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Add some colour to your diet

By Z. K
Tue, 02, 20

These colourful fruits and vegetables can strengthen your immune system, promote a healthy heart, create radiant skin, and even help you live longer.....

health

If you’re looking for a way to make your meals more vibrant, look no further than your grocery store’s produce aisle. There, you’ll find a rainbow of fruits and vegetables - from the palest white to the brightest orange to the deepest purple. Fruits and vegetables get their coloration from phytochemicals, natural bioactive compounds which, in addition to giving many fruits and veggies their eye-catching hues, also promote good health. They also contain many of the vitamins and antioxidants we need - with few calories. And instead of rich, sugary treats after your meals or for between-meal snacks, use whole fresh fruits to satisfy your sweet tooth. These colourful fruits and vegetables can strengthen your immune system, promote a healthy heart, create radiant skin, and even help you live longer.

  • Red fruits and vegetables

Red fruits and vegetables, such as red apples, tomatoes, strawberries, cherries, pomegranates, beets and red beans, are packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and antioxidants. Red fruits and vegetables also contain phytochemicals, including lycopene and ellagic acid which promote good heart circulatory health, boosts memory, decreases the risk for certain cancers, and help lower the risk of diabetes - they even improve skin appearance. Each type of red fruit or vegetable offers unique benefits as well. Strawberries, beets, and kidney beans are good sources of folic acid. The beans are also packed with fibre, protein, and iron. Strawberries, raspberries, red or pink grapefruit and red bell peppers all are loaded with vitamin C. Red bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin A, which is necessary for eye and skin health. Cherries have plenty of fiber, which helps you stay full. Great sources of the antioxidant include watermelon and tomatoes, even tomato sauce, which has more lycopene than raw tomatoes.

  • Blue and purple fruits and vegetables

If you find yourself constantly forgetting things (deadlines, your friend’s birthday, or why you just went into the kitchen), try crossing over to the dark side of fruits and vegetables. Blue and purple foods are the ultimate brain food. Blue and purple foods get their vibrant colours from anthocyanins - otherwise known as antioxidants that are linked to anti-aging properties and increased longevity. Blue/purple fruits and vegetables, including prunes, plums, cranberries, purple grapes, raisins and eggplant are rich in phytonutrients, including anthocyanins and resveratrol, boost urinary tract health and memory function and promote healthy aging. Blueberries in particular are one of the best foods you can incorporate into your diet to improve memory loss and function. Anthocyanins are also heart-healthy compounds that work to flush out toxins in the body.

  • Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables

Want that natural glow and clear complexion? Yellow and orange foods can help with that. Lemon, pineapple, turmeric, corn, mangoes, oranges, tangerines, sweet potato, papaya, cantaloupe, and passion fruit amp up the skin’s elasticity while also giving you a natural warmth to your skin from within. These fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients that are known to protect your nervous system, promote eye health and prevent heart diseases. Bright orange and yellow foods have those colours due to alpha and beta carotene, which in the body are converted into vitamin A. This essential vitamin helps support immune function, eye health, strong joints and bones, and decreases risk of various cancers and heart disease. Other nutrients found in orange and yellow fruits and veggies include vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, and bromelaine. Oranges might be the most common fruit we eat for vitamin C, but it’s also present in orange bell peppers, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, peaches, mangoes, and papaya. For folic acid, eat carrots, cantaloupe, summer squash, and corn.

  • Green fruits and vegetables

We’ve all been harassed by our parents over the years to eat more greens! Luckily, it is now trendy to eat a variety of fresh greens, not just green beans out of a can. Greens are one of healthiest foods we can eat. Green fruits and vegetables such as peas, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, green pepper, green apples, kiwi, green grapes, lime, avocado are rich in lutein, isothiocyanates, isoflavones, and vitamin K - which is essential for blood and bone health. Dark green, leafy vegetables have the highest concentration of antioxidants and fibre. In addition, green vegetables are rich in folate - a nutrient especially important for pregnant women to consume to help prevent congenital disabilities. Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, have been shown to enhance immune function, while dark leafy greens like kale may improve mood. Green vegetables and fruit are also excellent sources of potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

  • White fruits and vegetables

We know what you’re thinking: white isn’t colourful! Just think of white as the big fluffy clouds that make the rainbow even prettier. And there’s so much more to the world of white foods than boring old (and nutritionally minimal) white bread, pasta, or white sugar. Foods like cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, the inside of kiwis, celery, and even bananas, fall into the white category and they certainly have more nutritional value than a slice of white bread. Potatoes deserve a second look as well. They are heavy on the starch and carbohydrates, sure, but a medium potato contains more potassium and dietary fibre than a medium banana, as well as magnesium and protein. These fruits and veggies support bone health, help to lower cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and lower the risk of heart disease.

  • Make your plate more colourful

You don’t have to overhaul your entire diet overnight. Make little goals during the week. You need to cook at home more. Make a plan the day before. And be prepared. Try sneaking veggies into meals you already love. Mix pureed cauliflower into mashed potatoes. Top homemade pizza with zucchini, onions, peppers, eggplant, and mushrooms. Add onions, garlic, peppers, and diced carrots in your pasta sauce. Replace boring salads with multihued entree-sized ones.