Colors of Nutrition

You’re sitting in front of your physician and he breaks the bad news to you that you have an incurable condition called Achromatopsia. It affects approximately 8% of men but only .5% of females. He repeats that it is incurable. What is this dreaded, life-altering condition? It’s colorblindness, the inability to distinguish a difference in many colors. Your life will be spent enveloped in shades of gray, or at least a slightly limited scope of colors.

I contend that the vast majority of people are actually colorblind when it comes to their diet. The colors of our food are much more than just aesthetically pleasing; colors are evidence of nutritional imperatives that provide life-giving phytonutrients—the brighter the color, the better.

Remember your mother telling you to eat your greens? Well, we now know for health’s sake you also need to eat your reds, blues, whites, and yellows. It’s not just to please the eyes; it’s to maximize health, strengthen the body, and increase immunity. Each color provides its unique contribution to our well-being. Consider the following brief examples:

Greens: Spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, avocados, and kiwi fruit are a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. They help cleanse the body of toxins, protect vision, and slow the aging process of skin.

Reds: Tomatoes, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, watermelons, apples, and red cabbage all contain powerful antioxidants, fight heart disease, and have anti-tumor qualities.

Blues/Purples: Blueberries, beets, purple grapes, and plums are anti-inflammatory, strengthen blood vessels, prevent heart disease, and combat aging.

Whites: Garlic, onions, horseradish, and naturally white hued plants are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, help lower cholesterol, control blood pressure, and fortify the immune system.

Yellows/Oranges: Carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, apricots, oranges, peaches, cantaloupe, and pumpkin contain vitamins and carotenoids that supply the skin and eyes, and even decrease certain birth defects.

Don’t be colorblind when it comes to nutrition for health. Fill your plate each and every meal with plants of as many bright colors as possible.