31 Days of Weight Loss Tips: Day 5 Eat Water-Containing Foods

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You've always heard the advice "eat your fruits and vegetables." And here's why:

Fruits and vegetables are high-water-content foods. The water found in these foods nourishes and cleanses the body, helping rid it of built up toxic waste. The more of these foods you eat, the better nourished and cleansed the body will be. After years of eating foods that are filled with preservatives, the non-food substances they contain -- such as additives, fillers, dyes, sugar substitutes and other chemicals -- can build up in our bodies. This build-up adds weight and blocks vital nutrients from getting to our cells. As a result, internal organs and the functions they perform, such as metabolizing calories, will not run optimally.

Start to incorporate more and more vegetables into your meal plan, especially dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach, romaine lettuce, kale and collard greens because darker vegetables are more nutrient dense.

Also, any fresh fruits -- apples, pears, bananas, strawberries, blueberries and everything in between -- are great choices. But avoid dried fruits because as all the water has been removed, and many of the health benefits along with it.

Additionally, fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients and enzymes, which are essential for the body to perform at its peak.

Resources:
Diamond, Fit for Life, 1985
Klatz, R., Goldman, R. The Official Anti-aging Revolution, 2007