Rainbow Foods

Hi friends, with all this craziness going on it’s been a huge reminder to me to be extremely mindful of what we are eating right now and putting in our bods.🙏 While stress makes us crave more junk and comfort foods, it’s THE WORST thing we can do while trying to keep our immune system up and firing.! I compiled a list, the best I could ,of the colored fruits and veges and their benefits. If you can try to eat some or all of the rainbow every day, and avoid sugar and saturated fats as much as possible, you’re winning! I’ll be posting more healthy recipes and ideas soon ,so stay tuned!🌈 😉 I’m also available for any menu advice, recipes, mealplans and catering support!!! Stay Safe, Stay Healthy Friends.. I love you! 🥰✌ Colors Benefits Below: ⬇️

RED FRUITS AND VEGES: red apples, beets, red cabbage, cherries, cranberries, pink grapefruit, red grapes, guava or guava juice, red peppers, pomegranates, red potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes or tomato sauce, watermelon. Red foods contain lycopene, anthocyanins, beta carotene and vitamin C. Lycopene is a very strong antioxidant that has been linked to reductions in cancer risk. Anthocyanins, which are flavonoids that give a fruit or vegetable its red or purple color, have been linked to the reduction of many health risks. In particular, tomato consumption has been linked to lowered risk of heart disease, and berry consumption has been linked to lowered risk of cancer, diabetes, inflammation, neurological diseases and AGING!

ORANGE or DEEP YELLOW Foods: apricots, butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, grapefruit, lemons, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapple, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, yellow peppers, yellow squash. Orange or Deep yellow foods contain carotenoids, bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Beta Carotene is the carotenoid that most of us know about . Our bodies convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is a potent antioxidant. Vitamin A helps fight the harmful effects of free radicals, possibly helping to reduce cancer risk. Some orange and yellow vegetables contain lutein, another carotenoid which helps fight age-related macular degeneration – an eye disorder that can lead to blindness. It is also suspected that carotenoids can perhaps protect us from sun damage – another sign of aging.

GREEN FOODS: Artichokes, asparagus, avocados, green apples, green beans, broccoli, bok choy, chard, collard greens, cucumbers, grapes, green onion, honeydew melon, kale, kiwi, lettuce, lime, peas, peppers, spinach, zucchini. Green foods contain lutein and indoles and more. Considered by many to be the most important color in the rainbow diet, the nutrients in green foods can repair damaged DNA that might have led to cancers of the breast, lungs or skin. Green foods also contain essential micronutrients like iron, and their high fiber content lowers the glycemic index of foods eaten along with it. They help normalize blood glucose, blood lipids and blood pressure levels. Green foods contain B vitamins for energy, calcium for bone health, and vitamins C and E to fight off free radicals that promote aging and disease. As an added benefit, green foods are naturally alkaline foods which can help reduce the body’s acidity. High acidity caused by a diet high in processed foods and animal protein can leach calcium from bones, which can weaken the skeleton and increase the risk of osteoporosis.

BLUE OR PURPLE FOODS: Bilberries, blackberries, black currants, blueberries, eggplant, elderberries, kelp, prunes, purple grapes, raisins. Blue or purple foods provide anthocyanins and flavonoids. They provide vitamin E and iodine (which enhanced the function of the thyroid gland) and potassium (which keeps oxygen supplied to the brain). Overall these foods help oxygen flow through the body which helps with allergies, inflammation, cancer, and heart and liver diseases. Blue and purple foods also improve urinary tract health, memory and slow the aging process, and who doesn’t like that?

Does knowing the specifics help with your motivation? It sure helps with mine! All of these nutrients, when it comes down to it, fight AGING!! I want to feel as young as possible for as long as possible. If eating a rainbow of foods can help me do that, then I am a convert! Let’s hear it for the colorful plate club.🌈✌