Eat Healthily: Eat all the colors
We all can use more easy ways to remember to eat healthily! From having reminders on your phone to simply remembering to “eat the rainbow” these will help you eat healthily and reach your goals! Add some color to your diet and improve your health in the process!
Tips to Help You Eat Healthily
Did you know that adding colors to your diet may add years to your life?
There’s no doubt that eating fruits and vegetables will improve your health. However, it is not how much you are eating. It is all about the variety of fruits and vegetables and their colors.
The natural pigments of the fruits and vegetables help to protect your body from diseases and illnesses as you grow older.
Therefore, it is important that your diet consists of a wide range of fruits and vegetables of different colors. Think of a rainbow. That is what your diet should consist of.
Red – Ripe Tomatoes / Tomato Sauce
Fruits and vegetables that have a red color contain a pigment known as Lycopene.
Lycopene
- It is a powerful antioxidant.
- It is used to help reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer as well as other types of cancer.
Ripe Tomatoes
Ripe tomatoes contain the greatest amount of Lycopene. Although the amounts of some nutrients such as vitamin C are decreased when cooked, it is important that you cook it for a little while but not too long.
That is because cooking enhances the Lycopene and, in turn, it is better for your body.
Tomato Sauce
Moreover, adding tomato sauce to spaghetti, for example, also has the benefits of tomatoes. Cooked tomato sauce actually allows your body to absorb the nutrients easier as compared to uncooked tomato sauce.
Yellow/Orange – Sweet Potatoes / Carrots
- Fruits and vegetables that are a yellowish-orange color help to prevent heart disease. It does so by lowering cholesterol levels.
- In addition, these fruits and vegetables help reduce the risk of lung, esophagus, and stomach cancer.
- Yellowish orange fruits and vegetables help immune functions.
- Also, it helps reduce the risk of stroke.
Carrots / Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes and carrots are rich in Beta-cryptoxanthin, Beta-carotene, and Alpha-carotene which are especially good for your body as well as vitamin C. The carotenoids can be converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A helps improve your vision, immune functions, skin, and bones.
Green – Brussels sprouts / Romaine Lettuce / Broccoli / Pistachios
- Green fruits and vegetables are made up of a natural plant pigment known as Chlorophyll.
- They contain high amounts of Isothiocyanates. These induce enzymes in the liver that help the body to remove potentially carcinogenic compounds.
- Green vegetables have high sources of vitamin K, Folic acid, Potassium, Carotenoids, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Folic acid is used to prevent neural tube defects during pregnancy. Vitamin K is crucial in blood clot formation. Potassium helps to control blood pressure.
Broccoli / Romaine Lettuce / Brussels Sprouts
Broccoli, romaine lettuce, and brussels sprouts contain high amounts of Phytochemicals, Indoles, and Isothiocyanates which may have cancer prevention properties.
Moreover, broccoli and romaine lettuce are green vegetables that also contain Sulforaphane, a Phytochemical used to detoxify cancer-causing chemicals before they can damage the body.
Pistachios
Pistachios are a type of nuts that are in green color. They contain lots of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, they have huge amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids which help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure.
Blue/Purple – Blueberries / Aubergine
- Blue or purple foods are rich in Anthocyanin, a type of Phytochemical. Anthocyanin helps the body to have a healthy heart and healthier blood pressure.
- The darker the food, the higher the number of phytochemicals.
Blueberries
Blueberries are a very distinct type of fruit due to their color. They contain high amounts of Anthocyanin which helps in curing heart disease by preventing blood from clotting.
Also, they help in lowering the risk of many types of cancer. Blueberries are known to have the highest antioxidant activity among all types of foods.
Aubergine
The purple skin of Aubergines is very good for health. Aubergines also help with heart disease.
White – Mushroom / Almonds / Garlic
Foods in white color are a good source of vitamin C, Folic acid, and Fiber.
Mushroom
Mushrooms are rich in Riboflavin otherwise known as vitamin B2 and Niacin.
Almonds
Almonds contain a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids like other nuts which helps in reducing the risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure.
Garlic
Directly eating garlic may not be too appetizing. However, just adding garlic to other foods will give you enough vitamin C and folic acid.
Where to Find Healthy and Colorful Foods
There are many places to find delicious food recipes, but not all restaurants offer the best value. The most renowned brick-and-mortar restaurants, as well as meal delivery services, offer healthy and colorful foods at reasonable prices.
Online reservations are now available in compliance with quarantine rules during the pandemic.
Healthy Eating Tips
Healthy eating habits pay off, allowing you to effectively manage your weight without starving yourself or giving in to your cravings. Check the following healthy practices for eating:
- Eat Three Square Meals Daily: Never skip any meal. For instance, breakfast is a very important meal you should take to give your body the energy it needs so you can perform all tasks without getting too tired easily. However, this doesn’t mean giving in to all your sweet cravings to boost calories. Eat delicious food and replace too-high carb foods with healthy food substitutes, such as broccoli, lettuce, and cabbage for starches.
- Watch What You Eat: Exercising doesn’t excuse you from eating whatever pleases you. It’s a good practice to pay close attention to what you eat to ensure successful outcomes. If you want to shed off a few pounds or maintain normal blood sugar levels, self-discipline is essential.
- Drink Water Before Eating: More often than not, hunger is a signal of losing water in the body or dehydration. Your cells are thirsty but send a wrong signal that they’re hungry. Drinking water before eating is a good practice to lower your solid intake and benefit through hydration.
- Shop Wisely: The best way to avoid temptations when it comes to picking unhealthy food choices starts with shopping for food ingredients wisely. Grab more fruits and vegetables and whole foods rather than bread and other refined sugars and preserved foods.
Wrap-Up
As you can see, a variety of colors in your diet is very important and can help you eat healthily.
Add some color to your diet for a more well-balanced, healthy nutritional regime!
- Healthy Eating Tips: Add Colors to your Life - July 15, 2014