I remember when I moved into my current home. I loved the bright spacious rooms with the neutral colours and clean lines. I was happy to leave the house that way. Why ruin such lovely rooms with unnecessary clutter…. such as furniture? After sleeping on the floor for a couple of nights…. I relented on the furniture, but only the most necessary of items, I still liked the almost monochromatic look.
It wasn’t until I went to the neighbours similar home that the scales fell from my eyes! They had plants, paintings & pictures which gave a wonderful colour and warmth to the house. They also had interesting furniture which added to the whole ambience of each room. My “White House” may look good, but with colour and character it could look Great!
“The Swan is beautiful, until it stands
next to the Peacock.”
This reminds me of the special Olympic year we had in London 2012. London hosted the Greatest show on Earth. Those five coloured Olympic rings signify the multi – Colours, Creeds & Cultures from all over the world. We were reminded of the Worlds beauty in diversity.
Those five Olympic rings also reminded me of the colours of nature, especially the plants, fruit & veg that we eat. It is an amazing fact that our food is designed to be attractive to us with colour. Even more amazing is that the atomic reason for the colour in each fruit or vegetable is the same thing that provides its antioxidant properties!
In the Olympics we saw certain nations dominate certain events: The Jamaicans dominated the sprinting, the Africans dominated the middle & long-distance races, the Aussies dominated the swimming and the British…… hosted the games.
Just like the nations, different colours of food have different strengths:
Blue, Purple, & Black– ie Blueberries, Figs & Eggplant- contain flavanoids, Vitamin C & Resveratrol. These boost the immune system, lower cholesterol and help make healthy skin & bones.
Yellow & Orange – ie Apricots, Carrots & Lemons – contain Beta-carotene, lycopene & potassium.
These reduce prostate cancer risk, lower blood pressure, protect our vision.
Green– Broccoli, Apples, Spinach – contain Chlorophyll, Folate & Fiber. These boost digestion, reduce cancer & heart disease risk.
Red– Strawberries, Tomatoes & Peppers – contain Lycopene, Hellagic acic & Hesperidin – These prevent prostate cancer/enlargement and lower Cholesterol levels.
So whilst enjoying this New Year, remember to eat a plateful of colour each day…….
……….and I don’t mean Smarties!