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10 Signs You're Not Eating Enough Vegetables

While growing up, your mother must have fed you with ample amount of vegetables saying that it's good for health. And vegetables were always a part of your everyday meal since then. But, when you reached adulthood, you started dismissing veggies and started consuming junk food. In this article we will be discussing the signs that indicate that you're not eating enough vegetables.

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Instead of having vegetables, most people consume fried foods, protein foods, pasta, etc. These foods don't add much colour to your meals and don't add much nutrition. Vegetables are packed with essential vitamins and minerals that will keep your body healthy in many ways.

Eating a variety of vegetables will reduce the risk of some chronic diseases. Chronic diseases, such as heart diseases, high blood pressure and certain types of cancers. The dietary fibre from vegetables can help to reduce blood cholesterol levels and increase folic acid in the blood.

The Dietary Guidelines of USDA claim that, you should consume between 5 and 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This is equivalent to about 2 ½ to 6 ½ cups daily, depending on the amount of calories you need to eat to maintain your weight

Have a look at the signs you're not eating enough vegetables.

1. You Get Bruised Easily

Consuming less amounts of vitamin C can cause bruising easily, bleeding gums, weakness, fatigue, rash and decrease the rate of healing of wounds and cuts. Eat vitamin C-rich foods like red peppers, red chilli peppers, kale, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes.

2. Heart Problems

If you have been diagnosed with heart problems and you don't have a family history of this disease, then this can be a sign of not adding enough vegetables to your diet. Coronary heart diseases like heart attacks and angina can lead you to suffer from cardiovascular diseases. People who consume less amount of veggies often end up with heart ailments later on.

3. Tired All The Time

If you are feeling tired all the time, then it can be a deficiency of folate or folic caid. Folate deficiency leads to fatigue and anaemia. It also plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair. Folate or folic acid is a B9 vitamin that can be found in dark green leafy vegetables like kidney beans, asparagus, lentils, spinach, etc.; hence, including it in your diet is a must.

4. Your Memory Is Foggy

While occasional forgetfulness occurs at all ages, if you find your brain is not able to memorize a small thing, then it is a sign you are not getting enough nutrients. Lutein, a nutrient has been shown to enhance memory and learning. It is found in carrots, leafy greens, broccoli, corn and tomatoes. This nutrient can also help protect against cataracts and macular degeneration - the two common eye disorders.

5. You Aren't Recovering From A Common Cold

A lack of vegetables in your diet and the essential nutrients they provide, will make your body deficient in the defences it needs to release free radical fighters against virus and bacteria. Consume dark green leafy vegetables that will help strengthen your immune system. Including these in your diet will provide you with antioxidants and iron in abundance.

6. Daily Stress Is Hard To Handle

Eating certain foods affects your stress levels significantly. Inflammation is your body's natural response to stress and if you are not handling stress well, inflammation could have damaging effects on your body. Eat anti-inflammatory foods like salmon, tuna, bright-coloured peppers, tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges. These foods will help in combating inflammation.

7. Gaining Weight

Vegetables are packed with dietary fibre that makes you feel full so that you don't feel hungry later on. Most of the vegetables are low in calories and eating them will curb your hunger cravings while providing you with crucial nutrients. This will aid in not gaining extra calories while keeping you healthy.

8. You Are Prone To Muscle Cramps

Vegetables contain potassium that help in preventing muscle cramps, especially when you are exercising. Potassium is an essential mineral that can help prevent muscle cramps and bloating. Potassium can also prevent high blood pressure, heart and kidney disorders, anxiety and stress. It also helps to enhance muscle strength, and metabolism. Consume more of potassium-rich vegetables like spinach, sweet potato, broccoli, acorn squash, Swiss chard, potatoes, kale, mushrooms, pumpkin, etc.

9. Digestion Problems

If you are often suffering from digestion problems and bloating then this is a clear sign of not adding enough veggies and roughage. Fibre present in vegetables help in the digestion process which helps in maintaining bowel regularity.

10. Frequent Infections

Getting infections very frequently is a sign of a weak immune system, malnutrition as well as not eating enough vegetables. Without proper nutrition, your body's immunity will become weak to combat the harmful pathogens and your body will not be able to defend itself from the infection any time soon. So it's advised that you should include fruits and vegetables of all sorts in your diet to keep ailments and health issues at bay.

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