Most people agree that eating healthy foods is the way to feel better and to lengthen our lives.  The problem comes however in knowing what the healthiest foods to eat are.  With so many choices in the supermarket and in restaurants it is easy to be misled.  In addition to the choices we see when you are purchasing food, we are constantly bombarded with TV and billboard ads touting this food or that as the healthiest.  Nine times out of 10 these ads are showing us some product engineered by a corporation that in fact is not the healthiest choice.

When it comes to eating healthy there are 3 basic rules that apply.  Following these simple rules will more than likely lead to a very healthy and nutritious diet.

When it comes to food - the less ingredients, the better

Natural, organic foods are generally the healthiest foods you can get.  Fruits and vegetables free from pesticides are always the healthiest alternatives.  Today, many companies are genetically engineering corn to be sweeter, grapes to be seedless, and watermelons to be bigger, etc. but these genetically altered foods are no healthier than the basic version you can grow in your backyard.  In fact, the addition of pesticides into these foods can actually be harmful to your health, or even fatal.

When it comes to preparation of food, less is more

Many of the nutrients of fruits and vegetables are found in the skins.  Peeling potatoes and apples strips away much of the nutrition.  French frying a potato turns a healthy starch into an artery clogger.  Over-boiling or other cooking processes can remove the vital built-in nutrients of the food.  Raw and natural of almost ANY fruit or vegetable is always a great way to insure that you are eating the healthiest version of the food that you can eat.

If it has more than 3 ingredients you can’t pronounce stay away.

When you buy food at the supermarket and read the label on the package and see “monosodium this” and “glucotriglyceride that” you are looking at a food that is chock full of chemicals.  These preservatives and additives may not be bad for you, but they certainly are not good for you either.  Many of these chemicals are injected in the food to kill diseases and bacteria that are already in the product you are buying.  Why buy diseased food? Just get the more natural and unprocessed version.

Following these 3 simple rules will go a long way to improving your diet.  In most of our busy daily lives we don’t have time to read every package and label, but by sticking to these basic rules you don’t have to.  Go for the simple foods that nature provides, make sure you have plenty of variety, and you will immediately see and feel the results.