Color is Key

Eating the rainbow refers to including a wide variety of colorful vegetables and fruits in your daily diet.  If it’s been awhile since you experienced the sight, smell and taste of ripe produce plucked fresh from soil, tree or vine, then you owe yourself a trip to a local farm or a farmer’s market for an amazing sensory experience.  From the deep greens of spinach and kale, to the golden-orange hues of squash and carrots, to the crimson and purple of strawberries and blueberries — nature has arranged for fresh vegetables and fruits to be as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate.

Fortunately, in her abundant wisdom, nature has also endowed fresh vegetables and fruits with almost all of the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, enzymes, fiber and water that your body requires for optimal health.

Protection from Antioxidants

Among the more exciting benefits of vegetables and fruits is their high antioxidant content.In recent years, antioxidants have become of great interest to researchers and consumers alike.

Antioxidants are substances that protect the body from damaging free radicals.  Free radicals are unstable molecules that roam the body, destroying healthy cells and tissues, disrupting cellular metabolism and damaging DNA.  Over the years, this damage accumulates, leading to accelerated aging and a host of chronic diseases that are epidemic in our society today.

Free radicals are caused by environmental assaults such as pollutants, chemicals, cigarette smoke, drugs, pesticides, and radiation.  They are also a byproduct of internal processes such as normal cellular metabolism, as well as the body’s attempts to fight stress, allergens, and infections.

Antioxidants protect the body by clearing free radicals from the system and by preventing and even repairing cellular damage.  Once again, color is key–the deeper the color, the higher the antioxidant activity.  Various colors indicate classes of phytonutrients, each with its own set of health-promoting properties.  You can benefit from all of these classes of phytonutrients by including a variety of colorful vegetables and fruits and veggies in your diet — thus, eating the rainbow.

Vibrant Foods for Vibrant Health

The word vibrant is defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary “pulsating with life, vigor, or activity.”  Think of enjoying lots of flowing, positive energy; of clear skin, eyes and mind; and of a more youthful feeling body.  That’s what vibrant health is.  This vibrancy is nourished and supported by the vibrancy of the foods we eat, especially vegetables and fruits.

Unfortunately, few people today consume enough of these life-giving plants.  Most authoritative sources recommend eating five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits per day (a serving is ½ cup).  Yet even in California, a state rich in sources of fresh produce, only 15-20% of adults consume even the minimum five servings.  How about you?

If you are ready to take your personal vitality to the next level, we have the resources to help make your journey easier and more fun.  Check out our classes page for information on upcoming classes, with topics covering:

• How to shop for organic foods on a budget
• How to cook simple yet delicious meals using fresh, seasonal produce
• Easy tips for incorporating more vegetables and fruits into your daily diet
• And much more!

We’re here to serve you, so please, feel free to send us your comments and questions, or stop by our office for all the information you need.

References:

Dunne, L. (2002). Nutrition Almanac. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Centers for Disease Control. (2012). State Indicator Report on Fruits & Vegetables, 2009. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/health_professionals/statereport.html

Vibrant. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s’ online dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vibrant

Health Benefits of Probiotics:

• Increases absorption of minerals and vitamins
• Relieves constipation and irritable bowel syndrome
• Reduces urinary and vaginal tract infections
• Inhibits the bacterial cause of stomach ulcers
• Prevents intestinal tract infections caused by bacteria, viruses or yeast
• Improves kidney and liver function by eliminating toxins
• Reduces allergic reactions
• Reduces blood cholesterol
• Stimulates the immune system
• Alleviates bloating
• Increases resistance to infectious disease
• Improves lactose digestion
• Reduces blood pressure
• Prevents osteoporosis

To give a specific example, Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic yeast which is resistant to stomach acid.  In 2006, Harvard researchers noted that S.boulardii modulates host signaling pathways involved in intestinal inflammatory responses.  They found that as a result of the signal modulation this yeast blocked activation of key inflammatory molecules.

After seeing that impressive list of all the benefits that these special microorganisms offer the message is clear – get your probiotics daily!

Here at the office we have a couple of excellent probiotics supplements that have worked wonderfully for so many of you!  Flora Myces from Designs for Health contains Saccharomyces boulardii, good yeast to fight the bad yeast.  Apex Energetics’ Strengtia is another top-notch supplement (also with S.boulardii)–it combines pre and probiotics.  Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of bacteria in the digestive system, food for probiotics in other words. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are common prebiotics.

Tried our selection of probiotics?  Thought about it but had questions?  Still not sure what the fuss is all about?  Share your experiences, ask questions, and, as always, drop by the office for all the information you need.

Oh, and don’t forget – get your probiotics daily!

References

Agin, Katie. “Probiotics: Linking Gut Health to Whole-Body Care.” Whole Foods Magazine, http://www.wholefoodsmagazineonline.com/supplements/features/probiotics-linking-gut-health-whole-body-care-0.

WebMD. Digestive Disorders Health Center, “Probiotics – Topic Overview.” 
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/probiotics-topicoverview?print=true#

Wikipedia Probiotics.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic_(nutrition)