Feature
November, 15 2008
Color Your Diet and Boost Immunity
by Susan Lindgren
In the past two weeks my house has been plagued by sickness. Between the kids and myself we passed around viruses we'd soon forget, and then decided to give it a second go round. Through it all, the only desire was to get and stay better. Short of putting my kids in a bubble or dousing them with anti-bacterial soap, I went on a search for ways to keep our immune systems in check. The simple answer was putting the right foods in our bodies. The right foods to give us super power immunity.
What foods keep you healthy? What foods give you super immune boosting powers? It's as easy as ROY G BIV, the rainbow acronym.
Stephanie Tippe of LiveLonger123.com explains why colors are key for a healthy diet, "The appetizing colors of fresh fruits and veggies derive from the presence of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients known as carotenoids and flavonoids." These are the elements that keep your body in top working form.
ROY
Red
Red foods have a variety of health benefits. You often hear an Apple a day keeps the doctor away. In fact apples are on the Mayo Clinics list of 10 Great Health Foods because "apples are an excellent source of pectin, a soluble fiber that can lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Fresh apples are also good sources of vitamin C — an antioxidant that protects your body's cells from damage."(Mayo Clinic)
Tomatoes to strawberries, red foods are high in the phytochemical lycopene, which most know promote a healthy heart. With Heart disease being the number one killer amongst women, eating more red foods is key to a healthy heart.
Orange/Yellow
Citrus food, high in Vitamin C, was always thought to be the answer to the common cold. There is no real evidence to show Vitamin C cures the common cold, although some studies have shown it helps reduce the risk of a cold by 50%. (Medlineplus) Vitamin C real task is forming collagen, which gives structure to bones, cartilage and more.
Consider another type of orange and yellow foods for fighting off infection, those high in beta-carotene. Carrots and fall favorites squash all have super immune boosting power. Yellow peppers, along with all bell peppers, are high in antioxidants which help neutralize free radicals in the body.
G
Green
Packed with all nutrients mentioned above, Green foods contain numerous benefits. Spinach is another one of Mayo Clinic 10 health foods, for it's immune boosting powers. Try making a spinach pesto with extra garlic, garlic being a natural antibotic.
Green food like broccoli helps the body make energy and is also an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C. (Cookingwithcolor). Eating broccoli raw, as well as all fruits and vegetables, keeps all the nutrients in the food, as oppose to cooking.(Yaoh) Not up for all raw consider eating immune boosting raw food at the end of the meal "so they don't loose their potency."(Nancy Winlove-Smith)
BIV
Blue/Purple
Only one real blue food, there is no doubt blueberries pack a mean one, two punch. Blueberries have more antioxidant activity than many other fresh fruits and vegetables. (Blueberry council) And what's best for boosting your immunity, "researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey have identified compounds in blueberries called proanthocyanidins that promote urinary tract health and reduce the risk of infection by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract."(Blueberry.org)
Purple foods like grapes, raisins and eggplants are packed full of antioxidants. Making news this month purple tomatoes have all the health benefits of blueberries. Plant Biologist Cathie Martin created the tomato by adding anthocyanins, pigments with the disease-fighting antioxidant properties. (TheSpec)
Try adding more color to your diet. Fill your life with color and ward of sickness this flu season.
So what's for dinner? Take a look at your plate. How many colors of the rainbow do you have? Remember you eat with your eyes first colors are appealing to the eye, as well as your health!
Resourses
For easy family friendly recipes Check out The Veggie Queen
GoodBelly Probiotic Fruit Drink and GoodBelly Multi are wheat free, soy free, and completely dairy free! The probiotic, used in GoodBelly promotes healthy digestion and immunity! And till Dec. 31, 2008 have money-saving coupons for Good Belly products.
Cross posted inBlissfully Domestic Health
