at one of the contributing writer's articles that will be published in my new book, Simply Color for Everyday Living.
The article combines both color and wellness and is written by Susan Parker of Solum and Herbe, a wonderful company that makes natural skin care and body
products. Please do enjoy and check out her website for wonderful products you will savor!
(This is an abridged version of the article. The full article will be in the book available for purchase early 2015 or late 2014.)
Color, The Essence of Life
Carrots are orange, blueberries blue; lemons are yellow, and tomatoes are red. Nature's colors are complex molecules that protect and prevent disease for the plant's overall health. Carotenes are orange, cyanidin, blue; flavonoid, yellow; lutein and zeaxanthin are green; and lycopene, red.
As delightful to the eye as these compounds are, their vital role is one of protection. Primarily antioxidant, they protect cells from the excesses of life processes, too much sun, light or oxygen.
Nourishment too, in the form of vitamins, polyphenols and flavonoids, is found in plant parts that include leaf, root, stem and seed. Colors of every hue and shade are important compounds for maintaining the health of the plant as well as ours when we eat them.
Colors produced by the action of sunlight on plant metabolism provide us with exceptional protection and nutrition. When found in the reproductive parts of plants, the seeds where the botanical oils are created, these colorful compounds are exceptional for the health of the skin. . . .
Pressed from seed bearing parts of plants, botanical oils are a diverse and important source of skin and body nutrition. Many are brightly colored, in contrast to the pale yellow grocery store oils. The stronger the color, the higher the antioxidant potential found in the oil. The reds, oranges and purples of carotenoid compounds display their presence vividly.
Used on the skin, these compounds protect cells from sun and weather damage while allowing the sun's rays to penetrate the skin and aid in the production of Vitamin D, a vitally important nutrient for a healthy immune system. Adopting the theme "eat your colors" as a diet plan guards your health daily. Colorful eating livens up the plate and is a foolproof pathway to health. . . .
Susan goes on to write about colors in foods and how the oils from the plants help our outside just as much as ingesting the colorful fruits and vegetables helps with our health. She is a veritable source of knowledge about how to use which oils where and for what and her lovely photos accompany her article.
I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek into the upcoming book and have learned a little something from this brief excerpt from Susan Parker's contribution.
In alignment with Susan's message of health, harvest and eating our colors, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
