"The Rainbow Diet"

Presenter: Deanna Minich, MS, PhD, FACN, CNS, IFMCP
Original Date: October 5, 2025

Over the past decades, thousands of published studies have amassed supporting recommendations to consume fruits and vegetables for physiological and psychological health. Newer research has emerged to suggest that these plant-based foods contain a plethora of not only vitamins and minerals, but perhaps, most importantly, phytonutrients. Even though eating fruits and vegetables is a well-known feature of a healthy dietary pattern, population intakes continue to be below recommended levels. To encourage patients to include more fruits and vegetables into their diet and lifestyle, an “eat by color” approach is proposed in this presentation. Dr. Minich will discuss the importance of colorful, plant-based foods to physical and mental health by explaining the nutritional content of a variety of colorful foods, as well as reviewing published research studies on this topic. The connection of healthy eating, reducing risk for chronic disease, and the food-mood relationship will be explored according to a ‘color code’ (Minich, Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2019). Practical strategies and practice for clinical implementation for personalizing protocols to peoples’ needs will be provided.

Bio: Deanna Minich, MS, PhD, CNS, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (IFMCP), is a nutrition scientist, international lecturer, educator, and author, with over twenty years of experience in academia and the food and dietary supplement industries, and currently the Chief Science Officer at Symphony Natural Health. She has been active as a functional medicine clinician in clinical trials and in her own practice (Food & Spirit™). She is the author of seven consumer books on wellness topics, four book chapters, and over fifty scientific publications. Her academic background is in nutrition science, including a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1995) and a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Medical Sciences from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands (1999). She has served on the Nutrition Advisory Board for The Institute of Functional Medicine and on the Board of Directors for the American Nutrition Association. Currently, she teaches for the Institute for Functional Medicine, University of Western States, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and Institute for Brain Potential. Through her talks, workshops, groups, and in-person retreats, she helps people to practically and artfully transform their lives through nutrition and lifestyle.

NUNM is accredited by the North American Naturopathic Continuing Education Council (NANCEAC). This activity qualifies for 1.5 General CEUs Total