As summer approaches a few of us are thinking about the extra weight we’re carrying and we do not want to expose, but the only reason to loose weight shouldn’t just be to get into our bathing suits. Engaging in some physical activity and eating healthy is part of a lifestyle we should adopt no matter what season it is.

Today I’d like to share with you some tips to not only loose weight and look better but also to live longer. I do not want to get too radical here, but I’ll share this small but powerful piece of information with you; there are many things in life we can live without, but if we do not eat fruits and vegetables we will die, that, is the bottom line. Of course it is needles to say that we only need to be alive to die, but at least we would like to make our journey as pleasant and healthy as we can while we’re here.

The importance of eating a colorful and fresh diet is often overlooked, a variety of fruits and vegetables can bring energy, health, vitality and happiness to your life. Green vegetables are definitely at the top of our food chart for nutrition, I am one to believe that if you throw us in a jungle full fruits and vegetable trees, of course unless we happen to encounter lions, tigers and all the other wild animals we can get eaten by, we will manage to be the healthiest we could ever be.

Nature really does carry everything we need in life, and the more we have distorted it to fit our busy lifestyles, the more we have lost its natural value. Eating a plant based diet can not only prevent diabetes, stroke, heart disease and lots more, but it can also supplement all the nutrition you need. If you are having a hard time recognizing what is healthy for you, look at it this way, everything that comes from earth and nature and what has been manipulated the least by humans is definitely the best for you. Nature really is perfect, a diet full of assorted fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds has the power to gain you a few more years of life, no kidding.

Here are some tips that will help you bring more color to your plate:

• Keep your fruits and veggies out where you can see them, the more you see them the more you’ll want to eat them.
• Make sure you eat them in every meal, mainly vegetables should always be a significant portion of your every meal.
• Explore the produce section of your supermarket or even better try your local farmer’s market and try a new fruit and vegetable every time, trust me there is enough variety for you to explore for quite a while.
• Don’t be afraid to let fruits and veggies take center stage on your plate, soups and salads are one of the easiest and healthiest meal you can have.

I hope these tips are of help to you and your loved ones, remember that the key is to eat a big variety in order to get all the nutrients you need and one more thing, we know you love those french fries but according to the healthy eating pyramid, created by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, potatoes are not counted as a vegetable, since they are mostly starch and should be used sparingly.