Rainbow Blog

Color Thy Plate!

posted by: Kia

This is Part 2 in our guest blogger series with Dr. Heather Manley

I feel like a broken record, maybe even a persistent nagger, but hey, I really believe in this stuff! And I know Kia does as well.

Whole Colorful Food Rocks your Body!

I am not telling people to eat more produce (although that could be a good post! ), but I am suggesting, with very good reasoning, to purchase and hue your plate with colorful whole foods. Kia and I both see the benefits of eating colorful whole foods for everyone in the family and one of those benefits moms greatly – kids do not get sick as much and if they do they bounce back quickly!

Here is why:

Red:  Folate, lycopene, flavonoids…..ohh my!

Lycopene has been linked to fight cancer cells, folate to prevent birth defects, depression & irritability and certain types ( there are subgroups) of flavanoids ( or bioflavonoids) are known for their antioxidant activity ( defending us from those free radicals!).

Also, think red – heart because red foods may help fight heart disease.

Green: Lutein to the rescue!

Green foods are full of nutrients,  fiber and there are so many to choose from – avocados, spinach, broccoli, kale, kiwi – YUM!

Lutein is  an antioxidant, and found in high concentrations in the eye (& associated with the ability to see ). Bring on lutein rich foods to decrease your risk of blindness…which can occur in the aging process.

Yellow & Orange: Vitamin A or beta-carotene?

Yellow foods are packed with beta-carotene and the body does its magic by converting the beta-carotene into vitamin a.

The importance of vitamin a, besides seeing in the dark, is keeping the tissues of the respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts healthy. By doing this, it makes it difficult for germs (HBD: Battle with the Bugs) to attach to the linings of these tracts. Therefore a great help for the immune system.

Purple & Blue: Blood vessels, memory and what?

Back to flavonoids, but this type of flavonoid found in the blue purple foods, helps to maintain strong healthy blood vessel walls. This means a decrease in heart disease!

Eating blueberries may also help with your memory, which, I am admitting, I could use some help with in my aging years! Lucky for me, this is my favorite fruit.

All in all, colorful foods are packed with all types on nutrients that do all sorts of things in the body to help us function optimally everyday. Next time you are at the market, think about filling your cart with some color ( easier if you stay in the periphery of the store), make that dinner plate like a rainbow and make up stories  about what certain foods do in the body. Kids love this! They will, I guarantee, think about these stories next time they are up to bat or running a race.