SICK OF BEING SICK
I am putting together a list of the foods we need, based on all the health benefits they offer to our bodies. As we are going through the season of winter, everyone around us is getting sick. I have been trying to avoid it all winter, and thankfully have managed to (knock on wood) I was putting together my shopping list last night (with 3 kiddos, you have to shop regularly unless you do bulk) I came across something about we should eat the rainbow! That intriqued me, i am a gardener, so i know that our food comes in all different colors. But did you know that the colors actually matter, and they interact with our bodies to help all of our different systems? I kind of knew this.. but after doing some research, i found out just how important it is to make sure that we have all the colors in our diet, at least once a month, i want to aim for once a week though!
Personally, my diet has been SO BLAND lately. With work, kids, and taking care of the house and animals.. it has ben hard to think about HEALTH!! Something that i am so worried about and i havent even been considering what i have been giving our bodies to work with!! That seemed so crazy to me that i completely missed that important step! I mean, oh course when i shop, i check the ingredient lables of everything we have and if i cant pronounce it, i dont usually buy it. But.. when i put meals together, i havent thought about consuming the right amount of nutrients!! Just last night, all i made was cucumber salad and turkey sandwhiches. Which sure.. that sounds great, but in the grand scheme of things.. i realized, that is all i had eaten ALL DAY!! i had so many wasted hours go by (thanks to working in the mental health field and being super busy helping other) I forgot about myself!! We cant do that Yall!! We have to worry about ourselves as well!! So, i am taking it upon myself to ensure that me and my family are at least giving it a huge A in Effort to get some COLOR into our diets!! The kids go to school for breakfast and lunch, so i mainly just get to be in charge of supper. For me, i need to get my breakfast and lunch more colorful, and i need to teach my kids to stay away from the sugary breakfast choices (like that will happen LOL) I am going to paste a KEY down below, of the research i have been doing. Its a list of the colors we should be consuming! I have taken it upon myself to do all this work.. and then create some colorful pages i can add to my refrigerator, as a constant reminder of what i need to shop for, and prepare for dinner! I will have these available on ETSY, soon as I get around to completing them! :) Here is my list.. it's free and it's yours!! Lets get healthy! Shopping list included!!!
“Color on my plate= nourishment in my body”
RED FOODS
Heart, blood,
Immune, Circulation, Inflammation
Why does RED Matter?
Red foods contain (Lycopene & anthocyanins. They:
Support heart health, improve blood flow, reduce
inflammation, support immune defense.
Vegetables:
Tomatoes, red bell peppers, beets, radishes, red cabbage
Fruits:
Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, cranberries, red apples
Starches/legumes:
Red potatoes, kidney beans
BEST: Beets
(Blood flow, liver support. Red cabbage (gut +antioxidants)
Don’t overdue:
Tomatoes (can worsen reflux) Fruits (Can spike blood sugar)
BALANCE TIP: Always pair with a protein or a healthy fat
ORANGE FOODS
Vision, skin,
Immunity, cellular/tissue repair
Why does ORANGE matter?
Orange foods are rich in beta-carotene and carotenoids they:
Convert to vitamin A, support eye health, strengthen
immunity, support skin and tissue repair.
Vegetables:
Carrots, butternut squash, pumpkin, orange bell peppers
Fruits:
Oranges, tangerines, mango, papaya, apricots
Starches:
Sweet potatoes
BEST:
Carrots (easy, versatile, gentle) Sweet potatoes (nutrient-dense, grounding)
Don’t Overdue:
Sweet potatoes daily in large amounts- can spike blood sugar, Fruit only meals=
hard crash later on.
Its all about BALANCE: Add healthy fat (REAL butter and olive
oil)
YELLOW FOODS
Digestion, Liver,
Nervous system
Why does YELLOW matter?
Yellow food supports:
Digestion, detox pathways (especially liver), nervous system
signaling
Vegetables:
Yellow squash, yellow bell peppers, corn
Fruits:
Bananas, pineapple, lemons, yellow apples
Starches:
Corn, millet, polenta
BEST:
Yellow squash (light, hydrating) Lemons (support digestion when used
moderately)
DON’T overdue:
Corn (low fiber, inflammatory for some) Bananas (Can cause constipation if
eaten too much)
BALANCE TIP: combine with greens.
GREEN FOODS
The most important
Detox, Minerals, Hormones, gut health
Why GREEN matters?
GREEN food is rich in: Magnesium, iron, chlorophyll, fiber...
What does that do? That feeds the
microbiome (in our gut) Supports our liver Detox, regulates our hormones and
reduces Inflammation – which most other food causes.
Leafy greens:
Spinach, Kale, Swiss chard, collards, arugula
Other vegetables:
Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, green beans, asparagus, zucchini,
cucumbers
Fruits:
Avocado, green apples, kiwi,
Starches/ legumes:
Peas, lentils
# If you are low- energy, anxious, constipated or
inflamed- greens are usually missing.
BEST DAILY:
Broccoli (fiber + detox), Spinach (magnesium + Iron), Zucchini (easy
digestion), Green beans (Gentle fiber)
Don’t Overdue:
Raw Greens too much= Bloating. Too much kale daily=thyroid stress (rotate them)
BALANCE TIP: mix raw + cooked greens!
PURPLE / BLUE FOODS
Brain,
aging, cellular protection
Why Do PURPLE and BLUE matter?
The are rich in Antioxidants that help:
Protect brain cells, slow cellular aging, support memory,
reduce oxidative stress
Vegetables:
Purple cabbage, eggplant, purple carrots,
Fruits:
Blueberries, blackberries, plums, grapes (purple/red)
Starch:
Purple potatoes
BEST:
Blueberries (low sugar, high benefit) Purple cabbage (gut + Longevity)
DON’T Overdue:
Fruit- only intake = sugar load, Eggplant in excess = inflammatory for some.
BALANCE TIP: Use as sides, not the main course.
WHITE/ BROWN FOODS
Gut,
Immunity, Antimicrobial defense
Why white/brown matters?
These foods contain compounds that:
Fight harmful bacteria, support gut balance, strengthen
immune response.
Vegetables:
Garlic, onions, leeks, cauliflower, turnips
Mushrooms (very important):
White button, cremini, portobello, shiitake
Starches:
Potatoes, parsnips
BEST: Garlic (small daily amounts), Mushrooms (immune + gut)
DON’T Overdue: Lareg amounts of onion/garlic= gas/bloating,
white potatoes alone =blood sugar spike.
BALANCE TIP: pair with protein + healthy fat.
BROWN FOODS
Energy, blood
sugar stability, gut health fuel, grounding
Why BROWN matters?
Brown foods tend to be:
Fiber rich, grounding, stabilizing
Whole grains (If tolerated):
Brown rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat
Legumes:
Lentils, pinto beans, black beans
BEST: Lentils (fiber + protein), Buckwheat (gluten-free,
Mineral-rich)
DON’T Overdue: Grain-heavy meals = inflammation, Beans
without soaking = gut distress
BALANCE TIP: Soak beans/ Grains before cooking
THE GOLDEN RULE
·
ROTATE FOODS- (kale for spinach, cooked for raw
ETC)
·
FAVOR GREENS (The POWERHOUSE)
·
BALANCE STARCHES
·
Always pair plants with protein & Fats
SHOP FOR THE RAINBOW OF HEALTH
How to use
this shopping list:
You do NOT
need everything, every shopping trip.
Aim to
check 1-2 items per color
Frozen
counts just as much as fresh
Raw= fresh
| Frozen = Backup
🟢 HEALTHY FATS
(ESSENTIAL – BUY EVERY WEEK)
Pantry / Fridge
- ⬜ Olive oil (extra virgin)
- ⬜ Butter (grass-fed if possible)
- ⬜ Avocados
- ⬜ Coconut oil
- ⬜ Nuts (almonds, walnuts)
- ⬜ Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, chia)
🌈 RAINBOW VEGETABLES
& FRUITS
🔴 RED (Heart &
circulation)
Fresh / Raw
- ⬜ Tomatoes
- ⬜ Red bell peppers
- ⬜ Beets
- ⬜ Red cabbage
- ⬜ Strawberries or apples
Frozen
- ⬜ Strawberries
- ⬜ Cherries
🟠 ORANGE (Immunity
& vision)
Fresh / Raw
- ⬜ Carrots
- ⬜ Sweet potatoes
- ⬜ Butternut squash
- ⬜ Oranges or mango
Frozen
- ⬜ Carrots
- ⬜ Squash
🟡 YELLOW (Digestion
& nervous system)
Fresh / Raw
- ⬜ Yellow squash
- ⬜ Yellow bell peppers
- ⬜ Lemons
- ⬜ Bananas
Frozen
- ⬜ Pineapple
- ⬜ Corn (use occasionally)
🟢 GREEN (TOP PRIORITY
– buy every week)
Fresh / Raw
- ⬜ Spinach
- ⬜ Broccoli
- ⬜ Zucchini
- ⬜ Green beans
- ⬜ Cucumbers
- ⬜ Avocados
Frozen (VERY IMPORTANT BACKUP)
- ⬜ Frozen spinach
- ⬜ Frozen broccoli
- ⬜ Frozen green beans
👉 If nothing else: buy greens.
🔵🟣 BLUE / PURPLE
(Brain & aging)
Fresh / Raw
- ⬜ Blueberries
- ⬜ Blackberries
- ⬜ Purple cabbage
- ⬜ Eggplant
Frozen
- ⬜ Blueberries
- ⬜ Mixed berries
⚪ WHITE / BROWN (Gut
& immunity)
Fresh / Raw
- ⬜ Garlic
- ⬜ Onions
- ⬜ Cauliflower
- ⬜ Mushrooms
- ⬜ Potatoes
Frozen
- ⬜ Cauliflower florets
🟤 STARCHES & LEGUMES (ROTATE, DON’T
OVERDO)
Pantry
- ⬜ Lentils
- ⬜ Black beans or pinto beans
- ⬜ Brown rice
- ⬜ Quinoa
- ⬜ Oats
- ⬜ Buckwheat
Frozen
- ⬜ Peas
🧠 MICROBIOME SUPPORT
(OPTIONAL BUT POWERFUL)
- ⬜ Sauerkraut or fermented veggies
- ⬜ Plain yogurt or kefir
- ⬜ Apple cider vinegar
- ⬜ Herbal teas (chamomile, peppermint, ginger)
🥩 SIMPLE PROTEIN (TO
PAIR WITH VEGGIES)
(You didn’t ask, but this helps balance blood sugar)
- ⬜ Eggs
- ⬜ Chicken
- ⬜ Turkey
- ⬜ Fish (salmon, sardines)
- ⬜ Beans / lentils (already listed)
🧩 EASY WEEKLY RULE
✔ Greens every week
✔ 1–2 colors per meal
✔ Healthy fat with meals
✔ Frozen veggies = success, not failure
