The 5 Colors of Phytonutrients: Eat the Rainbow!
Wellness experts are always telling us that we need to eat more colorful foods. The reason behind this is that these pretty fruits and veggies are actually nutritional powerhouses, chock full of the good stuff: phytonutrients.
You may have heard this word being thrown around before, but here’s what it actually means. Broken down, “phyto” refers to the Greek word for plant. These chemicals help protect plants from germs, fungi, bugs, and other threats. The plain-English explanation is that plant foods contain thousands of natural chemicals. These are called phytonutrients or phytochemicals, and they’re what make fruits and veggies worth eating, as they may help prevent disease and keep your body working properly. The roles phytonutrients play range; they can act as antioxidants, immune system-boosters, lower risk of bone loss, eye health, lower risk of cancers, inflammation-reducers, asthma risk-reducer, coronary heart disease prevention, and overall lifespan-extenders. Some of the phytonutrients Good Guys that do all this are resveratrol, catechins, hesperidin, flavonols, ellagic acid, lutein and zeaxanthin, lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin.
You don’t have to just eat fruits and veggies to gain the phytonutrient benefits, either. A lot of plant-based foods have them too, such as:
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Beans
- Tea
- Wine (now, don’t go crazy on this one!)
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10 Health-Conscious Documentaries to Watch
Being quarantined at home you’ve got a lot of time on your hands. While many tend to binge-watch vapid dramas and mindless reality television, you know you could be spending your time more productively, which is why we’ve put together this list of top-rated, health-conscious documentaries that are both entertaining and informative.
We’re excited to say that Gaia’s recent merge with FMTV has added hundreds of more titles to our catalog, specifically on topics related to food and wellness, and we’ve included a number of those titles in this list.
In a time when illness and disease are running rampant, maintaining our health is paramount. So why not make use of that extra time and educate yourself on the myriad ways you can improve your wellbeing. Enjoy!
1. Stressed
A new exploration into emotional stress and its undeniable impact on humanity, STRESSED explores exciting science surrounding Neuro Emotional Technique (N.E.T.).
The film delves into our history with stress, how we got to where we are today, and where we go from here. Featuring experts and neuroscientists, we get a fresh perspective on the effects of stress. This documentary showcases compelling evidence that this breakthrough intervention can help people to alleviate their emotional stress, as well as deeper insight into this exciting topic.
