vegetables

Although I don't agree with the sentiment behind this advertisement from the International Vegetarian Union (click for a larger image) -- that vegetables are all your body needs -- I still think it's a kick-ass, creative picture.

Vicki Larrieux, a 22-year-old student, claims she is unable to keep to a healthy diet because she is frightened of vegetables. Now I know what you're thinking "Isn't that most of the Western world?" Incredibly enough, Larrieux suffers from a "legitimate" condition called lachanophobia - a fear of vegetables.

When I was a kid, I'd only eat the tops of the broccoli. My parents thought I was little off.

But I don't do that anymore. I eat the whole thing. In fact, I eat broccoli 3 or 4 times a week.

And lucky for me, scientists think they've pinpointed why broccoli is so good for your heart.

But some experts suggest drinking a glass of vegetable juice each day may help overweight dieters lose more weight. And they claim drinking veggies increases vitamin intake and overall consumption of vegetables.

Furthermore, the First Lady's brand new White House vegetable garden will hopefully encourage Americans to think more about the foods they're stuffing down their throats.

But how much constitutes a "portion" and what exactly counts?

A family of four in the United Kingdom, weighing a grand total of 83 stones or 1,162 pounds, says their obesity is a hereditary condition, leaving them unable to work and the $32,278.20 they receive in social assistance isn't enough to live on. They want more!

While the jury's still out on whether or not nutritional supplements are truly worth their rather hefty price tags, there's little question as to whether vegetables can do a body good. However, not everyone enjoys the taste of vegetables (ask any 12-year-old kid what he thinks of Brussels sprouts and you'll see what I mean). Does this mean these people are doomed to living a less nutritious life?

He's got a tall order. Slumping economy, foreign wars and obesity? Yup, a group at Northeastern University wants the president-elect to tackle obesity too.

And they've sent him a long list of ideas.

A recent study carried out in the UK found that a high proportion of 11-13 year olds couldn't recognize basic vegetables and fruits. Could your kids do better?

I loved the topic in the New York Times WellBlog... "Lying About Your Vegetables". Another study has been published to show that people inflate the amount of veggies they consume each day. The blogger asks readers to "fess up" if they lie about their daily veggie intake.

The post inspired me to tell you about an easy way to plan to get your greens.

Health experts often blame poor neighborhood's inaccessibility to healthy food--like fruits and vegetables--for their community's declining health. In May, The New York Times reported that supermarkets are leaving areas like Queens and Harlem, making it difficult for residents to find fresh food within walking distance of their homes.

That's why the Veggie Mobile is a great idea! The Veggie Mobile is a basically a farmers market on wheels. Serving neighborhoods around Albany, New York, the Veggie Mobile sells wholesale produce to low-income communities and senior living communities.

A Diet Blog reader (who shall remain anonymous) writes:

"I have a 28 year old man in my life who won't eat vegetables. He subsists on a diet of meat and carbs. He's thin as a rake, but unhealthy. I feel he's really lacking these valuable nutrients. He goes through phases of vitamin supplements and Vie (Its a 'shot' of liquid veg) but I don't feel these make up for not eating veg, EVER! He claims its the texture that he can't stomach.

I know other adults have this problem. I'd love to know what you think?"

How can you encourage vegetable consumption in adults? Anyone?

Let me start off by saying this. You'll never catch me within 50 feet of a McDonalds. Seriously, I get queasy just driving by fast food joints, but for those of you hooked on the Ronald. Good news! Arguably the one healthy thing on the menu is back. Tomatoes have returned.

With a food crisis on our hands and the prospect of shelling out big bucks for our food sources of phytochemicals, many people have thought about starting a garden. The prospect of growing one's own fruits and veggies does have a certain nostalgic appeal to accompany the financial one. The idea is certainly gaining ground (at least in my neck of the woods in western Canada). Companies that sell seeds, soil and other essentials have seen unprecedented demand for their goods.

Because the idea of gardening is new to me, I've had to pull together some resources to help get me started. I would recommend doing your homework, speaking to someone who works at a gardening store and clip some articles from the web.

Here are some basic tips on how to start a vegetable garden:

Broccoli is a superfood in every sense of the word. If you aren't eating broccoli and other cruciferous veggies - here's what you're missing out on;

I was shocked to read a recent article about wasted fruit and vegetables in the UK Times, reporting that 4.4 million apples are dumped in household bins every day in the UK. The figures have just been released by the Waste Resources Action Programme (Wrap) and a full report is due next month.

It's not just apples, either. The article went on to say:

Do you waste money by throwing away perfectly good food? Here's six ways to make sure you don't have to.

Editor's note: This is a guest post from Gerry Pugliese of DiseaseProof.

America, we're shell-shocked! The fad diet hype machines have left us bleary eyed, and, somehow we've forgotten the simplest way to lose weight and stay healthy. It might bring back painful childhood memories, but kids, "Eat your vegetables!"

It's true, if blogging on DiseaseProof has taught me anything, it's that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables gives your body the best chance to look great and prevent disease. Hey, it worked for me! I went from being an overweight Soprano's look-alike... to a fit and trim gym rat...