Since it’s fall, it’s the perfect time to talk about the color of the season, ORANGE! We’re going to discuss why orange fruits and vegetables are so great for us. We’ve been talking about the importance of eating a variety of colorful produce over the last few weeks and so far we have highlighted Green and Red hued foods (missed them? Check them out here -> Green , Red ) and today we’ll be exploring what’s so great about all the Orange foods!
First let’s refresh ourselves on all the delicious Orange produce we have to choose from. Keep in mind this isn’t an exclusive list but some great examples of delicious orange hues foods include pumpkins, butternut squash, cantaloupe, mangoes, nectarines, papaya, carrots, sweet potatoes and of course oranges. Whether enjoying them raw or cooked we still get plenty of their delicious benefits. So why are these colored foods so great for us? Orange foods carry varying amounts of the healthy compounds Zeaxanthin, Flavonoids, Lycopene, and Beta-Carotene, as well as Potassium and Vitamin C. If you’ve never heard of a lot of these compounds don’t worry we can still reap the rewards by simply eating them!
Now that we know about all the awesome components of our produce let’s discuss the great health benefits we can look forward to!
Orange hued produce and all the great stuff inside can help with:
Improved Eye Sight / Decreased Risk of Macular Degeneration
Reduced Risk of Prostate Cancer
Lowering Blood Pressure
Lowering LDL Cholesterol
Promotes Joint Health & Collagen Formation
Fighting Free Radicals in the Body
Boosting Immune Function
Building Healthier Bones (when combined with Calcium & Magnesium)
So that’s a lot of benefits from eating some downright delicious fruits and veggies, so what are we waiting for?
Let’s dig in and enjoy more colorful foods in our lives, your body will thank you!
