To have a healthy diet, controlling your “sweet tooth” is an important part. Here are some strategies to start with.

1. Eat regular meals. Have a small meal every 4-5 hours before you run out of energy. This prevents sugar cravings.

2. One or more carbohydrate-rich whole foods everyday, such as potatoes (no fried ones), sweet potatoes, fresh fruits or whole grains.

3. Have mixed meals with complex carbohydrates, protein and fat, which stabilize energy and avert sugar cravings.

4. Decrease salt intake. Less salt may make it easier to tell when you are hungry or when you’ve had enough.

5. Eat whole foods instead of highly refined foods. Refined foods lack nutrients and filling fiber found in whole foods.

6. Stop habitual use of sugar. Instead, eat fresh fruits and whole-fruit smoothie. Find healthy alternatives to quench your sweet thirst.

7. Eat smaller, more frequent meals to stabilize energy. Choose bulky, nutritious and low calorie foods, such as veggies, whole fruit, whole grain and lean meat.

8. Avoid satisfying your emotional needs with sweets. Find nonfood ways to balance your life.

To read more about why we crave for sweets and the solutions to the problems, click here.

Lowering blood cholesterol decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Good eating habit is an important part of a healthy lifestyle that can prevent heart disease and reverse atherosclerosis.

1. More plant foods

A diet of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, plus some fish and poultry can significantly lower the risk of a heart attack compared to a diet rich in sweets, fried foods, refined grains and red processed meats.

Plant foods are often high in fiber and plant sterols that lower cholesterol. They are also rich in antioxidants, which prevent LDL from oxidizing.

2. The good fats

Saturated fat, dietary cholesterol and trans fats raise blood cholesterol. The first two come from animal products. Trans fats are processed vegetable oil and found in margarine, crackers and processed snacks.

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good fats and help lower LDL. They can are in canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, safflower, sesame and sunflower seeds, soybeans, nuts, etc.

3. Oats, beans and amaranth.

They all lower cholesterol. Oats also lower blood pressure.

4. Purple grapes and berries.

Blue, purple and red berries and grapes contain bioflavonoids, which are strong antioxidants that repair damages on artery linings.

Enjoy red wine too, which also contains this antioxidant. However, while moderate drinking has a protective effect, heavy drinking increases heart attack risk.

To read the original article, click here.  Also see Control Your Cholesterol (1) — Basics, (3) — Other Lifestyle Changes, (4) — Other measures.

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago determined that there is a strong relationship between healthy eating and prolonged survival among ovarian cancer patients. Read more »