Eat for Good Health

The concept that you can permanently shrink yourself by temporarily eating less is mostly bunk -- for most of us. In fact, the health benefits of short-term weight loss still need to be closely examined. Instead, your goal should be to eat nutritious foods that make you younger -- and make that a lifelong habit. The good news? Your waist may shrink as a fringe benefit.


Kick-start your lifelong healthy-eating habits with these tips:

Focus on your waist, not your weight.

Eat three main meals, plus snacks, so you're never hungry.

Don't buy anything with more than 4 grams of saturated fat or 4 grams of any sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup) per serving.

Strive for a rainbow of colors in your meals. Here's how to do that.

Eat a little healthy fat -- like a handful of walnuts -- about 20 minutes before a meal. It will take the edge off, so you won't be tempted to overeat.

Eat a fiber-rich breakfast every day.

Walk every day for 30 minutes.