Your Body is Begging for Colour, and You’re Ignoring It
- Brainz Magazine
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Ale is a Holistic Wellness Practitioner and founder of Ale's Health who creates transformative programs combining Breathwork, Mindfulness, Nutrition, and her own line of organic Health-Snacks. She empowers driven individuals to reconnect Mind & Body while unlocking their full potential.
Look, I’m going to be real with you. You’re tired. Like bone-deep exhausted. You’ve tried the coffee, the supplements, the productivity hacks. You drag yourself through days that feel like they’re happening to you instead of for you. Your brain feels foggy, your body feels heavy, and somewhere along the line, you stopped recognizing the person staring back at you in the mirror. I see you. And I need to tell you something that might change everything. Your body has been trying to send you messages, and one of the loudest ones is literally on your plate. Or more accurately, not on your plate.
What’s really going on when your body feels disconnected?
Here’s what nobody talks about in the wellness space. That disconnection you feel between your mind and body isn’t just stress. It’s not just burnout. Your body is literally starving for something it’s not getting, and I’m not talking about willpower or motivation or another self-help book. I’m talking about actual, physical nourishment that comes from one of the most overlooked sources, colourful whole foods.
Think about what you ate yesterday. Really think about it. Was it mostly beige? Brown? Bread, pasta, crackers, fries, maybe some chicken? Most of us are still stuck in what’s known as the beige food era, and it’s destroying us from the inside out. But here’s where it gets real. Research shows that people who consume a wider variety of colourful produce have lower rates of chronic disease, better cognitive function, and enhanced longevity. In other words, this is what our bodies were designed to thrive on, and it’s the reason why all these foods are provided by nature. Simple.
When you eat with intention, and this includes having positive thoughts as you eat, and really tasting what’s on your plate, feeling the textures, the different flavours, the sourness, the sweetness, consciously knowing that what you’re putting in your mouth is going to be adding life to your body at least 80 percent of the time, you are not only absorbing more nutrients than you normally do, but you are also building and nurturing your relationship with food. You start listening, feeling, and communicating more and more with your body. You start opening the doors to the real benefits that whole foods can offer us. Nurture. Fuel. Heal. This should be our number one goal when we eat, not eating whatever thing we come across because we let ourselves get to the starvation point.
Why the rainbow approach isn’t just another wellness trend
Let me explain this in a way that makes sense for your actual life. Every single colour you see in fruits and veggies contains different natural compounds, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that aren’t just nice to have. They’re the literal building blocks that your cells need to repair themselves, fight off disease, produce the energy you need, balance your hormones, and keep your brain and heart sharp.
A review published by the National Institutes of Health found that all these colourful and brilliant pigments in produce aren’t just a pretty face. They’re nature’s way of showing you exactly what your body needs. Each colour is like a different medicine cabinet, and when you eat the full spectrum, you’re giving your body every tool it needs to heal itself. But it is important to add here that your constant type of thoughts also plays a massive role in healing, a topic I will be writing about in my next article, and would love you to be conscious of, so stay tuned.
This is what I mean when I talk about helping people unlock their true human potential. You already have everything you need inside of you to heal and feel incredible, so incredible that your current self wouldn’t even recognise that version of yourself. Your body knows how to heal. It knows how to thrive. But it can’t do its job when you’re feeding it the same five foods over and over again.
Yellow and orange foods: When you can’t remember the last time you felt alive
You know that feeling when you wake up, and you’re already exhausted? When your skin looks dull no matter what expensive cream you buy? When you catch every single cold that goes around your office? That’s your immune system waving a white flag.
Yellow and orange foods, citrus, carrots, sweet potatoes, golden beets, yellow peppers or capsicums (as we say in Australia), and mangoes, are packed with beta-carotene and vitamin C. These nutrients directly support immune function, skin health, and eye health. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is like giving your skin, eyes, and immune system a boost. And vitamin C, on the other hand, helps your body make collagen, absorb iron, and fight off stress.
Red foods: Your heart is working overtime, and nobody told you
Let me get vulnerable for a second. I’ve seen too many people, good people who work hard and take care of everyone else, completely ignore the signals their body sends about their heart health. The fatigue. The brain fog. The anxiety that seems to come out of nowhere.
Research from Harvard’s School of Public Health demonstrates that red fruits and veggies like tomatoes, strawberries, red capsicums, pomegranates, and watermelon contain lycopene and anthocyanins that specifically protect your cardiovascular system. We’re talking about reducing oxidative stress, lowering inflammation in your blood vessels, and supporting healthy blood pressure.
Think about it. Your heart is working for you every single second. It has 40,000 neurons, with an electrical component and an electromagnetic energy field greater than the brain’s. The heart indeed has a significant influence on the body, and the types of foods, emotions, and thoughts you bring along are going to either cause a positive or negative effect in your entire body.
Green foods: The rebuild button your body has been searching for
If your body were a house, green foods would be the construction crew showing up every single day to fix what’s broken and make everything stronger. All our cellular repair, bone health, and antioxidant properties. This is real, powerful medicine hiding in plain sight.
Leafy greens, broccoli, kiwi, green apples, and herbs are packed with chlorophyll, folate, calcium, and compounds that support your body’s natural detoxification systems. Think of the everyday stress your body is exposed to, external and internal, because not only situations and people cause you stress, but it’s also you and your other you inside your head. Not to mention excess processed foods and other toxins. Your liver and cells are working overtime to clean up the mess.
See greens like your reinforcement buddies. They help your body do what it’s trying to do anyway, just better. They support your bones, especially crucial as we age, they help repair your DNA damage, and they also create an alkaline environment that reduces inflammation.
Blue and purple foods: When your brain feels stuck in neutral
Brain fog. Forgetting things constantly. The feeling like your thoughts are moving through mud. Sound familiar? You’re not losing it. Your brain is starving.
Blue and purple foods, blueberries, blackberries, purple cabbage, eggplant, and purple sweet potatoes, contain anthocyanins and resveratrol, which are compounds full of antioxidants that cross the blood-brain barrier and support cognitive function and memory formation.
These guys are life-changing. Research shows these foods reduce inflammation throughout your body, which is at the root of almost every chronic disease, support memory function, and may even activate longevity pathways at the cellular level. So yes, there is proof for the ones who think we don’t necessarily need to look like an average 80-year-old man or woman when and if we get to that stage.
For my clients in high-stress jobs, for parents juggling a million things, for anyone who feels like their brain just isn’t keeping up anymore, these foods are non-negotiable. Remember, your brain is command number two centre for everything else, the number one is your heart by the way. When they’re not functioning optimally, nothing else can either. Everything is connected, don’t forget that.
White and brown (non-processed) foods: The quiet protectors you’ve been overlooking
Nobody gets excited about garlic, mushrooms, and cauliflower. They’re not sexy, they are to me, and they are not trendy. But oh my God, they are powerful.
These foods contain a compound called allicin, which contains antimicrobial and natural antibiotic properties, supporting your immune function, heart health, and your gut microbiome. And cherry on top, they are also anti-inflammatory.
And here’s something most people don’t know. Mushrooms are one of the few plant sources of vitamin D, which is crucial for mood, immune function, and bone health. Especially if you’re not getting enough sun, and let’s be honest, most of us aren’t, these foods become even more important.
How to actually make this work in your real, messy, busy life
Listen, I’m not going to give you some complicated meal plan you’ll quit in three days. That’s not how transformation works. Real change happens when you make small, sustainable shifts that honour where you’re actually at right now.
Start by looking at your plate. What colours do you see? If it’s beige and brown, that’s okay. No judgement. Just awareness. This week, add one new colour. Just one. Maybe it’s throwing berries into your morning routine. Maybe it’s roasting rainbow veggies on Sunday so they’re ready to grab throughout your busiest days.
Don’t worry too much about the daily recommended consumption of veggies and fruits, just start where you are. One colour. One meal. One day at a time. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store where actual food lives. Challenge yourself to try something new every time you shop. A purple potato. A golden beet. A type of apple you’ve never had. Make it fun. Create. Connect with your artist energy, we’re all creators and able to create. And if you don’t believe me, check this hell of a woman, Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way book.
Prep your colours at the start of the week. Wash your fruit and put it where you can see it. Chop your veggies and keep them front and centre in your fridge. Make it easier for you to choose colour than to default to the same old beige buddies.
And please, please, don’t make this another thing you beat yourself up about. This isn’t about perfection. Believe me, I’ve done that too many times, and only pain comes out of wanting perfection. It’s about progress. Treat yourself like someone you love and want to take care of.
The real reason you’re here reading this
You didn’t stumble on this article by accident. Something in you knows that you’re capable of more. You know you’re meant to feel better than this. You know there’s a version of you that wakes up with energy, that thinks clearly, that feels connected to your body instead of trapped in it.
This is what drives everything I do at Ale’s Health. I’ve built comprehensive wellness programs that address the whole you, breathwork that regulates your nervous system, mindfulness that brings you back to the present moment, and conscious nutrition rebuilding you from the cellular level up. Because you can’t separate your mental health from your physical health or your spiritual wellbeing. It’s all connected. You’re not a machine with broken parts. You’re a complete human being who deserves to feel complete.
Start today. Start small. Start with colour.
Why am I writing this article for you? Change starts by being informed. You have now created a tiny pattern in your brain. Now you get to consciously apply what you’ve learnt. Now you get to eat not because these foods are “good for you”, because that’s not enough, you must have a bigger reason or purpose and an intention to do it again and again until you get good at it, like everything in life.
Some of these foods will be more appealing to you than others, and some of these foods may upset your tummy depending on your body type or because you’re not used to eating them. Choose a few foods of each colour and start with the ones you feel most comfortable with. There are so many easy ways to eat them, you don’t need to be a cooking expert to play and be creative with your food, just explore, just start.
I’d love to hear how this lands for you. If you ever want to chat more about your wellness journey or simply need someone in your corner, I’ll be happy to connect. You can find me over at @ale.holisticmentor on socials or simply email me here. My door is open.
Here’s to feeling vibrant, nourished, and fully alive. You’ve got this.
Read more from Maria Alejandra Toledo Valderrama
Maria Alejandra Toledo Valderrama, Holistic Wellness Coach
Ale is a Holistic Wellness Practitioner passionate about helping others discover their true potential and live life to the fullest. Through her comprehensive approach combining Breathwork, Mindfulness, and Nutritional guidance, she empowers driven individuals seeking balance, Health-Conscious professionals navigating stress, and Wellness enthusiasts ready for a deeper transformation. She has developed her own line of five organic Health-Snacks made exclusively with natural ingredients, providing Clean, Guilt-Free Nutrition.
