Can eating healthier protect me from diseases?

Healthy eating can actually help you lower your risk for disease.

To prevent disease, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. The guidelines also emphasize balancing the food you eat with your activity to maintain your weight, drinking alcohol in moderation (no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women), and limiting foods high in salt, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and added sugar. Experts recommend doing moderate activity at least 5 days a week or vigorous activity at least 3 days a week.
Do I need to follow a low-salt, low-carbohydrate, or low-fat diet?

Everyone can benefit from eating healthy foods, but not everyone has the same nutritional needs. Pregnant women, growing children, and older adults will have different needs for certain nutrients. People who have high blood pressure need to watch how much salt they eat. Those who have high cholesterol may be on a cholesterol-lowering diet that restricts saturated and trans fats and cholesterol. And people who have diabetes will need to spread the carbohydrate that they eat throughout the day.

If you are generally healthy and don't have health issues that require a special diet, it's still wise to watch how much salt, fat, and added sugar you eat, in order to prevent diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Limit the amount of salt you get by eating as many fresh foods as possible. Remember, 400 mg of sodium is equal to 1000 mg of salt. Processed foods, fast food, and restaurant foods are the major sources of dietary sodium.2 Prepared foods, such as soups, snack foods, and canned foods, are also extremely high in salt. Also watch the amount of fat you eat. Replace saturated and trans fats with monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and canola oil. Include healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil.

Low-carbohydrate diets may help some people lose weight initially, but they may not be healthy over a long period of time. Low-carb diets are high in total fat and saturated fat and are low in fiber. They also restrict grains, fruits, and vegetables, which protect against disease and provide important nutrients. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans list fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk products as food groups to choose from, for the greatest benefit.
Does eating healthier mean I have to go on a diet?

Eating healthier does not mean that you need to go on a restrictive diet. Eating healthier means making changes that you can stay with over time. Consistently eating foods that are low in saturated fats and trans fats and that include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats (such as olive oil) will lower your risk for disease.

Being physically active along with healthy eating will improve your health even further. Regular physical activity significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, and cancers of the breast and colon