Eat the Rainbow

Eat the Rainbow… have you heard of this?  If you have any exposure to the wellness world, its likely you’ve heard this term, maybe even a little too much!  Perhaps you’ve seen it on the cover of a magazine at the checkout counter, heard the term while watching a cooking show, or even caught it on the radio.  The term seems to be everywhere nowadays.

Eat the Rainbow refers to eating a good variety of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.  Making sure you have lots of colors on your plate with each meal.  The benefits are pretty amazing. Colorful produce not only looks good on your plate – it’s also super good for you! Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber helps maintain optimal body functioning.  Plant-based food is also full of phytonutrients that work to keep you healthy!  Eating these phytonutrients can help prevent disease and keep you functioning at your best.

When we Eat the Rainbow and choose a variety of colored plant foods its beneficial to us in the following ways:

• Reduces Chronic Disease Risk
• Improves Gut Health Balance
• Increases our Nutrient Intake

Did you know that by increasing your dietary diversity you can actually improve your immune system as well?  You can! Fruits and vegetables are filled with antioxidants and have to ability to aid the body in healing, can help to improve your mood, and even affect your brain and your thoughts. Now are you ready to get started?  It all starts by selecting a good variety of organic fresh fruits and vegetables because its hard to eat them if you don’t have them in your refrigerator.  Here is a list to help you get started.

Red

Red fruits and vegetables contain anthocyanins, antioxidants, and lycopene which all help improve inflammation, increase our immune systems, lower the risk of heart disease, help our brains function, improve our response to stress, and even lower the risks of certain cancers. These are some powerful benefits. Its worth adding some “red” to your next meal. Hers are just a few ideas to help you get started.

Orange

Orange fruits and vegetables contain Beta-Carotene, Bioflavonoids, and Carotenoids which work together to regulate hormone levels, reproductive health, and improve skin, hair, and vision.

Yellow

Yellow fruits and vegetables contain acids, enzymes, fibers, and both pre and probiotics. Therefore, yellow produce is great for digestion and metabolism. Try a few of these amazing fruits and veggies with your next meal or as a great beneficial snack.

Green

Now on to all the greens. There are so many options! Green fruits and vegetables have Chlorophyll, folate, magnesium, nitrates, and vitamin K. Greens are great for heart health and circulation.

Blue/Purple

Last but not least Blue and Purple Fruits and Vegetables have Flavonoids and proanthocyanidins (the chemicals responsible for giving these fruits and vegetables their color). Blue and purple fruits and veggies help support the brain and mood health.

Now that you have seen all the health benefits and how each color contributes different essential vitamins and minerals, its easy to see why a variety is essential to our health and wellbeing. If you haven’t already tried to “Eat the Rainbow” – start small. Try adding just a few colors to each meal and start crowding out foods that aren’t as nutritious. Need a recipe idea??? Try my BBQ Black Bean Salad which includes a ton of color. It won’t take long and you will be on your way to improving your overall wellness.

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