The Rainbow Rxs For Better Health!
Green foods seem to be the foods doctors and health specialists
recommend to their patients and clients as a way to improve
one’s health.
That statement is true, but only partially true.
You see, greens do improve your health, but let’s not
forget the orange, red, blue and white foods.
The same pigments that give fruits and vegetables their
colorful hue, also provide you with specific health benefits,
so if you’re willing to expand your horizons and eat some other
colorful fruits and vegetables, we’ll provide all of the information
you need, to get you started on your path toward feeling hale
and hearty.
1) Red Foods-
Watermelon, tomatoes, guavas, red peppers and apples
protect your lungs, skin and your bones.
* Strong Lungs-
If you or a loved one is a current smoker, a former smoker or
living with a smoker, apples are nature’s true miracle food.
Whether you’re eating or drinking them (apple juice)
they protect your lungs from a host of outside invaders,
allowing you to breathe easier, especially as you age.
* Stronger bones-
watermelon, tomatoes, red peppers and red grapefruit contain
lycopene, which is the reddish pigment that helps prevent
age-related bone loss and deterioration, plus build bone mass.
* Natural Sunscreen-
The sunscreen you buy at the store, may not be protecting
your skin at all, and may even be causing your skin cancer
rates to go up, so what do you do?
You start adding more watermelon, guava, and tomatoes
(cooked tomatoes, work best) to your meal plans.
Again, the lycopene in these fruits, protect your skin from
absorbing the Sun’s harmful UV rays.
2) White Foods-
When one thinks of white foods, bread, rice and flour usually
comes to mind, but today, we’re talking about the “good-for-you”
white foods, like…Parsnips, onions, garlic, and cauliflower.
White foods get their distinctive color from pigments called
anthoxanthins, a group of flavonoids that reduce the inflammation,
inside artery walls, protecting you from heart trouble, strokes and
infections.
Plus, they also block the release of histamine, the culprit behind
allergic reactions like sneezing, sniffles and skin rashes.
Important tip:
Make sure to cook white produce in stainless-steel cookware
and utensils. White foods react chemically with iron
and aluminum cookware.
3) Green Foods-
Someone is always telling you, “you need more green foods in
your diet”, well today, you’ll finally understand why.
They help prevent a number of different cancers.
Green veggies like kale, watercress, collards, spinach and parsley,
are rich in chlorophyll, a pigment that binds with cancer-causing
substances in the body and removes them, blocking the
absorption of carcinogens, including pesticides and nicotine.
So, reduce the odds of liver, colon, stomach, breast and ovarian
considerably by eating (and drinking) more greens.
Important tip:
Don’t overcook greens, lightly saute them or steam them-
no longer that 5 mins.
4) Orange & Yellow Foods-
* Skin & Vision Care!
If aging skin is a concern, then make sure you’re getting protection
(from aging) with foods like-butternut squash, apricots, oranges,
sweet potatoes, pumpkin, peaches, pineapples, corn and carrots.
Start eating these foods in your 20’s, and by age 50, it (your skin)
will still look relatively young.
How is that possible?
Orange and yellow foods contain beta-carotene and certain vitamins,
that fight the free radicals that cause the premature aging,
and the vitamins keep it healthy, glowing and supple.
And for those who want to avoid vision loss, (aka cataracts and
macular degeneration) eat more orange and yellow foods.
These particular foods are rich in lutein and zeaxathin,
which protect your eyes from sunlight damage, reduce
glare impairment and clear out the inflammation
in and around the eyes.
5) Red and Purple Foods-
Prevent brain aging and heart disease by eating
dark grapes, blueberries, blackberries, and eggplant,
(mainly the skin).
Most dark-colored fruit and vegetables are brimming
with anthocyanins, special compounds that reduce
arterial plaque, which helps reduce heart disease
risk by 45%.
And these same colored produce also reduce the
inflammation in and around the brain, reducing your
odds of getting dementia and other brain-related
maladies by 60%.
And one more benefit:
Eating more dark grapes, eggplant, and blueberries,
lowers the “bad” LDL cholesterol, while also raising
the “good” HDL cholesterol.
That’s it- your grocery list for this week, plenty of fruits
and vegetables. And one more tip: No need to break
the bank and buy organic grapes or carrots,
just make you sure you clean all produce thoroughly
with either baking soda or white vinegar.
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Sources:
* Ebook- Supermarket Rxs To Sun-Proof Your
Skin, available at Amazon.com/the kindle store
* Journal of Clinical Nutrition
* Oregon State University, Research Dept.
* Texas A &M University Research Dept.