Eat a variety of colors!
Eat your way through a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day; not only will it help keep you thin for life, since they are lower in calories, but these foods are chock full of antioxidants to keep you healthy and youthful.
Red:
Red foods are full of lycopene, which reduce risk of several types of cancers. Foods in this group include: Red apples, beets, red cabbage, cherries, cranberries, pink grapefruit, red grapes, red peppers, pomegranates, radishes, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.
Orange/Yellow:
These carotenoid-rich foods help reduce risk of cancer, heart disease, and improve immune system function; people who eat these types of foods are less likely to have eye disorders and blindness associated with age. Foods in this group include: Yellow apples, apricots, butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, grapefruit, lemons, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, yellow peppers, persimmons, pineapple, pumpkin, rutabagas, yellow summer or winter squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tangerines and yellow tomatoes.
A never-ending selection of colors to choose from!
Green:
Green fruits and vegetables are colored by natural plant pigment called chlorophyll, and some contain lutein, which contributes to eye health. Green foods include: Green peppers, peas, cucumbers, celery, artichokes, asparagus, avacados, green beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green cabbage, green grapes, honeydew melon, kiwi, lettuce, limes, green onions, green onions, spinach and zucchini. Read about these fantastic green veggies: “
Thermic Vegetables: Burn Calories While You Eat; Check Out This List!:
Blue/purple:
These are colored by natural plant pigments called anthocyanins, which protect cells from damage. Foods in this category include: Blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, figs, plums, prunes, purple grapes and raisins.
White:
These foods may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and may help reduce risk of stomach cancer and heart disease. Included in this group are: Potatoes, bananas, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, jicama, mushrooms, onions, parsnips and turnips.
Paul and Sonja on Waikiki Beach, August 2011
Researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical Center say if we triple our intake of these age-defying antioxidants, we can add at least four healthy years to our lives. I think it’s amazing that there are so many different colors of fruits and vegetables to choose from. How entertaining to color-code our food! It keeps things simple. Just eat a variety of colors, and you don’t have to know the names of everything inside, plus, fruits and vegetables will help keep you healthy, young — and thin.
