The most beautiful creation of nature is life and we all want to live a colorful life. ROY-G-VIB is the “color-coding” system of nature and has its significance in every aspect of our life. If you consider life is an art, then colorful fruits and vegetables can paint a beautiful picture of health. If you want to live a colorful life then you have to enjoy every color of ROY-G-VIB in your food platter. Eating a full spectrum of colors present in fruits and vegetables ensures our body gets all the essential nutrients that help us to live a longer and healthier life.
Phytonutrients present in fruits and vegetables exert different colors and every color has its health significance. [1] Along with these, Superfoods are a natural source of all the essential vitamins and minerals with an abundant source of fibers.
I suggest to keep yourself healthiest, you need to add five different vegetables and two verities of fruits every day. If you think that how it can be possible, then follow the recommended recipes which you can try in every meal/snack.
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Significance of every shade of ROY-G-VIB in our health
Radiant Red Superfood
Carotenoid lycopene, ellagic acid, and anthocyanins are primarily responsible for the red coloration of tomatoes, cherries, apples, watermelon, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries and impart strong antioxidant property which can reduce cancer risk and prevent heart disease. [2,3,4]
Recipe ideas
- Almost everyone loves the tangy taste of red sauce pasta. You can add a sufficient amount of fresh tomato puree in the recipe not only for giving a red and juicy texture to your pasta, but also to fulfill the red color natural pigment requirement to neutralize oxidative stress due to its great antioxidant property.
- I know red sauce pasta is not a regular choice. If you are a fruit lover, then add strawberries, cranberries, or raspberries in your oatmeal to start a radiant day.
- During the summer season, take a glass of watermelon juice in the afternoon not only to beat the heat but also to provide essential phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
- Apple pie is a good option to include these healthy fruits in your diet. However, I prefer to eat a raw apple every morning.
Tips
- Instead of taking raw tomato, cooked tomato is a better option because experts suggested it helps to ease the absorption of lycopene.
- Eat whole raspberries.
- Large strawberries contain more amount of water content. Choose small sized strawberries to obtain more amount of phytonutrients. [5]
Bright Orange and Yellow Superfood
Beta cryptothanxin and beta carotene are orange and yellow pigments naturally present in carrots, yellow peppers, pumpkin, oranges, bananas, pineapple, mango, apricots, peaches, corn, and support essential cellular interactions and help in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Beta-carotene is a provitamin and converts to vitamin A after systemic absorption. Vitamin A is essential for hormonal balancing and eye health. A population-based study result reported that vitamin A in combination with vitamins C and E could help prevent the cardiac attack.[2,3,4]
I want to explain that it is not necessary every orange and yellow natural food staff does not contain the same composition. For example, oranges are not a good source of vitamin A, but a rich source of vitamin C due to its citrus composition. Whereas plenty of minerals like iron, potassium, and calcium as well as fiber are present in dry apricots.
Recipe ideas
- Carrot has a natural sweet taste and many of us love to add this in our salad preparation. Those who do not prefer to eat a raw carrot, they can try roasted carrot or Glazed Carrots in their snack time. These are not only healthy but the taste of these recipes also satisfies your taste buds.
- Banana loaded with potassium is one of the most healthy ready to eat the item, suitable to take any time.
- Take orange juice in your breakfast to boost your immunity by loading vitamin C in your physiological system.
- Add some dry apricots is your energy bar to make the preparation more nutrient-rich.
- You can add mango and peach in your smoothie preparation to make the recipe more fruity.
- I used to eat roasted corn during watching movies. You can also try this to pass your leisure moment in a healthy way.
Tips
- Excessive vitamin A intake can give toxic effects. Therefore, avoid unnecessary vitamin A tablet intake. Carrot is a good natural source to fulfill the vitamin A requirement in normal health condition. [3]
- Limited intake of mango is suggested due to its high fructose content.
- Boil whole carrot to intact its phytonutrients. [6]
Fresh Green Superfood
A wide range of superfoods like kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, kiwi fruit, avocado is green in color. Chlorophyll is a green pigment and primarily present in all green fruits and vegetables along with other essential phytonutrients like isocyanate, indoles, sulforaphane, lutein, and zeaxanthin. They altogether protect against aging and associated diseases like cancer, eye disease, and chronic conditions like diabetes, heart problems, etc. Green fruits and vegetables are also good sources of folate, vitamin K which helps to maintain the fluidity and composition of blood. [2,3,4]
Recipe ideas
- Peas pulao is a healthy and tasty main course dish and a smart way to intake green protein.
- The avocado spread sandwich changes the regular taste and fulfills the requirements of many essential phytonutrients.
- Health-conscious individuals can start their day by drinking green smoothies by adding kale, spinach, kiwi fruit in the drink.
- Those who do not like broccoli, add it in pizza topping and enjoy green pizza.
Tips
- Peas and avocado contain vegan-proteins, which are rich sources of the peptide. These food items can accomplish the requirement of animal protein for vegetarian individuals. Experts reported that vegetable-based meals can satisfy hunger, fulfill necessary energy requirements, and appetizing as a protein-rich animal-based meal. [5]
- Add Kiwi fruit at last in the fruit salad recipe, otherwise secreted enzyme from this fruit make soft other added fruit items. [6]
- Use lettuce leaf as a bread roll wrapper.
Vivid Violet, Indigo, and Blue
Anthocyanins are present in violet, indigo, and blue colored natural food items like blueberries, elderberries, eggplant, plums, figs, purple cabbage. These superfoods have an anti-aging property and delay the aging process and prevent cell damage due to their antioxidant property. Superfoods within this color spectrum prevent blood clotting and help maintain heart functioning. [2,3,4]
Recipe ideas
- Add blueberries in your pancake batter or muffin mix to give a natural blue color to your recipe and enjoy the health benefits of Anthocyanins pigment and other phytonutrients present in it.
- Add elderberry syrup in a regular milkshake to change the flavor and color of the recipe.
- Adding purple cabbage leaves give a healthy touch to the salad recipe.
- Handful plums, figs are a good option for elevenses (a snack around 11 am).
- Backed eggplant or roasted eggplant recipes are tasty and healthy. Try once, I am sure you will repeat the recipe frequently.
Tips
- In exposure to an alkaline solution, the color of Blueberries changed to green. To avoid this color change, reduce the baking powder amount in the pancake batter or muffin mix. Or use lemon juice or buttermilk to make the medium acidic.
- Use sautéed purple cabbage leaves in your salad preparation to retain its nutrients intact.
- Hot temperature makes blueberries perishable.
- Raw plums are a rich source of vitamin C. [6]
Versatile White or Beige
The superfood with white is versatile, as all the color spectrum blended in it. White and brown colored superfood like leeks, cauliflower, parsnips, daikon radish, mushrooms contains anthoxanthins pigment. However, onion and garlic additionally contain allicin. Phytonutrients like flavonoids, quercetin, and kaempferol present in these Superfoods and have antioxidant properties. This helps to reduce the risk of arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Sulforaphane a phytonutrient present in cauliflower, cabbage, turnip acts against cancer, strengthens bones and maintains healthy blood vessels. [2,3,4]
Recipe ideas
- The garlic mushroom recipe is an ideal white superfood recipe. You can also add mushrooms in soup preparation.
- Stuffed roasted cauliflower is a delicious dish. You can try it as a vegan party food item.
- Backed potato chips can be your family’s favorite past time snack item.
- You can try radish carry if you do not want to add it in a salad.
Tips
- Steam cauliflower instead of boiling them to intake its phytonutrients
- Consume cooled boiled potato to obtain healthy resistant starch from it.
- Separately store onions and potato to avoid fast spoilage.
- Include raw garlic in your daily diet to get maximum antibacterial benefit from allicin. [6]
Scientific Evidence
Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism published a research paper addressed that the general population often ignore the recommended quantity of fruits and vegetable in their daily diet. This is a major cause of deficiency of many essential nutrients. To solve this issue, the rainbow of healthful food eating concept can be an effective strategy for assisting people in improving their diet. All age groups people can easily understand the importance of getting each color from fruits and vegetables associated with definite health benefits.
- A three-year-long study conducted in 1,272 adults reported the colors of fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Weight management and belly fat reduction is associated with the intake of red/purple fruits and vegetables; whereas lipid parameters can regularize by eating yellow, green, and white fruits and vegetables.
- Research conducted in the Netherlands for more than ten years reported that a 25gm increase of apples and pears and other white fruits and vegetables can inverse 9% risk of the stroke incident.
- The same research result also found that a 25gm increase of orange fruits and vegetables, especially carrots can significantly reduce coronary heart disease risk.
Food researchers have agreed that different colors of natural plant-based foods have health benefits in specific organ systems or our physiological functioning. Each color category of Superfoods has specific phytonutrient content that confers health benefit(s). [1]
Note: Blogs under NitaNaturale contain some medical terms and concepts, which you may not know in detail. For better understanding, readers can feel free to contact me by filling the consultation form under the contact section.
References
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnme/2019/2125070/
- https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/5-a-day/colourful-foods
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/phytonutrients-paint-your-plate-with-the-colors-of-the-rainbow-2019042516501
- https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/blog/blogcollectionpage/eat-a-rainbow
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5073301/
- https://foodrevolution.org/blog/eating-the-rainbow-health-benefits/