Benefits of a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide a variety of nutrients not found
in vitamin and mineral supplements. Find out the benefit of each color found
in specific fruits and vegetables.
Copyright 2005 Jane
Oelke
We know we need to eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and
vegetables everyday. Actually now, to prevent cancer, 8 to 13 servings per
day are recommended. A serving is one cup of raw fruits or vegetables, or
˝ cup cooked. At a recent lecture I asked a lunch audience to raise their
hand if they had at least one fruit or vegetable already that day. No one
in that group raised their hand. This is not uncommon. Our processed and convenience
foods contain very few fruits and vegetables.
To prevent chronic
diseases, fruits and especially vegetables are very important. Vegetables
especially have the antioxidants, minerals, and phytochemicals in the correct
combination that help keep the blood sugar in balance, create better energy
in the body, and along with fruits build up the immune system.
Each color found in fruits and vegetables focus on building the immune system
in its own way. It is important to get a variety of colors, so that you will
get a full range of phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals) in your daily
diet. Research is finding that eating whole fruits and vegetables gives you
many more nutrients than you could possible add to a vitamin and mineral supplement.
There are over 12,000 phytochemicals, and I have yet to see a supplement,
unless it has whole fruits and vegetables in it, have all of the 180 different
vitamins or minerals that are required by our body to function daily.
The different colors in fruits and vegetables help our immune system react
to different stresses in our daily life. So look at the different colors in
your diet. See if they include each of the colors listed below. This is one
way to know that you are getting the full benefit of nutrients possible in
your diet.
Green Foods – broccoli, kale, leaf and romaine
lettuce, spinach, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Green
foods are especially good for the circulatory system. They contain many minerals
and B-complex vitamins. Some phytochemicals found in green foods are sulforaphane
and indoles that are very powerful anti-cancer compounds. Researchers have
tried to use these as isolated phytochemicals but find that they only work
while in the whole food form.
Red Foods – tomatoes, watermelon,
red cabbage. Red foods contain many phytochemicals that
reduce free radical damage. The phytochemical called lycopene is especially
helpful to prevent prostate problems, and reduce the effects of sun damage
on the skin. Lycopene is the phytochemical that make the red foods get their
red color.
Orange Foods – carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet
potatoes, apricots, cantaloupe. The orange foods have the
carotenoids the help prevent cancer by repairing the DNA. As our mothers told
us, carrots, and other orange foods, are especially good for our eyes, and
help with night vision. The deep orange foods help our bodies get the vitamin
A we need, without getting excess that can lead to osteoporosis.
Green/Yellow Foods – yellow corn, green peas, collard greens, avocado
and honeydew melon. This combination of green and yellow
foods contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that help reduce the
risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. These foods are also
helpful in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Orange /Yellow
Foods – oranges, pineapple, tangerines, peaches, papaya, nectarines
These foods that are orange and yellow in color are high in antioxidants,
especially Vitamin C, and help to improve the health of the mucus membranes
and connective tissue. They help prevent heart disease by improving circulation
and preventing inflammation.
White/Green Foods – onions,
garlic, celery, pears, chives White and green combination
foods contain a variety of phytochemicals. Garlic and onions contain allicin,
the anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal phytochemical, and they can
act as a poor man’s antibiotic. Add garlic and onions in your meals to reduce
the effects of potential toxicity of high fat meats. Celery has many minerals,
especially organic sodium, that keeps the fluid in the joints healthy.
Red/Blue/Purple Foods – red apples, beets, blueberries, strawberries,
cranberries, prunes, concord grapes, blackberries. These
dark colored red/blue/purple foods are very rich in powerful antioxidants
called anthocyanins that protect again heart disease by improving circulation
and preventing blood clots. They have many anti-aging phytochemicals that
keep the blood circulating reducing the effects of the Standard American Diet
rich in trans fats and processed foods.
When you make a salad make
sure you have a variety of different colors. Strive to get at least 5 colors
on your plate. Use fruits to balance the rest of the colors needed. This way
you will get closer to the 8 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables required,
and you will get the variety of nutrients you need daily.
RESOURCE
BOX: Jane Oelke, N.D., Ph.D. is a Traditional Naturopath and Doctor of Homeopathy
in southwest Michigan. She is the author of Natural Choices for Fibromyalgia”
and “Natural Choices for Attention Deficit Disorder. She is a professional
speaker on natural health topics. She can be contacted at DoctorOelke@aol.com
or through her website at
www.NaturalChoicesForYou.com
You can also read this article about
good diet plans and what a good healthy diet would look like.
