Color Your Plate … Yellow/Orange!

All through June we are showing the vibrant and beautiful colors of health that we should be adding to our plates whenever possible.This week we show you why yellow and orange are some of the most delicious health foods you could ever have!

Consuming foods rich with the carotenoids found in orange/yellow foods like pumpkin, corn, papaya, tangerines, oranges and peaches, may significantly lower one’s risk of developing lung cancer. A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reviewed dietary and lifestyle data collected from over 60,000 adults and found that those eating the most carotene-rich foods showed a 27% reduction in lung cancer risk.

When current smokers were evaluated, those who were also in the group consuming these foods were found to have a 37% lower risk of lung cancer compared to smokers who ate the least of these health-protective foods.

Particular nutritional standouts that contain carotenes include their namesakes the carrots, as well as the rich delicious butternut squash. By the way, the very same super healthy antioxidants are found in the yellow summer squash as well and the list below.

Examples of Orange and Yellow Foods:

Apricots, butternut squash, summer squash, cantaloupe, carrots, mangos, peaches, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, oranges, nectarines, mandarins, tangerines.

Sweet Potato: The Most Delicious Multi-Vitamin You’ve Ever Eaten

Open this simple root vegetable and find an absolute trove of vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, manganese, as well as being a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. The beta-carotene and vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate the free radicals that damage cells and cell membranes and are associated with the development of conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, and colon cancer.

Since these nutrients are also anti-inflammatory, they can be helpful in reducing the severity of conditions where inflammation plays a role, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

PUMPKIN/Squash

We are just beginning to discover the wealth of nourishment supplied by the mildly sweet flavored and finely textured winter squash like pumpkin. In research studies, extracts from squash have also been found to help reduce symptoms of a condition occurring in men called benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH.

In this condition, the prostate gland becomes enlarged, which can cause difficulty with urinary and sexual function. Particularly in combination with other phytonutrient-containing foods, squash may be helpful in reducing BPH symptoms.

CORN

Hot fresh corn-on-the-cob is an almost essential part of any summertime outdoor cooking event. Fortunately, it is also a worthy part of any healthful menu. Sweetcorn is an excellent source of protein and vitamin B1, which works in the body to break down carbohydrates and convert them to that all-important body fuel, glucose, for energy. Lentils are rich in isoflavones – cancer-preventing phytochemicals that prevent the growth of oestrogen-dependent tumours. They are one of the best sources of genistein – the best-known of the isoflavones, which has been shown to kill off leukaemia cells in mice.

A good thing about corn is that frozen and canned corn has about the same nutritional value as fresh corn. So, for the many Americans who are not able to get fresh corn, they can still enjoy frozen or canned for nearly the same nutritional value as fresh corn. In addition to the carotenes, corn also provides a good source of vitamin C, thiamin, and the B vitamin that is especially valuable when you’re under stress, since it supports the function of the adrenal glands. A single cup of corn supplies 14.4% of the daily value for this B vitamin.