Lockdown Newsletter – Week 3

One of my favourite pieces of advice was given by journalist Michael Pollan: ‘eat food,
mostly plants, not too much’.

What’s that got to do with rainbows?

This week I want to set you the challenge of getting as much variety of colour into your diet
on a day to day basis. Eat the rainbow…and no I don’t mean Skittles (actually I think that
was Taste the Rainbow). Do this by eating real whole food, mostly plants, to satiety. This is
the best way, without going into complex scientific detail, to ensure you’re achieving a good
daily intake of micronutrients such as vitamin C, A and zinc that play such a vital role to our
immune system. At this time, we particularly want to make sure we are getting high
antioxidant foods (think berries, dark green leafy veg and citrus fruit) which help to oxidise
free radicals.

So here it is my guide to eating the rainbow:
RED Peppers Tomatoes Strawberries Apples
ORANGE Oranges Sweet potatoes Carrots Squash Mango Papaya
YELLOW Banana Cauliflower Peppers
GREEN Greens! Spinach, Kale, Lettuce, Sprouts, Broccoli, Avo….the list goes on
BLUE Blueberries…need I say more
INDIGO Figs Red grapes Blackberries
VIOLET Red Cabbage, Beetroot, Aubergine, Purple Sprouted broccoli

This challenge isn’t about being as virtuous as possible, its about getting a broad spectrum
of colour and variety because each colour represents a different nutrient that can be
digested in food form. Science has literally only touched the tip of the iceberg when it
comes to just how amazing plants can be. If you think you can get away with eating
whatever you want and then chewing on a mainstream multi-vit daily, think again. Firstly,
supplements are designed to supplement a good diet and secondly, at the end of the day,
most supplements are synthetic. That doesn’t mean they don’t serve a purpose, but they
will never live up to the real thing.

So, get creative my friends. Fruit and veg wise, aim high! Go for 8 portions (think a piece of
fruit or veg, half cup berries, full cup greens), preferably 5 veg, 1 berries (any) and 2 fruit.
Why not add some peppers into a tomato pasta sauce, chuck in a handful of spinach into
your morning smoothie, buy mixed frozen berries and blend them with yogurt, roast a load
of colourful veggies and have as a side with a cous-cous salad or chicken roast? And finally,
make real food accessible. Have a fruit bowl while you are working from home, refill Kilners
with wholegrains, nuts and seeds, so they are easy to reach for when cooking, buy herb
plants to brighten up you kitchen and to chuck into sauces. The world is your oyster!*

*Literally the highest source of zinc you can eat!