carrots and shredded zucchini. This is one reason why I have fallen in love with my Cuisinart food processor.

• Keep some dried fruit on hand (make sure they are sulfate-free); have them combined with some raw nuts to keep your blood sugar balanced.

• Aim for originality when snacking. Lately, I’ve been buying the pre-washed and trimmed snap peas, which I keep at the office and eat with hummus.

• Try juicing or smoothie making! I do this whenever I need a major veggie or fruit boost. Awesome for detoxing after a weekend of unhealthy eating (or drinking).

Fight Depression with a Mediterranean Diet

So often people ask me what type of diet I follow. My eating style certainly doesn't fit "neatly" into any category, but if I had to classify it, I would have to say that it is a combination of clean and Mediterranean. I consume an abundance of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish, and olives are my friends!

It makes perfect sense that the Mediterranean Diet helps fight depression. It is an extremely balanced and healthy way to eat. Naturally, if your diet is balanced and healthy, you feel more balanced mentally. Trust me, I know. Run into me after a few days of not eating optimally; I am not the most pleasant person (you can ask my husband!!). Also, monounsaturated fats are high in the Mediterranean Diet and these fats are shown to be excellent for brain health. STAY TUNED FOR "MY FAVORITE FATS" series. In 2010, I will be contributing at least one blog a month on my favorite fats. Why? Because many of you are afraid of fats; I once was too. Not anymore; I couldn't imagine my life without them. You'll learn why next year!

Meanwhile, check out this summary about the study that explored the connection between the Mediterranean Diet and Depression:

Mediterranean Diet Helps Prevent Depression
The benefits of eating the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disease risk are well known. Now it appears that adhering to this dietary pattern also may prevent incidence of depression. Researchers at University Las Palmas in Spain followed 10,094 individuals for four years who, at study entry, were not depressed. Those people who adhered the most to the Mediterranean diet through the study period had a 30-percent lower incidence of depression than individuals who did not. The Mediterranean diet consists of low meat intake, moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products, and high intake of fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, and fish. The researchers found dose-response relationships for fruits and nuts, the monounsaturated-to-saturated fats ratio, and legume intake.Archives of General Psychiatry 2009;66:1090-1098.