I DON’T WANT TO EAT VEGETABLES! Part I

Eating vegetables is much more than a serving of food to eat. Fruits and vegetables are powerhouses of nutrition, and they all differ greatly in the nutrients they contain, much of which is based on their color.

There is value in eating a variety of different colors in your fruit and veggie choices, because the color of your food can tell you a lot about its nutrition in helping your body to function at its best.

We will start off with red colored fruits and veggies first. Red fruits and vegetables have nutrients that help fight cancer, reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, improve skin conditions and much more. They contain phytochemicals (or plant chemicals) including lycopene and other compounds that are great at ridding the damage of free radicals.

Examples: tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, red peppers, raspberries, apples, cranberries, cherries, grapes, red onions, pomegranate and beets. Now not all of those are on your weight loss plan right now, but they certainly are good to know for your families and for maintenance.

Orange and yellow fruits and veggies also pack a lot of nutrition. They are rich in Vitamin C and something called carotenoids, which help decrease the risk of disease with certain cancers and eye diseases. Beta-carotene converts to Vitamin A. Lycopene is also found in orange and yellow, as well. Citrus also contains a phytonutrient that helps to increase blood flow, which can aid in reducing your risk of stroke and help to keep your hands and feet warmer.

These compounds are found in choices on our plan like oranges, grapefruit, lemons, orange and yellow peppers, cantaloupe, yellow summer squash, winter squash like butternut and acorn and peaches; other choices for maintenance include mangoes, papayas, carrots, sweet potatoes and pineapple.

Next, white and brown foods are also full of phytonutrients. Cauliflower, which is all the rage these days is rich in anti-cancer compounds, as are garlic and onions, which contain cancer fighting allicin and quercetin.

In fact, the nutrients in white button mushrooms have been found to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation or spreading. Those four foods just mentioned are great on the Genesis plan, and, for maintenance, enjoy parsnips, Daikon radish and jicama.

Next week we will learn of several more powerhouse nutrient vegetables.