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Eating the Rainbow: Food as Medicine for Enhanced Wellness
September 16 2024
CAT DANIEL
Imagine your evening dinner resembling all the colours of the rainbow - each shade bringing with it a beneficial health perk. The age-old adage attributed to Hippocrates that emphasises the healing power of food remains relevant today. As Reverse Life gears up for the Eat Nourish Love event it’s got us thinking about the importance of nutrition. So in today’s blog, we’re taking the opportunity to delve into the connection between food and medicine and thinking about how each meal you eat can be a prescription for enhanced wellness. Dietary choices really can affect our health and our happiness. The key is to include a variety of foods in your diet – and sorry but we don’t mean a bag of skittles when we talk about colourful food!
Hippocrates and the Philosophy of Food as Medicine
Many people regard Hippocrates as the pioneer of medicine. He emphasised the role of food, in maintaining good health and believed even back then that it could be used to effectively treat and prevent diseases. Hippocrates advocated that food had healing properties and today, given that so many of our most common diseases (such as diabetes) are indeed preventable, we would have done well to list to him!
So could gaining a better insight into how food can function as medicine be a more beneficial way to approach health?
Bringing this right up to date, research does indeed appear to confirm what Hippocrates theorised all those years ago. Maintaining a well rounded diet consisting of whole foods can play a vital role in lowering the risk and possibly ward off chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes along with the rising concern of obesity, in our modern world.
Does that mean that if we make better nutritional choices to enhance our well being we might also by virtue also be extending our lifespan. Could food really be our medicine?
Let's dive in deeper and discuss.
The Colourful World of Nutrition
What is it that they say? Variety is the spice of life! Turns out that’s true. Diversity in terms of colours and flavours is key. So permission to enjoy the spectrum of the rainbow at mealtimes.
We’re often told to eat our greens but do you know why? Turns out that leafy greens in particular like spinach and kale are packed with essential vitamins and minerals and in particular feature vitamins A and C.
These two letters of the alphabet plan a role in skin health. Something that if you are interested in anti-ageing will be music to your ears.
Moving on to the more colourful end of the spectrum, fruits like berries and oranges don’t just add a lovely pop of colour to your bowl, they also provide antioxidants. Antioxidants can be hugely beneficial in helping to combat inflammation and also help to reduce the presence of free radicals. So adding colour and flavour not only enhances your enjoyment of eating but it also helps to book energy levels as well as overall health.
So let’s take a look at the benefits in more detail of the specific hues of the rainbow.
Why You Should Eat All The Colours Of The Rainbow
Foods that are red
Red hued foods such as tomatoes, strawberries and red peppers are rich in lycopene and anthocyanins. Nutritionists appreciate these foods for their inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. These components play a role in lowering the chances of heart disease and enhancing skin wellness.
Foods that are orange
Carrots, along with potatoes and oranges contain beta carotene which is crucial for maintaining skin health and good vision; these colourful orange foods also help boost the immune system and lower the chances of developing long term illnesses.
Yellow coloured foods
Eating bananas, corn and yellow peppers can help boost your intake of vitamin C and A. These vitamins can be beneficial for eyesight health while also aiding in maintaining better digetion.
Green coloured foods
Spinach and broccoli are packed with chlorophyll and essential nutrients like fibre and vitamins that support detoxification and overall health benefits while also being great for bone health and reducing inflammation. Kiwi is another powerhouse addition to your diet supporting overall wellness.
Foods that are blue or purple, in colour
Blueberries and eggplants are rich in anthocyanins that promote brain health and could also be beneficial in lowering the chances of heart disease; they are also recognised for enhancing memory and cognitive abilities.
Foods that are white or brown
Grab your garlic and your mushrooms! They are full of good stuff, like antioxidants and compounds that help keep our system strong and fight inflammation. They're also said to be great for the heart and useful in preventative measures against cancer.
The Important Link Between Food and Immunity
It's clear that good nutrition can really help fight against illnes and disease by bolstering your body’s defence system. Eating vibrant and colourful foods not only helps to boost immunity but it strengthens the body from the inside out ensuring it's better prepared to ward off infections and prevent you from getting run down, especially important during the winter months when more viruses are flying around.
Key Nutrients for Enhanced Immunity
Vitamin C: we all know that vitamin C is crucial in the production of white blood cells and helps fight infection. Get it from sources like citrus fruits, bell peppers and also broccoli.
Vitamin D: an excellent way to regulate the immune system and also again, reduce the risk of unwanted infections. Look to add more oily fish and fortified dairy products into your diet.
Zinc: helps heal wounds and again ward off unwanted infections. You should be grabbing shellfish, legumes and eating more meat.
Great news in case that shopping list literally feels like a mouthful! You can find all 3 of these essential immunity boosting supplements in our Original Collagen formula.
Mental Clarity and Chronic Disease Prevention
Once again, sound nutrition can be a powerful ally when it comes to supporting cognitive and mental clarity. Great sources of brain boosting foods include fatty fish, leafy greens and berries.
Fibre rich foods like oats and legumes don’t just help to regulate and balance blood sugar levels, they can also reduce the onset of diabetes. While antioxidant rich foods like nuts and berries may help improve cholesterol levels, protect against heart disease and also reduce inflammation.
It’s clear to see that colourful foods paint more than a pretty picture. They also help you to be the picture of health!
Practical Tips for Incorporating Colourful Foods
Incorporating a diverse range of colourful foods into your daily diet doesn’t have to be challenging. Here are some practical tips to make it easier:
Start with Breakfast
How about a colourful smoothie packed with fruits and veggies like berries, spinach and bananas? Chuck in some chia seeds along with a shot of Original Collagen and you have a supercharged way to start your day.
Make Salads Your Friend
Salads are a great way to incorporate a variety of colourful vegetables. Mix greens with tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and avocado. Top it off with a sprinkle of seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. Add your favourite source of protein and you have a winning combination that will help boost your health and protect your body from seasonal sniffles.
Snack Smart
Keep a stash of colourful fruits and vegetables for snacking on hand. Think carrot sticks, Cherry tomatoes and apple slices. Not only are these convenient and easy to pack if you’re on your travels, they also make nutritious snacking options. Cherry tomatoes provide a burst of juicy flavour but even better still, they’re also rich in vitamins A and C. And it seems an apple a day really does keep the Dr at bay! Sweet and crisp, they’re packed with fibre and flavour.
Get Creative with Cooking
Think outside the box! Get creative in the kitchen and be more experimental with your recipes. Ingredients like baked sweet potatoes, snow pease and green peppers are excellent to toss into stews and pack a healthy punch.
Plan Your Meals
You don’t need to be a bodybuilder on plan to prep ahead. Batch cooking and preparing your meals in advance is a great way to ensure you make healthier nutritional choices throughout the week. Each Sunday, why not sit down and prepare yourself a weekly meal planner then do an online shop and stock up on all your essentials. It will help you avoid the temptation to impulse shop and make it so much easier to stick to your dietary goals.
Come Meet the Reverse Life team at Eat, Nourish, Love
It’s clear to see that the relationship between food and medicine can be a powerful and beneficial one. Once you start to understand more about the essential role different foods have in supporting overall health you can beging to harness their nutrional power to support your wellness goals.
We’ll be exhibiting at the Eat Nourish Love event and would love to meet you in reali life. It’s an excellent opportunity to come say hello to some of the Reverse Life team and discover more about our collagen and we have it on good authority that there's lots of yummy food to try out too.
So pop by and try a shot of our award winning collagen and we’ll also have our brand new anti-ageing day and night cream for you to try out.
Let's celebrate the vibrant, flavourful world of nutrition. Join us at the Eat Nourish Love event to explore more about the profound impact of food on our health and well-being.
Remember these words of wisdom from Hipocrates, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Start your colourful eating journey today and experience the incredible benefits for yourself.
