| Why should I eat healthy? For your and your family's | | | | effort to include a variety of foods in your meals. |
| happiness, that is why! Healthy eating can prevent | | | | Once you are used to eating healthy and planning your |
| most cases of heart disease and diabetes and help | | | | meals ahead of time (this makes shopping much |
| ward off high blood pressure, osteoporosis, stroke, and | | | | easier if you already know what you need!), you might |
| some forms of cancer. Healthy eating can even lower | | | | actually save some money! Think about how much |
| "bad" LDL cholesterol as much as low-dose statin | | | | easier it will be to stick to your healthy diet when you |
| drugs. | | | | have your meals already planned for you. |
| Healthy eating means choosing a variety of foods | | | | Healthy eating is also critical to your children's well |
| from the basic food groups: meat (or meat | | | | being. The best way for you to encourage healthy |
| substitutes); dairy; fruits and vegetables; grains, such as | | | | eating is to eat well yourself. In addition, family meals |
| breads and pasta; and a limited amount of fats and | | | | offer the chance to introduce your child to new foods |
| sweets. | | | | and to act as a role model for healthy eating. By |
| Based on new studies, eating well can ward off 25% | | | | developing your own plan for healthy eating, you'll be |
| of all cancers and, combined with exercising regularly | | | | able to expand your range of healthy choices to |
| and not smoking, can prevent possibly 90% of cases | | | | include a variety of foods, especially delicious |
| of type 2 diabetes. Research has also shown that | | | | vegetables, grains, and fruits that you may have |
| following a healthy eating plan can reduce the risk of | | | | previously ignored. |
| developing high blood pressure and lower an already | | | | Remember, eating right and exercising are very |
| elevated blood pressure. | | | | beneficial to getting and staying healthy. |
| Healthy eating requires some meal planning and an | | | | |