Red – Yellow and Green Food – Traffic Light Colors are good for you!
RED FOOD
Red foods consist of everything from fruits, including watermelon, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, apples; and vegetables like tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, and red cabbage. These colorful and tasty foods are gifts from nature. They offer many health benefits because they have some of the following nutrients; lycopene, ellagic acid, quercetin, hesperidin, fiber, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Don’t forget you can even get plenty of these nutrients in processed tomato products as well, salsa, spaghetti sauce and ketchup.
- Reduce the risk of prostate cancer
- Protects the body from prostate, cervical and lung cancer
- Reduces tumor growth
- Protects the body from harmful free-radicals
- Protects the body against heart disease
- Lowers blood pressure
- Lowers LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol in the body
- Support joint tissue for those with arthritis
- Keeps one regular aiding in gastrointestinal health
ORANGE _-YELLOW FOOD
These bright-colored fruits and vegetables contain zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which is vitamin A.
The nutrients help our bodies in many different ways, from our eyes to our bones:
- Aids in eye health and reduces the risk of macular degeneration of the eye
- Reduces the risk of prostate cancer
- Lowers blood pressure
- Lowers LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)
- Promotes healthy joints
- Promotes collagen formation
- Fights harmful free radicals in the body
- Encourages pH balance of the body
- Boosts immune system
- Builds healthier bones by working with calcium and magnesium
There are so many orange and yellow fruits, such as:
- Oranges
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Ugli fruit
- Pummelos
- Bananas
- Apricots
- Nectarines
- Persimmons
- Mangos
- Peaches
- Cantaloupe
- Pineapple
- Papaya
- Starfruit
Just to name a few. Also, we can’t forget about veggies:
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Butternut, acorn and summer squash
- Corn
- Orange and yellow peppers, and
- Yellow beets
Don’t forget about herbs like ginger that also share this color.
GREEN FOOD
Green foods are an extremely important part of a healthy diet. There are numerous options to choose from, and they can easily be incorporated into meals. Some popular green foods include spinach, collard greens, bok choy, cabbage and broccoli to name only a few. Using a wide variety of these foods is the best way to ensure that you’re consuming enough of them, so that you can take advantage of the following benefits:
Healthy Source of Antioxidants
Most green foods, such as spinach and broccoli, are considered super foods because they contain a high amount of antioxidants in them. Plenty of vitamin A, C and E can be found in most green foods, in addition to other importantnutrients such as iron and zinc. Antioxidants play a major role in protecting your body from viruses so they’re important to health. Eating at least three servings of greens each and every day will provide your body with enough antioxidants to keep you protected.
Low in Calories
Green foods, especially dark leafy ones, contain a large amount of water which in turn leaves them extremely depleted of calories. This means that you can eat as many of them as you possibly can, and you don’t have to worry about gaining any weight. In fact, adding these foods to your favorite dishes like enchiladas, soups, casseroles and pastas can help bulk up the meal while keeping the calories under control, so you can eat more of your favorite foods without a jump in calorie intake.
Great Source of Phytonutrients
Phytonutrients are special chemicals in found in green foods that have a good effect on the body after they are consumed. These properties help to boost your immune system, and they help protect you against cellular damage. In order to get a wide range of these nutrients, it’s important to switch up the foods you eat from day to day.
Just about Carb Free
Although there are a small amount of carbohydrates available in green foods, the carbs that are found in the food are important for your health. These particular carbs are complex, so they are packed with much needed fiber which helps to keep you full longer throughout the day. Fiber also helps to grab pollutants and other unnecessary things within the body and dispose of them before they are absorbed. The fiber also plays a vital role in regular bowel movements.
