Trying to get a fix on the foods that not only add years to your life but also boosts your immune system can make you nuts. Well, look no further than your nearest shopping mart; believe it or not, what you put in your cart and later in your mouth-can affect how long and how healthy your life can be. Loading your shopping cart with this cornucopia of age proofing produce, rich in booster shots of longevity nutrients, may go a long way to bless you and your family with good health and happiness. Go ahead, add some colour to your plate!
Red
Look for a bounty of health in some of the most beautiful looking fruits and vegetables which get their deep red colour due to the carotenoid lycopene.
Apples, beets, cherries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, red onions, red pepper, tomatoes and walnuts contain lycopene in abundance that may ward off cancer and offer great protection against heart diseases along with boosting your immune system.
Orange and Yellow
Take a moment to appreciate all the wonderfully healthy properties of nature’s wonders like bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes, yellow peppers, oranges, pineapples, mango, pumpkin, apricots, peaches, butter nut, corn and cantaloupe, loaded with beta-cryptoxanthin that prevents heart diseases and promotes communication within the cells. Add orange colour to your plate.
Green
The wondrous foods belonging to this category may be the best kept secret in the produce department as they are loaded with many antioxidant powerhouses and cancer blocking chemicals like sulphorahanes, indoles, and isothycaynates known for inhibiting the actions of carcinogens. Don’t reach for these miraculous foods when you have run out of options; include these nutritional knockouts in your daily menu and reap major long term health benefits.
Some green goodies are – kale, collard greens, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, avocados, Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, kiwi, green tea and green herbs like mint, thyme, basil.
Blue and Purple
Nature provides a delicious antidote in dark coloured foods like blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, raisins, plums, prunes, purple cabbage packed with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanin with amazing health benefits. Anthocyanins go a long way in fighting heart diseases, protecting vision and combating cancer.
White and Brown
There is no easier way to add a balanced dose of health and nutrition to your daily diet than by adding foods rich in querectin (a flavonoid) like onions, garlic, cauliflower, parsnips and mushrooms. These light coloured foods not only add a powerful nutritional punch to your diet but are also loaded with miraculous nutrients that can protect against osteoporosis, inflammation, allergies, cancer and heart diseases.
Make way for these colours or rather above listed phytonutrients to your plate and your body will thank you. These dietary heroes will not only prevent free radicals from wreaking havoc on your healthy cells but your body can also reap some more health benefits like disease protection and strengthening of the immune system.
Obviously, these aren’t going to be the only foods you will ever eat or don’t have to overload your plate with these foods or colour only. Simply follow the rule of eating a varied and balanced diet so you work in some of everything each week.
Monika Seth is an accomplished Nutrition Consultant, writer, motivational speaker and author of the book ‘Secrets of Healthy Living’, with a rich experience of over 20 years.