Some years ago there was this trend of eating the rainbow diet. I will explain to you how it still benefits us. The concept is simple. You’ll be consuming fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors.
This can get a little complicated. So, we’ll look at it step-by-step. The first step is knowing the fruit and vegetables categorized by the different colors.
• Orange foods
Carrots, oranges, mangoes, apricots, papayas, guavas, star fruit, nectarines, sweet potatoes
• Green foods
Broccoli, asparagus, peas, kiwi, spinach, green beans, lettuce, kale, Brussel sprouts, celery, cucumber, leek, cabbage
• Red foods
Strawberries, pomegranates, raspberries, tomatoes, red grapes, red peppers, cherries
• Blue/Purple foods
Blackberries, plums, figs, blueberries, cranberries, beetroots, aubergine (brinjal)
• White/No color foods
Cauliflower, garlic, lychees, onion, parsnip, button mushrooms
Now that we’ve established some of the foods by their color, the next point to note will be how the different foods benefit your health.
Orange foods are generally rich in antioxidants. You’ll also find that most orange produce are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene and potassium.
They’ll help keep the common colds at bay. These foods are anti-inflammatory in nature and will promote good vision and healthy skin.
Green foods are excellent for reducing your risk of cancer and other diseases. Green vegetables are chockful of antioxidants that will detox your body and improve eye health.
Green foods are usually rich in magnesium, lutein, iron, calcium, potassium, folate and vitamin K.
Red foods usually contain lycopene which is a carotenoid. This is a potent antioxidant that will prevent cancer and macular degeneration. They also have a pain relieving effect because of the presence of anthocyanins which reduce inflammation.
Blue/purple foods are rich in anthocyanins too. In fact, that’s what causes these foods to be such a color. They improve skin health, boost the immune system, and are rich in antioxidants.
White foods, also known as colorless foods, contain many potent micronutrients such as sulphoraphane, allium and flavonoids. These foods tend to be ‘purifiers’ and help to reduce and repair free radical damage within the body.
They also boost your immune system and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. White foods such as garlic are antiviral and antibacterial in nature. These will help to detox the body and lower your blood cholesterol levels.
So, now you know what the different colored foods are and how they help to improve your health. Of course, the content above is just the tip of the iceberg. Books can be written about how these natural foods work wonders for your health, but that’s beyond the scope of this article.
Consuming rainbow foods
The best way to get the most out of these rainbow foods will be to consume a serving or two of them at every meal.
For example, on Mondays, you may have red and green foods. On Tuesdays, you may have purple and white foods. There’s no right or wrong answer here. You can mix and match these foods and see which combinations you like.
It would be a good idea to keep a food journal to note down how you feel after a meal. Some foods agree better with some people and not others. It’s just a matter of trial and error.
Once you discover which foods on the rainbow spectrum make you feel good, you can consume them regularly and your health will improve remarkably over time.
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