The key to healthy eating is not about demanded rules of dietary restrictions, being sexy and keeping yourself thin all throughout, or avoiding yourself to the foods that you dearest to you. To be precise, it is about being smart, your mood of being great, an energized lifestyle, and most importantly it does not require a lot of money. Though most of us may tend to worry about the conflicting nutrition and diet counsels, we know for sure what the phrase “health is wealth” means for us. That is to always place health at the forefront of our efforts and to achieve a healthier and happy lifestyle.

According to Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition, Tufts University, “Instead of emphasizing one nutrient, we need to move to food-based recommendations. What we eat should be whole, minimally processed, nutritious food—food that is in many cases as close to its natural form as possible.”

Eating right can help us maintain a healthy weight, a normal Body Mass Index (BMI), and avoid the risk of health problems. Conforming to an inspired article by Joan Borysenko PhD entitled 10 steps to healthy eating, these simple and practical guidelines, can help you cut through the confusion good for your mind as it is for your body.

1. Cook your own food.

“I do not have time and it is too expensive,” these are some common of the reasons on why some people do not cook their own food. But if you think of it, when you cook your own food, you are in control. You can assure yourself of what goes into your food, onto your plate, and eventually to your body. Plus, the money that you have save will help you choose healthier and better ingredients.

2. Use healthy ingredients.

As much as possible avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs) especially now that the FDA has allowed GMO seeds to be used for agriculture. It is much safe to go organic but always check for foods that are directly from the ground like potatoes as these are where common of the GMO are being altered.

3. Read the labels

This is where most people are making mistakes – reading the labels. When buying processed foods, do not forget to check and read the labels because it is where the nutritional information is found. It can help you to make wise choices about the food. This recent years, the food industry has spent hundreds of millions of dollars fighting GMO labelling and paying off Congress to prevent labelling on process foods. That is why keep it in mind, before buying processed foods – make sure to read the labels.

4. Avoid high risk foods

Practice safe food handling such as learning to pay attention to fat content, most especially trans-fat, and the sugar content. Cholesterol can be created through eating high fructose corn syrup and can also contribute to insulin resistance. Saturated fats and sugar are linked to heart disease and diabetes. The best advice is to avoid them most especially hydrogenated oils that are used for snacks which can literally affect your health.

5. Eat a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

At the risk of sounding like your mom, your body really needs each of these because these are essential to your body. Learn to trim off animal fats as much as possible. What your body needs are healthy fats and proteins. Also, avoid high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners of all kinds.

6. Pay attention to how your body is reacting to what you are eating.

As they say, “you are what you eat.” Foods can actually affect our moods particularly when combating stressful situations and how you will be able to handle it. If you know that you are sensitive to gluten, better lessen or take out wheat and other gluten products from your diet. If it is dairy or orange juice that causes excess phlegm, stop consuming them. If you are a woman beyond menopause, you should limit soy products or get tested to see if you are genetically inclined to hormone induced breast cancer.

7. Eat meats that are grown humanely.

Eat meat that are all natural and farm fresh. This means that they are fed from pasture floors. Some animals are grown in confined spaces are fed with antibiotics to keep down diseases. Animals that are fed animal by-products transmit diseases from the animals that they ate. Animals that are fed growth hormones and antibiotics are carrying unsettling chemicals that can damage your immune system over time.

8. Eat minimally processed foods.

Look for food that are nutrition stripped in the processing such as raw milk cheeses, locally grown vegetables and meats, and whole grains. Frozen seafood and vegetables are frequently more nourishing and harmless than fresh foods that have been stored.

9. If the food does not look, smell or taste good, do not eat it.

Remember that there is no five second rule when it comes to bacteria. Always check the food that you buy. If you are not sure of the food that you are buying, look for another one. Check also the expiration dates of foods that you have stored in your house.

10. If you do not buy it, you cannot eat it.

When going to a grocery store, pay attention to the foods that you only need. Grit your teeth when passing by chips, ice cream, candy and other junk foods. Remember, if those foods are in your closet, they are available for consumption. Do not be trick with those attractive covers but always check what is best for your family.

Healthy eating is all about balance. You can still enjoy your favorite foods once in a while but you have to balance them out with healthier foods and more physical activity. So what are you waiting for, start a healthy eating.