Eating the rainbow
Research has proven it over and over again, a diet that is primarily based on plants brings the best result in living a healthy life. Every plant gives you a unique mix of nutrients: some are high in fibre others in vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, carbohydrates and so on.
Let’s take kale for an example; this vegetable is bursting with goodness that benefits your body. Kale contains fibre, antioxidants, calcium, vitamins C and K, iron, and a wide range of other nutrients that can help prevent various health problems. Does this mean you should gobble down copious amounts of kale every day? Absolutely not!
Not only kale contains a great amount of nutrition, all plants do: fruits, grains, vegetables, seeds etc. It is very important not to fixate on one plant to meet all your health needs. Instead focus on eating the rainbow, this means eating fruit and veggies in a diversity in colours. Why? All plants contain phytonutrients and different pigments. This gives them colour and leads to higher levels of specific nutrients and health benefits.
Eating more plants is always a good idea, but also making sure you focus on a variety of colours will increase your intake of a greater diversity of nutrients that can benefit your health.
Let’s have a look at some of the different colour plants:
| Red |
|
Plant: | Watermelon, Tomato |
Benefit: | High in antioxidants, protects against prostate cancer, may help reduce sun related skin damage |
Green |
|
Plant: | Spinach, Kale, Broccoli |
Benefit: | Protects healthy eyes, strong cancer protection, lower risk heart disease |
Orange |
|
Plant: | Carrots, Sweet potato, Pumpkin |
Benefits: | Healthy skin, immune system, eyes, may help lower risk heart and cancer disease |
Blue |
|
Plants: | Blueberries, Blackberries |
Benefits: | Improves memory, protects against cancer, may help lower risk type 2 diabetes and cancer |
White |
|
Plants: | Garlic, Onions, Asparagus |
Benefits: | Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces risk of stomach cancer and heart disease and colon cancer |
Yellow |
|
Plants: | lemons, orange, peaches |
Benefits: | Protects against cancer and heart disease |
Are you ready to cook delicious tasty meals full of colour?
Eating food that is healthy, that looks amazing, smells beautiful and is full of flavour while also bursting with nutrition – this. is what eating the rainbow means! Plants can provide all this. Open your world by experimenting with different kind of plants and increasing the number of vegetables in your diet. Or, as regular readers of my blogs might have noticed, eating the rainbow is another way of saying: make sure to have a great diversity of plants in your diet!
Eating a large variety of plants will help optimize the health of your body. It not only helps to prevent and treat disease but will optimize your body, and help you to become your best self.
You won’t have to compromise on flavours, plants can provide all the delicious sweet, salty, bitter, savoury and sour tastes that you love so much.
Start your plant-based journey today!
I would love to hear your feedback, if you have any questions, please let me know. jimmy@vegmeup.com.au
With Love,
Jimmy