A few months back, in 2010, Dr. David Heber of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition introduced a new breed of diet plan which he named, "What Color is Your Diet?" He arranged certain fruits and vegetables along a spectrum of color. The reason behind such was to emphasize specific health benefits people can take advantage of.

Fruits and vegetables, although the most commonly mentioned health foods wherever wellness is concerned, are ironically consumed by people in very little amounts. These food items are not to be treated as they are today - as diet food - but are supposedly incorporated in daily meals and regular eating patterns just like sodas and hotdogs are. Unfortunately, since people have come to neglect these invaluable entrees, Dr. Heber believes that creating a category system for fruits and vegetables would make it easier for people to consume the right vitamins and minerals they need in their diets.

An Overview

"What Color is Your Diet?" provides people with a categorized color guide for fruits and vegetables, and the accompanying health benefits they provide. Easy-to-make recipes are also provided to encourage people to increase their intake of produce. When staying on a health-conscious diet, counting servings in food groups may not be enough. There has to be variety in the category of food items people consume if they are to receive adequate amounts of the essential nutrients their bodies need.

The Seven Color Categories

Heber classifies fruits and vegetables into these seven categories. Foods are often classified under certain groups based on their colors and appearances. Contrary to common belief, fruits and vegetables are colored a certain hue because of significant and important reasons:

1. Red Group

Items belonging to this category are rich in lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid that gets rid of free radicals that can cause great harm to body cells and can cause certain types of cancers such as that of the lungs and prostate, and heart disease.

2. Yellow or Green Group

These foods contain substances, which are known to reduce the possibility of eye problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts. These foods may also prevent the deposition of fat and other substances along blood vessel walls that leads to certain problems in circulation and eventually causes heart disease.

3. Orange Group

The nutrients contained in this food category protects against many types of cancers. These foods also contain a substance that the body eventually transforms to the more commonly known nutrient, Vitamin A, to prevent night blindness, xerophthalmia, damage to mucous membranes, and the like.

4. Orange or Yellow Group

Foods that belong to this category help in proper cellular functioning and reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. When body cells are functioning the way they are supposed to, the rest of the body will stay in good shape.

5. Red or Purple Group

These food items are packed with antioxidants that are believed to prevent problems and ill conditions by reducing tendencies for pathological blood clots. This category also delays cellular aging and may therefore help prevent age-related dementia and loss of memory.

6. Green Group

Nutrients contained in green vegetables, get rid of cancer before it develops, by eliminating carcinogens - cancer-causing substances - from the body. There is a reason why children are always advised to eat their greens, and that's the way it's supposed to be.

7. White or Green Group Foods

belonging to this food group have effective antitumor and antioxidant properties. Although these foods are often neglected in the diet because most of them are used as spices rather than main entrees, they are not to be taken for granted because of the great health benefits they provide.