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In our modern society, with the growing population and developed technology, it is not always easy to eat healthy food. Many processed foods contain preservatives, food colourings, flavour enhancers and fragrances, that are meant to prolong a product's shelf life, or make it look and taste better.

There are ways of making yourself eat healthy, by choosing to buy the right products and avoiding unhealthy foods. While shopping, stop to look at the ingredients written on the back of a packaging and ask yourself: do I really want to put this into my body? After all - we are what we eat!

Food is a survival ingredient but also a medicine. It keeps our body and mind going, while maintaining health.

In order to maintain a healthy diet - find healthy foods that you enjoy. Make a rule of not buying any unhealthy foods. Not having them around is the best you can do for yourself and your family. That way, there will be no temptation, or at least no choice but to deal with what you have.

If you find it difficult giving up completely on a certain type of food - try eating a lot of it all at once. First - to remember the taste. Savour the moment of that last taste. Second - to become fed up with it. Feeling sick after eating too many doughnuts or cookies might help, if you take it to extreme - remembering the bad experience, as with eating that certain type of food. It might not be too enjoyable after all! Next time you will feel like eating a doughnut, remember the time when you ate too many and felt sick. It might take out the longing for that type of food.

Enjoy the things that contain important vitamins and minerals. If you really can not avoid eating processed foods - make sure anything you put in your mouth contributes to your health. Make a rule of eating only things that contain at least one good ingredient.

Eating healthy will also help you lose some weight. For people who need a weight loss diet, there are some basic rules to follow:

- Eat small amounts of food.

- Eat slowly. Take time to chew your food properly. Try making a slow-eating contest with yourself.

- Eat only when feeling hungry. If you are bored - occupy your mind with something else. Do not search for food out of boredom, and do not look for comfort in food.

- Eat things that will make you feel full, like full grains. Munch on vegetables or fruits instead of sweets.

When buying your groceries, try to choose natural foods - ones you can grow on trees or in your garden, things that still hold their original shape. The word "Natural" written on processed foods - is a little problematic. Understanding that oil and fat are also natural, but not always healthy - is important. Crude oil also comes from nature, but you would not eat it!

You could say everything is natural - for it comes from nature. Even the chemicals made in a lab and put in our food - fit the definition of being natural, for it is also nature's product. That is why I ignore that word, which makes me feel fooled in a way. It is not a lie, but a word that holds a positive meaning. The problem is, that word stands for all foods - good and bad under the same category. It is the same as writing “Food” - we know what it is. We know a product is natural, but that does not mean it is healthy.

Organic, on the other hand, does stand for healthier food. It means the food was brought up or grown with no chemicals involved. That is what you should look for, when buying food. It might be a little more expensive, but in this case you are given a full guarantee of no chemistry, food additives, or any human intervention with nature. But even then you should note, that some foods, such as animal and dairy fat, might be brought up in an organic manner, but are not always healthy.

Quantities are important as well. Vary your foods. Eat a little bit of everything. The food pyramid tells you how much you should eat of every group of foods: grains, vegetables and fruits, meat and dairy, last and least - sugar and oil.

Listen to your body. Certain foods can help lift up your mood, feeling awake and vital. Your hair and skin will show health as well. Drink water, coffee (up to three cups a day) or tea, instead of sweet industrial drinks, that contain many calories and do not benefit your health as much. Red wine (not more than one glass a day) and freshly squeezed fruits, are also good choices of a drink.

For a sweet tooth: eat fruits, honey, jam with no added sugar, or dark chocolate containing high percentage of cocoa. After getting accustomed to healthier eating, you will find full satisfaction with the things on your list. The need for processed food will descend.

While preparing your food - prefer making raw, baked, boiled or stewed recipes, rather than having it fried.

It is all a matter of wanting to eat healthy and willing to take that step. Do not wait for illnesses to come to you. Live a long and healthy life - eating what your body needs.