The Five Colors
You Need to Eat Routinely ... and Why
|
Eating a healthy diet is
as easy as following the rainbow! By consuming vegetables and fruits from 5
color families, you'll be getting a broad range of vitamins, antioxidants and
phytochemicals that can enhance your health and protect you from disease. |
Did
you know that eating healthy is as easy as following the rainbow?
That's
right, if you incorporate a rainbow array of colored fruits and vegetables in
your diet, then you'll be well on your way to a well-rounded and nutritious
diet.
Here
are the five colors you need to eat on a regular basis to enhance your health!
As
you read through these colorful food options, we will provide guidance on the
foods that are best for Stage 1 of Body Ecology (the initial healing stages of
Body Ecology) and the foods to add during stage 2 (once your inner ecosystem is
healed). For more on Stage 1 and Stage 2 of Body Ecology, read: The Quick and Easy Guide to Improving Your Health on the
Body Ecology Diet Part II
YELLOW
& ORANGE
The
Nutrients:
Yellow
and orange fruits and vegetables pack a powerful nutritional punch. They are rich
in beta carotene, vitamin A and vitamin C, powerful antioxidants that
neutralize the free radicals that roam around your body and damage your cells.
Free radicals are thought to be responsible for artherosclerosis and heart
disease, cataracts, blood vessel damage, inflammatory diseases and arthritis,
asthma and even cancer. 1
Studies
even link high consumption of specific carotenoids like beta-cryptoxanthin,
which is found in orange and yellow foods, to a lower risk for developing
inflammatory arthritis.2
The
Foods
Here
are some of the yellow and orange foods that you can eat on Stage 1 of the Body
Ecology program:
0. Lemons
0. Carrots
0. Butternut squash
0. Pumpkin
0. Yellow summer
squash
0. Yellow pepper
0. Corn
We
recommend you wait until your inner ecosystem is well-established and your
candidiasis is gone (Stage 2) of the Body Ecology program to add these to your
diet:
0. Sweet potatoes
0. Yellow apples
0. Yellow beets
GREEN
The
Nutrients:
Green
vegetables are rich in phytochemicals that improve your health and offer
plenty of fiber.
Cruciferous vegetables specifically, have sulfurous compounds that help your
liver detoxify harmful cancer-causing substances, prevent macular degeneration, and protect women from
ovarian cancer.3
Other
green vegetables and fruits have potassium, which is great for you heart.4
The
Foods:
Most
greens, including all of the following foods may be eaten on Stage 1 of the
Body Ecology program. Keep in mind that green peppers and green fruits (with
the exception of limes) are not recommended on Stage 1 of Body Ecology.
"
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, and
collard greens are especially rich in phytonutrients. Be sure to lightly cook your cruciferous vegetables to
maximize their nutrient value.
0. Green leaf
lettuce
0. Spinach
0. Romaine lettuce
0. Zucchini
0. Asparagus
0. Cucumbers
0. Artichoke
0. Okra
0. Parsley
0. Arugula
0. Ocean Vegetables (sea vegetables)
0. Limes
|
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that mixes easily with water to give you an amazing spectrum of fermented
algae, cereal grasses and cruciferous vegetables in a delicious drink. Try Vitality
SuperGreen and boost your vegetable consumption AND your energy at
the same time! |
BLUE
& PURPLE
The
Nutrients:
Blue
and purple vegetables and fruits are some of the most nutritious and most
overlooked. They are protective against some cancers, and good for urinary
tract health and maintaining memory function.5
Many
of these blue and purple foods are rich in the phytonutrient anthocyanin, another type of flavonoid
that is great for fighting the damage that daily living does to your cells.
The
Foods:
Here
are some options for blue and purple foods you can eat while on Stage 1 of the
Body Ecology program:
0. Purple Belgian
endive
0. Purple cabbage
0. Black currants
(unsweetened)
0. Purple asparagus
0. Blueberries with
a fermented liquid like InnergyBiotic so microfora eat the sugars
When
you are ready for Stage 2 of Body Ecology, you may want to try:
0. Plums
0. Purple grapes
RED
The
Nutrients:
Red
grapes specifically have a powerful antioxidant known as resveratrol, which
has anti-inflammatory properties and may help lower your risk for heart disease
and cancer.7
Other
great nutrients in red fruits and vegetables include lycopene found in watermelon, pink
grapefruit and tomatoes. Lycopene is known for fighting prostate cancer and may
be one of the reasons the Mediterranean diet is so healthy.
To
learn more about lycopene, be sure to read: The Most Potent Natural Ways to Prevent Prostate Cancer
to learn how cruciferous vegetables and lycopene work together to fight
prostate cancer.
The
Foods
Here
are some great options for red foods to eat while on Stage 1 of Body Ecology:
0. Radishes
0. Red bell pepper
0. Red chili pepper
0. Red onions
0. Radicchio
0. Pomegranate with
a fermented drink so the microflora eat the sugars
These
red foods are some good additions to consider once you are ready for Stage 2 of
Body Ecology:
0. Pink grapefruit
0. Red grapes
0. Red apples
0. Tomatoes (best
for Blood types O and AB)
WHITE
The
Nutrients:
Cauliflower
has many of the nutrients of other cruciferous vegetables, but it's the only
one that is white. Others on the white list like onions and garlic are
considered super foods for their amazing health benefits.
Onions
are a great prebiotic; they feed the probiotics (good bacteria and yeast) in your
intestines. Onions and garlic are both members of the Allium family. They can
lower blood sugar and have amazing anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial
properties.
The
Foods:
0. Cauliflower
0. Onions
0. Daikon radish
0. Jicama
0. Garlic
Eat
Your Colors, But Keep It Simple!
Color
can add a delightful visual appeal to eating healthy foods. If you or your
family are expecting bland, you'll be pleasantly surprised to see how the
delicious recipes in The Body Ecology Diet and a colorful plate can
entice any appetite.
And
remember, when it comes to eating healthy, keep it simple.
Instead
of coming up with complex rotation plans, just follow the rainbow. Throughout
your week, include fruits and vegetables that are green, red, yellow, orange,
white, blue and purple and you'll be getting plenty of vital nutrients that
enhance your health.
Sources:
Bell
Peppers, WHFoods.org.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50
2
Eustice, Carol and Richard, "Beta-cryptoxanthin In Fruits and Vegetables
May Cut Arthritis Risk," About.com.
http://arthritis.about.com/od/nutrition/a/fruitsvegetable.htm
3
What are the benefits of sulfurous compounds found in cruciferous vegetables?
WHFoods.org. http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=45
4
Green Fruits & Vegetables, Vickids.tamu.edu.
http://vickids.tamu.edu/nutrition/green.html
5
Go For Color! Dole5ADay.com
http://www.dole5aday.com/Grownups/Fun/G_TheresSoMuchToTry.jsp?topmenu=3
6
How Can I Eat to Optimize My Genetic Potential for Good Health?
WHFoods.org.
http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=40#faqdiscussion
7
Resveratrol, PBHFoundation.org.
http://www.pbhfoundation.org/pulse/research/pic/phytolist/resveratrol.php
8
Onions, WHFoods.org.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=45