What do you think of when you hear the word “rainbow”? Lots of colors? Sunshine after rain? What about your diet? Have you ever thought of striving to eat a rainbow diet? What if I told you that eating a diet full of the colors of the rainbow could literally save your life?
A rainbow diet means a diet full of colors like white, yellow, red, orange, green, blue, and purple, and it is truly essential for optimal health. The colors of different foods actually come from the micronutrients they contain. Micronutrients are the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes our bodies need for good health. Those micronutrients are packed with antioxidants. You’ve likely heard that word before. Antioxidants are anti-aging and help us establish a strong immune system (or armor of defense). So, whole foods are medicine for our bodies. But variety of color is the key. No single nutrient can provide an adequate defense, just as no football team can win a game with one defensive player. Each color has unique properties that make it beneficial. So let’s break them down.
White foods are highly nutritious and healing to the body. Just keep in mind, that’s not including processed items like sugar and bleached flour. Natural white foods purify the blood, detoxify the liver, regulate healthy cellular growth, and reduce inflammation that can damage the vascular system. Some choices to increase white foods in your diet include leeks, onions, garlic, scallions, apples, white-fleshed sweet potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, and ginger.
Red hued fruits and veggies add lycopene to our diets. Eating a diet rich in lycopene reduces inflammation in the arteries which lowers our risk of cardiovascular diseases. Lycopene also helps prevent damage to our genes, Gene damage promotes cancer cell growth, making this benefit very important. Evidence even shows that lycopene reduces the occurrence of prostate, stomach, and breast cancer. Red fruit and vegetable options include tomatoes, strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, dark grapes, apples, red cabbage, beets, rhubarb, red peppers, radishes, and cherries.
Beta-carotene is the primary antioxidant that gives some foods their bright orange/yellow color. Beta-carotene can prevent against cancer of the stomach and esophagus, but it also boosts the response of our immune system. In addition, these foods lower blood pressure, lower our bad cholesterol, help build healthier joints and even contribute to stronger bones by working with magnesium and calcium in our diets. Perhaps the most commonly known benefit of beta carotene is better eye health. Great foods to eat in this category include sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin, carrots, grapefruit, apricots, mango, papaya, and cantaloupe.
Green fruits and vegetables are abundant in numerous plant compounds that improve health and healing in the body. Dark leafy greens are high in folate and have been shown to improve fertility. They also provide wound healing benefits and reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease and memory loss, as well as ward off depression. Plus, they are a great source of fiber. Greens to eat regularly include collard, turnip and mustard greens, avocado, Swiss chard, various lettuce varieties, kale, spinach, and Granny Smith apples.
Last but not least…why eat blues & purples? These darker hued fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants. Yes, there’s that term again. Blues and purples improve memory health, reduce inflammation, help prevent cancer, and protect our hearts. You’d be wise to include lots of these in your diet and some great sources are eggplant, blueberries, plums, red cabbage, cranberries, blackberries, and purple-fleshed sweet potatoes.
The bottom line is, the benefits of eating a rainbow diet can literally be life saving, and there is no prescription medication or vitamin pill that can ever replace what whole foods do for the body. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed at the thought of trying to eat the rainbow everyday, I highly encourage you to take a closer look at Juice Plus+. Our family started it over 15 years ago to bridge the gap in our diets, and it’s become the best health insurance we could have. Better yet, children can consume it for free with adult orders. Feel free to visit www.wholefoodforlife.net or contact me via [email protected] if you have any questions. And remember…somewhere over the rainbow, your health will flourish.
