Eat the Rainbow for Your Best Health

Remember that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? What if the gift at the end of the rainbow was your best health?  The older we get, the more important our health becomes.  Definitely more important than any pot of gold.  Let’s see how we can eat the “magically delicious” rainbow and improve our health along the way.

It should be noted that on of the simplest ways to improve your health is to eat healthier. Let’s be perfectly clear, it is NEVER too late to improve your health.  Our bodies need the important nutrients, antioxidants and minerals that we get from eating the rainbow.  Plus, by eating the many colorful fruits and vegetables from the rainbow, we can better fight diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

NEVER TO LATE TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

The phytochemicals along with the nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals improve the health of our heart, our eyes, our lungs, our gut – pretty much all the systems of the body.

So, how do you “eat the rainbow”? 

First, let’s start by learning what the colors of the rainbow do for our health:

• Red fruits and vegetables – tomatoes, strawberries, beets, cherries – may help to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, diabetes, supports joint health and aides inhibiting the formation of cholesterol in blood.  Filled with vitamins A and C.
• Orange/yellow fruits and vegetables – carrots, peaches, sweet potatoes, clementine’s – all contain beta carotene, known for playing a vital role in maintaining healthy eyesight, night vision and aides in fighting macular degeneration.  The are great for joint health, boosting your immune system and working with calcium and magnesium to keep our bone healthy.

• Green fruits and vegetables – kale, kiwi, green beans, avocados – helps to protect your vision, bones and boosts your immune system.  Reduces the risk or cancer, diabetes and obesity.
• White, tan and brown vegetables – onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, white sweet potatoes – help maintain heart health and lower the risk of certain cancers.  They are have antiviral and antibacterial properties which helps to boost your immune systems.
• Blue and purple fruits and vegetables – grapes, blue berries, eggplant and purple potatoes – have anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce cholesterol levels.  They also help to lower blood pressure.

Red Orange/Yellow Green White/Tan/Brown Blue/Purple

Consequently, nature provides us a simple way to eat for our health.  By eating colors from the rainbow, you can provide your body with the nutrition it needs to get healthy and stay healthy.

Next, let’s add a few ideas for adding color to our meals.

Add color to your meals

With color in mind, every meal is an opportunity to eat the rainbow by choosing some colorful ingredients. Not only does a beautiful colorful plate improve our health, it is also a feast for the eyes. And we all know we eat with our eyes first!

Breakfast – have a colorful smoothie by including spinach, parsley, different berries and bananas.  Have a green smoothie.  Add spinach and salsa to your scrambled eggs.  Have avocado toast with greens and tomatoes.

Lunch – a big salad does it for me.  Along with dark leafy greens you can add carrots, tomatoes, peppers, green onion, berries, thin sliced apples.   Make a vinaigrette with herbs.  Soups are another great place to add color.

Dinner – roasted broccoli and/cauliflower, sweet potatoes, roasted greens beans – all make tasty and colorful side dishes.

In addition, remember to add spices and herbs – ginger, turmeric, garlic, parsley, cilantro…the list is endless.  They not only add color and flavor but also additional nutrition.

Don’t discount getting an occasional raw juice for another way to get color.  There are also some great supplements to help you get the colors in!

Undoubtedly, eating the rainbow can be fun and it is definitely beneficial to our health.  But if you grew up eating limited fruits and vegetables, it can be challenging. I suggest you try a new fruit or veggie each week.  But don’t give up after the first try, keep trying them in different ways until you find one you like.  It takes a bit of time to change your taste buds, but your health deserves it!

Check out the posts on nutrition:

Herbal Supplements

Fat Loss and Muscle Gain

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