As I have mentioned before, I've been tweaking my diet here and there for quite some time. I've never been shy about trying a recommended health tip or method that I come across and through experience I've formed my own option about many of them. After all of my experimenting, if someone were to ask me what the best change that I have ever made was, the answer would be very easy. You might be surprised when I say that it wasn't something that I cut out but actually something that I increased tremendously. I'm talking about greens of course!

Whether you are someone who wants to lose weight, gain weight or just manage a healthy lifestyle you need not look much further than the produce aisle. I think it's common knowledge that there are countless benefits to eating vegetables but my eyes only truly opened to this when I made the vow to consume 4-5 cups of vegetables each day without fail. If I was only having one cup of veg at a particular meal that cup would be greens. When it comes to vegetables I favour greens more than any other but of course all of the colours have their various benefits.

I had dedicated myself to this mission initially because I wanted to up my iron intake with spinach and such. I was certain of the nutritional boost that I would be getting from the added veg but I had no idea exactly how much it would impact my diet and everyday life.

There's only so much that one can eat at a time, so when your plate has a good helping of veg by default, some of the other unnecessary calories get displaced. I found myself consuming less complex carbs quite by accident which helped me trim some fat from my figure! I didn't suffer any drop in energy either because the greens were the perfect fuel for my day! I made a point to have sweet potato, oats and whole grain breads on my plate at some point but I ate them a little less frequently as I would replace them with veg many of the times to reach my daily goal.

My body started to change...I started to hold less water, my hair and nails started to grow at a rate, my complexion improved and my system just seemed to work better. I could balance my caloric intake with little to no thought and my body really began to shape up. I also found myself shaking colds and flus at a much faster rate along with increased energy for my workouts. All of this just from eating more!

Dietary guidelines usually recommend a person to eat 3-4 cups of vegetables a day but here is my challenge for you. If you want a quick way to make a major and positive impact on your life then I challenge you for the next month to try to eat 4-5 cups of vegetables EVERY day. I'm not telling you to cut anything out. I'm not telling you not to eat carbs! Just include a cup or two of vegetables in your meals throughout the day and see what happens.

Here are the rules:

• Your 4-5 cups of veg cannot be all eaten at once.
• No more than 2 cups of vegetables per meal.
• Aim to make green the primary colour.
• I'd advise not to deep fry your vegetables.
• Make your vegetables fresh and not canned.

I took on this challenge as someone who isn't that enthusiastic about vegetables on the surface. I usually would eat way more fruit than veg in the day and I knew I needed to flip that around. The first day will be the trickiest but I can assure you that it becomes second nature in no time! I now actually consume 5-6 cups a day without having to plan it!

I know that plain steamed veg can get extremely boring (truuuust me I know...) so I want you to know that there are tons of options available for you!

Here are some of my own tips for getting in those veggies, apart from the standard side salad.

Make a stir fry. This is an excellent option to pumping up on the produce. I usually make a huge stir fry once a week full of snow peas, bok choy, bell peppers, mushrooms and such and have that available all week! Play with your ingredients and come up with your favourite combo!

Veggify your omelette. Breakfast is usually the trickiest meal to get veg in. A very simple option is to throw a cup of veg in with your eggs! This morning I had a fabulous spinach, mushroom and basil omlette which I can't wait to have again!

Drink them! Adding veg to your breakfast smoothie or protein shake is a great way to sneak them into your diet! Another option is investing in a juicer and making your own fruit and veggie juices!

Toss them in with the roast. If you're like me and spend a lot of time baking chicken or fish you can easily shop and lightly season some veg and toss them in with the meat! Protein and produce in one go!

Make them snack worthy. If you haven't heard of kale chips now is the time to try them! I also like to take other veg like parsnips, slice them into rings or sticks and toss them in extra virgin olive oil and fun spices like cinnamon or cayenne and the bake them into chips. They're crunchy, delicious and nutritious!

Puree. Mashed potatoes aren't the only creamy delight for your plate. Try boiling/steaming then pureeing carrots or pumpkin, mixing in some spices and skimmed milk to enjoy a great alternative to mashed potatoes! There is nothing like the brilliant red of a beet puree either!

Vow never to let any spoil. The only problem with vegetables is that they have a short shelf life. Make the effort not to let any of your veggie purchases spoil and you'll see how fast the veggie count moves up! You'll be saving money too!

So...you have options and you have access to countless vegetables...so what are you waiting for? Let me know if you're trying this and how it goes.

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Annalisa D'Ornella is a musician, writer and avid fitness buff who is documenting her efforts to stay healthy and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others. You can enjoy more of her writings on the blogsite: To Be Fit as a Flea.