Forget Bobby McFerrin: Eat Veggies, Be Happy

No disrespect to Bobby McFerrin, but he may need to change the title of his song from Don’t Worry, Be Happy to Eat Veggies, Be Happy. A study of 80,000 people in Britain concluded that people who eat 7 servings of fruits and vegetables are the happiest.

The study looked at 80,000 individuals and used seven different methods to measure an individual’s happiness. Seven servings of fruits and vegetable seemed to set free those bluebirds of happiness.

Don’t eat enough fruits and veggies? Here’s what you need to know to help you stop singin’ them blues:

Scale it Down to Size
The study mentions 7 servings of fruits and vegetables, but what does that mean? A serving size of fruit or vegetables is 1 medium fruit or half a cup of vegetables (or 1 cup leafy vegetables) .

You still need to watch your calorie count. Most vegetables are low in calories, but fruit can pack quite a wallop compared to vegetables. 1 medium banana has around 100 calories compared to, say, one serving of raw red peppers at around 20 calories.

More on serving sizes:

• Day 26 of my Calorie Counting Boot Camp covers fruits and vegetables
• 7 Things You Need to Know About Serving Sizes

Mix It Up Like a MixTape
Different fruits and vegetables supply different amounts of vitamins and minerals. It’s best to mix things up, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Look for vegetables that are red, orange are dark green. That doesn’t mean you should ignore other colors. It’s just that red, orange and dark green vegetables will give you a bigger bang for your buck.

• Top 5 Healthiest Dark Green Vegetables
• 7 Healthy Orange Fruits and Vegetables

One easy way to eat more servings of fruits and vegetables is to make half your plate fruits and/or veggies at every meal.

Here are some more ideas:

• Make Spinach Your GoTo Veggie
• How to Eat More Vegetables
• Raw or Cooked Vegetables? Which is Best for Weight Loss

My favorite way to eat more vegetables is to make homemade soups. Here’s my favorite recipe to make vegetable stock: Soup’s On: Amazing Homemade Vegetable Stock. Just add in your favorite vegetables for a healthy – and delicious – way to eat more vegetables.

Harmonize Your Life
Help those servings of fruits and vegetables do their job by being less stressed. Say no when you need to say no. Take time out for yourself — and don’t forget to go easy on yourself.

• Stress and Healthy Eating Your Way to Peacefulness
• Excuse Buster: I’m Always Hard on Myself When I Try to Lose Weight

And the best stress reliever? Exercise. Whether it’s a fast-paced cardio workout, a kickbutt weight training session or a long walk with a good friend, exercise will help put the harmony back into your life.

• 9 Ways Exercise Can Make You Feel Better

Keep Hitting Repeat

If you’re not used to eating fruits and vegetables, build your way up each day by adding a serving here, a serving there.

To paraphrase Selena Gomez, “Love yourself like a love song, baby, and keep hitting repeat-peat-peat. *ducks and runs*