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Home / Nutrition & Fitness / 11 tips for healthier eating habits

11 tips for healthier eating habits

A healthy diet can help reduce the risk of some health conditions. Picking up some beneficial habits now might help avoid having to make abrupt changes later.

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Eating habits often begin in childhood. Some are healthy, like grabbing your water bottle when you leave the house and layering lettuce and tomato on a sandwich. Some are not so healthy, like drinking soda throughout the day.

You might not think about those established habits — until you have a reason to. Sometimes a test result showing high cholesterol, blood pressure or blood sugar inspires change. Even without a diagnosis, it’s always a good time to adopt healthier eating habits. Making diet changes can help reduce the risk of chronic disease. Diet is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and 13 kinds of cancer.

The majority of Americans don’t eat a healthy diet, according to the American Heart Association. Of course, it’s not all by choice. Systems are in place that make it easier and cheaper to grab a fast-food meal on the way home than it is to buy and prep ingredients for dinner. If you work two jobs, have kids who are picky eaters or don’t live near a grocery store, eating nutrient-rich foods can be even more challenging.

Making changes to diet habits isn’t always as easy as social media influencers might make it sound either. Research shows that the more often a person eats high-sugar or high-fat foods, the more they develop a taste for them. That makes habits even harder to break.

Here are some tips from Mayo Clinic experts for adding some healthy eating habits.

Learn the basics of a healthy diet

The diet you follow should fit your tastes, lifestyle and budget. It shouldn’t be so restrictive that you can’t follow it indefinitely. Here are some basics for a healthy diet:

• Eat more vegetables and fruits. Most Americans don’t get the recommended five or more servings per day, so look for opportunities to add more fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables. When comparing canned options, look for low-sodium vegetables and fruit packed in juice or water rather than syrup.
• Pick whole grains. When you look at the ingredients list on foods like bread and cereal, look for the words “whole wheat” or “whole grain.” An easy guideline is to pick the one with the most grams of fiber per serving. You also can include brown rice, quinoa, millet and oats in your diet.
• Limit unhealthy fats. Saturated fats are mostly found in animal products like meat, cheese and butter. To help with healthy blood pressure levels , try to keep your intake of saturated fats to 13 grams per day. Avoid trans fats as much as possible.
• Choose low-fat protein. Try to use fewer red and processed meats like bacon, sausage, and breaded chicken. Instead, choose eggs, beans, turkey, chicken, fish, lean beef and low-fat dairy.
• Reduce salt intake. Healthy adults should try to limit their sodium to 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, which is about a teaspoon of salt.

Make a plan

It might help to track your food for a few days. Use an app or write down what you ate and when. You could make notes about your mood or your hunger level when you ate. You might notice that you:

• Snack while cooking.
• Keep eating even if you’re full so you don’t waste food.
• Eat while distracted, such as while scrolling social media.
• Always crave something sweet after dinner.
• Get tempted by the menu of pastry offerings when you stop for coffee.

With this information, you can start looking for patterns you want to break. Some of the following tips might work for you.

Start with an easy one. It’s hard to change everything at once, so start with the healthy habit that would be easiest for you. It might be adding a vegetable to dinner or using brown rice instead of white.

Make an impact. If you’re trying to reduce your sugar intake, for example, start with the biggest sources of sugar, like desserts and sweetened beverages. Don’t worry so much about the sugar in your condiments or salad dressings.

Add instead of subtract. Rather than making cuts, think about what you can add. You might have a serving of fruit with breakfast or enjoy a walk after lunch. Focus on what you can have. That might leave less time in your day or room in your belly for habits you want to break.

Cut your portion sizes. You can enjoy your favorite foods and still cut your sugar or saturated fat intake. Try switching to a small soda, sharing dessert with a friend or using less butter on your toast.

Drink water. Sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger. Sipping water throughout the day helps keep you full and hydrated.

Sit at the table to eat. Stepping away from your desk or phone will allow you to focus on your food and internal cues for hunger or fullness.

Find a replacement. If you eat out of habit, can you find a different habit? Consider having fruit for dessert. Or go for a walk until the craving subsides. Cravings come like waves. If you ride them out, they will pass.

Relax. People don ‘ t always make the healthiest choices when tired or stressed. Sometimes improving your diet comes from prioritizing sleep or stress management.

Remember why. Think about why forming healthier habits is important to you. Maybe you want more energy to finish projects around the house or to keep up on the company softball team. Consider setting a picture of your healthy-habit motivation as the lock screen of your phone or writing a note to yourself.

Ask for support. Tell your loved ones about your goals and what you’re doing. Ask them to support your efforts. You might even inspire them to make their own healthy changes.

Accept imperfections. Having a doughnut in the breakroom or an extra slice of pizza at dinner doesn’t mean all progress is lost. No side order of guilt needed.

A dietitian can help

You don’t have to make diet changes on your own. Ask your health care team for a referral to a dietitian. The dietitian can help you find solutions that work for your lifestyle and budget. You also can find professional and community support with the Mayo Clinic Diet .

Relevant reading

Cook Smart, Eat Well

Healthy, flavorful meals are well within reach for anyone. This book is full of recipes that are easy to put together quickly with basic cooking techniques. Delicious kid friendly recipes, healthy desserts, snacks and side dishes. Being successful in the kitchen doesn’t mean you need to be a gourmet chef. Learn standard food preparation methods and cooking techniques for preparing a wide variety of tasty and healthy meals.

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Food Assistance and Food Systems Resources

An eating plan that helps promote health and manage your weight includes a variety of healthy foods. Add an array of colors to your plate and think of it as eating the rainbow. Dark, leafy greens, oranges, and tomatoes—even fresh herbs—are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Adding frozen peppers, broccoli, or onions to stews and omelets gives them a quick and convenient boost of color and nutrients.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 [PDF-30.6MB] , a healthy eating plan:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
• Includes a variety of protein foods such as seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, nuts, and seeds.
• Is low in added sugars , sodium , saturated fats, trans fats , and cholesterol.
• Stays within your daily calorie needs

USDA’s MyPlate Plan can help you identify what and how much to eat from the different food groups while staying within your recommended calorie allowance. You can also download My Food Diary [PDF-106KB]  to help track your meals.

Fresh, frozen, or canned fruits are great choices. Try fruits beyond apples and bananas such as mango, pineapple or kiwi fruit. When fresh fruit is not in season, try a frozen, canned, or dried variety. Be aware that dried and canned fruit may contain added sugars or syrups. Choose canned varieties of fruit packed in water or in its own juice.

Add variety to grilled or steamed vegetables with an herb such as rosemary. You can also sauté (panfry) vegetables in a non-stick pan with a small amount of cooking spray. Or try frozen or canned vegetables for a quick side dish—just microwave and serve. Look for canned vegetables without added salt, butter, or cream sauces. For variety, try a new vegetable each week.

Calcium-rich foods

In addition to fat-free and low-fat milk, consider low-fat and fat-free yogurts without added sugars. These come in a variety of flavors and can be a great dessert substitute.

If your favorite recipe calls for frying fish or breaded chicken, try healthier variations by baking or grilling. Maybe even try dry beans in place of meats. Ask friends and search the internet and magazines for recipes with fewer calories ― you might be surprised to find you have a new favorite dish!

Comfort Foods

You can still enjoy your favorite foods, even if they are high in calories, fat or added sugars. The key is eating them only once in a while.

Some general tips for comfort foods:

• Eat them less often. If you normally eat these foods every day, cut back to once a week or once a month.
• Eat smaller amounts. If your favorite higher-calorie food is a chocolate bar, have a smaller size or only half a bar.
• Try a lower-calorie version. Use lower-calorie ingredients or prepare food differently. For example, if your macaroni and cheese recipe includes whole milk, butter, and full-fat cheese, try remaking it with non-fat milk, less butter, low-fat cheese, fresh spinach and tomatoes. Just remember to not increase your portion size.

Want to learn more?

Rethink Your Drink Tips for cutting added sugars by changing your beverages.

How to Reduce Sodium Suggestions for when you are at the grocery store, at home, or dining out.

Healthy Eating Tips Start eating healthier with these simple tips.

Good Nutrition Starts Early Introduce kids to healthy foods with these ideas.

Improving Your Eating Habits Learn more about how to start changing your eating habits.

Planning Meals Stock up on healthier foods that contain fewer calories to help prepare you for weight-loss success!

Cutting Calories Find out how to cut calories for your meals, snacks, and even beverages.

Eat More Weigh Less Manage your weight without being hungry.

Get Enough Sleep Regulate your appetite with adequate sleep.

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Get resources to help you eat a healthy diet with vegetables, fruits, protein, grains, and dairy foods.

Use these tips to make nutritious food choices when dining out or ordering food to go.

Browse examples of foods in each food group and the amount that counts as one serving equivalent.

Discover how to create a healthy eating routine from MyPlate, the USDA food group guide.

The MyPlate Plan shows your food group targets – what and how much to eat within your calorie allowance. Your plan is personalized, based on your age, sex, height, weight and physical activity level. 

Find links to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) including the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs).

Make every bite count with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Use these guidelines to follow a healthy eating pattern at every stage of life.

View printable brochures and handouts with healthy eating tips based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 , including:

• Build a Healthy Eating Routine
• Cut Down on Added Sugars

What knowledge and behaviors do U.S. adults have about nutrition and food safety? Read this report from the Food and Drug Administration for key findings.

Learn about food groups and serving sizes.

Learn how to make eating more pleasant when you are sick. Plus, find tips for getting enough calories and protein while recovering.

Read the basics about nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

Challenge yourself to eating fruits and vegetables in new ways by following along to this 30-day calendar.

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Learn about healthy eating patterns for people who have had an amputation.

Discover how to estimate portion sizes for vegetables, fruits, dairy, and proteins using your hand.

Browse this database to find videos, activities, and recipes for different foods.

Find out more about the Mediterranean eating pattern and why it's so healthy.

Eating healthy can be easier than you think. Just remember the food groups! When you plan or prepare meals and snacks, try to include choices from all of the MyPlate food groups to meet your calorie and nutrient needs.

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6 Tips to Create Healthy Eating Habits That Help You Feel Your Best

Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and exercise nutrition coach based in Halifax.

Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.

Verywell / Jiaqi Zhou

If you asked 10 people to define "healthy eating," you'd receive 10 different answers. While many of those answers may contain some truth, navigating what healthy eating means for you takes time, intuition, and many times, a game plan.

To begin, understand that "healthy" is often used as a catch-all phrase, intended to steer you toward products that may or may not actually help you achieve sustainable health. When you're looking for habits, tips, and ingredients to help you feel your best, get more specific—what vitamins, nutrients, and flavors do you want to add to your weekly meal plan? Those granular questions can provide a more clear focus than "healthy" sometimes does.

If you're looking to commit to an eating style that's focused on helping you feel your best, it's worth brainstorming some strategies that encourage certain habits to stick. Remember, eating should not feel restrictive or complicated. You can eat all of the foods you love while adding a variety of nutritious foods that fuel you and support the optimal functioning of your body.

Focus On the Positive

When you want to implement eating habits that work toward sustainable health , not a temporary "diet," it's essential to focus on the positive. People sometimes get caught up in what they cannot have now that they are eating "better." This mindset makes you feel that you're restricting yourself, which may lead to abandoning your new eating habits altogether.

Instead, try focusing on what you're adding to your menu, rather than what you feel you should avoid. For instance, try adding a new vegetable or fruit each week. Plan a meal with a new-to-you or rarely-eaten nutritious ingredient and experiment with new recipes.

Another example is to focus on adding more—such as increasing your water intake, eating more fruit, vegetables, whole grains , lean protein, and dairy. You don't have to eliminate any of your favorite foods; simply focus on adding more nutrient-dense ingredients at each meal.

Instead of self-talk that focuses on what you "shouldn't" have, the main objective of your eating choices is to increase your consumption of foods (and water!) that make you feel more energized, vibrant, and excited about meals.

Ditch the Labels

Similarly, ditching the labels that you and society at large may have put on ingredients ,such as "good" or "bad," can relieve anxiety associated with making new choices regarding food.

Knowing that all foods are acceptable in moderation and that if you are craving a piece of chocolate cake, for example, you can enjoy it without guilt as part of an overall nutritious diet, helps create more balance in your approach to healthy eating.

Labeling food as good or bad is an inherent part of diet culture —the pervasive belief that food is transactional and can be earned with strict eating behaviors or exercise.

Labeling food as good or bad often extends to labeling yourself as good or bad depending on whether or not you resisted the foods deemed off-limits. This way of viewing food and yourself is unhealthy and can lead to more significant food and body image issues.

Food is cultural, social, and pleasurable. Avoid a mindset that makes you believe you have to restrict foods you love in order to be considered healthy. There's room for all foods in a healthy diet.

Fuel Up on Nutrients

Choosing to create eating habits that make you feel good doesn't have to be complicated. Fad diets and restrictive eating patterns are not necessary! Instead, focus on getting enough nutrients so you can feel your best. Nutrients include:

• Carbohydrates

Macronutrients are carbs, proteins, and fats and are the overarching building blocks of all foods. Each is necessary for fueling your body , repairing structures, regulating and producing hormones, transporting and absorbing micronutrients , and more.

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals which each play a role in your body. Phytonutrients are chemical compounds that provide a wide range of health benefits to your body and are obtained by eating plenty of plant-based foods. These compounds include flavonoids, phytochemicals, flavones, isoflavones, catechins, and anthocyanidins.

Set Yourself Up for Sucess

Part of setting yourself up for success includes planning ahead and changing your environment to reflect your goals. With any lifestyle change, the more you can do ahead of time to help yourself be successful, the better.

Here are some ways you can set yourself up for success:

• Buy a wide range of nutritious foods to have on hand (and keep in sight).
• Set aside one or two days a week to prepare nutritious meals and snacks ahead of when you'll need them. Meal planning can increase the likelihood of consuming more nutrient-rich food .
• Keep nutritious snacks in your bag or at your desk.
• Fill a water bottle to keep at your desk during the day—set phone reminders to drink water, if necessary.
• Cut up or bulk cook things like veggies and grains to make meals faster and easier to assemble.
• Plan to enjoy foods you love! Understand that a well-rounded diet is a healthy one.

Make Changes that Stick

Making small changes instead of completely overhauling your entire eating style makes it more likely for those changes to stick and become a lifestyle. One way you can make changes that stick is to use SMART goals—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Using  SMART goals  is a tried and true method of turning habits into a lifestyle. Here is how to set SMART goals.

• Specific : Choose specific habits that support your desired outcome. Instead of saying, “I want to eat healthier,” try saying, “I want to eat a new vegetable at dinner three nights per week.”
• Measurable : Whatever your goal, be sure that it is trackable and quantifiable. Whether that's how many days per week you bring lunch to work instead of eating out or how much water you drink each day, make sure you can measure it!
• Attainable : Your goals should be realistic and achievable. To ensure this, make your goals short-term and reasonable for your current lifestyle. Don't overcommit. A goal such as such as “I will increase my serving of lean protein at breakfast ," is easy enough to achieve while still being challenging enough to work toward.
• Relevant : Your goals and eating habits should be pertinent to your personal preferences. For instance, if you really dislike most vegetables, choose another eating goal that motivates you instead of forcing yourself to eat them. Perhaps you want to increase your daily fiber intake. Set a plan for how many grams per day and stick to it. Choose a goal that feels motivating to you.
• Time-bound : Create a timeframe in which you commit to reaching your goal. Of course, the timeframe should be realistic and not too distant. Starting with a few weeks ahead is ideal. Once you've reached the time set, re-evaluate your success and continue to set goals.

Seek Out Support

Creating a support system through your social network of friends and family may help increase overall wellbeing and adherence to health goals, including nutritious eating practices. Letting your friends and family know that you are committing to some lifestyle changes—no matter how big or small they may be—could make it easier to stick to your goals.

Asking the other people in your home, for instance, to help with meal preparation, brainstorming nutritious foods to try, or grocery shopping might take some of the load off of you and get them involved.

Nutrition and fitness books also can help guide you through the process, and cookbooks can provide all the inspiration you need. 

A Word From Verywell

Making healthy eating a lifestyle requires some mindset shifts, including how you view ingredients that society may have influenced you to think of as "good" or "bad." Focus on adding more nutrient-rich foods to your diet and supporting this focus with habit building and goal setting that fits into your current lifestyle.

Remember, with any lifestyle change, small steps that build up over time are perfectly acceptable and may increase adherence. There's no need to overhaul everything at once or commit to habits you dread. Seek the support of your social network to help you stay accountable and stick to the eating patterns that help you feel your best.

Rollins BY, Loken E, Savage JS, Birch LL. Effects of restriction on children’s intake differ by child temperament, food reinforcement, and parent’s chronic use of restriction . Appetite. 2014;73:31-39. doi"10.1016/j.appet.2013.10.005

Freeland-Graves JH, Nitzke S.  Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics: Total diet approach to healthy eating .  J Acad Nutr Diet . 2013;113(2):307-317. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2012.12.013

Hogan MJ, Strasburger VC.  Body image, eating disorders, and the media .  Adolesc Med State Art Rev . 2008;19(3):521-xi.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  How to explain basic nutrition concepts .

Gupta C, Prakash D.  Phytonutrients as therapeutic agents .  J Complement Integr Med . 2014;11(3):151-69. doi:10.1515/jcim-2013-0021

Ducrot P, Méjean C, Aroumougame V, et al. Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body weight status in a large sample of French adults . Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017;14(1):12. doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0461-7

Hills AP, Byrne NM, Lindstrom R, Hill JO. 'Small changes' to diet and physical activity behaviors for weight management .  Obes Facts . 2013;6(3):228-238. doi:10.1159/000345030

American Psychological Association.  Manage Stress: Strengthen Your Support Network . Updated October 2019.

By Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, and exercise nutrition coach based in Halifax.

Healthy Living Guide 2021/2022

A digest on healthy eating and healthy living.

Over the course of 2021, many of us continued to adapt to a “new normal,” characterized by a return to some pre-pandemic activities mixed with hobbies or habits that have emerged since 2020’s lockdowns. On the topic of food and eating, according to one U.S. consumer survey the year marked a decrease in certain behaviors that had changed abruptly during 2020. For example, fewer Americans reported that they were “snacking more” (18% in 2021 vs. 32% in 2020) or “eating more in general” (11% in 2021 vs. 20% in 2020). However, consumers also signaled a decrease in cooking at home (47% in 2021 vs. 60% in 2020); while other survey findings underscored significant disparities in food security. Beyond food, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to generate a wide range of unique and individual impacts, and the emergence of new disease variants is a sobering reminder of the urgency for increased vaccination globally, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

As we all continue to navigate the twists and turns of this pandemic, we once again invite you to do what you can to incorporate healthy behaviors into your daily life. This year’s edition revisits the core themes of eating well, being active, and getting enough sleep with selected research highlights, as well as a closer look at some popular nutrition and lifestyle topics. We hope that you find it useful, and we wish you a very healthy and fulfilling 2022.

Download a copy of the Healthy Living Guide (PDF) featuring printable tip sheets and summaries, or access many of the full online articles through the links below. 

Key features this issue:

• A blueprint for building healthy meals
• Exploring aquatic foods
• Are anti-nutrients harmful? 
• Navigating information on food packages
• The science of cravings
• Anti-inflammatory diet review
• Clearing up confusion on soy and health
• Spotlight on collagen
• Yoga for exercise
• High-intensity interval training
• Workout supplement review
• Updates on sleep

Plus: Test your healthy living knowledge

Hint: the answers can be found throughout last year’s Healthy Living Guide. Access the full edition here if you haven’t checked it out!

8 tips for healthy eating

These 8 practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating and can help you make healthier choices.

The key to a healthy diet is to eat the right amount of calories for how active you are so you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use.

If you eat or drink more than your body needs, you'll put on weight because the energy you do not use is stored as fat. If you eat and drink too little, you'll lose weight.

You should also eat a wide range of foods to make sure you're getting a balanced diet and your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.

It's recommended that men have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules).

Most adults in the UK are eating more calories than they need and should eat fewer calories.

1. Base your meals on higher fibre starchy carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates should make up just over a third of the food you eat. They include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals.

Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as wholewheat pasta, brown rice or potatoes with their skins on.

They contain more fibre than white or refined starchy carbohydrates and can help you feel full for longer.

Try to include at least 1 starchy food with each main meal. Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram the carbohydrate they contain provides fewer than half the calories of fat.

Keep an eye on the fats you add when you're cooking or serving these types of foods because that's what increases the calorie content – for example, oil on chips, butter on bread and creamy sauces on pasta.

2. Eat lots of fruit and veg

It's recommended that you eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced.

Getting your 5 A Day is easier than it sounds. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit?

A portion of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables is 80g. A portion of dried fruit (which should be kept to mealtimes) is 30g.

A 150ml glass of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie also counts as 1 portion, but limit the amount you have to no more than 1 glass a day as these drinks are sugary and can damage your teeth.

3. Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish

Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals .

Aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, including at least 1 portion of oily fish.

Oily fish are high in omega-3 fats, which may help prevent heart disease. 

Oily fish include:

Non-oily fish include:

You can choose from fresh, frozen and canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.

Most people should be eating more fish, but there are recommended limits for some types of fish.

Find out more about fish and shellfish

4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

Saturated fat.

You need some fat in your diet, but it's important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat you're eating.

There are 2 main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.

On average, men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat a day. On average, women should have no more than 20g of saturated fat a day.

Children under the age of 11 should have less saturated fat than adults, but a low-fat diet is not suitable for children under 5.

Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as:

• fatty cuts of meat
• hard cheese

Try to eat less saturated fat and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats instead, such as vegetable oils and spreads, oily fish and avocados.

For a healthier choice, use a small amount of vegetable or olive oil, or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee.

When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat.

All types of fat are high in energy, so they should only be eaten in small amounts.

Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar  increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay .

Sugary foods and drinks are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories), and if consumed too often can contribute to weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.

Free sugars are any sugars added to foods or drinks, or found naturally in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies.

This is the type of sugar you should be cutting down on, rather than the sugar found in fruit and milk.

Many packaged foods and drinks contain surprisingly high amounts of free sugars.

Free sugars are found in many foods, such as:

• sugary fizzy drinks
• sugary breakfast cereals
• pastries and puddings
• sweets and chocolate
• alcoholic drinks

Food labels can help. Use them to check how much sugar foods contain.

More than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g means the food is high in sugar, while 5g of total sugars or less per 100g means the food is low in sugar.

Find out how to cut down on sugar in your diet

5. Eat less salt: no more than 6g a day for adults

Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.

Even if you do not add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much.

About three-quarters of the salt you eat is already in the food when you buy it, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and sauces.

Use food labels to help you cut down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt.

Adults and children aged 11 and over should eat no more than 6g of salt (about a teaspoonful) a day. Younger children should have even less.

Get tips for a lower salt diet

6. Get active and be a healthy weight

As well as eating healthily, regular exercise may help reduce your risk of getting serious health conditions. It's also important for your overall health and wellbeing.

Read more about the benefits of exercise and physical activity guidelines for adults .

Being overweight or obese can lead to health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health.

Most adults need to lose weight by eating fewer calories.

If you're trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Check whether you're a healthy weight by using the BMI healthy weight calculator .

Lose weight with the NHS weight loss plan , a 12-week weight loss guide that combines advice on healthier eating and physical activity.

If you're underweight, see underweight adults . If you're worried about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice.

7. Do not get thirsty

You need to drink plenty of fluids to stop you getting dehydrated. The government recommends drinking 6 to 8 glasses every day. This is in addition to the fluid you get from the food you eat. 

All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, lower fat milk and lower sugar drinks, including tea and coffee, are healthier choices. 

Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks, as they're high in calories. They're also bad for your teeth. 

Even unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies are high in free sugar.

Your combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies should not be more than 150ml a day, which is a small glass.

Remember to drink more fluids during hot weather or while exercising.

8. Do not skip breakfast

Some people skip breakfast because they think it'll help them lose weight.

But a healthy breakfast high in fibre and low in fat, sugar and salt can form part of a balanced diet, and can help you get the nutrients you need for good health.

A wholegrain lower sugar cereal with semi-skimmed milk and fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and healthier breakfast.

Further information

• The Eatwell Guide can help you get the right balance of the 5 main food groups. The guide shows you how much of what you eat should come from each food group.
• Read more about eating a balanced diet and  understanding calories .

Page last reviewed: 22 November 2022 Next review due: 22 November 2025

Cooking at Home

Healthy food for kids, eating well as you age.

• Organic Foods: What You Need to Know

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Eating well on a budget, mindful eating, vitamins and minerals.

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What is a healthy diet?

The fundamentals of healthy eating, making the switch to a healthy diet, moderation: important to any healthy diet, add more fruit and vegetables to your diet.

Confused by all the conflicting nutrition advice out there? These simple tips can show you how to plan, enjoy, and stick to a healthy diet.

Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health, and boosting your mood.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be overly complicated. If you feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition and diet advice out there, you’re not alone. It seems that for every expert who tells you a certain food is good for you, you’ll find another saying exactly the opposite. The truth is that while some specific foods or nutrients have been shown to have a beneficial effect on mood, it’s your overall dietary pattern that is most important. The cornerstone of a healthy diet should be to replace processed food with real food whenever possible. Eating food that is as close as possible to the way nature made it can make a huge difference to the way you think, look, and feel.

By using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create—and stick to—a tasty, varied, and nutritious diet that is as good for your mind as it is for your body.

While some extreme diets may suggest otherwise, we all need a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in our diets to sustain a healthy body. You don’t need to eliminate certain categories of food from your diet, but rather select the healthiest options from each category.

Protein gives you the energy to get up and go—and keep going—while also supporting mood and cognitive function. Too much protein can be harmful to people with kidney disease, but the latest research suggests that many of us need more high-quality protein, especially as we age. That doesn’t mean you have to eat more animal products—a variety of plant-based sources of protein each day can ensure your body gets all the essential protein it needs. Learn more »

Fat . Not all fat is the same. While bad fats can wreck your diet and increase your risk of certain diseases, good fats protect your brain and heart. In fact, healthy fats—such as omega-3s—are vital to your physical and emotional health. Including more healthy fat in your diet can help improve your mood, boost your well-being, and even trim your waistline. Learn more »

Fiber . Eating foods high in dietary fiber (grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans) can help you stay regular and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can also improve your skin and even help you to lose weight . Learn more »

Calcium . As well as leading to osteoporosis, not getting enough calcium in your diet can also contribute to anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. Whatever your age or gender, it’s vital to include calcium-rich foods in your diet, limit those that deplete calcium, and get enough magnesium and vitamins D and K to help calcium do its job. Learn more »

Carbohydrates are one of your body’s main sources of energy. But most should come from complex, unrefined carbs (vegetables, whole grains, fruit) rather than sugars and refined carbs. Cutting back on white bread, pastries, starches, and sugar can prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar, fluctuations in mood and energy, and a build-up of fat, especially around your waistline. Learn more »

Switching to a healthy diet doesn’t have to be an all or nothing proposition. You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy, and you don’t have to change everything all at once—that usually only leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan.

A better approach is to make a few small changes at a time. Keeping your goals modest can help you achieve more in the long term without feeling deprived or overwhelmed by a major diet overhaul. Think of planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps—like adding a salad to your diet once a day. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices.

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Setting yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, try to keep things simple. Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories, for example, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. Focus on avoiding packaged and processed foods and opting for more fresh ingredients whenever possible.

Prepare more of your own meals . Cooking more meals at home can help you take charge of what you’re eating and better monitor exactly what goes into your food. You’ll eat fewer calories and avoid the chemical additives, added sugar, and unhealthy fats of packaged and takeout foods that can leave you feeling tired, bloated, and irritable, and exacerbate symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.

Make the right changes . When cutting back on unhealthy foods in your diet, it’s important to replace them with healthy alternatives. Replacing dangerous trans fats with healthy fats (such as switching fried chicken for grilled salmon) will make a positive difference to your health. Switching animal fats for refined carbohydrates, though (such as switching your breakfast bacon for a donut), won’t lower your risk for heart disease or improve your mood.

Read the labels . It’s important to be aware of what’s in your food as manufacturers often hide large amounts of sugar or unhealthy fats in packaged food, even food claiming to be healthy.

Focus on how you feel after eating . This will help foster healthy new habits and tastes. The healthier the food you eat, the better you’ll feel after a meal. The more junk food you eat, the more likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or drained of energy.

Drink plenty of water . Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many of us go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.

What is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal, but not stuffed. For many of us, moderation means eating less than we do now. But it doesn’t mean eliminating the foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner—but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza.

Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you ban certain foods, it’s natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. Start by reducing portion sizes of unhealthy foods and not eating them as often. As you reduce your intake of unhealthy foods, you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.

Think smaller portions . Serving sizes have ballooned recently. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entree, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything. At home, visual cues can help with portion sizes. Your serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a traditional light bulb. By serving your meals on smaller plates or in bowls, you can trick your brain into thinking it’s a larger portion. If you don’t feel satisfied at the end of a meal, add more leafy greens or round off the meal with fruit.

Take your time . It’s important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.

Eat with others whenever possible . Eating alone, especially in front of the TV or computer, often leads to mindless overeating.

Limit snack foods in the home. Be careful about the foods you keep at hand. It’s more challenging to eat in moderation if you have unhealthy snacks and treats at the ready. Instead, surround yourself with healthy choices and when you’re ready to reward yourself with a special treat, go out and get it then.

Control emotional eating. We don’t always eat just to satisfy hunger. Many of us also turn to food to relieve stress or cope with unpleasant emotions such as sadness, loneliness, or boredom. But by learning healthier ways to manage stress and emotions, you can regain control over the food you eat and your feelings.

It’s not just what you eat, but when you eat

Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day . A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, while eating small, healthy meals keeps your energy up all day.

Avoid eating late at night . Try to eat dinner earlier and fast for 14-16 hours until breakfast the next morning. Studies suggest that eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day may help to regulate weight.

Fruit and vegetables are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Focus on eating the recommended daily amount of at least five servings of fruit and vegetables and it will naturally fill you up and help you cut back on unhealthy foods. A serving is half a cup of raw fruit or veg or a small apple or banana, for example. Most of us need to double the amount we currently eat.

To increase your intake:

• Add antioxidant-rich berries to your favorite breakfast cereal
• Eat a medley of sweet fruit—oranges, mangos, pineapple, grapes—for dessert
• Swap your usual rice or pasta side dish for a colorful salad
• Instead of eating processed snack foods, snack on vegetables such as carrots, snow peas, or cherry tomatoes along with a spicy hummus dip or peanut butter

How to make vegetables tasty

While plain salads and steamed veggies can quickly become bland, there are plenty of ways to add taste to your vegetable dishes.

Add color . Not only do brighter, deeper colored vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but they can vary the flavor and make meals more visually appealing. Add color using fresh or sundried tomatoes, glazed carrots or beets, roasted red cabbage wedges, yellow squash, or sweet, colorful peppers.

Liven up salad greens . Branch out beyond lettuce. Kale, arugula, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are all packed with nutrients. To add flavor to your salad greens, try drizzling with olive oil, adding a spicy dressing, or sprinkling with almond slices, chickpeas, a little bacon, parmesan, or goat cheese.

Satisfy your sweet tooth . Naturally sweet vegetables—such as carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, bell peppers, and squash—add sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for added sugar. Add them to soups, stews, or pasta sauces for a satisfying sweet kick.

Cook green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus in new ways . Instead of boiling or steaming these healthy sides, try grilling, roasting, or pan frying them with chili flakes, garlic, shallots, mushrooms, or onion. Or marinate in tangy lemon or lime before cooking.

More Information

• U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, 9th Edition. (2020). Link
• Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. (2020). Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee . U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Link
• Skerrett, P. J., & Willett, W. C. (2010). Essentials of Healthy Eating: A Guide. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 55(6), 492–501. Link
• Marx, W., Moseley, G., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. (2017). Nutritional psychiatry: The present state of the evidence. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(4), 427–436. Link
• Morris, M. C., Tangney, C. C., Wang, Y., Sacks, F. M., Barnes, L. L., Bennett, D. A., & Aggarwal, N. T. (2015). MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 11(9), 1015–1022. Link
• Hu, F. B., Manson, J. E., & Willett, W. C. (2001). Types of dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease: A critical review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 20(1), 5–19. Link
• Jakobsen, M. U., Dethlefsen, C., Joensen, A. M., Stegger, J., Tjønneland, A., Schmidt, E. B., & Overvad, K. (2010). Intake of carbohydrates compared with intake of saturated fatty acids and risk of myocardial infarction: Importance of the glycemic index. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91(6), 1764–1768. Link
• Hu, F. B., Stampfer, M. J., Manson, J. E., Rimm, E., Colditz, G. A., Rosner, B. A., Hennekens, C. H., & Willett, W. C. (1997). Dietary Fat Intake and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women. New England Journal of Medicine, 337(21), 1491–1499. Link
• Siri-Tarino, P. W., Sun, Q., Hu, F. B., & Krauss, R. M. (2010). Saturated Fatty Acids and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: Modulation by Replacement Nutrients. Current Atherosclerosis Reports, 12(6), 384–390. Link
• F. Masana, M., Tyrovolas, S., Kollia, N., Chrysohoou, C., Skoumas, J., Haro, J. M., Tousoulis, D., Papageorgiou, C., Pitsavos, C., & B. Panagiotakos, D. (2019). Dietary Patterns and Their Association with Anxiety Symptoms among Older Adults: The ATTICA Study. Nutrients, 11(6), 1250. Link
• Conner, T. S., Brookie, K. L., Carr, A. C., Mainvil, L. A., & Vissers, M. C. M. (2017). Let them eat fruit! The effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on psychological well-being in young adults: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 12(2), e0171206. Link
• Veronese, N., Solmi, M., Caruso, M. G., Giannelli, G., Osella, A. R., Evangelou, E., Maggi, S., Fontana, L., Stubbs, B., & Tzoulaki, I. (2018). Dietary fiber and health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 107(3), 436–444. Link

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How to Lose Body Fat, According to a Dietitian

It’s about setting realistic goals and making simple lifestyle changes—no crash diets required.

Natalie Rizzo, M.S., RD, is a New York City-based registered dietitian, owner of Greenletes (a successful sports nutrition practice, blog and podcast) and author of Planted Performance: Easy Plant-Based Recipes, Meal Plans, and Nutrition for All Athletes .

Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

If you are aiming to lose body fat, there’s one big thing you’re up against: The chatter on social media. So much of it promotes drastic diets, weight-shaming and toxic diet culture that it’s easy to be misled, especially when it comes to losing body fat in a healthy way.

Body weight isn’t the only indicator of health, and someone in a smaller body isn’t necessarily healthier than someone in a larger body. However, having more body fat, especially increased visceral (abdominal) fat and less muscle mass, is associated with higher risk of disease, and there are healthy ways to lose body fat without taking extreme measures. Learn about healthy and realistic strategies to reduce body fat long-term.

Setting Realistic Goals

Before jumping into a weight-loss plan, set realistic and achievable weight-loss goals . Starting off with an unattainable goal makes it harder to create long-term change and sets you up for failure. Instead, think small and short-term. Setting a small goal that you may be able to achieve in the next week or month gives you something to look forward to and helps keep you focused on your health goal.

After the small goal is achieved, set your next one. This approach creates habit change that leads to sustainable weight loss. Plus, when you lose body fat slowly, you may also be able to retain more muscle mass during weight loss and improve your metabolic health, too.

Create a Healthy Eating Plan 

Building a healthy eating plan is the cornerstone to losing body fat. Here are two small—but impactful—changes you can make that will help you create healthier eating habits over time.

Eat More Fiber

Most Americans don’t consume enough fiber, but it’s incredibly important for fat loss . Fiber keeps you full between meals, which prevents you from overeating. A 2019 study in Nutrients found that dietary fiber intake promotes weight loss in overweight and obese adults following a calorie-restricted diet. Fiber fills you up and contributes to feelings of satiety, helping you feel less need for snacks between meals.

Fiber is abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes. Fill half your plate or bowl with fruits or vegetables at every meal, including breakfast, to reap fiber’s benefits.

Get Protein at Every Meal

Protein is another nutrient that plays a role in satiety. It also contributes to muscle growth, and more muscle mass may improve your metabolic rate (the speed at which you burn calories). A 2020 review in the Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome concludes that high-protein diets are a useful tool for weight loss due to these reasons.

Protein-rich foods include poultry, eggs, dairy products, soy foods, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day, so that you feel the satiating effects at every meal and snack.

Incorporate Physical Activity

Staying active is crucial for fat loss. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, plus strength (resistance) training at least two days per week. Examples of moderate-intensity activity include brisk walking, elliptical, cycling, swimming or jogging. All of these types of activities promote fat loss, but research suggests that high-intensity interval training may actually boost your metabolism and aid in fat loss. Including a short HIIT workout in your weekly exercise routine may help rev up fat burn.

Another way to promote fat loss is to include movement into your daily activities. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis refers to the calories your body burns through daily activities such as walking to the store, going up stairs, cleaning your house or standing to cook a meal, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine . These small activities add up to fat loss over time, so it’s generally beneficial to try to move more during the day.

Lifestyle Modifications for Fat Loss

Two words: sleep and stress. Not sleeping enough can hinder your fat-loss goals. Without the proper seven or more nightly hours of sleep, as advised by the CDC , you’re more likely to feel hungry throughout the day. Sleep deprivation increases the hormones that make you feel hungry and decreases the hormones that cause you to feel full.

In addition, as anyone who has reached for ice cream or chips after a tough day knows, stress can affect eating habits. A meta-analysis on 54 studies in Health Psychology Review in 2022 concluded that stress causes you to eat more unhealthy foods and less healthy foods.

Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation, yoga or deep breathing, can help you manage stress on a daily basis. What’s more, reducing stress may also positively impact sleep.

Monitoring Progress

It can be difficult to know if you’re losing body fat, since it is hard to measure without the proper machinery. At-home scales that assess body fat percentage aren’t always accurate, and they can be easily skewed by factors like hydration status.

That said, losing weight or inches off of your body is a good indicator of fat loss. In addition, an increase in muscle mass may also reflect fat loss. Make note of your progress. You can use an app to track body measurements or write down your progress in a notebook or on your phone.

Over time, you may notice that fat loss also has other positive health implications, such as increased energy levels, improved sleep and more strength in addition to its metabolic benefits, such as improved cholesterol levels.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do you lose body fat quickly .

You don’t, in our opinion! Slow and steady weight loss helps you build healthy habits over time that will stick with you. Shift your goal from how quickly you can do it to how you can do it in a sustainable way.

What burns the most body fat? Are there certain foods or a particular type of exercise?

Activities like running, walking on an incline or HIIT workouts are excellent for burning body fat. Particular foods do not burn body fat, but eating a healthy and well-balanced diet can help you achieve your weight-loss goals .

How do you lose fat from your face? What about your arms or thighs? 

You cannot pick and choose where you lose fat from the body. Fat loss happens from all areas of the body, and some people hold fat in different places than others. However, if you want to build muscle in certain areas of the body, focus on strength-training those muscles.

How long does it take to notice body fat loss?

It’s realistic to target losing 1 to 2 pounds of body fat per week. With this gradual fat loss, it may take a month or more to notice body fat loss.

The Bottom Line

Losing body fat is important for health and energy levels. Setting realistic and achievable goals, as well as creating healthy eating and physical activity habits, is crucial for gradual and sustained fat loss. Sleep and stress also play a role in fat loss. To lose fat in a healthy way and keep it off, make small changes in all areas of your lifestyle.

4 Healthy Eating Habits That Will Also Keep You Fit

Y ou may assume that you have healthy eating habits, but do you really when you look more closely at what you typically eat most days? Think of all the processed foods many of us consume that are loaded with sugars, bad fats and excess sodium. Some of those choices can be avoided if you cook meals from scratch while others may be harder to give up like your favorite salty or sweet snacks. Nevertheless, every healthier change to your daily diet does add up for the long-term such as adopting these four healthy eating habits for the improvement they can make.

There are some people that do their best to steer clear of eating enough fruits and vegetables. In case you are one that also likes to snub them, then you are missing important sources of valuable nutrition that includes vitamins, minerals and fiber that could better keep you fit and defend your body against diseases.

An easy way to ease into eating more fruits and vegetables is to start gradually incorporating them into a meal. For instance at  breakfast , you may want to add some blueberries or stir in some applesauce to a bowl of a cooked oatmeal or just drop some strawberries or other berries in your dry cereal.

You can transform your lunch just by packing a banana, an apple or an orange to whatever sandwich or meal you bring for a  healthy snack . Pocket sandwiches are excellent for sneaking in fresh vegetables along with cheese or meats or a nut butter. If you are dining out for lunch, try ordering a salad or using it as a side to whatever else you eat for that lunch choice.

A side dish of vegetables or a salad or even tossing vegetables into your recipe such as casseroles or stir frying to homemade soups can also help for a method to bring more fruits and vegetables into your day in order to get at least five servings.

You may want to learn how to use more herbs and spices in your cooking as another of these healthy eating habits that can make a big difference for health and fitness. You will be surprised at how trusting your instincts on pairing up varying spice and herb combinations can help cut down some of the sugar, salt and fat that you may have used in that recipe. A delicious trio is powdered cloves, coriander and thyme leaves on chicken, which may sound odd until you taste them together.

Another idea to improve eating habits is substituting low fat milk instead of whole milk. Skim milk is the best if you can tolerate it, but going with 1% or 2% fat content can still help and deliver all the same calcium, phosphorus, vitamins, and protein to  keep your bones strong .

The final of these wholesome eating habits that I want to stress involves how often you eat. Eating every three to five hours is a better way to fuel your body than stretching your eating out. The reason it is so beneficial is because it keeps blood sugar steadier for more energy. In fact, it is better for your metabolism to speed up calorie burning.

What I shared here with just these four better eating habits are just a few basics, but enough to get you started for a better future and body.

Visit  Beauty Cooks Kisses Blog  for more helpful posts to better your life!

ORS Introduces ‘Nourish,’ Six-Week Healthy Eating Program

The Office of Research Services has announced Nourish, a spring 2024 well-being challenge that helps turn healthy eating intentions into lifelong habits. Wrapped in a garden theme, Nourish lets you choose the activities most meaningful and motivating to you. 

What’s in it for me? Grow virtual veggies, fruits and grains from around the world by recording health activities. Then try delicious recipes with ingredients from your garden—seven new recipes each week. A mobile app is also available to track on the go.

Who can participate? Available to all federal employees and anyone in your household ages 18 and over. Read the Nourish letter to all federal agencies for details at https://go.nih.gov/ikesn7R .

To register, go to the Feds Get Fit website at https://fedsgetfitmas.thenourishgarden.com/welcome . Logging begins Monday, Apr. 1. Registration ends Monday, Apr. 8. Last Day to Track Activity: May 14.

Work together. Team participation is optional, but when groups of four band together toward a shared goal, they greatly improve their chance of success—and have more fun along the way! After registering, go to the “Team” page.

Learn how you can increase energy, lift mood and sharpen focus by eating more nutrient-rich food and less nutrient-deficient food in Nourish.

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6 Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Managing GEP-NETs

From exercising to lowering stress, these lifestyle changes can help you feel better with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

If you have gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) , adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as eating right and exercising can help you stay well during treatment.

Unlike other cancers, GEP-NETs move slowly, with a longer life expectancy. “Oftentimes, this means that people can live with it for many years,” says Jennifer Eads, MD , an oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia. “I sometimes refer to it almost as a chronic illness.”

The prognosis for GEP-NETs is often positive, with an average survival of 27 years after diagnosis, according to research . Worth noting: The prognosis varies significantly by stage of the disease, location of the tumors, and other disease characteristics.

Since you have to live with and treat GEP-NETs over time, taking charge of your lifestyle can be a powerful complement to your medical treatment. “I encourage people to not let the disease dictate their life, but rather try to live as functionally as possible with it,” says Dr. Eads. Here are some healthy lifestyle habits that can help you live well with GEP-NETs.

1. Consult Your Medical Team

Treatment for GEP-NETs is very individualized, so it’s important to surround yourself with the right care team. “It is a very multidisciplinary disease, so having a team of people who take care of you is encouraged,” Eads says.

Your care team may include:

• A medical oncologist for diagnosis and treatment
• Surgeons for any procedures that are needed
• Interventional radiologists, who perform minimally invasive procedures with guidance from imaging
• Nuclear medicine physicians, who perform testing or administer treatment using radioactive materials
• An endocrinologist
• A cardiologist
• A geneticist or genetic counselor

Eads also recommends working with:

• A dietitian for an individualized eating plan
• A pharmacist who is knowledgeable about GEP-NET drugs and can help you navigate hurdles that make the treatment difficult to get
• A palliative care team for symptom management
• A social worker or nurse navigator to help connect you with resources and information throughout your care

2. Eat a Mediterranean Diet

Eating healthy is important for anyone with GEP-NETs. Studies have found that a Mediterranean diet, in particular, is beneficial for the prevention and management of various endocrine disorders, including neuroendocrine tumors.

Do your best to consume fruits, healthy fats, lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains. But Eads stresses that the most important thing is to eat what you can, when you can. “I don’t like to be too restrictive, because people who have cancer often lose weight, and we don’t want that,” she says.

If you’re struggling with eating, work with your healthcare team to create a personalized nutrition plan that aligns with your needs.

3. Stay Active

Research shows that a loss in normal-density muscle is associated with an increase in mortality from GEP-NETs. To prevent muscle loss, the researchers recommend working with your care team to create an exercise and nutrition program.

Start slowly with low-impact exercises, such as walking, stretching, and light biking. And the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation recommends clearing any new activities with your doctor, who will consider the medications you’re on and surgeries you’ve had.

4. Quit Smoking and Avoid Alcohol

Smoking is associated with neuroendocrine tumor development, including GEP-NETs, according to a review . While researchers didn’t find a link between alcohol and GEP-NETs, Eads says it can exacerbate symptoms, especially for people who have functional tumors — tumors that produce hormones — in their bowels. So it’s best to avoid both alcohol and cigarettes.

5. Stick to a Regular Sleep Schedule

Quality sleep contributes to better cognitive function, mood, and overall health. To improve your sleep, establish a relaxing bedtime routine and stick to a consistent sleep schedule. It’s also a good idea to avoid naps during the day, so you’re not up at night. And try to exercise regularly to improve your sleep quality, Eads recommends.

If your symptoms or treatments are disrupting your sleep, talk to your healthcare team.

6. Manage Your Stress

“Stress can increase your symptoms, so we try to help people with stress reduction,” Eads says. She recommends joining a support group or meeting with a cancer social worker if you’re feeling anxious about your condition or prognosis. The goal, she says, is to make sure you understand you are supported beyond your medical care.

On your own, you can explore relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga, to help lower stress.

These lifestyle changes can help you build an effective and holistic approach to managing GEP-NETs. “I try to help people understand they don’t have what people generally think of as a common cancer, that this is more often a chronic condition that we’re going to manage over the course of their life,” says Eads.

You may not be able to control your diagnosis, but you can take charge of your overall health and manage your GEP-NET journey.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

• Xu Zihan et. al. Epidemiologic Trends of and Factors Associated With Overall Survival for Patients With Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors in the United States. JAMA Network Open . September 23, 2021.
• Barrea L et. al. Role of Mediterranean Diet in Endocrine Diseases: A Joint Overview by the Endocrinologist and the Nutritionist. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation . January 2024.
• Sebastian-Valles F et. al. Impact of Change in Body Composition During Follow-Up on the Survival of GEP-NET. Cancers . November 2022.
• Exercise While Living With a Neuroendocrine Tumor. Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation .
• Bogaards M et. al. Lifestyle and Neuro-Endocrine Tumor (NET) Development Within the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Cohort. Endocrine Abstracts . February 2, 2023.

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I've spent 20 years studying longevity in Blue Zones: My daily habits for a long, healthy life

Dan Buettner has spent 20 years studying the world's longest-lived people during which he created the term " blue zones ," to describe places around the world where residents live longer than the average person. Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy and Nicoya, Costa Rica are all blue zones, according to Buettner's research.

The 63-year-old also picked up some habits from the people he studied in these areas that have become key to his own health. "I know what they do as populations to live a long time, and I've certainly learned their lessons," he tells CNBC Make It.

"My doctor tells me I'm in the top 1% of healthy people my age."

Here are the habits Buettner practices every day to stay happy, healthy and contribute to his own longevity.

1. Take advantage of living in a walkable city

"People are living a long time, not because they have a daily practice, but because they've set up their surroundings, or they were born into surroundings, that nudge them into moving more," Buettner says.

This awareness inspired Buettner to move to the southern tip of Miami Beach "which is a very walkable community," he says. He lives next to the ocean which he visits and swims in often, and can easily bike around the area.

"I can live an active life without really having to plan for it," Buettner says.

2. Eat a mostly plant-based diet

Buettner's diet plays a huge role in his healthy lifestyle: He doesn't eat meat at all, eats "about 98% plant based," and typically eats within a 10 to 12-hour window.

"I usually have just two meals a day. One is late morning, and the other one is at night," he says — around 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

One of Buettner's go-to foods for breakfast and dinner is beans. He learned that those who eat a cup of beans a day live around four years longer than people who don't. Buettner also enjoys spinach, roasted potatoes, tofu and chickpeas.

There is one thing Buettner hasn't given up, and doesn't plan to: going out to eat, which he does nearly every night. "Miami nightlife kind of forces me out. It's not exactly [the] blue zone way."

3. Engage in lots of social connection

"There's better research about the certainty of good social connectivity helping us live longer than there is for any pill we could pop," Buettner says.

Thankfully, he lives in a community where he's "constantly bumping into people." During our call, Buettner was in a coffee shop he frequents: "There's three people I bump into every day, two of whom have become friends."

He spends most of the daytime alone as he writes, but "I have every night planned with people, and that's when I get a lot of my social interactivity."

Buettner also loves hosting friends at home: "I've intentionally kind of overspent to buy a place where I can invite people. Right now, in fact, I have three guests in my house."

4. Never work past 5 p.m.

One of Buettner's non-negotiables is that he never wants to work past 5 p.m.

"It takes an act of God to get me to work past 5 p.m." he says. "I know from my happiness studies, that even if I can make more money by working past 5 p.m., it's not going to make me happier."

Clocking out of all things work around that time is a major way that Buettner manages stress. "Come five o'clock, it's always physical activity and social time."

5. Do something physical every day

"I wish I could tell you I had a daily meditation, but I don't," Buettner says. Instead he prefers to "do something physical every single day."

Buettner gets his exercise from activities like:

• Stand-up paddle surfing
• "Social yoga"
• Working out with a friend

"I do not do anything I don't enjoy. I don't enjoy cardio, and I don't enjoy overly intense workouts."

And after a night of socializing and physical activity, Buettner sleeps for eight hours. "You're a lot less stressed if you've had a [good] night of sleep," he says.

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