We were privileged to have Nancy Eiseman, owner of Queen Bee Foods, speak to our campers this week. Its mission is to make healthy, sustainable foods readily available to the families in our community. Their produce is organic and as much is locally grown as they can find. She shared information about the benefits of organic foods, cracking the code on genetically modified foods, and provided our campers with many other helpful tips including how to eat the rainbow.
One such tip was to eat the rainbow! While visually bright, cheerful colors can certainly give you a sunny outlook on life, we should all take a few seconds to appreciate how they affect our bodies. Did you know that the more intense the colors of your food are, the more positive effect those foods will have on your body? That right! So try adding some Technicolor foods to your plate this week. Some great examples are blueberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, ruby red grapefruits, beets, and tomatoes. When you make a point of eating foods saturated in color your body responds by healing itself and fighting against disease. When your body is functioning on this level you will find yourself feeling full of life and energy. Another tip to help us remember to get those Technicolor foods on our plates is to “eat a rainbow” for health.
Red fruits and vegetables such as apples, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelons improve heart and blood health and support joints.
Orange fruits and vegetables such as oranges, apricots, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin help to protect against cancer and promotes collagen growth.
Yellow fruits and vegetables such as pears, bananas, pineapple, and yellow peppers help with vision, digestion, and immune system support.
Green fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, cucumbers, and kiwi are powerful detoxifiers and fight free radicals.
Blue and purple fruits and vegetables such as red cabbage, red onion, eggplant, blueberries, blackberries, and figs help to improve mineral absorption and are powerful antioxidants.
White vegetables such as cauliflower, onions, garlic, and mushrooms activate our natural killer cells and reduce cancer risk.
Nancy said it best, “Challenge yourself to eat the rainbow! You will be so glad you did!”
