eat the rainbow: yellow.

Hello, Yellow

79% of people fall short in yellow/orange produce consumption.

Words to Associate:

Gastrointestinal

Digestive

Prebiotic

Benefits:

1. Contain wide array of actives that benefit the GI tract and digestion

2. Soluble, insoluble, prebiotic fibers found to reduce glycemic impact

3. Foster a healthy gut microbiome

4. Plantains and bananas (even pineapples) were highest in the serotonin content of 80 different foods tested!

5. Antioxidant

6. Enzymatic activity

7. Gastric motility and regulation

Phytochemicals/Nutrients Found in Yellow:

Lutein: yellow compound that can be found in non-yellow produce; kale, spinach, leafy greens (turnip, collard, mustard), romaine lettuce, broccoli, green peas, kiwifruit, honeydew melon

1. Helps maintain good vision

2. Reduces the risk of cataracts or macular degeneration

Naringenin: yellow citrus fruits

1. Flavonoid found in high concentrations

2. Fights oxidative stress

3. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory 

4. Anti-diabetic activity

Stars of the Show:

Ginger:

1. Contains over 400 chemical compounds, including gingerol

2. Helpful for a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, ranging from vomiting to dyspepsia to irritable bowel syndrome

3. Especially used to treat nausea

Citrus Fruits:

1. High ascorbic acid content

2. Acidic with low pH - helpful for digestive health

3. Reduced risk for esophageal and gastric cancers

4. Protective against gastric ulcer

Pineapple:

“Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme found in pineapple juice, may be helpful in metabolizing undigested food remnants in the stomach.”

Banana and Plantains:

“Depending on their degree of ripeness, bananas contain considerable amounts of in- digestible carbohydrates, which could serve as prebiotic sources for the gut microflora.”

Psst…GUT! HEALTH! 

Yellow Produce Options (list is not exhaustive):

1. Apples (golden delicious)

2. Asian pears

3. Bananas

4. Lemons

5. Pineapple

6. Starfruit

7. Corn

8. Ginger

9. Potatoes (Yukon)

10. Squash (acorn, buttercup, butternut, summer, winter)

11. Yellow bell peppers

12. Yellow onions

My favorite ways to integrate YELLOW:

1. Pineapple, diced and served on its own, or frozen and blended into green smoothies

2. Lemon, spritzed into cold water or mixed into fresh juice

3. Banana, every which way! Blended into smoothies, sliced with peanut/almond butter, frozen and blended as ice cream

4. Ginger, blended into fresh juice or pickled with sushi

5. Yellow bell peppers, raw with hummus, diced and added to an omelette, grilled on a skewer, or stuffed and baked as a stuffed pepper