"We dig our grave with our teeth." This old saying sounds funny and odd, but unfortunately it is true. We are told from the time we are young that food provides calories or energy. But there's so much more to food nutrition than that. Foods can make you feel healthier and younger - or they can make you deathly ill.

Nowadays, it is more important than ever to eat healthy. Certain healthy foods can help prevent heart disease or cause it. Healthy, wholesome foods can help you lose excess weight while junk foods cause you to get fat. Some foods nourish your hair and skin keeping them healthy and glowing while other foods don't, causing them to fall out sooner than they should. If you think genes are the only factor, consider this; your food choices and nutrition intake will cause some genes to activate while others lie dormant.

Making healthier food choices can help you look and feel healthier and younger while cutting the risk for disease. These changes may help cut your health care costs and lessen the chance of becoming dependent on medications as you age.

Knowing which foods to avoid can be easy. We all know what junk food is. The more processed the food, the less nutritious it may be. But, what should we eat? Here is a partial list of food that are high in nutrition to help you feel young and stay healthy.

Bananas are full of Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and fiber. The high potassium can help regulate high blood pressure while other nutrients help strengthen your stomach lining against ulcers.

Barley has long been well known in the Middle East as a heart medicine. It can help reduce cholesterol levels and is full of antioxidants can help your body fight cancer. Dried barley grass is a healthy, green super-food used by many for it's high content of vitamins, minerals and proteins.

Beans are well-known to help regulate blood-sugar levels. They are high in protein and fiber, which may help reduce your cholesterol levels by as much as 10%.

Blueberries are a great antibiotic. A handful of these sweet, tart berries can help stop harmful bacteria from attaching to the lining of the urinary tract. This can help prevent bladder infections.

Cinnamon has been shown to stimulate insulin activity so may be helpful for those with adult-onset diabetes. Other studies have proven that it may help prevent blood clots.

Chili Peppers help your blood flow freely through your circulatory system helping to lower the risk of stroke and heart attack. They contain capsaicin, a substance that fights inflammation. Capsaicin is currently used for pain relief from arthritis and even psoriasis. Fitness enthusiasts have long used chili peppers to help fight fat by speeding up metabolism.

Dates are full of fiber and minerals including calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, potassium, phosphorous and manganese. Dates also contain a natural aspirin.

Garlic is one of the most well-known foods that heal. stimulates the immune system and is a known to be anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. In addition it helps your body cleanse by killing parasites and eliminating toxic substances such as lead and zinc. It is being studied by the National Cancer Institute for its anti-tumor properties.

Ginger helps to relieve nausea and pain caused from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers in Denmark have found it can block the effects of certain substances that cause inflammation of the brain, which leads to migraines. It also has been found to have a similar effect as aspirin does on the thinning of blood helping to prevent blood clots.

Parsley is a great source of antioxidants that help fight carcinogens, including those found in tobacco smoke. It has long been known to cleanse the body by absorbing toxins and helping to move them out of the body.

Teas, especially green, are a great source of polyphenols. This antioxidant protect from free-radical damage which many believe to start the premature aging skin and hair. Drink it for health reasons as just 2 cups daily can help lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46% and help you shed belly fat at the same time.

It is easy to add these power foods to your daily regimen. Don't fall into the trap of disbelief or thinking they aren't powerful - there is a reason why Hippocrates called for all doctors to advocate food as medicine.