Nutritional COLORS Are In All Year Round

When it comes to fashion, we shop for certain colors at certain times of the year. When it comes to food; however, we should "eat our colors" all year round. Eating five or more servings of fruits or veggies a day is important for wellness. Deeply hued fruits and veggies provide an awesome range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants ... just about everything your body needs to maintain high energy levels, maintain good health, and help protect the body against the ravishes of time.

Why is it important to "eat your colors?"

COLOR and PHYTONUTRIENTS

Phytonutrients are natural plant compounds that are said to provide a variety of health benefits. Among the more than 10,000 phytonutrients identified so far, about 2,000 are pigments that give food color. So eating more colorful fruits and veggies means you'll get more health-promoting phytonutrients into your diet. 

Add some blue or purple in your diet to help maintain urinary tract health, memory aptitude and healthy aging. Blue and purple foods contain health promoting phytonutrients such as anthocyanins and phenolics, which are under serious study for their contribution to long and healthy lives.

Blue & Purple Foods ... blackberries, blueberries, plums, raisins, purple asparagus, purple cabbage, eggplant, purple carrots, blue algae, purple peppers.

When adding green to your diet think vision health and strong healthy bones and teeth. Green vegetables contain the potent phytonutrients lutein and indoles, which are high in vitamins A and C and believed by researchers to have some tangible antioxidant, health-promoting benefits.

Green Foods ... avocadoes, green apples, honeydew, kiwi, limes, green pears, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbage, Chinese broccoli, leafy greens, leeks, scallions, okra, peas, spinach, zucchini.

Yes, neutral colors have their benefits as well. Packed with vitamin C, B vitamins and most importantly selenium, these colors help to promote heart health and maintain cholesterol levels that are already healthy. White, tan and brown fruits and vegetables contain allicin, a phytonutrient found particularly in the onion and garlic family.

White, Tan & Brown Foods ... bananas, brown pears, dates, white peaches and nectarines, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, mushroom, onions, parsnips, white potatoes, turnips, white corn.

Add yellow and orange to your diet to maintain vision health, heart health and a healthy immune system. Fruits and veggies in this color family contain vitamin C, carotenoids and bioflavonoids.

Yellow & Orange Foods … yellow apples, apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, citrus, mangos, nectarines, papayas, peaches, persimmons, pineapples, butternut squash, carrots, yellow & orange peppers, pumpkin, rutabagas, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, yellow winter squash.

Eat your reds to help maintain heart health, memory function and urinary tract health. Lycopene and anthocyanins are two phytonutrients that have a deep presence in red fruits and veggies. Some of these reds are being studied for their immune support functions.

Red Foods ... red apples, blood oranges, cherries, cranberries, red grapes, pink grapefruit, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, beets, red peppers, radishes, red onions, rhubarb, red potatoes, tomatoes.