Warm colors (red, orange, and yellow) evoke feelings of happiness, optimism, and energy. However, too much orange and yellow can slightly irritate the eyes. Too much red can also be irritating over time.
Red foods nourish the heart, blood, and liver. Red attracts, excites, and uplifts. Red also stimulates the appetite. Nourish yourself and children with cherries, pomegranate, boysenberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, beets, and red meat according to your blood type. Spice up moderately with chili, cayenne, red pepper, paprika, and radishes. Red foods are a rich source of lycopene, iron, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and other antioxidants, beta and mixed carotenoids, enzymes, flavonoids, manganese, phytonutrients, vitamin C, and zinc.
Pinks, corals, and peachy colors combine the benefits of red, orange, yellow, and white to soften their effects. These cheerful colors, associated with happiness, can elevate our mood. Pink, in particular, helps alleviate aggressiveness, anger, and hostility. Stimulate and cleanse (detox) with watermelon, red grapefruit, persimmon, peaches, or other coral colored fruits.
Orange foods offer the combined benefits of red and yellow, symbolizing the sun and enhancing alertness and concentration, while helping to decrease feelings of depression. Naturally occurring sodium in orange and yellow foods supports stomach health, digestion, and joint mobility. Carotenoids in orange foods protect and nourish the skin, lungs, nasal linings, passages, and mucus membranes. Examples of orange foods include egg yolk, carrots, curries, orange peppers, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, turmeric, apricots, and a range of persimmons. These carotenoid-rich foods also contain enzymes, fiber, sodium, vitamin A, and antioxidants. Eggs also provide a complete source of protein.
Yellow foods help eliminate toxins and support the health of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas, gut, and skin. They also enhance digestive health, joint mobility, immunity, and the integrity of mucous membrane linings. Common yellow foods include bananas, lemons, grapefruit, peaches, nectarines, papaya (pawpaw), butternut squash, and yellow peppers. These foods are rich in carotenoids, flavonoids, enzymes, fiber, potassium, vitamins A and C, as well as a broad spectrum of antioxidants. Bananas, in particular, promote beneficial gut microbiota. Fresh lemon stands out as the only purely anionic (negative charge) food, while others contain both cationic (positive charge) and anionic properties. When mixed with water, the citric acid in fresh lemon produces negatively charged ions, making it alkalizing, energy-boosting, and highly beneficial for the body. For an extra health boost, try adding fresh lemon juice to your water or raw salads.
Green foods, in their many shades throughout the earth’s vegetation, have a soothing and harmonizing effect on both mind and body. While green is not distinctly relaxing or
astringent, green leafy vegetables, salad greens, and a variety of herbs are exceptional for cleansing and healing. These foods are highly beneficial for gut health and play a key role in rebuilding a healthy gut microbiome. Examples include artichoke, arugula (also known as rocket), asparagus, avocado, broccoli, broccolini, red and Swiss chard, collard greens, kale (a superfood), mustard greens, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), Romaine, spinach, sprouts, and zucchini.
Green foods also encompass a wide array of herbs, such as astragalus, basil, cilantro, lemongrass, mint, nettles, oregano, parsley, purslane, rosemary, sage, scallions, tarragon, and thyme. Including green foods with other colorful foods in your daily diet creates vibrant salads that deliver a wide variety of antioxidants, fiber, enzymes, minerals, phytonutrients, and vitamins. Green foods are especially rich in magnesium (Mg), which supports a calming and cleansing effect. Mg also helps the body utilize calcium to build strong bones and teeth.
For further reading about Mg, see my article, Magnesium Extraordinaire, and articles by
Sandy Sanderson in Masters of Health magazine, and visit https://www.elektramagnesium.com.au/
and Magnesium Via Skin.
Blue has a soothing effect on both the mind and body, helping to reduce tension and ease anxiety. It evokes feelings of calmness, peacefulness, security, stability, and tradition, making it a widely favored color. Naturally blue foods are rare; aside from blueberries, most foods that seem blue are actually shades of purple, resulting from a blend of anthocyanins (blue pigments) and carotenoids (red pigments).
Purple or violet is created by combining blue and red. Foods in this color group include blueberries, boysenberries, blackberries, grapes, plums, prunes, figs, purple potatoes, ancient blue corn, red/purple cabbage, endives, borage, cornflower, and seaweeds. Blue and purple/violet foods are particularly rejuvenating and healing because of their high levels of anthocyanins and other antioxidants. They also provide carotenoids, enzymes, fiber, iodine, and iron.