Summer is in full swing and it’s been a couple of months of indulging in amazing fresh fruits and vegetables, some from our own gardens, some from our leisurely walks through a nearby farmer’s market.
We underestimate the blessings of having access to fresh food. Eating a rainbow of colors has a tremendous healing effect on our physical and mental health. Let’s breakdown the colors of healthy eating and what they do for us.
Green: Greens, like kiwi, broccoli, cucumber, avocado, celery offer an abundance of micronutrients like Sulforaphane, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Lutein, Potassium, Vitamin K, Folate. These vegetables also help support and detox the liver. They also have amazing properties to help protect you from cancer.
Red: Red fruits and veggies like tomatoes, peppers, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, to name a few! Do you want to reduce your risk of stroke and heart attack? Reduce inflammation? Get your reds in! With all this Vitamin C, you’ll have an awesome serving of anti-oxidant. Add to that, a little Lycopene, Anthocyanin, and Quercetin. These micronutrients help reduce free radicals in your body.
Orange/Yellow: Boosting your antioxidants through yellow and orange foods like carrots, peppers, bananas, pumpkin, squash, lemons, will keep your eyes and skin healthy, reduce inflammation and detoxify the effects of our lifestyle and environment. Nutritionally, you’ll see an increase in Beta carotene, Potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
Blue/Purple: Cabbage, grapes, eggplant, blueberries…Yum. Are you seeing a trend here? Reducing inflammation is their claim to fame. These foods support healthy blood vessels, improve skin and help prevent wrinkles, through the increase in Vitamin C, Potassium and Folate.
White: Potatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, garlic. More of the amazing benefits that help prevents cancer, support immune function, reduce free radicals, lowers cholesterol.
Nearly all disease starts with inflammation. Nearly every pharmaceutical drug, has a food base. These two facts alone are a strong argument to eat your fruits and veggies! Why wouldn’t you choose some healthy foods if it meant a better quality of life?
Admittedly, it can be overwhelming to think about. Sometimes, we take an all or nothing approach to eating healthy. What about if you tried a different way? One consideration is to plan your meals at the beginning of each week. By planning out your specific meals, you know what your going to be eating. This eliminates trying to think of something at the last minute. When we do that, we are often tired and short on time, so we reach for easy food and that rarely involves fresh fruits and vegetables. Another idea is to just start adding one fruit or veggie a day. Focus on a colorful plate!
Even making the smallest change is going to make a huge difference over time. It comes down to being more intentional in our food choices and healthy living. So, this week…see what happens when you taste the rainbow!
