8 Signs You Are Not Eating Enough Veggies
Posted on March 02, 2020 by Jun Yun, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.
We all know they’re healthy, but how do we know if we are eating enough?
Low in calories. High in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Excellent for skin and intestinal health. Facilitates weight management. Alleviates chronic illnesses. Improves immunity. Boosts energy. Brightens mood.
These are some of many benefits of having vegetables in our diet. Yet sometimes I wonder if I’m getting enough of them daily. For reference, half of Americans eat less than 1.5 cups of veggies, and nearly 87% do not eat the recommended minimum daily quantity of 2 cups. Even if we keep to a balanced diet, there’s a high chance that we may not be consuming adequate amount of veggies.
In this post I introduce the eight signs I notice when I do not get enough vegetables. They are relevant not only when deficient in vegetable consumption, but also when there are other nutritional deficiencies. In some cases, an entire change in diet may be necessary.
1. When I easily get bruises
If I’m getting bruises without knowing, I make sure to see if I’m getting enough vitamin C. Red peppers, kale, tomato, broccoli, brussel sprouts are rich in vitamin C.
2. Head feels unclear & loss of memory
If I have troubling focus on a task and forget things easily, Lutein is the way to go. It improves memory and comprehensive capabilities. Try more leafy green veggies, carrots, broccoli, and tomatos.
3. Always tired
I used to look for coffee whenever I was tired, but now I look for folic acid. Folic acid deficiency is the cause of chronic fatigue and anemia. Try more black beans, kidney beans, Lima beans, lentils, and asparagus.
4. High stress levels
Stress aggravates inflammatory responses. Inflammations make us feel heaviness and pain in our body. Tomato, spinach, kale, and collard greens contain inflammation-inhibiting chemicals that are also helpful for stress relief as well.
5. Instances of muscle spasm
Muscle spasm reveals a low level of potassium. Spinach, beets, broccoli, legumes, celery, and pumpkins are perfect potassium pairings!
6. Feels chronic feeling of cold
Always feeling cold and hard to get rid of the cold energy? It’s a sign of weak immune system. Vegetables contain healthy amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are excellent for boosting immunity.
7. Desire to manage weight
Veggies have dietary fibers, which help intestinal health and prolong fullness. If you’re looking to shed a few pounds, eat more veggies as they will help you avoid over-eating.
8. The colors of the food on the table are not diverse enough
If we are only eating a certain “color” of foods, check if we are getting only specific set of veggies. Try to have a table filled with rainbow colors of veggies each meal!
Few of my readers suffer from GI disorders (stomachache, abdominal distension) after consuming veggies. In this case, don’t eat them raw; try heating them until they are softened. Don’t be too concerned over potential loss of nutrients through heat. Some of them may be reduced, but the long-term benefits of getting consistent and healthy dose of essential nutrients from veggies are absolutely worth it!
If you are not eating enough veggies because it is difficult to get them in high quality or inconvenient to prepare them, try the superfood powder that provides a day’s worth of vegetables in each scoop!
