The Veggie Challenge

Vegetables are nature’s way of providing us with the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients we need to live a healthy life. When vegetables are ingested they help to maintain a healthy pH level in our body which will keep your organs healthy. They are a big factor in aiding digestion on other foods we eat which may be hard to digest by them self, like meat. Due to the high amount of nutrients in vegetables, and the lack of complex fats and proteins, they provide the highest level of bioavailable proteins, vitamins, and minerals. According to the Harvard School of Public Education:

“A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check.”

There is a long list of vitamins and minerals that are hard to absorb when ingested at the same time through sources like supplements and food additives, but nature provides us with vegetables that seem to have the correct combination of nutrients for best absorption. The human body has lived off of the earth for many centuries, but in modern times we have started to ingest artificial foods that lack the nutrients we need. Who needs a multi-vitamin with a diet rich in vegetables?

Through this challenge I hope that you will become aware of how well your body will function on a diet high in natural foods. To amplify the absorption of these nutrients I encourage you to try to not to ingest any grain based foods with the vegetables. This is due to the fact that grains like wheat, corn, soy, rice, and others contain a nutrient called phytic acid. Phytic acid is known to prevent absorption of vitamins and minerals at the intestinal level and would weaken the effects of the vegetables. The second encouragement is to try to eat as many of these vegetables raw as you can. As vegetables are cooked they lose their nutrients based on the level of heat and time cooked they are exposed to. If you can’t go raw, then try steaming or lightly sautéing.

Guidelines:

1.      Eat vegetables at least 3 times every day

2.      Eat at least 1-2 of these meals with raw vegetables

3.      You must try every vegetable at least 2 times in the month

4.      Fried vegetables do not count

5.      Try to buy organic as much as possible

The following list is not an unchangeable list of vegetables. Some people simply cannot eat a certain food and that is alright. I encourage you to try everything at least once. If you have seen another vegetable that you have always wanted to try, then add it to the list. I hope that we can all share some great ideas and recipes to get the most out of this challenge. You may find out that you really enjoy a vegetable that you never thought to try. If this only happens with one of the options then this challenge will be a success.

The program will come with a chart that illustrates when food is in season. Some foods may be hard to find if they are out of season or may be grown in non-organic ways which will compromise the quality of the vegetables. I encourage you to keep a calendar to help add some planning to this challenge. The calendar will also help you connect how you are feeling with how you are eating. There is a direct correspondence that I hope you will notice.

Vegetable options:
Artichoke
Arugula
Asparagus
Beets
Peppers (bell, jalapeno, chili, etc.)
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Ginger
Green Beans
Kale
Leeks
Lettuces (besides iceberg)
Mustard Greens
Mushrooms
Onions
Radish
Snap Peas
Snow Peas
Spinach
Squash
Turnips
Zucchini

Vegetables that Do Not count:
Corn
Potatoes
Soy beans
Iceberg Lettuce
Beans