Health & Fitness

Add Color to Your Diet

A diet rich in colors has proven to be healthier as colored diets are rich in antioxidants. The antioxidants help in lowering the damage to the cells as well as preventing the clogging and hardening of arteries. According to Ronald Prior, PhD, who was one of the first persons to conduct research on the health benefits of antioxidants, “Every hue — green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and even white — signifies a different class of nutrients, each of which offers a unique benefit”.

The phytochemicals, minerals, vitamins and fibers that we eat are in the colored foods. So the more colors we have in diet, the healthier and fit we are. Let us see what each color has in store for us.

Orange & Yellow

Most of the fruits are yellow or orange in color. Fruits like papaya and pineapple, that are yellow in color, contain Vitamin A and Vitamin C in abundant quantities. These vitamins enhance the human immune system. Consumption of half a cup of pineapple everyday offers 50% of recommended manganese, and the calories you earn – just 40. Papayas are good laxatives. These fiber rich fruits prevent constipation and hence help keeping your bowels clean.

Yellow bell peppers are rich sources of Vitamin C, which once again helps in strengthening immunity power and helps in the prevention of cold and cough. Vitamin C also helps in slowing down the ageing process.

Carrots are rich in beta carotene. So are fruits like apricots, oranges and squash. These beta carotenes help in fighting against various eye disorders. Beta carotene is also ideal for a healthy and glowing skin.

White

Bananas and cauliflowers are white. While banana has plentiful quantities of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and magnesium, it is an ideal source of fiber also. If you don’t like papayas, you can eat one banana per day for a good bowel.

Cauliflowers are good sources of fiber and contain vitamin C also. They are also good sources of folate. Studies have proved that cauliflowers possess anti-cancerous properties.

Including garlic and onions in your diet daily can improve the level of calcium and chromium. While calcium is essential for bone and teeth health, chromium is necessary for the blood sugar level maintenance. Regular consumption of garlic and onions can help in lowering the blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Potato, an off-white vegetable, is rich in Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, niacin, thiamin and potassium. This is an ideal food for kids.

Green

Greens are cool. You have a large variety of green vegetables. Avocados, spinach, fenugreek leaves, peas, honeydew melons to name a few. Even though all of us are aware that avocados are rich in high fat levels, very few know that they are also excellent sources of potassium, folates, fiber, Vitamin C and B6 as well as pantothenic acid.

Green vegetables like broccoli, Brussels, sprouts, and cabbage are powerful carcinogen blockers.

Red

Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene which can lower cardiovascular diseases and prostate cancer risks. Tomatoes are also helpful in keeping your skin healthy. It is also an ideal anti-ageing agent. Prefer to use raw tomatoes over cooked ones. Reap the benefits of lycopene from pink grapefruit and watermelon, along with the benefits of Vitamins C and A.

And apples contain procyanidin and epicatechin as well as the fiber, pectin, which can improve the water absorption levels of human body.

Purple

Add quercetin to your diet via the purple grapes. This is a phytochemical that will prevent the blood from clotting. The other purple colored fruits and veggies like eggplant, cabbage, plus, blueberries and onions contain the anti-oxidant phytochemical and anthocyanins that are good for boosting your memory power and keeping the brain functioning intact during ageing.

So, to slow down the ageing process and keep yourself fit and fine, include a variety of colors in your diet.