Posted by -Beyond Health on Nov 3rd 2025

Ways to Include More Fresh Produce in Your Diet – Part II

Fruits and Vegetables: The Foundation of Vitality

Colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables do far more than decorate our plates. They help us feel lighter, clearer, and more energized, while quietly supporting nearly every system in the body.

A large body of research shows that diets rich in fruits and vegetables help:

Maintain healthy acid–alkaline balance
Reduce chronic inflammation
Support detoxification pathways
Provide essential fiber
Strengthen immune function

In short, they create the internal environment in which health thrives.

The Real Challenge: Getting Enough

The problem for most people isn’t knowing that fruits and vegetables are healthy—it’s finding realistic ways to eat enough of them consistently.

General recommendations suggest:

1½–2 cups of fruit per day
2–3 cups of vegetables per day

For optimal benefits, a more ambitious (but achievable) goal is:

Two pieces of fruit daily
About 5 cups of vegetables per day

Because fruit is usually easier to incorporate than vegetables, the greatest gains often come from finding creative, enjoyable ways to increase vegetable intake.

Vegetable Juices and Smoothies

Juices and smoothies are among the most practical ways to increase fruit and vegetable consumption—either as a supplement to meals or, occasionally, as a meal replacement.

With good equipment, preparing them is quick and easy. While there are many juicing options, we particularly like high-quality blenders such as Vitamix for making whole-food smoothies that retain fiber.

Adding a high-quality meal replacement powder can further enhance nutrient density.

“I Am Healthy” – An All-Green Energy Drink

This favorite green drink recipe comes from Terces Engelhart, author of I Am Grateful. It combines a variety of greens with citrus and mint to create a surprisingly refreshing, energizing beverage.

Ingredients

8 oz cucumber juice
5 oz celery juice
3 oz kale juice
Splash of lemon juice
Minty Mock Malt
1 large cucumber
1 lime
1 grapefruit
1 avocado
1 cup raw spinach
4 sprigs fresh mint

The citrus and mint dramatically brighten the flavor, making greens much more enjoyable.

Two Important Caveats About Vegetables

While vegetables are among the healthiest foods available, even good things are best consumed with balance and variety.

Cruciferous Vegetables and Thyroid Health

Cruciferous vegetables—such as kale, arugula, broccoli, collards, and chard—are widely praised for their role in supporting detoxification and activating protective cellular pathways like Nrf2.

However, these vegetables also contain compounds that can interfere with thyroid function when consumed in excessive, concentrated amounts, particularly if one type dominates the diet.

Human studies have not shown clear harm at typical intake levels, and a 12-week clinical trial using broccoli sprouts found no adverse effects on thyroid function. Still, this area is not fully understood.

Best practice:

Eat a wide variety of vegetables
Avoid making one vegetable the centerpiece of every smoothie or juice
Be especially mindful when juicing, which concentrates both beneficial and potentially problematic compounds

Spinach, Oxalates, and Kidney Health

Spinach is not a cruciferous vegetable, but it is high in oxalic acid, which can:

Interfere with mineral absorption
Contribute to kidney stone formation in susceptible individuals

For most people, this is only a concern when spinach is consumed in large, repetitive amounts—such as daily oversized spinach smoothies.

Again, variety is key.

A Smart, Free Green Smoothie Tip

Here’s a simple, often-overlooked option that avoids both thyroid-interfering compounds and oxalates:

Carrot tops
Fennel tops

At many farmers’ markets, these nutrient-rich greens are trimmed off and discarded. Farmers are often happy to give them away, and they make excellent additions to green smoothies—nutritious, flavorful, and economical.

Grow Sprouts in Your Own Kitchen

Even if you don’t have space for a garden, anyone can grow sprouts at home.

Sprouts are living foods—dense in enzymes, phytonutrients, and vitality. They’re among the most nutrient-rich foods available and can be grown year-round in a small kitchen space.

For seeds, equipment, and education, we recommend The Sprout People, a long-standing and trusted resource.

When sourced from clean, organic seeds and grown properly, sprouts are safe and highly beneficial.

The Takeaway

Fruits and vegetables are not accessories to health—they are its foundation.

By:

Increasing variety
Using juices and smoothies wisely
Avoiding excesses
Incorporating living foods like sprouts

you move steadily closer to optimal health, energy, and resilience.

Here’s to eating more color, more life, and more vitality—every day.