Eating Healthy By Color

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Now that the holidays are winding down, and a new year is upon us, we want to start thinking about getting back on track. Better health, better you! To start the New Year out right I have some helpful information on eating healthy by color.

Eating healthy by color is an excellent way to make sure you are giving your body all of the essential nutrients it needs. In fact, different kinds of nutrients are what help to give fruits and vegetables their colors.

Green Foods

Dark green foods help to produce enzymes that get rid of toxins from the body, as well as vitamins needed to form healthy cells. For additional benefits try these veggies raw. Examples are: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and bok choy.

White Foods

Leeks, garlic and onion are good examples. These foods not only add flavor to our recipes, but can also help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and several types of cancers.

Orange Foods

Orange foods contain nutrients that your body converts to Vitamin A. Eat Cantaloupe, carrots, oranges, pumpkin and sweet potatoes to keep your bones, skin, eyes and immune system healthy.

Red Foods

Red foods can help protect you from breast and prostate cancer, as well as lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Good examples of these foods are: Tomatoes, watermelon, red peppers and pink grapefruit. For the best benefits try cooking these fruits and veggies.

Dark Red, Blue and Purple Foods

Full of antioxidants, these foods help keep your brain and heart healthy, as well as decrease inflammation from many health problems. Darker colors tent to hame more nutrients. Examples: Blueberries, plums, grapes, pomegranates, black beans and eggplant.

Yellow/Green Foods

These foods are important for eye health and can help prevent macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in older adults. Examples: Corn, avocados, kiwi, zucchini and leafy greens – lettuce, spinach and kale.