02 Jul Eat the Rainbow
What better way way to support your immune system during the pandemic we currently find ourselves in – then by eating the rainbow? And by eating the rainbow I mean filling your plate with a variety of different coloured fruit and vegetables, not eating a box of Smarties a day. Fruit and veggies are loaded with phytonutrients and each colour has its own set of health benefits.
In short, phytonutrients are natural compounds found in plant foods, they have antioxidant properties that help prevent damage to your cells, may help prevent disease, may act as antibacterial or antiviral agents and generally just promote health.
We already know that our orange foods are a great source of vitamin C, but have you heard of beta-carotene and curcuminoids? These phytonutrients not only give butternut, carrots and mangoes their bright colour, they have also been found to play a role in helping reduce cancer risk, supporting immune function, skin, eye and reproductive health and cell protection. Add some chlorophyll and isoflavones (found in green foods) that play a role in hormonal balance, brain, heart and liver health and boom! We are doing a pretty good job supporting our immune systems and health without taking 10 capsules a day.
A word of warning, be aware of products that promise to BOOST your immunity, rather opt for whole foods that can SUPPORT your immune function.
So essentially, the more colours you eat, the bigger your variety of benefits. I would recommend eating 2-3 different coloured vegetables at each meal, snacking on fruits between your meals and remember food before supplements!
Oh ja! Because we want to limit the amount of times we are going to the grocery store in a month, keep in mind that your frozen veggies are still packed with a bunch of great nutrients.
Stay safe and eat your veggies!
Taryn