Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Since there are many foods and many ways to build a healthy diet and lifestyle, there is lots of room for choice. Healthy eating and regular physical activity enable people of all ages to work productively, enjoy life, and feel their best. They also help children grow, develop, and do well in school.

Choose sensibly
Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.
Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation

These four guidelines help you make sensible choices that promote health and reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol. You can enjoy all foods as part of a healthy diet as long as you don’t overdo it on fat (especially saturated fat), sugars, salt, and alcohol. Read labels to identify foods that are higher in saturated fats, sugars, and salt (sodium).

You can promote your health and reduce your risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, certain types of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and osteoporosis. Always choose a healthful assortment of foods that includes vegetables, fruits, grains (especially whole grains), skim milk, and fish, lean meat, poultry, or beans that are low in fat.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables of different kinds may help protect you against many chronic diseases. It also promotes healthy bowel function. Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health. Some fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of carotenoids, including those which form vitamin A, while others may be rich in vitamin C, folate, or potassium.

Fruits and vegetables, especially dry beans and peas, also contain fiber and other substances that are associated with good health. Dark green leafy vegetables, deeply colored fruits, and dry beans and peas are especially rich in many nutrients.

When you feel that tickle in the back of your throat and your nose starts running, it is mportant to give your body the fluids and nutrients it craves to stay healthy. A serving of grapefruit, apple or orange juice can provide vitamin C and a host of other nutrients to keep your immune system strong and healthy.

When you are pregnant, it is important to eat healthy foods. What you eat gives your baby what he or she needs to grow. Experts suggested taking 3 or more servings of fruits (One serving of fruit is 1 medium apple, 1 medium banana, 1/2 cup chopped fruit, or 3/4 cup fruit juice) every day give a baby strong bones and teeth, healthy skin, and a healthy body. Not only may fruit help decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, and asthma, but apple consumption may also be associated with a lower risk for diabetes.

An old proverb attests to the health benefits of the fruit: 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' Apples, and especially apple peels, have been found to have a potent antioxidant activity. Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Like many fruits, apples contain Vitamin C as well as a host of other antioxidant compounds, which may reduce the risk of cancer by preventing DNA damage.

“Eating an extra apple or orange a day could significantly cut the risk of dying early from heart disease and cancer”, British scientists said. The Cancer Research UK team said their findings showed that people aged 45 to 79 with high levels of vitamin C in their blood had half the risk of dying of any cause compared with people with low vitamin levels.

Professor Kay-Tee, lead investigator at Cambridge University, said that even a small rise in vitamin C, equivalent to eating 50 grams per day more fruit or vegetables, was associated with a 20% reduction in risk of dying from any cause. The risk of dying from heart disease during the study period was 30% lower and the risk of dying from cancer 15% lower. “The findings indicate that modest increases in fruit and vegetables intake of just one or two servings a day may be associated with large benefits for health,” she said. Whether taking vitamin supplements was protective remained to be seen. She said “there were many ways in which fruit and vegetables might prevent cancer, including stopping the formation of carcinogenic chemicals and triggering detoxifying enzymes into action.”  Her study, which began in 1993, involves a detailed probe into the dietary habits of 30,000 men and women in Norfolk, Eastern England. It is part of a continuing investigation into diet and cancer involving 450,000 people in nine European countries. They believe that 40% of all cancers may be linked to diet.

Apples with the peel, suggesting that apple peels possess significant antiproliferative activity. The protective effects of apples on LDL oxidation reached its peak at three hours following apple consumption and returned to baseline levels by 24 hours. Apples contain a large concentration of flavonoids, as well as a variety of other phytochemicals. Many of these phytochemicals from apples have been widely studied, and many potential health benefits have been attributed to inhibit low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation.

The fiber content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fiber (which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption), and are bulky for their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables.