You’ve probably heard that the secret to feeling energetic and on top of your game is in the food you eat.
But what does that mean?
Well, a study that aimed to answer that question found a surprising link between eating at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day and having more energy and being happier.
The scientists examined the eating habits and emotions of more than 280 young adults. Every day for three weeks, the people being studied made diary entries about what they ate and how they felt.
When the researchers analyzed their findings and matched up eating habits with changes in mood, they were surprised to uncover stronger relationships than they expected.
The study demonstrated a powerful day-to-day link between positive feelings and higher fruit and vegetable consumption, but not with other types of foods.
“On days when people ate more fruits and vegetables, they reported feeling calmer, happier and more energetic than they normally did,” says researcher Tamilin Conner.
The boost in emotional well-being was found to be true in people who were thin as well as in those who were overweight.
“After further analysis we demonstrated that young people would need to consume approximately seven to eight total servings of fruits and vegetables per day to notice a meaningful positive change. One serving of fruit or vegetables is approximately the size that could fit in your palm, or half a cup.”
One way to do this is to simply make half your plate at each meal vegetables and snacking on whole fruit like apples.
If you’ve been to the grocery store or a farmer’s market lately, you’ll have seen that the variety of just apples is incredible. You could try a different one every day and go for two weeks without tasting the same apple. Variety like this can make it exciting to dive into eating much more fruits and vegetables which is now proven to give you huge benefits for your personal energy and happiness.
