Eat a plateful of COLOUR for good health

There’s no question that eating two pieces of fruit & five servings of vegetables daily will improve your health.  But if you choose the same coloured fruits and vegetables every day, then you may not be giving your body the nutrition it needs simply because you need to eat a wide VARIETY of these important foods.  This blog will help you to find out how foods in each colour category can keep you healthy, both now and into the future. 

Red/Purple/Blue:  Pigments called anthocyanins give red, purple and blue fruits and vegetables their colour and serve as powerful antioxidants in the body. Studies have also shown that anthocyanins decrease the risk of cardio-vascular disease, macular degeneration, certain types of cancer and can help to improve cognitive function.  Be sure to include any type of berries in your diet daily to get a good dose of this powerful antioxidant as well as vegetables such as tomato, red capsicum, beetroot, red cabbage, radish, eggplant or purple carrots.

Dark Green Vegetables:   All dark greens will give you high amounts of chlorophyll which helps to promote alkalinity in the body.  In addition to this, all dark greens contain Vitamin A, C and K, along with magnesium, fibre, iron and potassium.  A serve of vegetables such as spinach, kale, silverbeet and turnip greens should be part of your daily diet. If you don’t have a lot of time to cook, you can buy frozen spinach as the nutrient content is retained even after being thawed.

Orange/Yellow: As children, we were told to eat our carrots to protect our vision. This is because they contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant which is converted to vitamin A in the body and maintains eye health (preventing macular degeneration and improving night vision), fights cancer, and is necessary for healthy skin.  However, other nutrients found in orange and yellow fruits and veggies include vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, and bromelain. Oranges might be the most common fruit we eat for vitamin C, but it’s also present in sweet potatoes, rockmelon, peaches, mangoes, and papaya. For folic acid, eat carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin and corn.

 

So be mindful of the health benefits and start by eating at least one serve of fruit / vege from each of the colour groups daily.  Preparing more ‘vibrant’ meals every day may take more time than you’re used to but once you get used to it, your body will thank you for it. If you need more advice about adding more colour to your diet, Call 1300 SLIMMER (1300 754663) now, and make a FREE appointment to talk to your The Natural Way consultant about your weight and health goals.  We know we have a lifestyle friendly program can be tailored to suit your needs. Mail Order (Ph Cora: 0458 754 663).