We all want to improve our health and have more energy - in fact, many of us have tried countless diets without success. However, it is now claimed that the latest weight loss programme from the United States, 'The Colour Diet', promotes healthy eating and simple living by determining which colour category you fall into.

'Eat your Colors', by Marica Zimmerman, a leading Californian nutritionist, is based on the idea that we are all either yellow, red, or green types. The author claims that by eating the right colour foods for your type, you can improve health, energy and well being - and even lose weight.

The Ayurveda Connection

Ayurvedic medicine teaches that everything in Nature, including humans, can be divided into three elementary energy forces - 'vata' (in this case, yellow), 'pitta' (red), and 'kapha' (green). Although we all contain elements of each, one energy is always dominant and determines our emotional and physical strengths and weaknesses, and which problems may occur when your energy type is out of balance.

Broadly speaking, red characters or 'pitta' type tend to be fiery, ambitious and hotheaded; greens or 'kapha' are calm and dependable; while yellowor 'vata' people are enthusiastic and thrive on change.

By eating according to our colour types, we can make sure we are giving our bodies all they need to function at 100 per cent.