In fruits and vegetables, the most common colors are red, white, yellow / orange, blue or purple and green. Researchers tell us that these colors contained in fruits and vegetables are sources of vitamins, essential minerals, dietary fiber and phytochemicals or phytonutrients that your body needs to promote health, and people feel good. But have you ever asked: How do fruits and vegetables their colors and health?, What are the colors of health, What fruits and vegetables are included in each color? And what could you eat fruits and vegetables to complete your healthy rainbow?

1. Red
The red color is very common in nature and full of optimism and vitality of our food. If we think for a moment about the different colors that fruits and vegetables may have, if you look you can get to make a rainbow with them.

Like all warm colors, red is very common among our kitchen, is often preferred by people. This is because the power of this color excites the taste and appetite. The usually red foods are those that bring more energy.

2. What are red foods?
We will find the color red:

- Vegetables such as bell peppers, radishes and tomatoes.
- Fruits such as cherries, watermelon, red apple, strawberry, pomegranate, raspberry.
- Other red foods. In our markets and our table we find this color among other foods in:

• The rich salmon omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce levels of triglycerides in the blood, protecting against cardiovascular disease.
• Beef (sections lean) and pork are both excellent sources of protein and iron.
• We can not ignore red wine, which contains flavonoids, which act to protect our circulatory system, thus preventing blood clots that are causing cardiovascular accidents. It was also found that wine has resveratrol, which protects us from cancer.

3. What’s in these foods?
These foods contain:

- A pigment called lycopene and is considered by scientists as one of the most potent antioxidants identified today, being our main source of tomatoes in this phytochemical. Studies in Aviano cancer center, show that people who eat raw tomatoes at least 7 times a week reduced by 50% the risk of developing cancer of the stomach, bladder and colon.

- Betacyanins antioxidants that are very beneficial to the body and that we find among the plants like beet red and between red fruits such as pomegranates and cranberries.

- The so-called anthocyanins, very effective anticancer agents.

Furthermore, these foods are high in vitamin C, insoluble fiber (thus preventing constipation and colon cancer) and pectin soluble fiber that acts by controlling the blood cholesterol levels. All this can be found in the berries (cherry, strawberry, raspberry, etc.) and red apples.

- Beta-carotene with anticancer properties, as these have a protective effect against lung tumors, breast, uterus, and prostate coleorectal in addition to guard against solar radiation. This can be found in red peppers and strawberries.

- Flavonoids

- Omega 3 in fish like salmon and iron in meat.

4. How do we help?
Ultimately red foods help us to:

- To have better cardiovascular health.
- Maintain an excellent memory.
- Reducing the suffering urinary system.
- Reducing the risk of cancer.

5. Curiosities of these foods

- Raspberry contains insoluble fiber (5%) has diuretic and laxative effect as well as serving to cure rheumatism.

- The red pepper has a high concentration of antioxidants such as selenium, vitamin C and carotene.

- The tomato is given the name of its high concentration SuperCom lycopene.

- The fruit has more water than is the watermelon (95%), so it stimulates the kidneys to function efficiently, facilitating the elimination of toxins and waste.

- Cherry gives a cherry wine, which when distilled provides a delicious liqueur called kirsch. In addition, sour and sweet cherries are also preserved, if desired, in spirit.

- Strawberries due to its high content of salicylic acid may cause allergic reactions, these are manifested by urticaria and itching. Thus, people allergic to aspirin to strawberries usually are and vice versa.

- If you want to lose a few kilos without going hungry every time you want to snack between meals, eat an apple. Quench, brings energy and non-fattening.

- Red peppers provides over twice the vitamin C found in fruits such as oranges, strawberries or kiwi. In fact, 60 grams of peppers contain the recommended daily allowance of this vitamin.

6. Healthy Tips

- To maintain a balanced and healthy diet, you eat 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day.

- Vary the food and how to prepare it.

- One serving of vegetables (150-200 grams) is equivalent to a large tomato.

- One serving of fruit (120-200 grams) is equivalent to a medium piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana, pear ..), a cup of strawberries or a cup of cherries or a big slice of watermelon.

- When preparing raw tomatoes or juice, do not do well in advance, otherwise you will lose its nutritional properties (especially vitamin C).

- When preparing salads with tomatoes, do not peel, as their skin is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Nutrition

Balanced supply of nutrient requirements and micronutrients and their effective use by the agency, will depend on the possibility for natural systems and defense development and adaptation to maintain the organic equilibrium in each of energy functions, regulatory and plastic and in maintaining a balanced metabolism adapted to the circumstances, in short, for the maintenance and development of life on health.

The nutrients are water, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, minerals, vitamins. Besides involving the catalysts are substances that act in chemical reactions but after the reaction are unchanged. Its action is to initiate, stimulate, or enhance the reaction. To highlight the enzymes and some micronutrients (certain trace elements …)

The sugars or carbohydrates are classified into simple sugars such as glucose, lactose or sucrose, and the most complex, consisting of larger molecules, like starch or glycogen. Glycogen is the way our body stores glucose Glucose is the energy molecule essential to the cellular level, something like “gasoline” usual cell. But when taken too much glucose and this can not be stored, it becomes fat. For use by the cell is necessary for glucose insulin secreted by the pancreas. The essential function of carbohydrates is energy. From 50 to 60% of the energy needed for the organism must be supplied by carbohydrates.

Fats are composed of simple molecules and fatty alcohol. These fatty acids may be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, depending on the presence or absence of double bonds in the molecule and the number of such double bonds. Saturated fatty acids are the cause of increased blood cholesterol. Some fatty acids are essential, ie can not be synthesized by our body and therefore must be ingested in the diet, as with the linoleic. The role of lipids is energy and plastic, comes as part of the structure of cell membranes. It is important to have a balanced intake of different dietary fatty acids. Thus the total fat intake should not exceed 30% of total caloric needs, and about half around 15% should be monounsaturated, polyunsaturated about 8-9% and not exceed 7% intake saturated fatty acids in total diet.

The protein function is basically plastic, ie, as structures become something like the building blocks of our body. The basic elements of proteins are amino acids in a total of twenty, some critical and therefore are not synthesized by our organism and which must be supplied by the diet. Proteins are chains of amino acids. When these channels are formed by less than 10 amino acids peptides and talking about the chains of polypeptides containing more than 10 amino acids. Protein consumption should provide approximately 10 to 15% of energy needs.

All these elements, along with vitamins and minerals, therefore constitute an interrelated system and work together to carry out the vital functions of cells, including metabolic and adaptive (adaptive functions are part of the generically reaccional)

The best way to know whether you have high blood pressure or hypertension is by going to the doctor and have your blood pressure checked with a sphygmomanometer, which is commonly known as a blood pressure cuff. Once your doctor has confirmed that you have an astronomic blood pressure, you better follow the pointers below on how you can help manage the problem:

Mind Your Weight
According to experts, individuals who weigh 30% above their normal weight are more at risk of suffering from hypertension. However, just five to ten pounds of decline in your weight would have a significant effect on your blood pressure. It seems that your heart needs to pump more and work harder if you have more cells and tissues in your body. So if you lose a little weight, you are giving your heart a little break from hard work.

Shrinking your waist is not an easy feat. However, many believe that increasing your fitness level by performing exercise regularly and participating in physical activities, such as biking, playing sports, swimming, and other activities that will make you sweat and increase your heart rate, will surely help in making you lose weight.

Increase Intake of Essential Minerals
The two minerals that you should have in abundance in your body are calcium and potassium. These two minerals are helpful in easing tension in your body and making your overworked arteries more relaxed, which ensures that your blood can freely move along your blood vessels.

Furthermore, potassium also aids in the excretion of excess salt, which is also believed to be responsible for promoting hypertension. Thus, the more potassium is present inside your body, the more sodium can be eliminated out of your system.

Aspire to Eat Right
It is quite difficult to eat right, especially if you are surrounded by a lot of tempting foods. Who can resist a slab of fatty steak or a bucket of delicious fried chicken? However, if you want to live longer, you need to be more careful with what you put inside your mouth. For starters, you can increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Many experts also believe that eating a lot of fiber-rich foods can also help manage your blood pressure.

Go Easy On the Salt
Almost 50% of people who are suffering from high blood pressure are called by experts as salt responders. This simply means that the amount of sodium intake of a salt responder dictates their blood pressure levels. It seems that the older you get, the more susceptible you are to the effects of salt. In order to prevent hypertension, it would be wise to get easy on the salt. Choose foods that are low in sodium or are sodium-free.

Another effect of too much salt in the body is bloating and swelling. If you are not hypertensive and you feel that your water retention is due to hormonal imbalance and not because of other more serious problems, such as high blood pressure or kidney problems, then you may want to try taking natural supplements, such as Expelis, to get rid of excess water in your body.