Powerhouse Foods

Four types of foods stand out as particularly rich in disease-preventing nutrients. These include green leafy vegetables, yellow/orange, fruits and vegetables, cruciferous vegetables and citrus fruits. Going by color, consider these foods:

Whites: Eat cauliflower, a cruciferous vegetable, more often than potatoes. This pale cousin of broccoli tastes milder but still has plenty of phytochemicals to help protect against cancer. Enjoy it raw to save the Vitamin C and B vitamins.

Greens: Broccoli is on the eat-more list, along with Brussels sprouts, cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables. They contain special phytochemicals that combat aging disease processes. In the leafy greens, go for dark lettuces, such as romaine and red leaf, along with spinach. In general, more color means more nutrition.

Yellows/Oranges: Eat more carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges and grapefruit. The carotenoids (orange pigments) are converted by the body into Vitamin A and also serve as antioxidants to help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer. The citrus fruits provide Vitamin C as folate.

Reds: Eat more tomatoes, red peppers, and strawberries. Cooked tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce, are good, too; the antioxidant and immune-system booster lycopene appears to be more concentrated and available in cooked foods. These red foods also contain Vitamin C.