The essentials for living your best life.
The essentials for living your best life.
Essential Concepts: Blueberries, green tea, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, garlic, and oranges supply vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients that support immune function. Add them regularly through simple meals and snacks, and choose fresh, well-stored produce for the best results.
Beans may not seem glamorous, but they’re one of the smartest foods you can put on your plate. Packed with nutrients, budget-friendly, and incredibly versatile, these humble legumes can support your health, your wallet, and even the planet.
Could giving up butter help you feel healthier? Discover four potential benefits—from supporting heart health and weight management to easing digestive discomfort and reducing inflammation—plus satisfying alternatives to try.
Healthy foods can do more than fill a plate. Foods like hummus, avocados, carrots, beets, green peas, soy protein, yogurt, and pistachios supply fiber, protein, vitamins, and healthy fats that support blood sugar control, heart health, digestion, and immune function.
Essential Concepts: Fiber, protein, vitamins, healthy fats, blood sugar, heart, digestion, immunity.
Essential Concepts: Fish can help lower LDL and triglycerides, mainly through omega-3 fats; salmon, tuna, sardines, halibut, and steelhead are strong choices. Eat fish about two to three times a week, and avoid fried or processed fish, especially if mercury exposure is a concern.
Discover the best low-sugar fruits for a healthy, balanced diet, from creamy avocados and antioxidant-rich berries to refreshing watermelon and grapefruit. Learn their sugar and calorie content, key benefits, and easy ways to enjoy them every day.
Crunchy, low-calorie, and packed with vitamins and antioxidants, asparagus is more than just a tasty side dish—it may also help support healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Add it to your meals regularly to enjoy both its fresh flavor and impressive health benefits.
Vegetables, fruits, and tea can help lower LDL cholesterol by supplying fiber, antioxidants, and plant compounds that reduce cholesterol absorption. Adding beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and more produce to everyday meals is a practical way to support heart health.
Essential Concepts
Fiber, antioxidants, and phytosterols help lower LDL.
Tea and produce may support better cholesterol levels.
Regular meals with more plants can aid heart health.
Bananas are only one source of potassium. White beans, spinach, avocado, salmon, beets, and other foods can help meet daily needs, which for adults is about 2,000 to 4,700 milligrams.
Essential Concepts
Potassium sources: beans, greens, avocado, fish, beets, potatoes
Adult need: about 2,000 to 4,700 mg daily
Check with a clinician if you have kidney disease or dietary limits
Essential Concepts: Diet quality means the balance of nutrients, calories, fat, fiber, and essential fatty acids in a person’s daily pattern of eating. Good diet quality supports health, weight control, and organ function, while tools like the Healthy Eating Index help judge food choices by nutrient content and portion size.
Weight and cholesterol are closely linked because excess body fat can raise LDL, lower HDL, and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Small changes in diet, activity, and smoking habits can improve both numbers.
Essential Concepts: Extra weight often worsens cholesterol; diet and exercise matter; modest weight loss can help.
Essential Concepts: Eggs are nutrient-rich and usually fine for most people; blood cholesterol is affected more by saturated and trans fats than by dietary cholesterol; pair eggs with healthier foods, not bacon or cheese.
Essential Concepts: Bison is leaner than beef, with fewer calories and less fat and more protein. It also cooks faster, so avoid overcooking, and nutritionists advise limiting it to two servings a week.
Essential Concepts: Frozen fruit and vegetables are often picked at peak ripeness, then frozen fast to preserve nutrients, reduce prep time, and provide year-round use. Check labels for added sugar, salt, or preservatives, and choose plain or organic options when possible.