Eat Like Turtle Doves
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave me: two turtle doves.
Eat like these birds. Somewhat. How so?
Turtle doves eat fruit and seeds primarily.
If humans, specifically those of us in the United States, ate more fruits and seeds, as well as vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, we would be a whole lot healthier as a population.
Surveillance studies find that we in the U.S. are still nowhere near the recommended fruit and vegetable intake each day. For example, only 9% of adults ate the recommended amount of vegetables, and 12% ate the recommended fruit.
That is sad news! Eat like the turtle doves and get more fruit. And be a healthier human and eat more vegetables too!
Fruit and vegetable recommendations vary by age and sex:
Women should aim for at least 1½ cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables each day.
Men need at least 2 cups of fruit and 3½ cups of vegetables each day.
While you don't need to get this all in today - this could be a goal to work towards over the next few months.
Each September, Turtle doves migrate from Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa to Africa. The following year they return home. That is some commute and quite a workout.
I don't suggest getting our winter home in Africa, but we need to get out and move more! So don't hunker down for the winter, but make sure you get up and go and keep moving all year round.
