Eat the Rainbow, Taste the Rainbow

http://www.boltonmarkets.com/colliers-fruit-vegetables/

Sorry to get your hopes up but I’m not talking about eating packets of Skittles or M&Ms here. I’m talking about creating a more colourful diet that will allow you to increase your daily vitamin and mineral intake. 

I have recently been reading ‘The Four Pillar Plan’ by the incredibly popular Dr Ranjan Chatterjee, after listening to him speak a lot of sense on the BBC Radio 5 Live podcast, The Girl Gains. In this book, Dr Chatterjee touches upon the importance of eating a variety of different fruit and vegetables, all of different colours, to enhance your meals. Different coloured foods have been proven to optimise the growth of more beneficial bacteria in your body, as well as maximising gut-bug diversity.

Colourful fruit and veg contain phytonutrients which studies have proved have a remarkable impact on your health when you consume them. Phytonutrients help to improve heart health, fight cancer cells, reduce inflammation and reverse brain ageing. The more variety of fruit and vegetables we eat, the more variety of phytonutrients we can consume.

Dr Chatterjee goes on to explain a special type of phytonutrients called polyphenols which can be found in tea, flaxseeds, broccoli and...wait for it…red wine and dark chocolate (yay!). Polyphenols have a very powerful antioxidant effect, as well as the following benefits:

• Lower inflammation
• Slower ageing
• Reduced blood pressure
• Improved brain health
• Low blood sugar control
• Improved cardiovascular health
• Improved immune function

Dr Chatterjee states that the best way to increase your intake of these powerful little nutrients is to eat more brightly coloured fruit and vegetables.

Some of the best sources of polyphenols include:

• Spinach
• Brocolli
• Onions (red and green)
• Red lettuce
• Carrots
• Olives
• Berries

Different coloured fruit and vegetables hold a variety of nutrients that provide a wide range of health benefits. So how do they differ?

Red fruit and veg reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease, whilst improving skin quality and fighting cancer cells.

Fruit and veg that are orange and yellow are rich in vitamin C and can therefore improve immune function, reduce the risk of heart disease, enhance eye health and increase blood flow.

Green fruit and veg are the healthiest of foods and provide so many health benefits such as boosting your immune system, improving your mood, detoxifying the body and restoring energy.

Blue- and purple-coloured fruit and vegetables have an anti-ageing effect, as well as reducing inflammation and fighting cancer cells.

Even white and brown foods (although not that colourful) have cancer fighting effects, keeping your bones and heart healthy and strong.

So if your diet is currently lacking in creativity and colour, what are the easiest ways of eating the rainbow?

• I have found Dr Chatterjee’s rainbow chart to be helpful as I can track my progress throughout the day and diversify in colour where necessary – available to download here https://drchatterjee.com/rainbow-chart/
• Snacking on veg such as carrots and hummus and celery and almond butter can help fight sugar cravings and will get them extra veggies in for the day
• Making delicious smoothies that are jam-packed with a variety of different coloured fruit and vegetables offers a tasty alternative to just eating your colours!

Make some colourful changes to your diet and watch your immune system and general health improve massively. Take baby steps if needed, but the more colourful you can make your meals, the better! 

Have a wonderful and colourful week!

https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/foods-that-get-your-kids-to-eat-more-vegetables

Sources: 
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/5-a-day/colourful-foods

https://foodrevolution.org/blog/eating-the-rainbow-health-benefits/

Dr Ranjan Chatterjee, The Four Pillar Plan