Dietary guidelines based on color
According to David Heber, MD, Ph.D., author of What Color is Your Diet? Types of vegetables and fruits consumed by someone determines the success of someone who’s following weight control programs. In addition to health benefits, fruits and vegetables can also prevent cancer.
The main idea of this diet program is that every food has a distinctive color, which symbolizes the nutrition in it. The brighter the colors of vegetables and fruits, the higher content of nutrients it has.
According to Heber diet color codes are as follows:
*       Red. Example: Tomato and Watermelon. Red Vegetables and fruits known to contain lycopene, a substance which maintain cell health, and can reduce the risk of cancer.
* Â Â Â Â Â Â Orange. Example: Carrot and Mango. Orange fruits and vegetables indicate the presence of alpha and beta-carotene content. Two types of these nutrient elements if consumed enough, will be useful in inhibiting cancer cell growth.
* Â Â Â Â Â Â Yellow. Example: Orange and Papaya. Yellow fruits known to contain vitamin C are good to protect the body cells. It also contains betacryptoxanthin, one of the carotenoid components.
*Â Green. Example: Vegetables broccoli, cabbage, bok choi, and brussel sprouts. Green color indicates the content of vegetable sulforaphane, isothiocyanates, and indoles, which according to Heber can stimulate the liver to make components that can break down harmful chemicals that causes disease.
* Â Â Â Â Â Â Greenish white. Example: garlic, onions, celery, and pears. White foods have high contain of flavonoids that can protect cell membranes.
