We all know the importance of eating a balanced diet. Our diets should include a range of fruit and vegetables along with carbohydrates, milk and dairy products and, of course, proteins. You may have heard of the importance of getting your five potions of fruit and vegetables every day, but have you thought about how colour can help you to make sure you get all the essential vitamins and minerals you need?
Think about a typical meal for you - what colours are there on your plate? Can you see a variety, or are you sticking to the same groupings all the time? Mince and potatoes may be delicious, but something is missing. You need to add some colour to that plate to brighten things up a bit. There are many reasons why you should add some colour if you want to improve your health.
Green
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts (also known as cruciferous vegetables because of the cross-shaped pattern found on the underside of the central stalk or core of these vegetables) contain indoles. Indoles belong to a class of phytonutrients which have been shown to benefit the body in a number of important ways, including reducing the risk of developing colon, breast and prostate cancer and even helping reduce tumour growth in cancer patients.
Red
Red foods are full of antioxidants, which help to repair the damage done by life and living such as smoking, stress and sun damage, providing protection from cancers and age-related diseases such as Alzheimers. The lycopene in red foods, especially tomatoes, can dramatically lower your risk of developing prostate cancer and may also help people who have prostate cancer by preventing it from spreading, as well as keeping tumours small. For women, it may also lower your chances of developing lung, breast, and stomach cancers.
So make room for red foods like tomatoes, pink grapefruit, guava, watermelon, raspberries, strawberries, beets, red onion, red pepper, cherries, kidney beans, cranberries, red apples and red cabbage
Orange
Orange foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, peaches, apricots, cantaloupes, mangoes, and butternut squash are full of antioxidants, vitamins, fibre and phytonutrients and, as well as being good for your skin, eyes and heart, may also decrease your risk of cancer. Of course, the best-known nutrient in orange foods is the antioxidant, beta carotene, which gives orange fruits and vegetables their brilliant colour. Now you know why Bugs Bunny has such good eyesight! And the good news is that as well as helping maintain good eyesight, beta carotene can also delay the onset of cognitive aging and protect skin from sun damage.
Yellow
Yellow and orange foods such as oranges, tangerines, lemons, pears, nectarines, grapefruit, apricots, pineapple, peaches, and yellow peppers. contain carotenoids and bioflavonoids, (water soluble plant pigments that function as antioxidants) and vitamin C. These promote the health of your heart, vision, digestion and immune systems, and even promote stronger teeth and bones, wound healing and healthy skin.
Blue and Purple
Dark purple foods get their colour from anthocyanin another strong and protective antioxidant, which can support healthy ageing and reduce the risk of cancer. They also packed with flavonoids - known to be one of the most powerful phytochemicals. Flavonoids are heart-healthy and can lower your risk of heart disease. Purple fruits include grapes, plums, figs, raisins, prunes and blackberries.
Conclusion
So you can see how getting your five portions of fruit and vegetables can be as easy as it is important for your long-term health. Aim to get food from each of the colour groups onto your plate for every meal and you will soon feel the difference in terms of your health.
If you are interested in finding out more about how a healthy diet and lifestyle can lead to permanent weight loss then click the link now. Go on, what have you got to lose?
Audrey Finch is CEO of Better Life 4u Committed to helping you break through the barriers to achieve success.
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