(LS) — The old saying that variety is the spice of life has been found to be more than just a wise adage – it’s a map for healthy eating and avoiding cancer.
Do you remember when you were in elementary school health class, and you were taught the importance of eating something everyday from one of the four food groups – meat, grains and starches, fruits and vegetables and dairy? Since the four food groups vaulted into popularity over a century ago, the ideas of how to eat healthy have changed. Now, nutritionists recognize the importance of eating by the colors of the rainbow, and I’m not talking about the one that leads to the bowl of Lucky Charms. It’s important not just to eat your veggies, young man or lady, but also to eat various colored vegetables.
Quite simply, the various pigments, known as phytochemicals, in different colored foods – particularly fruits and vegetables – provide different benefits to the human body and can prevent cancer as well as other ailments. Some colored fruits and vegetables bolster the immune system, and others contain antioxidants that protect cells from different damaging compounds. The theory is quite simple: the more different-colored fruits and vegetables you eat on a daily basis, the healthier you will be. To be at your fittest, you should be consuming at least five servings of different-colored fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
Here is an easy to follow guide to colored vegetables, fruits, grain and nuts, and how they can help you:
Green
Healthy effects: Help prevent cancer with an ample dose of compounds like indole, sulforaphane and isothiocyanate.
Examples: Broccoli, cabbage, bok choi, kale, and brussel sprouts.
Green/White
Healthy effects: Ward off cancer with high content of allicin.
Examples: Onions, leeks, scallions and garlic.
Yellow/Green
Healthy Effects: High concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin protect the eyes
Examples: Corn, spinach, green peas, and collards
Orange/Yellow
Healthy Effects: May prevent heart disease with a compound called beta-cryptoxanthin
Examples: Peaches, papayas and oranges
Orange
Healthy Effects: Contains beta carotene which the body turns into vitamin A and alpha carotene that protects against cancer
Examples: Carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes and pumpkin
Red
Healthy Effects: Help strengthen genes by eliminating free radicals with a concentration of lycopene, which is also thought to help avoid rectal, colon and prostate cancer
Examples: Tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit
Purple
Healthy Effects: Contain lots of flavonoids that can delay cellular aging. Also chock full of antocyanins, ellagic acid, and vitamin C and may help prevent heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Examples: Berries, grapes, beets, and pomegranates
Brown
Health benefits: Concentrations of fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risks of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some kinds of cancers.
Examples: Nuts, grains, and beans
Don’t despair if you’re a meat and potatoes person. There’s some fun to a rainbow-colored diet, too. Wine, especially red wine, is brimming with antioxidants and flavonoids that can protect cells from damage. Recent studies have shown that drinking a glass of red wine per day can prevent memory loss in old age and ward off heart disease.
If you want to lead a long and healthy life, then you need to put down the box of Lucky Charms or the bag of Skittles and taste the rainbow of the natural world.
