The results are in, and it isn’t encouraging. In 2009 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a nationwide survey of hundreds of thousands of Americans regarding their fruit and vegetable consumption, and it turns out that not nearly enough people are consuming the recommended 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day. In fact, fruit consumption is down.
According to the survey, one third of adults are consuming fruit or fruit juice at least twice a day, which is slightly less than the 34% getting in fruit two times a day in 2000. While only a minuscule 26% of the adult population is consuming three or more servings of vegetables a day, at least veggie consumption has remained stable since 2000. Not one state met the federal goal of three quarters of Americans eating enough fruit and half eating enough vegetables. These statistics are even more disturbing when considering the plethora of recent studies indicating how closely linked poor diet is to many serious health problems such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.
What can you do to help turn these numbers around and increase your overall healthiness? Make sure you are getting in at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day and strongly encourage your friends and family members to do the same. When it comes to fruit and veggie consumption remember to eat the full rainbow of colors – the more varied your choices the better because each fruit and veggie has different health benefits. Also, choosing organic produce when possible is important so that you aren’t ingesting harmful pesticides and so there is less of an impact on the environment.
Sometimes it is difficult to find the time to get to the store to purchase fresh fruits and veggies on a regular basis, and it is oftentimes even more difficult to find organic options. This is why Door to Door Organics is an amazing option for people in the metro Detroit area looking to consistently get in their 5-a-day. They will deliver farm fresh organic fruits and vegetables to your door on a weekly basis. While they come up with a standard (and seasonally correct) assortment each week, you can customize the contents and size of your order. You can type in your zip code on the Door to Door Organics website to see when and if they deliver to your area; if they aren’t delivering to your city just yet, contact them to see if they can add your area into their deliver route.
Minimize Pesticide Consumption by Choosing the Right Organic Foods
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