5. Gallbladder

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that sits near the liver. The liver makes bile, which is stored in the gallbladder for later use. These bile salts will help with the digestion of any fats from the pizza. The bile will join the pancreatic juices in the small intestine.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we pretended we ate some yummy pizza and discovered how pizza is digested in our body. We outlined our different digestion organs and what job each organ has in digestion. We saw what happens with carbohydrates, proteins, and fats when they are broken down and absorbed in the body to be used or stored.

Now we know how our body breaks down nutrients and uses those nutrients for energy or energy storage. Next, we can learn what foods are most nutritious for us, and what benefits these nutritious foods have. In Lesson 3, we will learn what benefits fruits and vegetables have for our health, and how we can include fruits and vegetables in our daily diet.

Begin to notice the small, positive changes you make with your nutrition and health. You're on the road to taking better care of your health and taking better care of you!

*Learn some health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.

*Review some ways to include more fruits and vegetables in your daily routine.

*Review how many servings of fruits and vegetables are the minimum to eat.

*Outline how much is in a serving of fruit or vegetable.

*Practice choosing fruits and vegetables, making a grocery list, and preparing fruits and vegetables.

Section 1: Introduction

Welcome to Lesson 3. In this lesson, you will learn some of the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Sometimes even though we know fruits and vegetables are good for us, it's hard to include them in our daily activities. When people lose interest in fruits or vegetables, or just are not in the habit of eating enough of them, it can be difficult to start eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. In this lesson, we will discuss some ways to include fruits and vegetables in our eating habits.

Once we include fruits and vegetables in our daily lives, we need to know the best ways to prepare them, especially vegetables. We can prepare fruits and vegetables in ways that preserve more of the nutrients that we need. After all, that is one of the significant reasons for eating fruits and vegetables.

In the last lesson, you took the quiz that Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz created to see how you can make improvements for your health, and reviewed your nutrition and health goals. In this lesson, I will give you some real examples of ways to improve your health. Keep your nutrition and health goals in mind, and see how incorporating fruits and vegetables coincides with your goals. It's ok to rearrange or change your goals, too. It's your health and you are in control!

As you read this lesson, refer back to your nutrition and health goals. See what changes you can make at the present time. It's easiest to make small, changes to your diet and health. Small, easy changes are also more likely to be kept as habits in the future.

Continue to practice improving your diet and health each day. Refer back to your goals each day as well, and tell yourself how well you are doing! Give yourself a pat on the back for any small successes or positive changes.

If you have a difficult day when you do not follow your goals, do not worry about it and simply continue the next day with your goals. Perhaps you forgot to eat vegetables, or you feel guilty about eating two candy bars. Not to worry. As long as you are working toward your goals, that's the main thing. Start right off the next day with nutritious and healthy habits.

Section 2: Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

There has been a lot of research done that suggest a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure and cholesterol often can lead to heart disease and stroke. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables seems to keep blood pressure and cholesterol in the healthy ranges, so that there is a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

Fruits and vegetables can work in multiple ways to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. For one thing, filling up on fruits and vegetables reduces people's consumption of meat, dairy and other foods that raise cholesterol and blood pressure. It also is thought that the soluble fiber from fruits and vegetables blocks the absorption of cholesterol from food.

 

2. Fruit, Vegetables, and Cancer Prevention

There are many factors that contribute to developing cancer. Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, overexposure to sunlight, genetic factors, and lack of exercise are all factors that may cause cancer. However, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can play a significant role in preventing cancers. See how much control you have on your health!

There are many studies about eating fruits and vegetables to prevent cancer. For instance, eating cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, has been shown to lower rates of bladder cancer. Spinach and beets have been associated with decreased rates of colon and rectal cancers. This is because spinach and beets are high in folic acid, and folic acid is thought to lower these cancers. Lycopene, which is in tomato sauce, seems to help prevent prostate cancer. This is not an exhaustive list of how fruits and vegetables can prevent cancer. You can research the benefits of your favorite fruits and vegetables, if you'd like.

3. Fruit, Vegetables, and Eye Care

Eating fruits and vegetables help improve and maintain vision. Studies have shown that people who eat dark green, leafy vegetables have better eyesight and protection from cataracts and macular degeneration.

A cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye's lens, which damages vision. Macular degeneration is when the center of the retina in the eye is damaged, causing blindness. Other factors can contribute to these two eye diseases, such as bright sunlight, cigarette smoke, air pollution, or infections. Dark green, leafy vegetables contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that kick out the free radicals caused by these challenges. So as you can see, eating your vegetables can help your sight!

4. Fruit, Vegetables, and Gastrointestinal Care

Another benefit of eating fruits and vegetables is improved gastrointestinal health. That means your digestion and elimination will go a lot smoother. Fruits and vegetables have a lot of insoluble fiber. This insoluble fiber acts like a sponge, soaking up water, so that the digested food in your intestines will have an easier time moving through.

Section 3: Incorporating Fruits and Vegetables in our Diet

People have different reasons for not eating fruits and vegetables. Perhaps they eat on the run, are in the habit of eating high-fat foods, such as chips, or assume they do not like fruit or vegetables. Here are some tips you may want to use to include more fruits and vegetables in your daily diet:

*Decide or remind yourself which fruits and vegetables you prefer. If you try to eat fruits and vegetables that you like more, you are more likely to eat them. Or perhaps you want to try a new fruit or vegetable.

*Write these fruits and vegetables on your shopping list. Adding fruits and vegetables to your shopping list will help you remember to buy them in a busy grocery store. When you buy fruits and vegetables and bring them home, you are more likely to eat them, since they will be easily available.

*Try substituting high-fat snacks, such as ice cream or chips, with fruit or vegetables. Perhaps you would like fresh or dried fruit to snack on, or you can cut up veggies and use your favorite dip. Try drinking 100 percent fruit juice, instead of soda. If you miss the fizz, try adding club soda to the juice.

*Pack a piece of fruit or cut-up veggies in your backpack or briefcase.

*Add fruit to your breakfast by drinking a fruit smoothie, adding fruit to cereal, or drinking some orange juice.

*If you don't like to spend a lot of time preparing dinner, find vegetables that are easy to prepare, such as vegetables that can be steamed or microwaved.

*Drinking fruit or vegetable juice can be an easy way to add a fruit or veggie to your daily routine.

*Add extra veggies to spaghetti sauce, soups, or sauces.

*Add some flavor to your veggies. You might want to add garlic and onion, lemon juice, a small amount of olive oil, or dried herbs, such as oregano, thyme, parsley, or rosemary. Some people like to add a small amount of cheese. Another idea is low-salt soy sauce or teriyaki sauce.

Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eat a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables. If you do not have time to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, buy a variety of frozen, canned, and dried fruits and vegetables.

How much fruit and vegetables should we eat? Some experts say at least five servings a day. Some say five to nine servings a day. Note: Potatoes are counted as a starch, not a vegetable.

What is a serving? A serving of fruit is one medium-sized fruit, ½ cup juice, or ½ cup cooked or canned fruit. A serving of vegetables is 1 cup raw, leafy vegetable (about the size of your fist), ½ cup cooked or sliced vegetable, or ½ cup vegetable juice.

 

2. Ways to Prepare Fruits and Vegetables (to help keep nutrients)

The best way to eat fruits and vegetables with the most nutrients is to eat them raw. For instance, a smoothie or salad uses raw fruits and vegetables. Here are some other ways to help retain nutrients in your vegetables:

*Use fresh vegetables right away. If you are too busy to eat fresh vegetables right away, then buy frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables are packaged in such a way that they retain a lot of the nutrients. Canned vegetables are okay, as long as you buy the kind without too much added salt.

*Rinse your vegetables before you cook them, but do not soak them. If you soak them, you will lose some of the nutrients.

*Microwaving vegetables loses fewer nutrients than boiling them. If you boil or steam vegetables, keep the lid on to retain nutrients.

*Steaming is a great way to prepare vegetables, without losing hardly any nutrients. Use as little water as possible.

*Stir-frying vegetables is a healthy way to prepare them.

*Cook with glass, stainless steel, or enamel pots. Do not use copper pots, since the copper destroys some of the nutrients.

Exercise