Nutrition

Without a proper diet and nutrition, your body can't grow and function properly, and you'll be more susceptible to chronic illnesses or diseases, and even premature death.

Your dietary guidelines should contain the following seven recommendations about the foods you eat.

• Eat a variety of foods. The best way to get the energy, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need for good health is to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods.
• Balance the food you eat with physical activity; maintain or improve your weight. In order to reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, you should monitor and control your weight.  Successful weight control will promote a positive and healthy lifestyle.
• Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits. Vegetables, fruits, and grains provide essential vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.  These foods are generally low in fat.
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. A high-fat and cholesterol diet will inevitably have serious health implications.  If you're serious about reducing your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer, take steps to reduce your consumption of high-fat and high-cholesterol foods.
• Choose a diet moderate in sugars.  Although sugars and sweetened foods supply calories, they're limited in vitamins and minerals  If your diet involves a high sugar intake, you're probably not receiving the proper nutrients necessary for good health.
• Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium. Reducing salt and sodium in your diet is important in reducing your chance of developing high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, limiting your salt intake can help you control the condition.
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.  Alcoholic beverages contain few vitamins or mineral, and drinking is linked with many health problems.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that about 80% of all cancer may be related to smoking, diet, and the environment. About one-third of all cancer deaths may be related to the foods you eat. Eating foods that are high in fiver may reduce the risk of cancer of the colon and the rectum  It's important to choose foods rich in fiber Whole-grain breads and bran cereals, vegetables, cooked dry peas and beans, and fruits are all good sources of fiber.

Diets that are high in fats have been linked to breast, colon, uterine, and prostate cancers. Some studies have even suggested that fat may act as a cancer promoter

Diets rich in vitamins A, vitamins C and beta-carotene may help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Good sources of vitamin A include yellow-orange vegetables, such as carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins, and yellow-orange fruits, such as peaches, cantaloupes, and mangoes.

Good sources of vitamin C include dark-green leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, watercress, broccoli, asparagus, and tomatoes, and fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, peaches, berries, and cantaloupes.