Foods of colour

It's March and time for one of my favorite festivals-Holi! I love the different colours and vibrancies that occur through the day. This festival always serves as a good reminder for me that there are more colours that I can add to my plate than just the good old green. The more naturally colourful your meals are, the more likely it is that you will have an abundance of resistance boosting and cancer fighting nutrients in your body

While green vegetables like Spinach, Green Capsicum, Cluster Beans, Coriander Leaves, Bitter Gourd, etc. are very nutritious, we are also have access to fruits and vegetables of different pigments which give us other nutrients.

If you want to be hale and hearty think about adding violet, red, yellow, orange and white to your plate as these colours are overflowing with carotenoids. The carotenoids, Beta Carotene, various vitamins and Lycopene are essential pigments that add the colour to your food. They are powerful antioxidants, boosting overall health as well as keeping your weight down.

Free radicals intrude healthy cells and cause degenerative diseases such as cancer, lupus, multiple sclerosis and chronic ailments for example asthma, bronchitis, sinus and the common cold and flu. Your three most powerful tools not only look after your health but they literally gobble up free radicals that attack your body.

These powerful tools are essential for a healthy, disease-free life and they include Beta carotene, Vitamin C, and lycopene. They are the broomsticks cleaning up clogged arteries that can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Let's not forget spices and their colours. The yellow in mustard and turmeric, the red in chillies, the amazing white garlics pod and what not!

Annihilate bad cells by eating foods of all different colours!

Let's have a look at the different foods of different colours and how each of them are beneficial to us.

Red

One of my favorite colours, we have so many different fruits and vegetables that are this bright, vibrant Red. Tomatoes, watermelon, pink guava, strawberries, red chilies, cherries and red bell pepper are just a few of the many that are out there! These foods contain lycopene and antioxidants and also cut prostrate and cancer risk by half. Additionally, it aids in the reduction of cholesterol levels.

Orange

Orange foods like Carrots, Yams, Sweet Potato, Mango, Pumpkin, Orange, Peach, Apricot, etc. are rich in Beta Carotene which supports your immune system. These foods also have powerful antioxidants which are great for the eyes, hair and skin.

Yellow

Another of my favorites, yellow foods such as Lemons, Grapefruits, Peaches, Papayas, Turmeric, Yellow Bell Pepper, Sweet Lime and Pineapple are packed full of Vitamin C and flavonoids. They inhibit tumour cell growth.

Green

We all know how green veggies like Spinach, Green Capsicum, Cluster Beans, etc. are very beneficial to us. They are rich in folate, and build healthy cells and genetic material.

Greenish white

These foods include Cauliflower, Cucumber, Cabbage, Raw Mango, Green Pears, Zucchini and Bottle Gourd. They contain several antioxidants and compounds that help to build overall health.

Purple

Foods like Grapes, Berries, Brinjal, Purple Yam, Purple Cabbage, Beetroot, Figs etc. are also very nutritious.

Brown

Most whole grains and legumes are brown in colour. They give us the fibre we require and aid in the removal of carcinogens from our bodies. They are also rich in B vitamins.

White

Coconut, Banana, White Pumpkin, Onion and Garlic are all white foods. They help to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.

The more the merrier is so true, so add on more and more natural colours from the plant kingdom to make your plate cheerful!