THE COLORFUL SPECTRUM

OF PHYTONUTRIENTS

 

The primary benefits of these natural chemicals lie in their abilities as antioxidants
to fight premature aging, prevent disease, and aid the body to resist cancer.

 

 

The colorful spectrum of phytonutrients is a vast, frequently untapped therapeutic boon to natural healing.  To access this rich resource and begin experiencing its many benefits, simply eat a variety of fruits and vegetables of all colors—the more colorful and beautiful the better! 

 

 

SELF-PACED LEARNING

 

 

Because HAI’s typical student is an adult learner with family and professional responsibilities, our flexible learning format works within your own schedule.  You may enroll at any time and progress at your own pace as the rest of your life plan allows.  Although, learning at HAI is self-paced, we do ask that all courses and programs be completed within two years of the initial enrollment date. 

 

Most of our courses require about sixty hours of study time.  Some students are able to complete a course in as little as two weeks, while others may take a month or more.  Our programs then, each consisting of three to twelve courses, can easily be completed within one to two years or even less with a regular study routine. 

 

 

The Healing Benefits
of Water

 

 

Water is a medium that is able to amplify and send energetic wave patterns.  The ability of water to copy, memorize, and carry energetic signals and messages was shown in the 1980s by researcher Jacque Benveniste.  In an experiment, he exposed ordinary water to the recorded signals of acetylcholine and ovalbumin.  The recordings were then introduced to isolated guinea pig hearts.  The effects of the digitized water were identical to the effects on the heart produced by the actual substances of acetylcholine and ovalbumin.  This experiment and others like it, although controversial, provide insight into the importance of water in cellular communication and the ability of water to duplicate and transmit the energy frequencies of a substance.  The ability of water to copy and memorize information is also the theory behind the potentization process that is used in homeopathy (Lloyd 65). . . MORE!

 

 

You can’t use up creativity.

 

 

The more you use,

the more you have.

~Maya Angelou

 

 

Fast, Easy, Affordable!

 

 

Earn a diploma from

the comfort of your own home: 

 

 Master Herbalist (MH)

 Natural Health Consultant (NHC)

 Nutritional Consultant (NC)

 

 

EXCITING

CAREER OPTIONS

 

 

At this time, many holistic practitioners choose to work in private practice offering individualized holistic wellness consultations.  Others may be involved in: 

 

~Holding health seminars. 

 

~Writing books and articles on various aspects of holistic medicine. 

 

~Developing DVD and CD programs concerning holistic health. 

 

~Owning and operating a health food store. 

 

~Owning and operating a healthy restaurant. 

 

~Owning and operating a health spa. 

 

~Owning and operating a holistic clinic. 

 

~Manufacturing or formulating dietary supplements. 

 

~Manufacturing or formulating herbal products. 

 

~Manufacturing or formulating aromatherapy products. 

 

~Manufacturing or formulating flower essence products. 

 

~Manufacturing or formulating gem essence products. 

 

~And much, much more. . . .

 

 

The Colorful Spectrum of Phytonutrients

 

By Theda Renee Floyd, PhD, RN, HHP

 

 

From the faint blush on a ripe peach to the vibrant purple of concord grapes, the beautiful colors of fruits and vegetables are imparted by natural chemicals called phytochemicals or phytonutrients.  These nutrients not only give plants their color, they also provide flavor, and natural disease resistance.  Plants form phytonutrients to protect themselves from disease, and these properties, fortunately, extend to us.  The primary benefits of these natural chemicals lie in their abilities as antioxidants to fight premature aging, prevent disease, and aid the body to resist cancer.  There are many, many thousands of phytonutrients that work synergistically to support our health.  Tomatoes alone are believed to contain an estimated ten thousand different phytonutrients (Balch 48). 

 

As phytonutrients are found only in plants, fruits and vegetables are critical components of our diet.  To receive the most phytonutrients from your vegetal foods, obtain them from local, organically grown sources; and, with few exceptions, consume them as close to their natural state and as soon after harvest as possible.  Interestingly, an easy way to identify many of these important plant nutrients is by the color of the fruit or vegetable under consideration: 

 

Purple-blue-red foods 

 

These foods contain anthocyanins, which belong to a subclass of phytonutrients called flavonoids and are powerful pigment antioxidants, searching for and disabling the harmful “free radicals” that deteriorate the internal structures of cells.  It is this deterioration that causes various diseases, including macular degeneration, heart disease and certain cancers.  Purple-blue-red food sources include beets, berries (red currents, blackberries, blueberries, etc.), cherries, chili peppers, eggplant, plums, pomegranates, prunes, red or purple grapes, red apples (with skin), red cabbage, red pears (with skin), red peppers, red wine, and strawberries. 

 

Red foods 

 

Red foods are high in lycopene, which is a carotenoid red pigment that imparts the color to fruit and vegetables, especially tomatoes.  It is a powerful antioxidant and protects against cancers of the digestive tract (the colon, esophagus, mouth, rectum, stomach, and throat), as well as cancer of the bladder, cervix, lung, pancreas, and prostate.  Lycopene is oil-soluble and can be more easily absorbed if it is cooked or consumed with beneficial fats such as olive oil.  Red food sources include guava, pink grapefruit, pink grapefruit juice, salsa, tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato sauce, tomato soup, and watermelon. 

 

Orange foods 

 

These are rich in beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid orange pigment that is known to be a precursor of vitamin A (retinol).  Our bodies are able to use beta-carotene to manufacture vitamin A in the liver.  Beta-carotene’s antioxidant actions make it valuable in protecting against (and in some cases even reversing) precancerous conditions affecting the breast, mucous membranes, throat, mouth, stomach, prostate, colon, cervix, and bladder.  Individuals with the highest levels of beta-carotene intake have lower risks of lung cancer, coronary artery disease, stroke, age-related eye disease, and eye function.  Beta-carotene is also important because vitamin A is required for cell differentiation, bone growth, immunity, tooth development, reproduction, and healthy skin and hair (Farmer-Knowles 113).  Orange food sources include acorn squash, apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, carrot juice, mangoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and yams. 

 

Orange-yellow foods 

 

These all contain beta-cryptoxanthin, a natural carotenoid pigment and a potent cell and DNA-protecting antioxidant.  It is also converted to vitamin A and is therefore considered a vitamin A precursor.  Research suggests that cryptoxanthin could potentially act as a chemo-preventive agent against esophageal and lung cancer.  Orange-yellow food sources include nectarines, oranges, papaya, peaches, pineapples, tangerines, and yellow grapefruit. 

 

Yellow-green foods

 

Yellow-green foods are sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which fight cataracts and macular degeneration in the eye.  Lutein is actually a yellow-orange carotenoid pigment found in many green vegetables, but it cannot be seen because it is overpowered by the green of the chlorophyll.  Both lutein and zeaxanthin may be protective in eye disease because they absorb damaging blue light that enters the eye.  Yellow-green food sources include avocado, collard greens, cucumbers, green beans, green peppers, honeydew melons, kiwifruit, mustard greens, peas, romaine lettuce, spinach, sweet corn, turnip greens, yellow peppers, and zucchini. 

 

Green foods

 

Green foods are rich in detoxifying sulforaphane, isothiocyanates, and indoles, which play a key role in stimulating cancer-fighting liver enzymes.  Sulforaphane is an anticancer and antimicrobial compound that is present in cruciferous vegetables, or “brassicas.”  Isothiocyanates are a family of sulphur containing organic compounds, which are largely responsible for the typical flavor of cruciferous vegetables and for the hotness of horseradish, radish, and mustard.  They also stimulate enzymes that may block steroid hormones, and their presence in the diet helps to prevent the promotion of breast and prostate cancers.  Indoles are one of the major anticancer substances and are also found in cruciferous vegetables.  They are a member of the class of sulphur-containing chemicals called glucosinolates and are formed whenever cruciferous vegetables are crushed or cooked.  Green food sources include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, napa cabbage, and Swiss chard. 

 

White-green foods

 

The white-green foods offer multiple health benefits.  Garlic and onions are a rich source of the antibiotic, antifungal, and antitumor compound known as allicin, mushrooms contain other disease battling chemicals, and still other white-green foods contain a variety of cell supporting phytochemicals.  Allicin protects the stomach against the formation of ulcers and helps to treat intractable diarrhea resulting from infection with cryptosporidium parvum bacteria.  It also lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, blocks the ability of carcinogens to mutate healthy cells into cancerous cells, and boosts immunity (Balch 54).  The phytochemicals of the white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells in postmenopausal women (Farmer-Knowles 113).  They are potential breast cancer chemo-preventive agents, as they suppress aromatase activity and estrogen biosynthesis.  Aromatase is a protein that makes estrogen, and estrogen plays a major role in the development of breast cancer.  Do note, however, that all mushrooms must be cooked in order to receive their nutritional value as the cell walls cannot be digested unless they are tenderized by heat (Balch 167).  Asparagus, another white-green food, contains the phytochemical glutathione, which has antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties.  White-green food sources include artichokes, asparagus, celery, chives, endive, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, onions, and shallots. 

 

Color coding your choice of fruits and vegetables may not be an infallible system, but it is a practical guide to ensure that you experience therapeutic gain from the foods that you choose to consume.  The colorful spectrum of phytonutrients is a vast, frequently untapped therapeutic boon to natural healing.  To access this rich resource and begin experiencing its many benefits, simply eat a variety of fruits and vegetables of all colors—the more colorful and beautiful the better! 

 

 

Works Cited

 

Balch, Phyllis A.  Prescription for Dietary Wellness.  New York:  Avery, 2003. 

 

Farmer-Knowles, Helen.  The Healing Plants Bible.  New York:  Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2010.