Eating the Rainbow – A Colorful Journey to Better Health
We personal trainers and nutritionists all know the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, but did you know that variety is the spice of life, especially with nutrition? Eating the same fruits and veggies is better than not eating any, but eating an assortment is even better!
The best policy? Try to eat the rainbow (and no, we don’t mean eating Skittles candies!)
The science behind this concept – plants contain different phytonutrients which create their pigmentation and different pigments or colors are linked to specific nutrients. Interesting, right?!
Here is a breakdown of each color – while each example lists some fruits and veggies, this isn’t a complete list by any means.
Red – Tomatoes, Beets, Red Peppers, Cherries, Strawberries
Red fruits and veggies contain lycopene which is shown to improve heart health, decrease risk of certain cancers and can increase brain function.
Orange and Yellow – Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Yellow Peppers, Bananas, Winter Squash
Orange and yellow fruits and veggies contain carotenoids which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation as well as strengthen the immune system and improving skin and eye health.
Green – Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Avocado, Kiwi
Green fruits and veggies are typically high in vitamin K, potassium, fiber and antioxidants. Vitamin K is good for blood and bone health while potassium is an electrolyte that helps the body regulate fluids.
Blue and Purple – Blueberries, Blackberries, Eggplant, Purple Cabbage, Concord Grapes, Plums
Blue and Purple fruits and veggies contain antioxidants and anthocyanin which are associated with improved brain health and memory. They’re also known to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
White and Brown – Onions, Mushrooms, Cauliflower, Garlic
While not exactly in the traditional rainbow, these veggies are also very important to a well balanced nutritional profile. White and Brown veggies contain flavonoids and allicin which are known to have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects.
But how many servings a day?
That’s a great question and one we get asked often. Rule of thumb – eat about five servings of fruits and/or veggies per day and a serving size is one cup.
One of my favorite things to do is challenge myself to eat the rainbow every day! Eating one item from each color not only makes it easy to add more fruits and veggies to my meal plan, but also fun!
Yours in Health,
Laura Ayres, Customer Success Manager
Out Run Your Fork Personal Training in Westfield, NJ
PS: Eating the rainbow is a great start, but pairing it with exercise will make you feel even better! If you want to know what type of exercise you should be doing, how often you should be doing it and avoid injury while doing it, then get some more information on what we do, how much it costs and whether we’re right for you. Click Here to learn more about Cost and Availability.