One goal of Healthy People 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ program to improve the health of Americans, is to get more than 75 percent of the population to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Evidence from recent studies indicating that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, poultry and fish, and low in fat and sodium reduces the risk of heart disease, has led some researchers to suggest that individuals should eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
However, results from a survey of 732 Minnesota residents indicated that only 16 percent of adults eat five or more servings of fruits and/or vegetables each day and limit their fat intake to no more than 30 percent of calories.
Previous surveys have also shown that American diets do not follow the established daily recommendations. For example, a national survey found that only about 33 percent of the U.S. population follow the American Heart Association’s low-fat, heart healthy recommendations, and a 16-state survey found that less than one-quarter of adults eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables each day.
Researchers say that effective methods to promote healthier dietary habits among the U.S. population need to be established.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings February 2003;78;161-166
It may be that as few as one in three Americans are getting adequate amounts of vegetables in their diets
The majority of the benefits from consuming "fruits and vegetables" come from the vegetables, not the fruits. Fruits could virtually be eliminated and we could still be quite healthy.
However, fruits are better choices compared to what most Americans are eating.
Carrots and corn are the two most frequently consumed vegetables while another study found that potato chips and French fries made up over one-third of children’s diets.
With vegetable intake like this it is easy to understand why so many kids are sick.
The other sad aspect of children's diets is their heavy orientation toward milk, juices and sodas as primary beverages. Juices and sodas are likely the worst beverages for most children, but milk is not far behind.
The selection of nearly all breakfast foods for kids is another nightmare that does not improve health but instead hurtles most kids toward a reliance on drugs and surgery as solutions for the inevitable health complications that result from choosing these types of foods.
My previous recommendation was one pound of vegetables for every 50 pounds of body weight. The easiest way to achieve this is be regularly consuming vegetable juice.
However, since I have seen the incredibly amazing results of nutritional typing in my practice, I have modified this recommendation. If you are a strong protein type (like me), then you really don’t need as many vegetables, perhaps as few as half a pound to a pound a day would be sufficient for the typical protein-type adult.
If one is more of a protein type their vegetables would also be oriented more towards lower potassium varieties, like cauliflower, green beans, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, celery and avocados. Regular lettuces and typically wonderful vegetables like collard greens, kale and Swiss chard are far too high in potassium for protein types and will tend to cause biochemical imbalances.
This also means that if you are a protein type, vegetable juicing may not be necessary at all. That is why knowing your Metabolic Type is so crucial. Currently we only offer the more precise Intermediate Level of Metabolic Typing for our patients. However, later this year we will be offering this analysis online to non-patients in a very cost-effective format.
I am currently in the process of training numerous metabolic therapists to provide this service. I am very excited about it, as it will be one of the first major steps to make simple, yet highly effective, individualized approaches available to those not satisfied with the traditional medical paradigm.
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