The Power of Rainbow Plate: A Healthier Approach to Eating
Are you looking to improve your diet and lead a healthier lifestyle? Look no further than the power of the rainbow plate. The experts say that when it comes to your diet, your plate matters. It should include healthy proteins, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. But instead of rationing those ingredients, it might be easier (and healthier) to mix and match colors.
The Rainbow-Powered Strategy
This rainbow-powered strategy not only pushes your body to perform at its best, but it could also help you prevent disease or reduce your risk of disease. By changing the perspective of the plate, we begin to understand that variety really IS the key to life. “Ideally, our diet should be a diverse combination of foods that allow certain food compounds to interact with each other, as well as with the body’s systems, to produce health benefits,” said Christopher Browne, doctor of chiropractic and director of human nutrition and functional medicine at the University of Western States in Portland, OR.
But not all types of foods provide these benefits, especially “ultra-processed foods, which have been the death knell for American health,” said Andrea Boggild, MD, medical director of the Tropical Diseases Unit at Washington General Hospital, Toronto, and associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.
Knowing Your Fruits and Vegetables
Knowing which fruits and vegetables can provide the most benefits is equally important to ensure there is always room for tasty combinations to suit palates. The rainbow path is not about restriction but rather the predominance of whole, plant-based foods along with some elements that maintain what Browne called the “sensory experience of food, along with its social and cultural aspects.” All you need is to go back to the basics and make sure the plate contains all the main colors of the plants: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue-violet.
Red
Think beets, strawberries, cherries, and red peppers. These foods are delicious in antioxidants and contain nutrients that help the body fight inflammation and maintain a healthy immune response. But let’s not forget tomatoes, which researchers have recently discovered can fight the infectious bacteria responsible for many foodborne illnesses. Jeongmin Song, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, said that although the evidence is early, the findings showed that fresh tomato juice appears to kill salmonella and E.coli, which affect the intestine and urinary tract. “The implication was that eating fresh vegetables and fruits may help eliminate bacteria,” he said.
Orange
Like their red cousins, orange plants and vegetables share substances known as carotenoids. They are not only responsible for their deep pigmentation but also appear to play an important role in hormonal regulation and reproductive health. These benefits are linked to its strong antioxidant activity, especially in the ovaries. Examples include carrots, yams, persimmons, oranges, apricots, mangoes, and pumpkins. Some research suggests that eating more orange fruits may also delay the onset of menopause.
Yellow
Everything but soft, yellow fruits and vegetables are essential to keep the intestine running smoothly. They offset the extremes on blood sugar when consumed with starchy foods and also contain powerful antioxidants. Delicious golden apples, Asian pears, lemons, bananas, and pineapples fall into this category. But don’t forget ginger, a flowering plant whose root packs a big punch when it comes to reducing nausea and helping food move through the digestive tract and out of the stomach.
Nothing screams “plant” more than green. A star of the plate, foods like leafy greens (spinach, chard, collards, kale, and other lettuces), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts), artichokes, peas, and fruits like pears and green apples are powerful antioxidants that have. has been directly linked to heart health.
It’s 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 ability, and positively affect the nervous system. “There is excellent 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 natural substances such as polyphenols, which increase their antioxidant properties.
One way to determine the nutritional value of different fruits and vegetables is the intensity of their color. But it turns out that white plays a leading role in the rainbow plate. “If you were going 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 onion) becomes very tasty and beautiful additions that are very rich in nutrients when people cook.” (Not to mention, the garlic and onion add great flavor.)
The best advice is to stop counting calories and quantities and make sure to include multicolored foods in your diet every day. “Diet is all about these different important chemicals that our body needs to function optimally,” Holton said. “The power comes when we put them all together.”
As we’ve learned, the power of the rainbow plate lies in the diverse combination of whole, plant-based foods and the variety of colors they provide. Each color represents a different set of nutrients and health benefits, making it essential to include a wide range of fruits and vegetables in our daily diet. By embracing the rainbow plate, we not only nourish our bodies but also reduce the risk of disease and improve overall well-being.
—————————————————-
| Article | Link |
|---|---|
| UK Artful Impressions | Premiere Etsy Store |
| Sponsored Content | View |
| 90’s Rock Band Review | View |
| Ted Lasso’s MacBook Guide | View |
| Nature’s Secret to More Energy | View |
| Ancient Recipe for Weight Loss | View |
| MacBook Air i3 vs i5 | View |
| You Need a VPN in 2023 – Liberty Shield | View |
February 16, 2024: When it comes to your diet, your plate matters. The experts say It should include healthy proteins, whole grains, vegetables and fruits. But instead of rationing those ingredients, it might be easier (and healthier) to mix and match colors.
This rainbow-powered strategy not only pushes your body to perform at its best, but it could also help you prevent disease or reduce your risk of disease. By changing the perspective of the plate As we see the rainbow, we begin to understand that variety really IS the key to life.
“Ideally, our diet should be a diverse combination of foods that allow certain food compounds to interact with each other, as well as with the body's systems, to produce health benefits,” said Christopher Browne, doctor of chiropractic and director of human nutrition and functional medicine at the University of Western States in Portland, OR.
But not all types of foods provide these benefits, especially “ultra-processed foods, which have been the death knell for American health,” said Andrea Boggild, MD, medical director of the Tropical Diseases Unit at Washington General Hospital. Toronto and associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.
Knowing which fruits and vegetables can provide the most benefits is equally important to ensure there is always room for tasty combinations to suit palates. The rainbow path is not about restriction but rather the predominance of whole, plant-based foods along with some elements that maintain what Browne called the “sensory experience of food, along with its social and cultural aspects.”
All you need is to go back to the basics and make sure the plate contains all the main colors of the plants: red, orange, yellow, green and blue-violet.
Red
Think beets, strawberries, cherries and red peppers. These foods are delicious in antioxidants and contain nutrients that help the body fight inflammation and maintain a healthy immune response. But let's not forget tomatoes, which researchers have recently discovered can fight the infectious bacteria responsible for many foodborne illnesses. Jeongmin Song, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, said that although the evidence is early, the findings showed that fresh tomato juice appears to kill salmonella. and E.coli, which affect the intestine and urinary tract. “The implication was that eating fresh vegetables and fruits may help eliminate bacteria,” he said.
Orange
Like their red cousins, orange plants and vegetables share substances known as carotenoids They are not only responsible for your deep pigmentation, but also appear to play an important role in hormonal regulation and reproductive health. These benefits are linked to its strong antioxidant activity, especially in the ovaries. Examples include carrots, yams, persimmons, oranges, apricots, mangoes, and pumpkins. browne said some research suggests that eating more orange fruits may also delay the onset of menopause.
Yellow
Everything but soft, yellow fruits and vegetables are essential to keep the intestine running smoothly, they help offset the extremes on blood sugar when consumed with starchy foods and also contain powerful antioxidants. Delicious golden apples, Asian pears, lemons, bananas, and pineapples fall into this category. But don't forget ginger, a flowering plant whose root packs a big punch 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 well with foods in their stomach that they wouldn't tolerate on an empty stomach,” she explained, referring specifically to yellow foods that are particularly acidic, such as citrus fruits.
Green
Nothing screams “plant” more than green. A star of the plate, foods like leafy greens (spinach, chard, collards, kale and other lettuces), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts), artichokes, peas and fruits like pears and green apples are powerful antioxidants that have has been directly linked to heart health. “Vascular health benefits include reducing blood pressure and controlling the expression of genes that promote inflammation,” Browne said. Peppers, especially hot ones, are especially known for their anti-inflammatory properties. But there is one that especially stands out in the green category: avocados. “Avocados are an incredible source of many of the micronutrients we need every day,” said Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, nutritional neuroscientist and provost associate professor at American University in Washington, DC.
purple blue
It's 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 ability, and positively affect the nervous system. “There is excellent 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 natural substances such as polyphenols, which increase their antioxidant properties. “We are surprised that grapes (red, concord) in particular have many antimicrobial properties to fight infections,” Song said, noting that these powerful players are the next candidates for laboratory studies. Other important blue-violet foods include blackberries, black raspberries, blackberries, figs, plums, eggplants, purple cabbage, and purple cauliflower.
Garlic: a superstar
One way to determine the nutritional value of different fruits and vegetables is the intensity of their color. But it turns out that white plays a leading role in the rainbow plate. “If you were going 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 onion) become very tasty and beautiful additions that are very rich in nutrients when people cook.” (Not to mention, the garlic and onion add great flavor.)
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 to include multicolored foods in your diet every day.
“Diet is all about these different important chemicals that our body needs to function optimally,” Holton said. “The power comes when we put them all together.”
—————————————————-