Whether the motivation is the economy or the environment, backyard gardens are popping up all over the country. Perhaps most famously, a garden was even planted at the White House. Regardless of the reasons for planting a garden, there are undeniable health perks to growing your own produce.

Produce that is freshly picked (or dug as the case may be) hasn't had time to lose any nutrients. What's more, the fresher the produce, the better it seems to taste. And, as you grow different varieties of produce and have them right on hand, you're more likely to find ways to prepare and enjoy them. And increasing your fruit and vegetable intake is a good thing.


You can never have too many fruits and vegetables, but there are other, less healthful, foods that can send you into a flurry of overeating.

Last week I asked you what your trigger foods are:

• 48 percent of you said sugary/fatty foods like ice cream are your downfall.
• 42 percent have a weakness for salty/fatty foods such as chips.
• 4 percent don't have a trigger food.

Check out Jacki's post to learn more about trigger foods.