Eat by Color

by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, Dc, PhD

Have you ever thought about what color the standard American diet is? If it has a color, it is probably pasty beige – including the most popular “vegetables”, which are iceberg lettuce and French fries!

For a vegetable or fruit to have nutritional benefit they need to provide phytonutrients, which means plant nutrients. The vivid colors indicate the presence of these desirable plant chemicals and also act as a “table of contents” for which phytonutrient is contained within the fruit or vegetable.

Here is a quick color guide to choosing your fruits and vegetables:

• Red = lots of lycopene an antioxidant = reduces cancer risk
• Orange = beta-carotene an antioxidant = supports immune function
• Yellow-Orange = vitamin C = detoxifies and inhibits tumor cell growth
• Green = folate and iron = builds healthy cells and genetic material
• Green-light = indoles, lutein = eliminates excess estrogen & carcinogens
• Green-white = allyl sulfides = destroys cancer cells, supports immune system
• Blue (fruits) = anthocyanins = destroy free radicals
• Red-purple (fruits) = reservatrol = plaque reducer, mineral chelator
• Brown (legumes, whole grains) = fiber = carcinogen remover

Eating a colorful diet with many fruits and vegetables is the way to insure you are getting all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients your body needs to keep your machine running smoothly and support your immune system to protect against disease from invading organisms.

Think RAINBOW the next time you prepare your plate.

With all good wishes,
G

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