We know we need to eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday. Actually now, to prevent cancer, 8 to 13 servings per day are recommended. A serving is one cup of raw fruits or vegetables, or ? cup cooked. At a recent lecture I asked a lunch audience to raise their hand if they had at least one fruit or vegetable already that day. No one in that group raised their hand. This is not uncommon. Our processed and convenience foods contain very few fruits and vegetables.
To prevent chronic diseases, fruits and especially vegetables are very important. Vegetables especially have the antioxidants, minerals, and phytochemicals in the correct combination that help keep the blood sugar in balance, create better energy in the body, and along with fruits build up the immune system.
Each color found in fruits and vegetables focus on building the immune system in its own way. It is important to get a variety of colors, so that you will get a full range of phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals) in your daily diet. Research is finding that eating whole fruits and vegetables gives you many more nutrients than you could possible add to a vitamin and mineral supplement. There are over 12,000 phytochemicals, and I have yet to see a supplement, unless it has whole fruits and vegetables in it, have all of the 180 different vitamins or minerals that are required by our body to function daily.
The different colors in fruits and vegetables help our immune system react to different stresses in our daily life. So look at the different colors in your diet. See if they include each of the colors listed below. This is one way to know that you are getting the full benefit of nutrients possible in your diet.
Green Foods ? broccoli, kale, leaf and romaine lettuce, spinach, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
Green foods are especially good for the circulatory system. They contain many minerals and B-complex vitamins. Some phytochemicals found in green foods are sulforaphane and indoles that are very powerful anti-cancer compounds. Researchers have tried to use these as isolated phytochemicals but find that they only work while in the whole food form.
Red Foods ? tomatoes, watermelon, red cabbage.
Red foods contain many phytochemicals that reduce free radical damage. The phytochemical called lycopene is especially helpful to prevent prostate problems, and reduce the effects of sun damage on the skin. Lycopene is the phytochemical that make the red foods get their red color.
Orange Foods ? carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, apricots, cantaloupe.
The orange foods have the carotenoids the help prevent cancer by repairing the DNA. As our mothers told us, carrots, and other orange foods, are especially good for our eyes, and help with night vision. The deep orange foods help our bodies get the vitamin A we need, without getting excess that can lead to osteoporosis.
Green/Yellow Foods ? yellow corn, green peas, collard greens, avocado and honeydew melon.
This combination of green and yellow foods contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that help reduce the risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. These foods are also helpful in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Orange /Yellow Foods ? oranges, pineapple, tangerines, peaches, papaya, nectarines
These foods that are orange and yellow in color are high in antioxidants, especially Vitamin C, and help to improve the health of the mucus membranes and connective tissue. They help prevent heart disease by improving circulation and preventing inflammation.
White/Green Foods ? onions, garlic, celery, pears, chives
White and green combination foods contain a variety of phytochemicals. Garlic and onions contain allicin, the anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal phytochemical, and they can act as a poor man's antibiotic. Add garlic and onions in your meals to reduce the effects of potential toxicity of high fat meats. Celery has many minerals, especially organic sodium, that keeps the fluid in the joints healthy.
Red/Blue/Purple Foods ? red apples, beets, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, prunes, concord grapes, blackberries.
These dark colored red/blue/purple foods are very rich in powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that protect again heart disease by improving circulation and preventing blood clots. They have many anti-aging phytochemicals that keep the blood circulating reducing the effects of the Standard American Diet rich in trans fats and processed foods.
When you make a salad make sure you have a variety of different colors. Strive to get at least 5 colors on your plate. Use fruits to balance the rest of the colors needed. This way you will get closer to the 8 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables required, and you will get the variety of nutrients you need daily.
Jane Oelke, N.D., Ph.D. is a Traditional Naturopath and Doctor of Homeopathy in southwest Michigan. She is the author of "Natural Choices for Fibromyalgia" and "Natural Choices for Attention Deficit Disorder." She is a professional speaker on natural health topics. She can be contacted at doctoroelke@aol.com or through her website at doctoroelke@aol.com
Oswego taxi to Midway ..Images of "protein powder" containers with accomplished bodybuilders on their... Read More
Last year I had a number of clients who started... Read More
ABC News has recently focused on the possible anti-aging benefits... Read More
Chances are you may have had a food product that... Read More
Cranberry juice was first made by American settlers in 1683.... Read More
People want to get the very best they can when... Read More
Factory FarmingThe big names in American agriculture would like you... Read More
Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the... Read More
Tired of having stare-downs with those boxes of Krispy Kremes,... Read More
Hi Readers,My message today is simple short and perhaps blunt... Read More
Did you know that the food you eat could be... Read More
Cholesterol. What images come to mind when you see this... Read More
What if I told you tap water and homogenized milk... Read More
Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer... Read More
"Organic" has some quite specific legal definitions in most developed... Read More
So what's all the shake up about anyway?. To put... Read More
Manganese is a metallic mineral that was discovered by a... Read More
In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body... Read More
If you're looking for a power-packed entr?e or soup to... Read More
Question from Jack:A question from Jack, one of the subscribers... Read More
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the healthiest of them... Read More
Water is the most abundant substance in the human body.... Read More
I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has... Read More
Every where you look you see articles or news or... Read More
When you actually sit down and think about it, bottled... Read More
shuttle from Midway Morris ..There are a lot of very good reasons to eat... Read More
Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More
What is the best protein powder to buy? I get... Read More
With so many people concerned about natural and organic foods... Read More
The subject of health care itself often seems plagued with... Read More
You've no doubt heard the saying, "You are what you... Read More
Cherries?A Supercharged FruitThe little red fruit that has been enjoyed... Read More
Nuts of all kinds (I am talking peanuts, cashews etc)... Read More
Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More
What are Glyconutrients? Glyconutrients are eight newly discovered biologically-active sugars... Read More
What if you could actually slow your rate of aging,... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
Like the Sun, Moon, and Earth, there are three kinds... Read More
We know we need to eat a minimum of 5... Read More
The benefits from eating healthy are endless. And, according to... Read More
DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and... Read More
What are Glyconutritionals?The Greek word "Glyco" means "Sugar". Most people... Read More
Picture yourself in one of the following scenarios.You're cruising along... Read More
You know about Vitamins A,C, D, E ,and the B's... Read More
Dieters who dejectedly complain they are figuratively "stuck" with their... Read More
With today's time constraints, stressful jobs, and "thin is in"... Read More
ABC News has recently focused on the possible anti-aging benefits... Read More
Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject... Read More
Salt is vital for our health. Right now, you have... Read More
Having a large amount of such "visceral fat" is associated... Read More
Nutrition |