This year, don't resolve just to lose weight, but to eat more:  more fruits and veggies that is.  Why?  The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests ten good reasons.

1. Cancer prevention. Eating five servings each day could prevent up to one in five cancers.  How?  Fruits and veggies have antioxidants which protect healthy cells.  Eating 5 a day instead of junk food leads to reason number.

2. To keep trim. Many vegetables have 50 calories in a whole cup, the same amount as five potato chips or one small cookie.

3. Prevent heart disease. If you eat more fruits & veggies instead of meat and dairy, you can limit heart-damaging saturated fat and cholesterol. The natural chemicals in these foods also help prevent fatty deposits from forming in blood vessels. Vegetables and fruits have soluble fiber, to help lower blood cholesterol and folate, a vitamin that lowers blood levels of homocysteine, another risk factor for heart disease. Fruits and veggies can also reduce heart disease with benefit.

4. They lower blood pressure.

5. To prevent stroke. . .by up to 25 percent!

Join us tomorrow when we'll cover the next 5 reasons on the list.

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Created: 1/10/2001  -  Donnica Moore, M.D.