All living things need food to survive. Though we certainly need food to carry out our normal bodily functions, not all food we eat are healthy. Many actually pose a threat to the safe and efficient performance of our body. Others, usually good in moderation, have a disastrous effect when taking in excess. Eating the right amount of the right things reduces our risks for life-threatening conditions, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Here are a few dietery changes you can implement right now to ensure that you and your family stay healthy.

• More green, please. We all know that fruits and vegetables should be part of our diet and not just one small servings of each group, but a few servings of both throughout the day. These ‘plant foods’ are sources of important micro-minerals that help regulate body processes. Otherwise, we shall all depend on vitamin and mineral supplements, which, of course, sometimes may be less cost-efficient. Taking at least three servings of fruit a day, two of which are rich sources of Vitamin C. A serving of fruit can be any one of the following:

One small apple, a banana, two small oranges, 10 grapes, two small guavas or one slice of mango/ melon.

For vegetables, eat a lot of the green leafy ones, but take those with seeds moderately. Certain vegetables, such as tomatoes and lady’s finger are high in uric acid. Too much of them may cause gout or arthritis.

• Keep them fresh. To preserve nutrients that are unstable in heat, do not cook throughly your vegetables, just half-cooked would do. Peel the fruits that you take uncooked, especially if their source is not reliable. This will get rid of the microbes and unwanted fertilizers on the skin. The safest bet is to pick certified organic produce.

• Go for better nuts. Nuts are naturally high in fat, but tree nuts (e.g. walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts) are low in saturated fat, making them ideal for our diet. Walnuts also contain omega -3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart. Eat no more than a handful of nuts a day, though and stay away from the honey-roasted and heavily salted ones.

• Dunk the junk. Avoid calorie-rich foods and beverages, especially those that lack essential nutrients. Junk foods have little nutritional value and are high in calories. Examples of junk food are muffins, doughnuts, waffles, biscuits and cakes. For snacking, get carrot sticks, unbuttered popcorn or small fruits.

• The right fats. Oils and fats should be part of our regular diet. Fat serve as carriers for very important fat-soluble vitamins. Without enough fat in the diet, we may feel hungry more often. They add satiety to meals. However, try to avoid saturated fats and foods cooked in recycled oil.

• Unsweeten a bit. Five teaspoons of sugar is equivalent to 25gm, can be a normal part of our daily diet. Unfortunately, most of us consume more especially if we are fond of soda, cake, ice cream and chocolate. If you have a family history of diabetes, watch your sugar intake. One glass of regular soda contains more than five teaspoons of sugar. Even fruit juices are high in sugar. Take water when you’re thirsty.

• Watch the meat. Meat is a source of the very important macro-nutrient protein. Try to avoid consuming big cuts of steak, whether pork or beef. Everything we eat is digested and worked by our body. Hence, we should not let our body work unnecessarily. The end product of meat metabolism is excreted by our kidneys. Excessive meat consumption exerts an extra load on our kidneys. When eating chicken or other poultry, make sure you take off the skin because it is high in saturated fat. Try to avoid goose or duck for they have high saturated content even without the skin.