Eat whole foods, eat a rainbow…
I’m not talking about tasting the skittles rainbow or about those colorful foods containing brightly colored synthetic dyes with artificial ingredients and flavors. I’m talking about vibrant colored whole foods that are naturally grown from local or organic farms that have dense nutrition to nourish my body, mind and spirit. Without getting too ‘woo woo’ here, I do associate colors with feelings and energy (similar to how music frequencies make us feel), as these colorful fruits and vegetables are known to have profound impacts on the way we feel. Why is that?
Let’s start with Red. It is the color with the slowest rate of vibration and the longest wavelength. It is known to raise blood pressure but can also strengthen and stimulate the body. Obviously, our blood contains red blood capsules, which provides nourishment to our organs. Red fruits and vegetables contain carotenoids like lycopene and flavonoids such as quercetin. Quercetin are compounds that act as antioxidants which help neutralize free radicals in your body which cause us to age so, eating these have anti-aging effects. These plant compounds have also been known to reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer and lung disease. Red fruits and veges include some of the following: tomato, strawberry, cherry, red grape, watermelon, and red pepper. There is a downside to some fruits and veges as some contain lectins, which are plant defense mechanisms for surviving animals from eating them. They can be toxic so it’s good to prepare food to remove these lectins. For instance, taking the seeds out of the tomato and even peeling the skin off of them will make them way healthier to eat. If you’ve ever heard of lectins, these are a plants defense mechanism to keep animals and bugs from eating them so they can also make humans sick. Dr. Steven Gundry goes into great detail about lectins and provides a list of safe foods to eat. I’ll save the details for that in another blog.
The orange color is energizing and promotes confidence and overall well-being. The color can work as an anti-depressant and encourages creativity and passion. It also has beneficial effects on the digestive and reproductive systems. The color yellow is also energizing and uplifting, it encourages positivity and inner power while strengthening the nervous system and digestive system to calm butterflies in the stomach or stress related tension in the abdominal area. Orange and yellow whole foods contain beta-carotene and beta cryptoxanthin which has been known to support vision, immune function, intracellular communication and may reduce heart disease risk. Some of these foods include carrot, sweet potato, orange, mango, and yellow pepper.
The color green is associated with nature, which can reconnect us to earth. I am drawn towards green especially when in need of balance or harmony. This could explain my love and need for having plants in my home or wanting to garden. Green is good for the heart as it aids in relaxation. Green whole foods include sulphorophane, indoles, isothiocyanates which have been studied for their cancer blocking properties and detoxification support. Eat leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like sauteed spinach, broccoli, sprouts and green beans. I like to stay away from Kale as it contains antinutrients that causes more harm to my body than good.
Shades of purple have been used over time to help calm people with nervous or mental imbalances. It’s a color of transformation at a deep level and also associated with spirituality, it denotes peace and awareness. The color blue is cool and calming, inspiring mental clarity and inner peace. It gives us a sense of security and has been shown to lower blood pressure by calming the autonomic nervous system. Deep blue is also able to stimulate the pituitary gland (master gland that sits at the base of the brain and controls the functions of hormone-secreting glands in the body). Blue and purple (indigo or violet) whole foods include anthocyanins which are powerful antioxidants that have been known to delay cellular aging, improve heart health and reduce blood clot formation. You can find these properties in foods like blueberry, blackberry, eggplant, purple cabbage and plum. Eggplant is a nightshade which can cause food sensitivities for some people, like me. Nightshades contain alkaloids which are naturally occurring nitrogen compounds that protect plants from pests. Most people can tolerate them well, unfortunately, I’m not one of them.
The color or shade white embodies all of the colors. The color brown embodies red, yellow and blue. These whole foods include garlic, onion, mushroom, cauliflower, and potato which contain allicin and flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol which are known for anti-tumor and immune supporting properties.
There is not a one size fits all approach when it comes to nutrition as not every fruit, vegetable or grain is going to benefit. If you are sensitive to some whole foods, like I am then cut it out of your diet. Or, we can test your DNA with a simple swab to get to the bottom of what nutrition is going to be the most beneficial for you.
It is recommended to eat 4-5 cups of colorful fruits and veges daily, if you can get one serving from each color group that is preferable. You can mix colors in meals and snacks to maximize nutrient diversity and health benefits. Use frozen or minimally processed options without added sugar. By following a whole based approach, you can simplify meal and meal planning while ensuring a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients for optimal health.
