Powerful Beauty Benefits from Eating Colorful Fruits and Vegetables

We all love choosing makeup to best match our eyes, skin tone, and hair color.  Yet, maybe honing in on the color palette of our meals is the key to priming the “canvas” we call our face.

Eating colorful fruits and vegetables is a great way to give your complexion a boost, fill your diet with healthy vitamins and phytonutrients, and add some variety to your life.

According to artist, Tattfoo Tan, there are at least 88 natural pigments to be found in the fruits and vegetables at your local farmer’s market, but let’s simplify things….

How eating colorful fruits and vegetables are essential for your beauty diet

When talking about produce, there are six basic color groups in play: red, orange, yellow, green, blue/violet, and white/tan. Each group represents a different – and uniquely nourishing – set of nutrients found naturally in produce to keep you and your complexion healthy.

Red – Red/pink grapefruit, tomatoes, watermelon, and apricots contain lycopene, the first of many antioxidants found in our list of colorful produce.  This antioxidant has anti-aging and cancer-fighting properties for healthy skin, hair, and internal organs.

Orange – Blood oranges, sweet potato, carrots, mango, and pumpkin all contain carotenoids.  These vitamin A precursors are found in nearly all fruits and vegetables, but are most noticeable in ripe fruit which were previously masked by chlorophyll during the growing process.  They support night vision, and also absorb damaging UV light.

Yellow – Peaches, pineapple, and citrus fruits provide loads of vitamin C, which we know is an antioxidant that also supports collagen (and fends off the dreaded springtime head-cold).

Green – Bring on the Brassica family: broccoli, kale, bok choy, and brussel sprouts.  These cancer-fighters contain selenium and vitamin C – powerful antioxidants that help renew each other (with the help of vitamin E) in the body to fight free radicals in all of your precious cells. Brassicas also help support thyroid function and metabolism, and support your liver’s detoxifying enzymes.

Blue/Violet – These are your serious antioxidants: blueberries, grapes, purple cabbage, eggplant.  The anthocyanin pigment is known to protect skin and other tissues from damaging UV rays and free radicals, preserve collagen, and maintain the structure of small capillaries (read: brighter under-eyes).

White/Tan – We’re talking mostly about onions, shallots, and garlic in this category, as they contain sulfur-based nutrients that are key to protecting your DNA from damage. Plus, the antibacterial properties can fend off infections and inflammation associated with acne and other skin irritations.  This means sensitive tissues, like your skin, which are prone to damage from the sun and the environmental have an internal shield against such attacks.

One last note:  Kids LOVE playing with color – especially when it comes to food.  Make a reward chart and give out gold stars for kids (and adults who want an incentive!) who eat from all six color groups in the course of a single day.

With 88 colors to choose from, what will you eat next?

Tasha Gerken

Tasha Gerken is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. She is a freelance writer and nutrition consultant, providing nutrition and wellness coaching. Before pursuing a career in nutrition, Tasha earned a degree in art history and always found a way to share her passion for beauty and excellence in all aspects of life - in a homecooked meal, a community musical, and even in a game of kickball. Her own challenges with food allergies and quest to heal her mind and body lead her to a place of great appreciation for the profound, cathartic powers of food and culture. With a fresh perspective on wellness, Tasha helps her clients build healthier relationships with food through a cooking, creativity, and self-empowerment. She is well-versed in the nutritional aspects of food allergies, celiac disease, sports, pregnancy and childhood health, and welcomes new clients with diverse wellness goals.

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