Why the Rainbow Matters

While protein is having the spotlight attention on social media these days, there are many other important factors that are often forgotten about and phytonutrients is one of them. Phytonutrients are chemicals given off of plants to help keep them healthy and are often seen as those bright colors in plant foods. They are packed with antioxidants that can help reduce damage to our cells from areas in our life such as ageing, our environment and even lifestyle factors. These bright coloured pigments can help with blood sugar control, raising our immunity, are anti-inflammatory, fight disease and are even said to have anticancer properties. Our gut is one of the most important factors for achieving good health and our gut microbiome loves and feeds off of polyphenols. All of which are the many reasons that lead phytonutrients to being one of our fertility superfoods.

There are many different categories of phytonutrients but just a couple of my favourites include.

Anthocyanins. Flavonoids are a type of phytonutrient and in particular anthocyanins, a category that falls under flavonoids. Anthocyanins are the red, blue and purple pigments of the plant world. Think berries, cherries, pomegranates, red cabbage, black beans, etc. These deep, dark colours are a powerhouse of antioxidant properties. Studies have shown that anthocyanins and other flavonoids can help reduce inflammation in our bodies by lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol (from the fibre as well), regulating blood sugar, supporting our eye health, reducing the risk of cancer and supporting our brain health. Keeping our body in a healthy state is the first step towards healthy fertility.

Carotenoids are the yellow, orange and even red pigments of the plant world. There are many different types of carotenoids but a few examples include beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene and quercetin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are important for our eye health, they help prevent degeneration and cataracts. Lycopene gives fruits and vegetables their red colour and is great for helping give our cells a little extra protection from damage. This powerful antioxidant can help reduce cancer risk, help with cardiovascular health, also help our eye health and has been stated to even protect prostate health in men. Quercetin is an abundantly found plant powerhouse that offers protection to our cells, helping with any free radical damage. It is important to note that carotenoids are fat soluble meaning they are absorbed with fat so it is important to eat these vegetables with a healthy fat such as olive oil, avocado or alongside a hard boiled egg.

That beautiful green colour that we see in the plant kingdom is chlorophyll. Broccoli, spinach, parsley, spirulina, green tea, etc, all have high amounts of chlorophyll and this powerhouse polyphenol has many properties to it that just can’t be beat. The protein in red blood cells is called hemoglobin and chlorohpyll has a very similar molecular structure. It is thought that because of this, chlorophyll is helpful in helping support our blood health. Chlorophyll has blood building properties and offers a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Your blood volume increases drastically while you are pregnant and your little baby inside takes a whole lot of iron from you. It is important to have your iron levels intact before getting pregnant.

When you are thinking about your next meal or snack try to incorporate some type of brightly coloured fruit or vegetable to help add in all of those antioxidant properties. Instead of focusing on one colour, remember that diversity is the best idea for your general health. Your hormones will thank you when you eat the rainbow.

Thank you for being here,

Christina