Your Best Self Blog

Eat Prettier, Live Longer

BY: Amanda Haberecht

Eating right is easy: Just make your meals gorgeous! Focus on your food’s facade: The flavanols that give edibles their vibrant colours also contain most of your diet’s essential nutrients. So by eating a broad range of naturally vibrant and colourful cuisine, you’ll boost your vitamin, mineral and phytochemical intake -- all of which are necessary for optimum health.

The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends adults eat at least five different types of vegetables and two types of fruit every day. I recommend eating as broad a range of colours as possible to get all the vital vitamins and nutrients your body needs. Here are a few colors to make your plate prettier and healthier:

• Orange vegetables contain beta carotene, a primary source of vitamin A, which protects your skin and eyes.
• Green vegetables provide vitamin C, an antioxidant that protects your cells from damage.
• Red vegetables and fruits contain the antioxidant lycopene, which may help prevent cancer.
• Blue and purple vegetables and fruits contain anthocyanin, an antioxidant that has been proven to fight cancer and support the vascular system.

A colourful array of fresh fruits and vegetables will benefit your oral health too: A deficiency in vitamin C is linked to gingivitis, periodontal inflammation and tooth loss. And foods high in fibre massage the gums and help clean your teeth.