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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The Five Colors of Health

“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1781

There is an elementary School at the entrance to our tract. When I make a mistake and leave my house at the time when the mothers and fathers are picking up their children I have to wait in a line to get out of the tract onto the main boulevard. While waiting I can observe young obese mothers picking up their kids. Not all mothers are obese, but I would say the majority are. I can’t remember seeing as many obese people when I was their age.

When I go to grocery store with my wife I see young and middle-aged women filling their shopping carts with prepared packaged food, soft drinks, snack foods and foods high in calories and carbohydrates. I can only imagine what they are feeding their children and husbands. We are definitely living in an age of obesity and bad eating. Even the United Kingdom and Europe has fallen prey to obesity.

Lately there has been much in the news about eating healthy. The first lady, Michelle Obama, has been on a crusade for instilling federal diet regulations. Her latest push is to get restaurants to serve smaller portions and to take certain items off the menu. New York’s mayor Bloomberg has banned salt from restaurant tables throughout his city.

While healthy eating is good for society it is not government’s job to instill and enforce regulations on what you eat. There is no mention of dietary rules in the Constitution’s enumerated powers. The Safe Food Act of 2010 gave the federal government unlimited power to regulate the food you eat. It deconstructs what is left of the American economy. It takes agriculture and food, which are the cornerstone of all economies, out of the hands of the citizenry, and puts them under the total control of multinational corporations influencing the UN, WHO, FAO and WTO, with HHS, and CDC, acting as agents, with Homeland Security as the enforcer. The chance to rebuild the economy based on farming, ranching, gardens, food production, natural health, and all the jobs, tools and connected occupations would be eliminated.

It uses food crimes as the entry into police state power and control. The bill postpones defining all the regulations to be imposed; postpones defining crimes to be punished, postpones defining penalties to be applied. It removes fundamental constitutional protections from all citizens in the country, making them subject to a corporate tribunal with unlimited power and penalties, and without judicial review.

The federal government has the Constitutional authority to fund research into the causes, effects and cures for obesity (Enumerated power 7, section 8, Article I – provide for scientific research), but it does not have the power to regulate what we eat. Government can provide information related to good dietary habits.

I did some research on healthy eating and I discovered you can base you diet on 5 colors of food. By eating only these 5 colors you can lose weight, reduce your risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. You can also probably eat for less money. Here are the 5 colors and the foods they represent.

Green

Green produce, like spinach, green peppers, broccoli, avocado, and apples, contain valuable antioxidants to help reduce cancer risk and safeguard your vision. Consider the avocado. It offers 20 essential nutrients including potassium, vitamin E, fiber, folate, and B-vitamins. What’s more, avocado helps the body absorb more fat-soluble nutrients like alpha and beta-carotene, and it contains heart-healthier monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat.

Red

Red fruits and vegetables, like red peppers, cranberries, red grapes, and watermelon, are heart healthy, boost immunity, protect vision, and cut the risk of some cancers. Consider the hard-working red onion. Studies show it may help prevent heart disease and slow the growth of colon and liver cancer cells, according to CBSNews.com. But when you prepare red onion, don’t peel it too deeply. The onion’s flavonoids, with their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral powers, are more concentrated in the onion’s outer layers, says WholeFoods.com. Enjoy red onions in soups and salads, and on pizzas and sandwiches. Sauté them with vegetables and mix them with rice. They are also great on a burger.

Other good red fruits and vegetables to enjoy include: tomatoes, beets, cherries, red and pink grapefruit, and pomegranate. However, do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice if you take a statin like Lipitor for high cholesterol.

Orange and Deep Yellow


Produce deeply colored orange and yellow, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, and pineapples, also have cancer-reduction benefits and help promote immunity and vision. The sweet potato, considered by many health experts to be one of the most nutritional foods you can eat, is packed with fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and carotenoids. It is great baked and served unadorned, or with unsweetened applesauce or a little nutmeg. One cup of fiber-rich mango gets you three-quarters of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, according to the Nutrition Action Health Letter, and it is one of the fruits that is least likely to contain residue from pesticides.

Purple and Blue

For possible anti-aging benefits as well as an abundance of antioxidants, choose produce the colors of purple and blue. Fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, plums, blackberries, and eggplant also may help boost memory, slash cancer risk, and keep your urinary tract healthy. Blueberries, in particular, are a tremendous source of antioxidants. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, they contain a group of phenolic compounds called anthocyanosides, which scientists consider the most powerful antioxidants known.

White, Tan and Brown

Bananas, dates, brown pears, cauliflower, and other white, tan, and brown produce can prevent certain cancers and benefit heart health. Cauliflower, like other cruciferous vegetables, offers cancer-fighting protection strongest for cancers of the stomach, esophagus, mouth, larynx, and pharynx, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Bananas are loaded with potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and maintain normal heart function. For delicious and high-potassium Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bread, check out this recipe from the American Heart Association.

Other good choices for white, tan, and brown fruits and vegetables are: parsnips, turnips, and white-fleshed potatoes.

Eating these colors will not necessarily help you lose weight, but you will have a healthier diet and feel better. Also cut down on the red meat, Eat more fish and chicken and stay away from the pasta, noodles and breads. They are high in sugar and are not recommended if you have diabetes or a family history of diabetes.

Belly Fat

The most dangerous form of obesity is belly fat. Any cardiologist will tell you that excess belly fat greatly increases your risk of heart attack. One way to quickly reduce your belly fat is to follow the rules of five colors and diet. You might look into the 4-week belly fat reduction diet.

You see we did not need Michelle Obama to tell us what should eat. No doubt you have heard this your entire life from you doctor, your mother and your friends. Good eating.

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