How Fruits & Vegetables Create Health

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There’s good news and bad news on the fruits and veggie front.  The good news is that there definitely seems to be increased awareness of the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables.  How do I know this?  More and more commercials and ads are stressing the fact that their food contains a full serving of fruits and/or vegetables. Of course these products are such things as canned meat sauce, sugary cereals and enriched beverages.  Not the best choices but the emphasis confirms that as a society we do know the importance of these foods and marketing companies are playing to it.

I thought I would shed some facts on how to best get one’s daily recommendation of fruits and vegetables, why it’s important and some simple ways to accomplish it.  (Sorry but I won’t be recommending any of the products you see on TV or in magazine ads.)

Whether you’re gluten intolerant or not, I think this particular post has universal benefit for most Americans.  Simply said, we fail miserably in eating our vegetables!

A comment about drinking one’s fruits and veggies vs. eating them: Unless you have a juicer that retains all the fiber and pulp, drinking fruits and vegetables loses much of the benefit found within these vital foods. I recommend drinking purified water, green or white tea but eating your fruits and vegetables.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that a serving size for fruit or vegetables is equal to about half a cup. Greens like spinach and lettuce have a serving size of one cup. One serving of sliced fruit is equal to one-half cup; however a single piece of fruit, such as an apple or an orange counts as one serving. How did the USDA decide half a cup being a serving size? It was based on the portion sizes that people typically eat and the nutritional content of fruits and vegetables.

Health experts suggest that depending on our age and activity level we should eat a total of 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Children, teenage girls, most men and active women should eat at least 4 servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruit every day – that is 7 total servings. Teen boys and active men should eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and 4 servings of fruit – that is 9 total servings. Unfortunately many people fail to eat even a small fraction of that recommendation.

Fruits and vegetables contain important vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fiber. They are usually low in calories as well. Generally speaking, those with the most color -- green, red, yellow, and orange -- have the highest nutrient content. Organic produce is by far the best choice in that they contain the highest quantities of these beneficial nutrients.

The unique substances found only in fruits and vegetables can help provide detoxification, immune support and prevention of many diseases. They are naturally anti-inflammatory which is important in helping to prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Eating at least 7 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruits each day may be less daunting when you see how small one serving is: 

• 1/2 cup of sliced fruit
• 1 medium piece of fruit – about the size of a tennis ball
• 1 cup of leafy vegetables – this would be 4 large leaves of lettuce or the size of a baseball.
• 1/2 cup of cooked or raw vegetables

VEGETABLE SERVINGS: SIZES

• Asparagus, fresh - 5 spears
• Avocado Half
• Broad beans - 3 heaping tbsp (1/2 cup)
• Broccoli - 2 large florets
• Brussels sprouts - 8
• Cabbage - 3 heaping tbsp shredded, (1/2 cup)
• Carrots - 1 large
• Celery - 3 sticks
• Cherry tomatoes - 7
• Chickpeas - See Pulses
• Curly kale - 4 tbsp (1/2 cup)
• Eggplant - One-third of a large one
• French beans - 4 heaping tbsp (1/2 cup)
• Kidney beans - See Pulses
• Lentils - See pulses
• Mixed salad - Cereal bowl full (1 cup)
• Mushrooms, button - 14
• Onion - 1 medium
• Parsnip - 1 large
• Peas, fresh - 3 heaping tbsp (1/2 cup)
• Potatoes - Never count towards your daily vegetable servings, in any form
• Pulses, cooked: kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils etc  - 3 heaping tbsp (1/2 cup)
• Salad leaves, lettuce etc - Cereal bowl full (1 cup)
• Scallions - 8
• Snowpeas - Handful
• Spinach, cooked - 2 heaping tbsp (1/2 cup)
• Spring onions - 8
• Sugarsnap peas - Handful
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Vegetable soup - 1 serving of fresh or canned soup
• Vegetable sticks - Handful of mixed - celery, pepper, carrot etc
• Zucchini - Half a large one

FRUIT SERVINGS: SIZES

• Apple, fresh 1 medium
• Banana 1 medium
• Blackberries Handful
• Clementines 2
• Cherries, fresh 14
• Figs, fresh 2
• Fruit salad, fresh  3 heaped tbsp, (1/2 cup)
• Kiwi 2
• Grapefruit Half
• Grapes Handful
• Mango 2 slices
• Melon 1 large slice
• Peach, fresh 1 medium
• Pear 1 medium
• Pineapple, canned 2 rings
• Pineapple, fresh 1 large slice
• Plums 2 medium
• Nectarine 1 medium
• Raspberries 2 handfuls
• Strawberries 7

Healthy Tips for Getting Your Daily Serving of Fruits & Vegetables

 1:  Enjoy fruit for dessert. In season, fruit can taste like “candy”. Eating seasonally not only provides variety, but you can get organic varieties that provide higher nutritional value. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, citrus and pomegranate are all excellent choices.

 2: When cooking a main dish add some extra grated or chopped vegetables. Those that will add nutrients and vitamins include organic carrots, zucchinis, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions.

 3: When the afternoon munchies hit, reach for a quick but healthy snack. Opt for a small bowl of cherries, berries or apple and a handful of nuts or some nut butter. Or try some of your favorite sliced vegetables with a healthy olive oil and vinegar dressing. A hardboiled egg is another possible addition for additional protein.

4: Eat a few servings of green vegetable every day. An organic dark and leafy green vegetable is recommended. Choose from dark green lettuce, chard, kale, spinach, asparagus, broccoli and cabbage to begin. If you haven’t tried them since you were a kid– give them one more shot. If you sauté or steam them lightly such that they are still bright green and a little firm and top with some organic butter and seasonings, you may be presently surprised. Adding onions, garlic and mushrooms can create a nice flavorful medley.

5: When eating out ask for an extra serving of vegetables. When they arrive eat them first. If there isn’t a vegetable served with the meal, ask for a salad.

6: Keep a bowl of fresh fruits and veggies on the kitchen counter. 

7: If time is a consideration, try the prewashed, precut organic vegetables at the grocery store.

I hope you find this helpful. I truly can’t think of a better health recommendation than dramatically increasing your consumption of these vitally nutritious foods.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

A Healthy Organic Gluten-free Diet

There is a “dirty dozen” currently amongst are fruits and vegetables. One receives this moniker by being one of the top twelve fruits or vegetables with the highest pesticide load.

We’ve been speaking lately about what a healthy diet entails and the importance of eating organic as much as possible. But what if you can only mostly eat organic? Is there a “Must” category?

Yes. When it comes to the “dirty dozen”, they are so bad that it would be better to forego eating them altogether if you can’t get the organic variety. Here they are:

1. Peach (worst)
2. Apple
3. Sweet Bell Pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes – imported
11. Carrot
12. Pear

Some of these are true staples of the American diet. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but better you know the truth than eat the “innocent” apple in ignorance.

If you enjoy fruit like peaches and strawberries, I might suggest the frozen organic variety when they’re not in season fresh. The frozen variety are great for smoothies and available pretty much year round.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

Components of a Healthy Diet When Gluten Sensitive

Once you realize gluten is not your friend and you eliminate it from your diet you are likely to feel much improved. That improvement may “flatten” after a time and you’re left feeling not quite as good as you’d hoped.

What to do?

I’ve posted before on the secondary effects of gluten and gone into the need to diagnose the presence of pathogenic organisms, adrenal fatigue, malabsorption, etc. But today I’d simply like to talk about a healthy diet.

All too often once we remove gluten, finding substitutes for all of our most favorite gluten containing foods becomes the highest priority. So you buy the gluten-free pizza crust, brownie mix, crackers, etc. In moderation that’s fine, but we still haven’t answered the question as to what a healthy diet truly is.

Obviously for you it’s not going to contain whole wheat, rye or barley. But what must it contain?

Vegetables and fruits are critical to maintaining good health and something we typical Americans tend to minimize in our diets. Every meal should contain a good amount of these, preferably fresh and organic whenever possible. Organic produce does provide a much higher amount of nutrition than its pesticide-laden counterpart. If you buy seasonal produce from a local grower it will be more affordable than trying to purchase strawberries in December!

The best fruits and vegetables are the ones that are very brightly colored as they provide the highest amounts of anti-oxidants that are protective against heart disease and cancer. Such things as blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate, blackberries, and citrus are very healthy. Vegetables such as peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke, spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, onions and garlic are very beneficial.

Oils are also important for their anti-inflammatory, hormone-producing qualities, not to mention being a good source of fat. Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil and some organic butter or ghee are all recommended. Coconut oil is nice for high heat cooking as it isn’t altered by the temperature. Olive oil is better when used on a medium heat. Fresh, raw nuts are another good source of fat. Good fat must be consumed in adequate amounts to prevent sugar or simple carbohydrate cravings and to stabilize blood sugar.

Protein is an interesting issue. We consume 6 – 8x more protein than any other country in the world. While protein is critical for growth and repair we could likely decrease our intake somewhat while increasing the quality of what we do eat.

With the chemicals and hormones being fed to our animals (3 million pounds of antibiotics/hormones given to livestock), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a “clean” source of animal protein.

Fish that are wild or farm raised on good quality feed are available. Eggs from organic farms that enhance the chicken’s feed with fish oil creates an egg that is higher in omega-3 fatty acids.

Of course there’s always the vegetarian option of whole grains (gluten-free of course!), legumes, beans, raw nuts, etc. I must admit to being quite leery of soy. I know it’s a “go-to” protein source but I find many of our patients to react poorly to it. I don’t know if it’s the genetic modification of the bean or what exactly, but I would caution moderation if you do seem to tolerate it. Another note, Dr Gonzalez, from New York who specializes in cancer treatment and gets outstanding results through use of diet, enzyme therapy and more, cautions his patients to “cross the street” if they see a soybean!

Dairy products, based on my most recent research, may very well not be a good idea for any of us. The enzymes that we have available to digest milk (and that’s human milk) stop getting produced after about the age of 3. It is thought that the proteins in cow’s milk are actually damaging to our gut lining, while creating a mucous buildup that prevents the absorption of some vital nutrients.

This theory segues very nicely with some recent research that makes the supposition that in order for gluten to initially create damage in the small intestine, there has to be an initial insult to the gut. Could this initial insult come from dairy? More on that in a future blog.

The toxic burden on our bodies from living in the US is huge as compared to other countries. Our FDA has approved 3,200 food additives to be used in our food while the European union only allows 6 different food additives.

My recommendation is to consume moderate amounts of protein from as clean a source as possible, meaning organic, grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free, etc.

I know that it’s extra work but remember than you can control what you put into your mouth. The other sources of toxins coming our way from air pollution and chemical exposures from industry are more difficult, if not impossible, to avoid. So if you control toxic exposure as much as possible in your food it will help a great deal.

I realize that I am promoting cooking and mostly eating from home. And I also realize that this isn’t the American way. But may I point out that the “American way” is not really working? Witness the statistic of dropping form 11th in the world for life expectancy down to our current ranking of 42nd.

To summarize, clean and pure sources of all food products is what you should be striving for as much as possible. This would entail also eating food that is in its natural state. E.g. a piece of organic fruit vs a fruit roll-up!

Increasing one’s consumption of fruits and vegetables is something we commonly see as needed in our patients. Balancing carbohydrates with good protein and fat in a meal is another good recommendation. If all you ate for a snack was a banana, you’re likely to find yourself “craving” in a couple of hours. Had you balanced that out by eating only half the banana with some raw nuts you likely would have felt much better.

Don’t forget to stay hydrated. Other than some green or white tea, your beverage of choice should be good clean water in the quantity of eight to ten or more 8 oz glasses per day, depending on your weight. (Hint: take you weight, divide it in half and you’ll have the number of ounces of water you should consume each day.)

While we’re all thrilled that Betty Crocker has come out with a line of gluten-free bakery mixes and that other companies have perfected that perfect brownie or cake, don’t fool yourself into thinking they’re good for you. Enjoy them in moderation on special occasions, but don’t make them a daily habit.

I think I could write another book on this topic alone, but until then I hope this helps.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”