The Benefits of Berries

There are many benefits to eating fruits and vegetables. Often we are tempted to get our vitamins and mineral requirements from a vitamin pill and neglect eating fresh fruits and vegetables. It is always better to eat fruits and vegetables than to simply take a multivitamin. When you eat fruits and vegetables you gain additional benefits, such as high fiber content, the feeling of being full or satisfied longer, and the fact that fruits and vegetables can help aid digestion and regulate the digestive tract. With FDA guidelines continually changing, many people are wondering what the new requirements are for fruits and vegetables.

It is also important to realize that fruits and vegetables can be incorporated in every diet. Even those who are on low carbohydrate diets can choose fruits and vegetables that are lower in carbohydrates and enjoy the many health giving benefits found in fruits and vegetables. Plus, natural sugars are way better than the processed sugars in many foods today.

The new FDA guidelines recommends 2 1/2 Cups of vegetables for women between the ages of 19 and 50 and 2 cups for women 51 and over per day. For men, the recommendations are 3 Cups of vegetables for men between the ages of 19 and 50 and 2 1/2 Cups for those 51 and over. The daily recommendations for fruit are 2 Cups per day for women between the ages of 19 and 30, and 1 1/2 Cups for women between the ages of 31 and over. For men, the daily recommended amounts of fruit servings are 2 Cups.

Now you know exactly what you should be eating so you can enjoy life and get all your vitamins and minerals in a healthy and natural way. But understanding what constitutes 1 cup of fruits and vegetables is important for ensuring that you are taking the recommended amounts each day. One cup of vegetables is one cup of raw or vegetables that have been cooked, one cup of vegetable juice. Two cups of leafy green vegetables constitutes 1 cup due to their high water content. When determining measurements for fruit, 1 cup of fruit is the equivalent of one cup of fruit juice, 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit, and 1/2 cup of dried fruit.

Buying fruits and vegetables that are in season can help you save money, as these fruits are not as expensive as those out of season. Though everyone would like to purchase fresh, organic fruits and vegetables these can often be expensive and hard to find. A great alternative is to buy frozen fruits and vegetables. Frozen fruits and vegetables retain all of their health giving benefits and are just a fraction of the cost. There are also some great natural fruit drinks out there that can provide you with a boost of protein or antioxidants. By incorporating fruits and vegetables in your diet you are protecting your health and ensuring that you are meeting your daily vitamin and mineral requirements the natural way.

What type of treadmill should you use?

The treadmill is a great piece of exercise equipment. There are several varieties to choose from out there, so how do you know which one is best for you?

The first thing to consider is how much you will use your treadmill. Are you purchasing it as your main workout, or will you only use it when you are unable to run or walk outside? If you are using this as your main work out then you may want to invest in the best one you can afford. If you are serious about walking or running on your treadmill, you need something that can handle high mileage. If you only plan to use it occasionally a less expensive one is a good choice.

Consider the incline. You want to make sure your treadmill can incline while you are walking or running, so in case you want to train for an event you will be able to do that on your treadmill.

What types of programs are available? Some machines have programs built in that allow you to interval train by simply touching a button. These are very convenient; however you can do the same thing on a less expensive machine by changing your setting manually.

How much room do you have? This is very important to consider, and there are machines in a variety of sizes. You should know how much room you have, so you do not buy a machine and find out after you get it home that it does not fit in your space. There are also machines that fold when they are not in use, so if you are limited on space you may want to consider a model like this.

Make sure it fits you. When you are shopping for a treadmill, do not be afraid to hop on and test it out. Make sure the handles are comfortable, and that the weight limit is not exceeded.

Be sure to get a machine that you are happy with; you will most likely have it for a long time. If you have bad knees then try getting an Elliptical, there is no impact with an Elliptical.