hey there viewers how often do you eat
lettuce
i know your lettuce intake is not
something people usually grill you over
but it's one of the most common veggies
out there whether you're putting it on
burgers or eating it in salads
people just love eating lettuce some
people even use it as a substitute for
bread
but is it actually good for you let's
talk about what happens to your body
when you eat lettuce every day
does it help you load up on vitamins can
it help you lose weight
can it keep you hydrated wait is it
really not as healthy as you
think we're talking all of that and more
number one
load up on nutrients now let me first
get this out of the way
i know lettuce can sound boring some
people have a pretty strong hatred
towards veggies in general
besides how can you make lettuce
interesting
it's one of the most bland boring foods
out there
well you need to ask yourself this
question are you looking to get healthy
well then listen up if there's one thing
lettuce really has going for it
it's all the nutrients it carries i'm
talking about both vitamins and minerals
a head of iceberg lettuce has a decent
amount of vitamin a
c and k these provide very special
benefits
vitamin a is used to maintain several
different functions in your body
it can strengthen your immune system as
well as improve on your ability to
reproduce
vitamin a also helps to improve your
vision it does this by using its protein
to absorb
light into your retinal receptors a
single cup of shredded lettuce holds
about 2 percent of your suggested intake
for the day
vitamin c allows your body to function
better restoring your tissues
maintaining your teeth and bones and
strengthening your immune system
in other words you need vitamin c to
grow vitamin k
on the other hand will allow your wounds
to heal quicker you also need it for
blood clotting
if you want healthier stronger bones
vitamin k is a must-have
but we'll touch on that a little later
in greater detail on the mineral front
lettuce will give you a satisfying
amount of calcium potassium and folate
these have all kinds of benefits ranging
from lowering your blood pressure to
strengthening your teeth and bones
folate even has the ability to produce
dna and genetic material
this is especially important for
pregnant women
i'd say this is already a pretty
convincing argument for why you should
eat lettuce every day
what's your favorite food to eat lettuce
on are you a sandwich person
what's your salad of choice sound off in
the comment section and start a
conversation with our bestie community
number two it might help you lose weight
everyone's trying to shed pounds lately
everywhere i go it's a new diet or a new
food nobody's ever heard of
well sometimes you just need to rely on
the simple things now i'm saying this
with caution
lettuce is a smart dieting choice but
it's mostly because of its low calories
it's one of the best things it has going
for it lettuce doesn't have a ton of
protein or fiber
both of which you need for digestion the
few carbs lettuce has
are fairly empty in other words you
shouldn't be going to lettuce by itself
it may work for rabbits but with hummus
it won't do anything except leave you
hungrier this will have you feeling
sluggish and unmotivated
try getting in shape that way but as i
said if you're looking for a healthy
sandwich topping
lettuce is the way to go remember that
cup of shredded lettuce i mentioned
before
it's just under 10 calories if you're
cooking a burger for yourself some
shredded lettuce will go great with it
eating leafy greens with romaine lettuce
is the perfect way to increase the
volume of your meals without shooting up
in calories
a small caesar salad with romaine
lettuce is around 180 give or take
it's an ideal side for your dinner mind
you you are adding a bunch of salad
dressing which will
increase your calories either way so if
you're having dressing on the salad try
to keep it light
if you'd like your salad to pack a
protein punch grill up some chicken and
mix it with your salad
it's pretty tasty but there's something
else lettuce does that's actually pretty
special
you already know about putting lettuce
on your burger in fact you probably do
put lettuce on your burger
i mean it's a pretty standard move for
barbecue enthusiasts
but what about using lettuce as the bun
i mean the concept alone is enough to
make the meat lover's head explode
but it's all the rage in the fitness
community and fairly creative if i do
say so myself
if you're avoiding carbs but still can't
help giving in to the tendency of a
hamburger
lettuce is a fantastic substitute i'm
talking about two leaves of iceberg
lettuce on both ends of the patty
it's a simple change that can be done in
your kitchen several fast food
restaurants will do this for you as well
what's super cool about this method is
it actually provides much more crunch
than a regular burger
on the weight loss front you're eating
almost no carbs
just make sure you're avoiding the side
of fries still not convinced that
lettuce is the way to go
well maybe this will change your mind
but before we continue
are you trying to get in shape you first
need to get your diet in check
have a look at our recent video on 13
foods that damage your gut
now back to our discussion on what
lettuce does to your body
number three lettuce will keep you
hydrated
i bet this is something you didn't think
of summer's right around the corner
folks
the temperatures are going to be rising
i don't think people realize just how
essential water is
i mean you know it keeps you alive right
you need to be drinking it several times
a day
experts recommend that men drink just
under 4 liters of water per day
and women have under three staying
hydrated not only keeps your body
functioning
but your mind as well so by now you're
probably asking yourself
where does lettuce come in well lettuce
is one of the most water-rich foods on
the planet its water content is listed
at 96 percent
including lettuce as a regular part of
your diet will keep your water levels
balanced
now i'm not saying you need to carry a
head of lettuce with you like your own
personal water bottle
wouldn't that be a sight small amounts
of lettuce are quite enough
one cup of lettuce holds more than a
quarter cup of water
this is all the more reason to eat salad
with your meals
either that or put some onto your
sandwich other foods that hydrate you
include cucumber
tomatoes broccoli brussels sprouts
apples and oranges
this makes me want to jump in the car
and head over to the grocery store
but not before i get to our next point
number four
it strengthens your bones this one needs
to be talked about
in greater detail a heavy diet of
lettuce can increase the strength of
your bones
remember when i said that lettuce is a
strong source of vitamin k
well this is what increases your bone
strength
you might be thinking well i'm too young
to worry about weak bones
well you're never too young i'm sure you
know what osteoporosis is
osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease
for someone who suffers from it their
bones are incredibly fragile
while it's more common in people over
the age of 50 it's seen in people of
all ages studies have shown that over
200 million people around the world are
suffering from osteoporosis
one in five men and one in three women
will experience a fracture related to
osteoporosis at some point in their life
consuming vitamin k in large quantities
will reduce your risk of bone fractures
but how much should i eat in a single
day well the average man is recommended
120 micrograms of vitamin k daily
while the average woman is suggested
around 90. one cup of shredded romaine
lettuce holds about 61 micrograms of
vitamin k
as for a cup of green leaf lettuce there
are over 100 micrograms
i would say that's quite a bone-friendly
meal all the more reason to snack on
lettuce every day
the veggies you eat are so important of
course lettuce is cool but it's just the
beginning
have i sparked your interest let's keep
the conversation going with a couple
more veggie related videos
shall we check out what eating broccoli
every day does to your gut
or how about 12 super veggies you should
eat that pack some serious power
go ahead and click one or better yet
watch both and learn more about how to
improve your diet do you eat lettuce on
the regular let us know in the comments