Paying attention to eating healthy food is an important decision in life since you'll have lower risk in getting health problems in the future like cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, high blood cholesterol levels, diabetes. Many health problems like mentioned above are associated with bad eating habits and poor nutrition. People who eat healthily tend to live longer than those who don't. So if you want to change this, you have to make the effort to adopt good eating habits which will just benefit you in the long run.

One thing you should always keep in mind is moderation. You can lead a healthy eating lifestyle but it does not mean you have to sacrifice your body and can't eat anything unhealthy at all. You can please yourself from time to time and eat your favorite junk food or snack. This is called moderation and you're not doing it everyday.

Most of the times, you will avoid junk food, high sugar and high salt foods and foods high in saturated fats. Canned foods and already packed foods either dry or frozen should be consumed in moderation as many of them contain sodium which is used to preserve them. You can read the ingredients on the products to know more. Avoid animal fats as far as possible but a little won't do too much harm. Animal fats are saturated fats and can come in the form of beef, poultry, butter, milk, cheese, lard amongst others. If consumed excessively, you're at risk of getting heart problems like artery clogging which can result in a stroke. Cakes, chocolates and high fat pastries should be limited since they are high in sugar and saturated fats.

Healthy food should include most of the following:

Protein Food - Fundamental for the proper functioning of our body. Protein is made up of amino acids which are needed for hair growth, nail growth, skin regrowth(when injured), muscle building and maintenance and others.

Some good sources are:

Skinless chicken breast, skinless turkey breast, lean red meat, lean pork, egg whites, tuna, salmon, trout, herring, white fish, low fat cheese like cottage cheese, skimmed or low fat milk, red lentils, red beans.

Tip: According to research, the oil found in salmon, trout, herring and other oily fishes are beneficial for the heart but also helps mentally. Eating at least 2 oily fish dishes per week is highly recommended.

Complex Carbohydrates - Vital for our body and provides the necessary fuel and energy to fulfill our daily activities like working, exercising and being active.

Some good sources are:

Oatmeal, potato, sweet potato, taro/yam, manioc, pasta, rice, bread, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, tomatoes, dry beans, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, onions, pumpkin, cucumber and eggplant.

Tip: According to research, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic and onions have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Wholewheat pasta, wholewheat bread and brown rice are more nourishing than white pasta, white bread and white rice. The last three are refined.

Healthy Fats - These type of fats consist of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated and they come mainly from plants. They can reduce blood cholesterol levels and boost the good cholesterol. Highly Recommended.

Some good sources are:

Monounsaturated Fats - Olive oil, canola oil, peanuts, olives, cashews, peanut butter, avocado
Polyunsaturated Fats - Salmon, sardine, herring, trout, soybean oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, walnuts, almonds

Tip: Most of them contain essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 which are beneficial for the body and mind as well like lowering the risk of heart diseases, strokes, depression and hypertension.

Cooking Methods

Cooking method is extremely important if you are eating healthily because what's the use of choosing healthy foods but cooking them unhealthily like adding excessive oil and fats. Recommended ways of cooking are boiling, steaming, baked, grilling and lightly stir frying in oil not deep frying in oil. The best are the first three.

Eating healthy food isn't complicated nor is it very difficult. It's just a matter of will and once you get into this habit, you will adapt easily. Just give it time and in the long run, your body will reward you for it.

Happy healthy eating.

About the author

Jean Lam is the webmaster of Body Building Resource which provides articles on weight training, nutrition and fitness, body building book and DVDs.