Colorful Foods - Healthy Foods - The Nutrition Rainbow
Monday, December 26, 2011
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No wonder there's a pot of gold at the end!
The two fundamental aspects of the lush color in foods is "balance & variety" which seduce our palate with taste, appeal and nutrition. Did you know that the colors found in various foods represent 25,000 chemicals that are beneficial?
Buy foods in vivid shades of green, orange, yellow, purple and red, for not only are they visually enticing they are also packed with health-benefiting properties. Even the foods that have lighter colors -- garlic, onions, leeks, cabbage, celery etc. -- offer many benefits.
So, what's in the color? A piece of trivia to note - the compounds that give fruits and vegetables their bright color are also responsible for giving them their unique health promoting properties. They are bio-active compounds occurring naturally in foods that provide more than just nutrition. Some studies have shown that these plant-based chemicals, or phyto-nutrients help prevent one or more chronic, debilitating and often deadly diseases by boosting immunity or ridding the body of damaging free radicals.
It's easy to add color to your diet! Toss up fruits vegetables raw, steamed, grilled or baked - Make your plate a canvas and paint each meal with life giving colors.
The trick is to include as many plant-based foods in your daily diet as possible, always including their colorful skins which often have the richest sources of protective phyto-nutrients, with the paler flesh. Try to avoid peeling foods like apples, peaches and eggplants because peeling removes their most concentrated source of beneficial nutrients.
Make sure to wash the food item well before consuming.
Balancing Tips:
- Get at least 6 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. 1 serving of fruit or veg = 1 extra small banana = 1 small orange = 1 small apple = 1 small guava = ½ cup of cooked vegetable.
- Freshly prepared fruit juice (not more than 4 oz and no sugar added)
- One glass of tomato juice supplies 50 percent of the recommended lycopene.
- Add fruits to your breakfast cereal, salads, yogurts and desserts
- Drink fruits milkshakes, smoothies.
COLOR |
FOODS |
BENEFITS |
PURPLE |
Beets, eggplant, purple grapes, red wine, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples |
They may delay the aging of cells in the body. They may help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and urinary tract health
|
GREEN |
Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage or bok choi, kale |
Which help to promote strong bones and teeth, vision health and may lower the risk of some types of cancer |
RED |
Tomatoes, pink grapefruit, strawberries watermelon, beets, red peppers, radishes
|
Helps rid the body of free radicals & protects against prostate cancer, heart lung & Alzheimer's diseases. |
YELLOW |
Pineapple, peaches, papayas, yellow corn, potatoes, sweet lime, lemon honeydew melon |
Reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration |
WHITE |
Scallions |
|
Find your treasure = Maximize benefits = Be nutrition rich!
By. Kanchan Saggi Dietitian, NutritionVista.com
Tags: Bright colors / colours, fruits, vegetables, rich in nutrition, anti-oxidants, phyto-nutrients, boost immunity
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User Comments
Tags: Antioxidants, Cancer Diet & Nutrition, Cancer Prevention, Diabetes Prevention, Eat Healthy, General health, Healthy Foods, Healthy Lifestyle, Men's Health, Nutrition, Obesity / Weight Loss, Vitamins & Supplements
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