No more excuses for not eating your five a day people! Not only are
vegetables good for our bodies, now it turns out they’re good for our
souls too. A study in the US has revealed that people who eat lots of
fruit and vegetables are naturally more optimistic. Take a bow upbeat
beets, chipper carrots, buoyant broccoli…you’re the fuel for future
hopefulness. You make us healthier and happier.
The scientists found that people with a glass-half-full
approach to life have higher concentrations of carotenoids — the
compound found in many vegetables — in their blood. One of the most
common carotenoids is beta-carotene, the pigment found in leafy
vegetables and orange fruit and vegetables. Many carotenoids act as
antioxidants, the body’s very own police force. Among the impressive
claims for antioxidants are that they prevent cancer and heart disease,
safeguard memory, reduce the risk of degenerative diseases like
Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s, protect joints, soothe pain, reduce muscle
soreness and fatigue, avert blindness caused by macular degeneration and
cataracts, and even ward off wrinkles .
Of course there are different ways of looking at scientific
research, and many will point out that the conclusions are
oversimplified. NHS News turns the theory on its head: “It’s just as
possible that people who have better psychological wellbeing are likely
to eat a healthier diet. Any link between carotenoid levels and mood is
likely to be down to a complex multi-directional relationship between
physical and psychological factors and behavioural choices. ” Quite.
In a sense, it doesn’t really matter. If people want to
believe that eating plenty of fruit of vegetables makes you happier,
where’s the harm in that? While the jury might be out on the link
between eating lots of veg and being more optimistic , the undisputed
evidence is that happy people perform better at work — and happier
workplaces are more productive workplaces
So if we stick to the facts then here is the news. Vegetables
and fruit are good for us. Happiness is good for us. Happiness makes us
better workers, and happy workers create more productive workplaces.
At Eurest we aim to provide nutritionally-balanced meals,
with lots of great fresh fruit and vegetables. Our Know Your Food
programme means we display full GDA information about our meals so
people can make informed choices. And our policy of making the most of
seasonal produce creates not only a great dining experience, but a
better outlook too.
Job done.