Eat the Rainbow
Hi friends! I am so delighted you are here. My plan is to start writing blog posts about material that I enjoyed most, or found intriguing, from my time in the Health Coaching Program at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. The goal is to create a safe space to talk about all things health in hopes that it can open our minds to choices and changes that might really improve our quality of life. This is my very first one!
So, to start things off, we are going to be covering the topic of ~eating the rainbow~
You might be thinking, what the heck does that mean?! Or maybe you’re picturing the rainbow and seeing how this connects to nutrition already. Either way, we are in this together! I also want to combine this topic with another HUGE and very important topic within IIN, and nutrition in general, called bio-individuality.
Bio-individuality is a fancy way of saying human beings are different from each other, so our nutrition choices, exercise selections, and other health focuses will all look different. Not only is this okay, but that is suggested! What works for me might not work for you and vice-versa. So in terms of this blog, and anything else you see and read on social media or in nutrition books, please keep your bio-individuality in mind when trying things out. YOU know your body best, and if something doesn’t sit well, or if you have a specific diagnosis related to your health, please listen to that and make decisions that work for you.
Okay, let’s jump right in! The idea of “eating the rainbow” is focused on the idea of seeing as many colors of the rainbow on your plate as possible. Most of these choices will be fruits and vegetables, as these colors are hard to find in other areas of food. So that is where my examples will come from!
Not only do colorful plant-based foods contain lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that our bodies need to function optimally, but they also contain phytonutrients that positively effect our cell structure and function as well as help to prevent disease in the body. We commonly see colors like white, brown, or yellow on our plates, which are often lacking nutrients or are highly processed. If this is frequently your plate, don’t worry! There are a ton of fun ways to incorporate new foods into your diet that are comfortable and work well for your needs.
Some ideas to brighten up your plate include:
Keep a color calendar, which is similar to an accountability tracker. This can be helpful to mark off which colors you’ve already eaten that day.
Have healthy competitions with others (or yourself) to get as many colors as possible on your plate as possible
Start small, and make changes that are sustainable and feel good. While you don’t need to eat every color every day, try to eat as many colors as you can as often as you can.
Be more open at the store to grab items you might not have tried before and find a fun recipe on Pinterest or TikTok that help to incorporate this new ingredient into your diet!
Have some accountability partners so that you don’t go on this new adventure alone! See if someone in your household or a friend/family member would be willing to try this out with you. I would LOVE to be your accountability partner if you want as well <3
Red
Health Benefits:
The main health benefit of red foods is reduced inflammation, which is a huge contributor to many chronic illnesses and diseases in the human body. Not only do we experience inflammation from many foods, but also from stress. NOTE: Red foods can be inflammatory for certain individuals, so please test this out in small amounts if you are concerned about this.
Improved immune and stress responses
Reduction of certain types of cancers
Reduction of heart disease
Improved brain function
Vegetables: Beets, radishes, red peppers, red onions, tomatoes, red cabbage
Fruits: Cherries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, red apples, red grapes, watermelon, dragon fruit, lychee, pomegranates, plums
Orange
Health Benefits:
Hormone health & regulation
Reproductive health
Skin, vision, and hair health
Vegetables: Carrots, orange peppers, winter squash, tomatoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes
Fruits: Oranges, mangoes, apricots, cantaloupe, nectarines, papayas
Yellow
Health Benefits:
Digestion & digestive health
Increased metabolism
Vegetables: Yellow peppers, garlic, ginger, yellow potatoes, winter & summer squash, turmeric, sweet corn
Fruits: Bananas, lemons, peaches, pineapples, yellow apples, starfruit, grapefruit, jackfruit, plaintains
Green (My Favorites)
Health Benefits:
Heart health
Improved blood vessel circulation
Vegetables: Green beans, cruciferous veggies, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, celery, cucumbers, green peppers, lettuce, microgreens, peas, spinach, green onions, arugula
Fruits: Green grapes, limes, avocados, green apples, honeydew
Blue/Purple
Health Benefits:
Brain health
Mood support
Vegetables: Eggplant, purple asparagus, purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple cauliflower, purple peppers, black olives
Fruits: Blueberries, blackberries, plums, purple figs, purple grapes & raisins, acai, elderberries, 100% grape juice
I know it seems crazy to think that foods not only have health benefits, but the colors of those foods add different benefits as well. For example, peppers are a great source of vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid, and fiber BUT depending on the color(s) of pepper that you eat, you might also add the health benefits included above!
As another reminder, let’s keep our bio-individuality in mind when eating new foods and also be kind and give ourselves grace when trying new things. If you don’t like something, or your body doesn’t like something, you have so many other options to choose from! The above lists are just examples of different colored fruits and veggies, so please be open to what works for you!
One reason I really loved this concept was because it gave me a different appreciation for food. Realizing that nature is constantly communicating with us on how to nourish ourselves is so rewarding when you think about it, and having this mindset when exploring nature has given me a new appreciation for my surroundings, as well as seeing these colors on my plate.
I hope you learned something, and that you share with others! There are endless things to learn about our bodies and how to take care of them, so let’s have fun with it!
I love you!
~ H