Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Eat the Rainbow!

One of the first things that I learned as a veg was to "Eat the Rainbow". Eating a huge varitey of colours will give you an endless buffet of amazing eating options. And surprise! All of them are good for you! So dont limit yourself and dont be afraid. All of them are good for you and they taste good.



One of my favorates that I never really ate before are radishs. I use them in just about everything now. Food, drinks (Daikon and carrot tea is amazing). Again dont be afraid to experiment. These foods are cheap and you can get them in a split second. Also something is always in season so check what grows and what growns in your area. If you go to a farmers market like myself you can eat the berries and what not right out of the bag. Its great.

Health Plus (s): (There are so many in this that I cant even write them all down.)

Red:
Red produce like tomatoes, watermelon, berries, guava, peppers and radishes contain nutrients like lycopene, anthocyanins, ellagic acid and bioflavonoids including quercetin, and hesperidin.

Orange/yellow:
Beta carotene colors things like sweet potatoes, mangos, pumpkins, carrots, squash and apricots. Other oranges and yellows like citrus, peaches and pineapple contain vitamin C flavanoids.

Green:
Everybody knows greens are good for you. Cruciferous ones especially like broccoli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cauliflower and cabbage provide glucosinolates, isothiocyanates and indole-3 carbinol (noted for its ability to inhibit cancer growth). Other greens like spinach, collards, kale and broccoli contain carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These greens are also loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Blue/purple (and a little bit of red):
These guys have been hogging all the attention due to their nutritional value. Produce like pomegranates, blueberries and grapes (red wine) are known for their high levels of antioxidants. These colors contains anthocyanins, lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, flavonoids, ellagic acid and quercetin.

White:
White might seem like a strange inclusion, but some white produce is super healthy, especially for your immune system and to help lower cholesterol. Things like garlic, onions and leeks (think inside the leeks) contain allicin.

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