Are You Eating The Colors You Need? Part I

“Eat the rainbow” is a fundamental healthy eating tip. (And no, it doesn’t mean artificially colored foods like Skittles or M&Ms!)

But what does it mean? Why is it important to get a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet?
Plants contain different pigments, or phytonutrients, which give them their color. Different-colored plants are linked to higher levels of specific nutrients and health benefits. While eating more vegetables and fruit is always a good idea, focusing on eating a variety of colors will increase your intake of different nutrients to benefit various areas of your health and without good nutrition, your body will be more likely to suffer from disease, illness, and poor performance.
Today I’m focusing on the colors red, yellow and orange and will explore other colors in the following weeks.

RED:
The root, the base and being grounded, being present in your body in every moment, from head to toe.
Red fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals including lycopene and ellagic acid. These powerful nutrients have been studied for their cancer-fighting effects and support healthy inflammatory responses. They may also benefit your heart health and they’re high in antioxidants.
Support your base by eating more red color food such as:

• Tomatoes

• Red peppers

• Strawberries

• Raspberries

• Watermelon

• Apples

• Cranberries

• Kidney beans

• Cherries

• Grapes

• Red onions

• Pomegranate

• Beets

Yellow and Orange:
The flow, flexibility and the pleasure for living and everything that life contains.
Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C and carotenoids, including beta-carotene. Some carotenoids, most notably beta-carotene, convert to vitamin A within the body, which helps promote healthy vision and cell growth. They may also contribute to cellular health and support your eye health. Citrus fruits, like oranges, contain a unique phytonutrient called hesperidin, which helps to increase blood flow. This has important health ramifications. If you tend to get cold hands and feet, eating an orange a day may help to keep your hands and feet warm.
Support your flow by eating more yellow and orange color food such as:

• Grapefruit

• Oranges

• Lemons

• Mangoes

• Papayas

• Carrots

• Sweet Potatoes

• Winter squash (butternut, kabocha, delicata, acorn)

• Yellow summer squash

• Corn

• Cantaloupe

• Orange and yellow peppers

• Golden beets

• Pineapple

• Peaches

• Bananas

How are you doing on these vibrant, energetic, creative and root colors? How can you add more of them to your daily diet and lifestyle?
One of the easiest ways is to start with a vibrant and beautiful breakfast. Get really creative, add a kick of red by adding Red bell pepper to your chickpea or tofu scramble or top things with a handful of fresh strawberries, yum!

If you wish to receive some support, or have questions, feel free to click HERE and book your complimentary consult session with me.

Much love,
Nousha 
xx