Manage Your Weight Using…Fruits and Vegetables!

In 2010, the obesity rate in Oregon was 26.3%.  In 2021, eleven years later, it increased to 29.3%.  That is almost one in every three adults.  If you are someone who is having trouble keeping your weight at a healthy level, you might be interested in knowing you can use fruits and vegetables to help you feel full, provide the fiber for a healthier digestive system, and create a feeling of well-being you might not even know existed.  Weight loss by boosting your diet with fruits and vegetables could mean you stop being dependent on some of your medications, saving you money, reducing medication side effects, and allowing your body’s systems to work in unison as they are designed to do.
Losing weight means you have to consume less calories than what your body uses.  You can do this by replacing low calorie fruits and vegetables in your diet.  The higher water content and fiber found in them will leave you feeling full, and they are naturally low in fat.  Below is an article from the CDC that has recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in your meals, as well as snack ideas.  The key is SUBSTITUTION, not starvation.  You are substituting the lower calorie fruits and vegetables for higher calorie options.  As an example, replace one cup of the pasta in your dinner with chopped broccoli, onions, and peppers.  You are reducing the calories by using vegetables instead of pasta.
A few more tips are:
1-Keep fruits and vegetables handy, like apple slices and pepper spears, so they are easy to grab when snacking and cooking.  Wash them and cut them as soon as you get home from the grocery store.
2-Read nutrition labels.  Many fruit products are only made with apple juice, which has little nutritional value.  Make sure whole fruits are used, or better yet, eat fresh fruit that has more nutrition and fiber.  Berries are grab and go!
3-BE PERSISTENT.  Fruits and vegetables are not an instant fix to weight issues, but you will feel better with improved nutrition.  Your gut will thank you.
It takes a little thought and effort, but you will be amazed how much better you feel.  Dr. Bents and Dr. Van Horne have heard patients say their joints don’t ache as much when weight is shed, and your improved nutritional state will motivate you to continue incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables for years to come.  Make the change today Southern Oregon!
How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight | Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity | CDC