Top 10 reasons why you should eat your veggies!

As maybe all of you know, I am from Bulgaria. And in Bulgaria too, like most of the countries, you remember your mother or your granny saying:"You'll stay on the table until you finish your veggies!" And like for everything else in life, they were right! There is one Bulgarian song for kids in which they are singing:

One who doesn’t eat vegetables

Will not grow big

Will not have pink chicks

And everyone will defeat him

Now, as a grown man, I know that there is so much truth behind those lines. See just a few of the many reasons why it's so imprortant to incorporate vegetables in your personal meal plan.

1. They’ll help you burn more fat

Vegetables are another one great tool from the “fat burning” box. First of all, they are very low on calories ‒ in fact, they are so called “zero foods”. That means that your body uses almost all of the energy provided from the vegetables to digest them. (Except the starchier ones beets, corn, potatoes).
What to eat: Kale, spinach, celery, garlic, asparagus

2. You’ll feel less hungry

Veggies are rich in fiber and indigestible carbs and unlike refined carbs, they don’t cause spikes in blood sugar. Fiber-rich veggies also take up room in your stomach and release chemicals that signal the brain that you are full and don’t need more food. Great, right?
What to eat: Leafy greens, cucumbers

3. You don’t have to measure every gram on the kitchen scale

You are tired of all this “30 grams of rice, 50 grams potatoes, 100 grams of chicken” etc. , etc…
In order to be fit, you must use the kitchen scale and know how much of certain foods you’re eating. But that’s not the case with veggies ‒ as you already learned, they are a “zero calorie” and rich in fiber food. So when the diet hits you hard and you want to eat the plate along with your chicken, feel free to add veggies as much as you want! Choose green vegetables such as cucumbers, kale, spinach, broccoli and eat until you are full!
What to eat: Cucumbers, leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli

4. They are anti-inflammatory

Vegetables are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonoids. This way they fight oxidative stress, caused by too much stress, lack of sleep, hard training, poor diet. When your body fights inflammation, it’s mission impossible to lose weight and shed fat.
What to eat: Kale, collard, beets, tomatoes

5. Better stress management

We’ve already learn that oxidative stress and inflammation are vicious friends that are making you sick and fat.
Magnesium and vitamin C are 2 very important nutrients in fighting stress.
Magnesium calms the central nervous system and inhibits excessive cortisol production.
Vitamin C is antioxidant which helps body metabolize cortisol.
What to eat: Mushrooms, leafy greens, cauliflower

6. Stronger bones

Most people think that in order to have strong bones, you have to eat cheese, to drink milk and consume such kinds of dairy products. For Calcium, right?
The truth is, it isn’t Calcium that people are lacking when it comes to bone health. Surprise, huh?
What your body is lacking is usually vitamin K, potassium and magnesium. Guess where they are found in abundance? Exactly! Veggies! Especially the dark leafy greens….
Another reason to eat your veggies for bone health is that they help normalizing and alkalizing your body’s pH. That’s important because if the environment in the body is too acidic, that compromises bone health.
What to eat: Spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, peas

7. Healthy estrogen metabolism

It’s known that too high estrogen levels are linked with higher cancer risk. And you’ve probably read about the cancer-fighting properties of broccoli and cauliflower. Broccoli and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables. The cruciferous vegetables contain a compound called Diindolymethane (DIM). DIM has been shown to promote healthy estrogen metabolites and removing damaged or sick cells.
Cruciferous vegetables also contain a group of substances known as glucosinolates, which are sulfur-containing chemicals. During food preparation, chewing, and digestion, the glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables are broken down to form biologically active compounds. These copmounds have been more and more examined for their anticancer effects. The most popular of these is Sulforaphane (SPN) and broccoli owns its reputation of a superfood to sulforaphane.
Too much estrogen is also a cause for Not losing body fat, so if you want to be healthy and lean, you better include broccoli, cauliflower and the other cruciferous vegetables in your diet plan.
What to eat: Brussels sprouts, arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, Bok Choy

8. Better digestion and healthier gut

Vegetables contain prebiotics which feed the good bacteria in your gut. They’re also making you to chew better which stimulates the secretion of saliva and stomach juices, thus, improves digestion.
What to eat: Onions (Jerusalem artichokes), green peas

9. Cardiovascular health

Vegetables high in potassium may prevent high blood pressure. Also, the phytonutrients found in vegetables, including flavonoids and carotenoids, have been shown to reduce heart disease.
What to eat: Spinach, avocado, sweet potatoes

10. Help in Detoxing your body

Some vegetables contain nutrients that stimulate liver function. The liver produces bile, which helps transport toxins. When liver doesn’t function properly, it can’t process toxins and fat in an efficient way and our organism suffers.
What to eat: Beets, carrots, ginger, onion, radishes
These and others vegetables take a great place in my Personalized Meal Plan, developed by me! Find out more here: