Sadly, “eating the rainbow” doesn’t mean “gorge yourself on Skittles”. I’m talking about consuming fruits and veggies of all colors. These foods have some special healing powers. They can give your body nutrients to fight stressors, can prevent diseases, and much more. Let’s break it down by color, shall we?

  • Red Foods: Red foods contain antioxidants (AKA cell protectors) to help your body fight off infection and even certain types of cancer. Red foods improve your heart health, blood health, and support joints.
    • Foods to try: Tomatoes, watermelon, red bell peppers, pomegranates, beets, apples, goji berries
  • Orange Foods: Orange foods are rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that stabilizes the immune system and improves the health of your eyes.
    • Foods to try: Sweet potatoes, papaya, butternut squash, mango, apricots, grapefruits, pumpkin, carrots
  • Yellow Foods: Bananas, lemons, and yellow peppers are all vitamin powerhouses that can make your skin glow. Vitamins A, B, C, and E found in bananas can prevent premature aging and act as a natural moisturizer. Lemons are also rich in vitamin C, which can make the skin more radiant and soft. Yellow peppers contain iron and fiber that help your digestive system perform its best.
  • Green Foods: Eat your greens! You probably already know that green foods are good for you, but did you know that they are the best super-nutrient compact foods? They contain chlorophyll, which helps create blood cells, detoxify, and heal the body.
    •  Leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula and romaine lettuce will help you get the detox you need.
  • Blue & Purple Foods: These gorgeous foods contain flavonoids, which are molecules with incredible healing properties. Blue and purple foods are some of the best cancer-preventative colors because they slow abnormal cell formation and decrease inflammatory pathways where cancer can develop.
    • Foods to try: Grapes, blueberries, eggplant, plums, blackberries

 

What are some ways you incorporate a rainbow of colors into your diet? Sound off in the comments below.