Variety is the Spice of Life...Color Your Diet!

We are a society with a focus on quantity. When the virtues of a food are extolled, we tend to think that more is better. While this may be true to a point there is a much bigger lesson to be gleaned from our research on food and health. A variety of plant foods is not only more interesting to our taste buds, it provides us with greater health benefits as well. This varietal approach can also be a part of supporting the consumption of seasonal foods.

So does variety truly make a bigger impact than more of a good thing? The evidence suggests that this is a resounding yes. Two studies showed that variety was the significant factor in positive health markers. One study was carried out in Spain and the other in Puerto Rico. The study in Puerto Rico was published in the November 2010 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which followed dietary habits and heart disease risk for 1200 middle-aged Puerto Rican men over a ten year period. The authors of the publication found that coronary heart disease risk was reduced as a result of the variety of foods consumed rather than quantity. Those with a greater variety had lower blood levels of C-reactive protein which is an inflammatory marker for heart attacks and other diseases. The Spanish study, published in the September 2010 edition of Cancer Epidemiology, looked at male smokers who ate more than eight sub-groups of vegetables and found that it lowered their risk of lung cancer by an astounding 23% compared to those who ate fewer than four sub-groups.

The homogenous nature of our diet may be one of the greatest detriments to our health. And when you take into consideration the particularly nutrient deficient nature of this restrictive diet, it emphasizes further where we are going astray. Much of the western diet includes lots of poor quality meat, sugar and enriched wheat products and too little whole fruits, vegetables, legumes and varietal grains like quinoa and millet. We are profoundly missing out on the broad range of nutrients that are not listed in the USRDA which easily number in the thousands. Many of these are in the famed group of antioxidants that facilitate the bodies management of inflammation which is a known catalyst for diseases such as cancer and heart disease. There are many yet undiscovered that provide rather unique functions that keep the body at it's optimal performance and warding off disease. By eating this broad range of foods we are feeding our bodies as we have evolved with nature and benefit from the synergy that we have developed with these plant-based foods. This diversity of plants includes fruits, veggies, herbs and spices.

So the adventure begins here! Going for variety likely means deviating from your normal menu. While it takes a bit more time to get used to making different meals, perhaps by committing to making a change for 1 or 2 meals a week you will reach the goal of increasing your varietal selections. And it will become easier as you increase your repetoire which will ultimately give you more to choose from for the rest of the week. Enjoy the discovery of new foods at the grocery store and savoring new flavors each week. It brings a whole new experience to the act of eating and provides a surprising degree satisfaction. So explore these different groups...and Bon Appetite!

- grains and pods
- allium veggies such onions, garlic and leeks
- stalk veggies
- leafy greens
- fruiting veggies
- root veggies
- mushrooms
- cabbages
- berries and citrus fruits