Nature colour-codes her products so that each colour has different benefits for your body and is beneficial to various functions.
Red foods are rich in carotenoids and flavonoids which rich in antioxidants. Tomatoes contain lycopene which is an antioxidant that helps prevent disease and infections. Tomatoes are best when they are ripe, its colour is very intense, its body is not too hard and not too soft. They are great in salads with some Lebanese cucumbers, spanish onions and a few basil leaves to bring out their flavour. Capsicums (or red bell peppers) are rich in vitamin C and a good source of carotenoids which the body converts into vitamin A. They contain up to seven times the amount of vitamin C as oranges and tomatoes. South Americans initiated the process of drying red capsicums and crushing them to a fine powder to make paprika. Paprika is a great blood stimulant and energiser. Eat more capsicum or use paprika more often if you have more blood circulation, constant tiredness or lethargy.
Green foods have a high fibre and water content which aids your digestive system. Their main purpose to eliminate toxins, like heavy metals and pesticides, from the body and make it less acidic. Green is the color of nature; think of green leaves and green grass. Eating more salad greens will make your skin more radiant like new leaves on a tree in Spring. Greens regulate your digestive system and your bowels to prevent constipation. People with gout or arthritis should drink cucumber juice to help dissolve the crystals that form in their joints.
Orange and yellow foods represented mostly by citrus fruit, pumpkin, sweet potato, banana, carrot, mango and egg yolk. This color group is an excellent source of beta-carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin C which are beneficial to eyes, cells, the reproductive system as well as the immune system. Vitamin C wards off the common cold and helps the body fight against infections.
Brown foods are high in fibre. Adequate fibre benefits the bowels by keeping you regular, prevents haemorroids and cardiovascular disease.
Blue foods help lift your spirits when you are feeling blue. Next time you’re feeling down eat some blueberries. They have natural anti-depressant and antiviral properties.
White foods include rice, salt, sugar, onion, garlic, milk, yoghurt, cheese, potatoes. These are the basic elements of most recipes. These are ingredients that complement other foods to make the dish more flavoursome and easier to consume.
Rita Erlich and Dr Alice Murkies in Color Me Healthy: Why you should eat almost everything suggest that you “eat a rainbow all through the day” (Hybrid Publishers, Melbourne, Australia, 2001)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_George_Hunt
The author has a Certificate in Advanced Nutritional Science from the Australasian College of Natural Therapies in Sydney, Australia.