Dhanteras is the first day that marks the beginning of Diwali festival in India. On this day, hindus worship the God of wealth, Kubera. There is a long standing custom of buying gold on Dhanteras. It is believed that a symbolic buying of gold, silver, jewellery and utensils will act as protection against ill will and is considered auspicious, bringing good luck to every member of the family.

This dhanteras don’t just wish for good health and wealth of the family, rather give it to them. Go gold this dhanteras with foods with golden hues. They are rich in antioxidants and carotenoids. These yellow foods are repositories of essential minerals and vitamins that have the power to reverse the damages caused to the skin. Also yellow fruits and vegetables have a phytochemical called bio-flavonoid.

Here is a list of yellow foods to be incorporated in the diet to maximise benefits:

1. Peel-e-Banana

Banana, one of the world’s most important and popular fruit, is loaded with fiber and antioxidants. Ripe bananas are a great way to boost the sweet tooth. They are a healthy snack option as well as are very filling. Its versatility lies in the fact that it is a storehouse of Vitamin A, B, C, E and Zinc, Potassium and Magnesium. Banana is also a natural moisturiser, the reason market is loaded with banana soap, banana face wash, banana cream etc.

2. Its corn’ilicious

Also known as maize, corn is one of the most popular cereal grains in the world. You may think that you don’t consume it that often, but still it’s undeliberately consumed by you. The chinese dishes add cornstarch as a thickener. The bulb of corn is eaten during summers. The tortillas, doritos, cornitos etc. available in the market are all refined corn products. Being a good source of carotenoids, yellow corn promotes eye health. Corn is a decent source of protein called zein. It is a low quality protein as it lacks certain essential amino acids but is quite unique and is used to produce adhesives, inks and coatings for pills, candies and nuts.

3. Chunkin’ Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a low-calorie fruit/vegetable that is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Its orangish yellow colour is due to the carotenoids present in it (1449 mcg/100g), which convert into Vitamin A in the body. It is basically 94% water, which makes it low in calories (only 23.18 kcal/100 g). Not only this, the pumpkin seeds are also a superfood and are a great source of vegan protein, along with vitamins and minerals.

4. Squash-a-Lemon

Not only lemons are a very healthy fruit, but they also have a unique, pleasurable taste and smell that makes it a great addition to the foods and drinks. This fruit rich in Vitamin C and citric acid is a great free radical scavenger, making it a strong antioxidant. Having lemon water in the morning boosts the metabolism and also aids in weight loss as lemon is described to be a ‘fat-cutter’. The mocktails’ basic ingredient is lemon mostly. When consumed or applied on the skin, they make it radiant or soft. They are also good for anaemics as they increase the absorption of iron in the body, being rich in Vitamin C.

5. Bestow Sweet potato

Sweet potato is a trendy food these days in the Western countries. This underground tuber has a high calorie value of approximately 100 kcal/100g. But what’s an eyeopener is the carotenoid content in sweet potato as 8653 mcg/100g. This is almost double than the daily RDA of this pigment compound of 4800 mcg. It converts to Vitamin A in the body. Being rich in fiber, they also have a filling effect. They have a lower glycemic index than potatoes.

6. The real money-Honey

Since ancient times, honey has been used both as a food and a medicine. It’s also a healthier alternative over refined sugar. It’s a storehouse of antioxidants too. Honey is also applied over the skin as a natural moisturiser. It’s glowing and radiant effect on skin makes it a must applying one.

The final word

They always say that  “ a storm is always followed by a rainbow”. It’s the time to appreciate the benefits of rainbow that the family if yellow and gold entails.