February 16, 2024 – When it comes to your diet, your plate matters. Experts say it should contain healthy proteins, whole grains, vegetables and fruits. But instead of rationing these ingredients, it might be easier – and healthier – to mix and match colors.
This rainbow-based strategy not only keeps the body performing optimally, but can also help it prevent disease or lower disease risk. By shifting the perspective of the board to the rainbow we begin to understand that variety truly IS the key to life.
“Our diet should ideally be a diverse combination of foods that allow certain compounds in foods to interact with each other as well as with systems in the body to produce health benefits,” says Christopher Browne, a doctor of chiropractic and director of human nutrition and functional medicine at Western States University in Portland, OR.
But not every type of food offers these benefits, especially “ultra-processed foods, which have been the death knell for health in North America,” says Andrea Boggild, MD, medical director of the Tropical Disease Unit at Toronto General Hospital, and a university graduate. associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.
Knowing which fruits and vegetables provide the greatest benefits is just as important to ensure there’s always room for tasty combinations to suit your tastes. The Rainbow Road is not about restriction, but rather about the predominance of whole, plant-based foods, along with a few items that maintain what Browne called the “sensory experience of food, along with its social and cultural aspects.”
All it takes is going back to basics and making sure the board includes all the major plant colors: red, orange, yellow, green and blue-purple.
Red
Think of beets, strawberries, cherries and red peppers. These foods are rich of antioxidants and contain nutrients that help the body fight inflammation and maintain a healthy immune response. But don’t forget tomatoes, which researchers recently discovered can potentially fight infectious bacteria responsible for many foodborne illnesses. Jeongmin Song, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, NY, said that although the evidence is early, the findings showed that fresh tomato juice appears to kill salmonella and E.coli, both of which affect the intestines and urinary tract. “The implication was that it is possible that eating fresh fruits and vegetables will help eliminate bacteria,” she said.
Orange
Like their red cousins, orange plants and vegetables share substances known as carotenoids which are not only responsible for their deep pigmentation, but also appear to play an important role in hormone regulation and reproductive health. These benefits are related to their strong antioxidant action, especially in the ovaries. Examples include carrots, yams, persimmons, oranges, apricots, mangoes and pumpkin. said Browne some research suggests that eating more orange fruits may also delay the onset of menopause.
Yellow
Anything but bland, yellow fruits and vegetables are essential for keeping the intestines working smoothly compensate for extremes in blood sugar levels when consumed with starchy foods, and also contain powerful antioxidants. Golden Delicious apples, Asian pears, lemons, bananas and pineapple fall into this category. But don’t forget ginger, a flowering plant with a root that has a huge impact when it comes to reducing nausea and helping food move through the digestive tract and out of the stomach. Keep in mind that “timing can be crucial,” Browne said. “Some people tolerate things just fine with foods in their stomachs that they wouldn’t tolerate on an empty stomach,” he explained, specifically referring to yellow foods that are particularly acidic, such as citrus fruits.
Vegetable
Nothing screams ‘plant’ more than green. A star on the plate: Foods like leafy greens (spinach, Swiss chard, collards, collards and other lettuces), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts), artichokes, snow peas and fruits like pears and green apples are powerful antioxidants directly linked to health of the heart. “Vascular health benefits include lowering blood pressure and controlling the expression of genes that promote inflammation,” Browne said. Peppers, especially hot peppers, are best known for their anti-inflammatory properties. But there is one particular standout in the green category: avocados. “Avocados are a great source of many of the micronutrients we need every day,” says Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, nutritional neuroscientist and provost associate professor at American University in Washington, DC.
Blue purple
It is ironic that the color blue is often associated with sadness. Blue and purple fruits and vegetables are not only powerful antioxidants, but they have also been shown to balance mood, increase learning, and positively affect the nervous system. “There has been great research on blueberries and cognitive function,” Holton said. “But we can do even more if those blueberries are part of a healthy diet that eliminates exposure to certain food additives that cause negative effects.” In addition to blueberries, grapes are a great source of “phytonutrients”, especially naturally occurring substances such as polyphenols, which enhance their antioxidant properties. “We are surprised that especially grapes (red, concord) have many antimicrobial properties to fight infections,” says Song, noting that these power players are the next candidates for laboratory research. Other important blue-purple foods include blackberries, black raspberries, boysenberries, figs, plums, eggplant, purple cabbage and purple cauliflower.
Garlic: a superstar
One way to determine the nutritional value of different fruits and vegetables is the vibrancy of their color. But it turns out that white plays a leading role on the rainbow plate. “If you wanted to call something a superfood, garlic would be my number one choice,” Holton said. “Garlic has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anticancer properties,” she said, “so garlic (and onions) become very flavorful, nice additions that are very nutritious when people cook.” (Not to mention, garlic and onions are seasonings).
The gold at the end of the rainbow is wealth, but not in the most common sense of the word. The best advice is to stop counting calories and quantities and make sure you include multi-colored foods in your diet every day.
“Diet is all about these different important chemicals that our bodies need to function optimally,” Holton noted. “The power comes when we bring them all together.”
