Rainbow of vegetables and fruit keep you fit

Melissa Southern Garcia, Dietitian, Jakarta, southerndietitian@yahoo.com

My latest article focused on the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, and although this may seem a fairly simple topic, it has prompted quite a few questions from readers.

Several readers have told me that they are making a conscious effort to improve their health by including more fruits and vegetables in their diet and many of them included examples of what they eat each day.

One common thread that I saw in many readers' diets and that I see with my clients in general, is a lack of variety. It is great to see people making an effort to improve their diets by eating fruits and vegetables, but it would be so much better to be able to take full advantage of the many benefits provided by nature's produce.

How do we do that? By making sure that we get a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in our diet and not fall into the trap of routine. This type of eating is often referred to as "eating a rainbow".

Although the phrase may sound simplistic, the concept makes a lot of sense. Fruits and vegetables of the same color tend to have the same types of vitamins and phytochemicals. In fact, it's the major phytochemicals that actually give fruits and vegetables their color. Eating a variety of different colored produce will allow you to get a broad mix of these disease fighting chemicals plus a variety of vitamins and minerals so you can get the most out of your fruit and vegetable consumption.

Let's look at some examples: One reader likes to eat bananas three times per day. This provides six servings of fruit, and a wonderful source of potassium and some vitamin C. However, bananas are mild in color so they contain a less than average amount of phytochemicals, for example. They are also lacking in vitamin A.

Another reader drinks papaya juice and tomato juice as a part of his regular routine. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Both papaya and tomato are of the yellow/orange/red color family and are consequently excellent sources of vitamin A and the antioxidant beta-carotene.

So even though this reader is eating two great sources of nutrients, he is eating them in the same color family and thus receiving the same types of nutritional benefits.

Studies have shown that although the number of food choices available in stores is upwards of 1,000 products, most shoppers tend to buy the same 30-40 items on a regular basis. Thinking of buying a rainbow when you shop, or of trying one new or different fruit or vegetable each week can help you get a broader variety of nutrients as well as add new favorites to your diet.

Once again, remember to look for different colors when you choose your produce. When it comes to lettuce and greens, the darker the color, the more antioxidants the vegetable will contain. Dark purple and deep red fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, red grapes or certain types of lettuce such as arugula, provide flavanoids, which are some of the most powerful antioxidants known.

Some of its benefits include lower risk of heart attack and diminished risk of overall heart disease. Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables will provide beta-carotene and precursors to vitamin A. Many of the lighter colored produce such as yucca, potato, radish and cauliflower are good sources of potassium, a mineral essential to the proper functioning of our bodies and an aid in lowering blood pressure.

Living in a tropical country allows you to have access to a wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables, learn to experiment, try something new and look for a variety of colors. You never know, you may find a pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow.