There is no doubt that the best way to improve your health is to eat many fresh and good quality vegetables, if possible organic, locally grown and consumed mainly raw or undercooked.
From a nutritional point of view it is what has the greatest impact on health and longevity, and even more if you consume the vegetables in the form of juice extracted by yourself.
However, not all vegetables are the same, and our farmers and merchants often have frankly mysterious practices. As not everyone has the possibility of growing their own garden, the eyes and nose are a great help in the supermarket. Before an organic vegetable without smell, in general a non-organic one is preferable but it has a good appearance and a good smell.
Freshness is also a turning point, since many vegetables such as celery, beets, asparagus or cucumber quickly lose their nutrients after being cut. Therefore, it may be that a vegetable produced by conventional agriculture, but very fresh, is better than an aging organic one.
Choosing your vegetables well avoids the risks of ingesting:
- Pesticides.
- Chemical fertilizers.
- Genetically modified products.
- Ionized or irradiated food.
- Heavy metals.
These products have been linked to Parkinson’s disease, miscarriages, fertility problems, neurotoxicity and hormonal system disorders (endocrine disruptors).
Orientation towards organic vegetables, although they do not offer a total guarantee, seems common sense. But the problem of its cost means that few can feed entirely on organic products.
The fruits and vegetables most contaminated by pesticides, and it is better to buy organic are:
- Peaches.
- Apples.
- Celery.
- Cherries.
- Pears.
- Nectarines.
- Lettuce.
- Spinach.
- Strawberries.
- Grapes.
- Potatoes.
- Peppers.
Fruits and vegetables less loaded with pesticides are: broccoli, cabbage, onions, peas (frozen), sweet corn, asparagus, kiwis, mangoes, avocados, bananas and pineapples.
Now, not because a fruit or vegetable contains few pesticides is why it brings maximum health benefits. Actually, we should try to consume more colorful vegetables, especially when they are green and leafy, rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Do not abuse potatoes, due to its high glycemic load. A potato is composed almost exclusively of starch that, once cooked, becomes pure glucose as soon as it comes into contact with the tongue, and raises the level of blood sugar faster than if a lump of sugar was taken. So much so that the bad thing about potato chips is not so much the oil in which they are cooked, as they usually think, but the potato itself, because it is too cooked.
Vegetables that should not be abused, because they also contain a lot of sugar, are red beets, carrots, eggplants and pumpkins.
However, there is no reason to limit yourself when eating other vegetables. For example: asparagus, avocado, chard, broccoli, celery, chicory, cabbage of all kinds, including cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, zucchini, endive, spinach, fennel, onion, sweet potato, parsley, peppers, radishes, salads of all kinds, escarole, tomatoes …
By eating these vegetables regularly, raw or undercooked if possible, it will provide the body with the nutrients it needs to be cured, maintained and developed.
