Food is medicine, especially when you eat like this. This is the Ultimate Phytonutrient-Rich Salad and I highly recommend you eat it as often as possible, paired with your favorite protein.
Different colors within our food signal various phytocompounds with powerful health benefits. Yellow foods contain antioxidant carotenoids called xanthophylls, which can protect us from the sun’s UV rays and are also associated with eye health. Orange foods are rich in beta-carotene which is a precursor to vitamin A and assists with immune health, mucous membranes, and vision as well.
The color red in plant foods signals lycopene, which may reduce the risk of cancer and heart attacks, while leafy green vegetables contain lutein, which is linked to cataract prevention and improved risk of heart disease and breast cancer. Purple foods are rich in anthocyanins, known to slow the aging process, protect against heart disease and tumors, prevent blood clots, and fight inflammation and allergies.
Even beyond the color of our food, there are other compounds with specific benefits, such as the indoles in cruciferous vegetables that may assist with cancer prevention and the anti-inflammatory phenols found in many types of nuts. These are only some of the tens of thousands of phytochemicals (that we know about) in real food that can literally change our biology!Wishing you health and happiness,
Mark Hyman, MD
