For energy, fitness and all round anti aging health you need color in your diet. They don’t just look good on the plate – colorful foods do you good as well. Colorful food is good for you because each different color in the food relates to a different phyto-nutrient. Phyto-nutrients are simply nutrients derived from plants and different phyto-nutrients have different health and anti aging benefits.
A high level of antioxidants is the key to great anti aging nutrition. The best way to put together an antioxidant rich diet is to think primary colors when you shop for your fruit and vegetables. The more colorful and vibrant the better.
You probably already know that green veggies are important for your health. But you may not realize just how packed with good things leafy greens are. Green foods are full of chlorophyll and magnesium which is vital for the nerves, muscles and for balancing hormones.
Yellow foods such as sweetcorn and yellow bell peppers are rich in carotenoids – powerful antioxidants that protect you from damaging free radicals.
Mustard and the yellow spice turmeric are both rich in the pigment curcumin which is an especially powerful phytonutrient known to fight cancer and to reduce inflamation.
Inflammation is the most common cause of some of the worst diseases associated with aging.
Not only that but inflammation is cited by skin experts and dermatologists as the major factor in skin aging. Packing your diet with natural anti inflammatories like phytonutrients is important in keeping your youthful looks for longer.
Orange and red foods often derive their color from carotenoids such as beta carotene. Tomatoes and watermelon are rich in another carotenoid called lycopene. All these carotenoids are extremely strong antioxidants which fight skin aging and help to keep you looking younger and in the best of health.
Best sources of carotenoids are foods such as apricots, peaches, melons, watermelon, papaya, mango, carrots and tomatoes.
Beetroot, red grapes and berries get their red, blue and purple hues from a group of phytonutrients called flavonoids – hugely powerful antioxidants – some of them much more powerful than vitamin C.
Among the most powerful flavonoids are anthocyanidins which give the purple color to blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, acai berries and red grapes.
All these important phytonutrients each have a different role in the body and work together to keep you healthy.
So to be healthy and look younger as you get older – eat your way through a rainbow every day.
