Nature’s Nutrients
Photo credit: Roberto Nickson via Unsplash
When we plan a meal we often focus on the dietary properties of the food we eat - how certain foods can satisfy our hunger or impact our waistline, or how good it tastes - but we rarely think of what we consume in terms of its medicinal properties or nutrient benefits. Yet science shows that adopting a nutrient-led approach can unlock major health benefits, some potentially life saving.
And though we might not have been taught to think of food through this lens, instinctively our body knows when its resources have been depleted.
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WE RARELY THINK OF WHAT WE CONSUME IN TERMS OF ITS MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OR NUTRIENT BENEFITS.
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Luckily, nature has made things easy for us by grouping these beneficial properties in foods (generally) by color - largely due to the nutrient benefits being locked in phytochemicals, which are chemicals produced by plants that play a role in their growth or defense against predators and pathogens, and also that contribute to their color, taste, and smell. It’s in this way that color and benefit are connected.
For example, have you ever had an intense craving for carrot juice or oranges when you start to sense the onset of a cold? Or craved a mixed-greens smoothie after a big night out? The orange food group is known for its immunity-building properties, acting like the first line of defense and healing disease-induced harm. Green foods, on the other hand, are known for their detoxifying properties, helping you cleanse your system from overexposure to environmental or chemical toxins.
Photo credit: Nutriciously via Unsplash
Cravings are your body’s way of telling you what it needs. Sometimes those signals are clear, but sometimes less so. Getting educated about what kinds of benefits are available, and where to find them, can help you listen to your body speak, not only in moments of stress to the system, but as a way of optimizing and maintaining your heath in a preventative way as well. For example, have you ever noticed that your memory gets better with a bowl of blueberries, or that your skin has more radiance after eating red peppers or cranberries? Consuming these on a regular basis can help boost your natural radiance, acuity, and health.
Let’s take a look at the five major color groups, and the benefits of each.
Continue reading > Red is for Heart Health