Eat Your Colors: ROYGBIV Should Apply To Your Diet, Too
You don’t dress in one color. Your apartment isn’t one shade of beige. Why should your diet be any different?
To be your healthiest, think back to grammar school art class and good ol’ ROYGBIV: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, a.k.a. the colors of the rainbow. Nature has been kind enough to give us fruits and vegetables in all these colors, and we should be eating foods in these beautiful hues to stay healthy and balanced.
As good as each color group is on its own, none of them provide all the vitamins and minerals we need to be our best. What’s great about greens isn’t necessarily all there in reds or yellows, and vice versa. Jamba Juice’s new line of Cold Pressed Juices and Signature Blends can help make sure you’re getting all the colors of the spectrum. Let’s go!
RED
Luscious tomatoes, sweet strawberries, crisp red peppers and spicy red cayenne peppers are just some of the foods in this fiery color. And they really pack a vitamin punch: Most red foods (especially tomatoes and peppers) are bursting with vitamin C, which supports the immune system and heart health while encouraging collagen production.
You’ll also get some vitamin A, which helps support our immune system and with night vision; lycopene, an antioxidant that can fight skin aging; beta-carotene for skin protection. There’s also fiber, which will keep your digestive tract running smoothly.
ORANGE
Tangerines, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, peaches, cantaloupes guavas, papayas, mangoes, apricots and (of course) oranges provide myriad health benefits — like supporting a healthy heart. And the nutrients you’ll get from them are manifold: beta-carotene and, of course, vitamins C and A.
Enjoy Organic Orange Reviver, and Organic Mango Limeade from Jamba Juice to help get your daily fill of these wonderful health helpers.
YELLOW
Nibble on bananas, lemons, yellow peppers, pineapples, corn and summer squash are just some of the fruits and vegetables for a blast of antioxidants, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Your digestive tract, skin, and the rest of your body will love you for it!
Looking for a quick and easy way to gain these healthful benefits? Try Jamba Juice’s Organic Orange Reviver, Organic Cayenne Lemonade, Organic Tropical Greens, and Organic True Greens to add some sunshine to your diet.
GREEN
You’d have to try really, really hard to avoid finding green foods at the market: Kale, collards, cucumbers, spinach, romaine, peas, honeydew, limes, green peppers, zucchini — the list is long! And that’s a good thing, because these tasty foods contain so much goodness that it’s hard to know where to begin.
How about better looking skin and hair? More iron? Oh, and they’re all high in fiber, which can help keep your gut feeling great, as well as beta-carotene.
Crack open an Organic Tropical Greens or Organic True Greens from Jamba Juice’s new line of cold pressed juices to reap the nutritional benefits of going green.
BLUE & VIOLET
Poor blue and indigo. They really got short-changed by Mother Nature. With the exceptions of blueberries and blue corn, there just aren’t many naturally occurring blue foods. (And no, that blue frosting on Bob from Accounting’s birthday cake doesn’t count.) So we decided to include violet in this grouping. And what a group it is: beets, grapes, eggplant, onions, and the aforementioned blueberries and corn are a sampling of the goodies that come in these shades.
Most are good sources of vitamin K. You'll also find flavonoids in these, which act like antioxidants.
Jamba Juice’s Organic Orange Reviver contains beets, so try one if you’d like to get some good blues. But these beets are sweet: The juice itself is delicious enough that you’ll enjoy the benefits of these earthy root vegetables without knowing you’re drinking beets!
INNER CHILD MEDITATION FOR THE SAGITTARIUS NEW MOON
December 11th marks the date for a new moon cycle. This means that for that day, and a few days afterward, the heavens are energetically supporting us to go within for some serious TLC for the soul. This new moon is in Sagittarius: a fire sign that is wide open to life in a fun-loving, optimistic, and adventurous way, which makes this new moon a great opportunity to spend some time with your inner child. In fact, those with a lot of Sagittarius energy tend to have a child-like, wondrous view of the world and a contagious zest for life.
Below is a guided meditation to help you tap into the energies of Sagittarius through yourinner child. You can record yourself reading the meditation and listen to your voice as you meditate, or you can read along in a meditative state, pausing to sit with whatever comes up or to journal. You can even do this with a friend or group of women. There’s no right or wrong way. Do what feels right and fun for you.
Take some time before you start to set sacred space. You can light candles, burn sage, play some music, or simply set the intention for sacred space. Get comfortable in a seated position and start to deepen and lengthen your breath. Call upon whatever support you would like to be with you during this mystical time: guides, angels, deities, or energies. Invite the energy of Sagittarius to be present as you open yourself up to receive whatever insight or guidance you need at this time.
See yourself on a vast plane. It is early morning. The sun has yet to appear and a tiny sliver of the moon is still visible in the sky. You start to turn around, taking in your surroundings. You notice a large labyrinth ahead of you. Its intricate walls are made of beautiful leaves and flowers. You hear the voice of a child—a little girl calling your name—coming from the direction of the labyrinth.
You enter, following the call, and begin walking through the maze, curious as to what you will find along the way. You turn a corner and see a room in front of you. It is a room that you recognize. There is a crib. You peer down and see yourself as a baby. She smiles at you as her curious eyes take in everything around her.
You hear your name called and the room disappears. You continue walking in the direction of the voice. Suddenly, you come across another scene: you at age three, playing with your favorite toy. Her innocent joy is contagious and you laugh along with her.
Your name is called again, and the scene dissolves. You continue along on your quest, making your way through the thick walls of foliage when another vision appears: you at age five, running and jumping, full of joy and vital life-force energy.
“Remember me,” echoes the little girl’s voice, and with that, your five-year-old self disappears.
It isn’t long before you come upon yourself again. This time, you are eight-years-old and playing with your best friend a favorite game you always played together.
The call is getting louder.
Your eight-year-old self turns to you and says, “Go find her. She needs you.”
You start walking faster towards the voice. You can tell you’re getting close. Another scene from your life soon appears: it is the summer right before entering high school. She is excited about a new adventure, for new possibilities. She looks at you and smiles. You notice the hope and optimism in her eyes.
“You’re almost there,” she says as she points in the direction ahead of you.
Finally, you have made it to the center of the labyrinth and you see her—your inner child: the part of you that has never grown up. She is so excited to see you.
“You found me!” she exclaims as she comes running to you. “I’ve been calling your name for so long. I’m so happy you came!” She extends her hand and you take it. Suddenly, a clearing appears and the sun rises to reveal a beautiful meadow. She turns to you and says, “Lets’ play!”
You go running through the field with her, exploring all the possibilities, following her brilliant, infinite imagination, doing whatever her heart desires—for as long as her heart desires. This time is for her. For you.
After playing for quite some time, you decide to take a moment to rest underneath a large tree and your little one sits in your lap. She tells you she has missed you. She asks you to visit more often; to make more time for her; listen to her; nurture her; nurture you.
As you sit together underneath the tree, you feel the love in your heart expanding. Her body starts to melt into yours. She gets smaller and smaller until she fits right into your heart. You place both hands over your heart and make a promise to always answer her when she calls. And you know without a doubt, this is a promise you will forever keep.
Take some time afterward to journal or sit with what came up for you. Finding out the needs of your inner child can help you realize your needs as an adult. When you are finished, take a moment to send loving support to all the children in this world who are growing up in challenging circumstances. Honor yourself for taking the time to be with yourself and your inner child. Close by thanking and releasing the energies you invoked for support.
