The world will not make the effort to consistently cater to your want of a sugar-free donut if you suddenly have a craving for it in the middle of the night. What is available though is the kind of donut that will make you glaze over in sweets.

Real healthy living takes a lot of work. Real effort and real perseverance is needed to consume only the healthiest products and avoid the most convenient foods readily available in the market. Most of which are unhealthy and has preservatives that allow it to still be edible after a decade.

The following are basic tips and advice to make eating healthy a regular effort, the effects of which will probably last you additional years in your lifetime.

You are what you eat

Do tell what you put in your mouth and you will be told who you are. Eating foods that contain less cholesterol is a good way to prevent heart problems.

As much as possible, try to avoid foods that contain a lot of salt and fat. It would also be best if you choose various foods from the different food groups.

The following foods are recommended eating as according to the AHA or the American Heart Association: eggs, beans, fruits, cereal, the high fiber kind, fruit juice, milk, both low fat and non fat, peas, pasta, rice, vegetables, yogurt, the low fat and nonfat kind, and a small glass of wine.

How should one eat?

Vegetables and fruits should, as much as possible, be the staple food readily available in your fridge. It would be best if at least five servings or more of fruits and vegetables be eaten in a day.

Meanwhile, eating a lot of whole grains, the examples of which are whole grain pasta, cereal and brown rice and make sure to eat at least six servings in one day is also advisable.

Dairy products may also be taken in two servings or four in a day. Milk that is low in fat or one that contains no fat is advisable to be taken. However, if you are lactose intolerant a good alternative for milk is soy milk.

Ingesting proteins daily is also necessary as this provides the body with the needed strength for it to go through the day.

Eating peas and beans in as much as six ounces in a day, minus all the fat of course, is a great source of protein.

Cooking with vegetable oils that are unsaturated, such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower, safflower is best compared to using saturated oils such as palm oil, coconut oil and kernel oil.

Drinking apple juice everyday has also been shown to make the levels of cholesterol very low. This type of juice has phenol, this in turn drastically reduces the oxidation of LDL,or commonly called as the bad cholesterol, commonly associated with heart disease.

Avoid the following foods

Now that you know the appropriate foods to be taken, the following are foods that should be avoided as much as it is possible, however difficult it may be.

Ice cream is one, whole milk, cheese and butter also. The organs of animals such as kidney, liver, brain, sweetbreads should also be avoided.

A reduction of the intake of processed meats like bologna, hot dogs, sausages is necessary. Duck and goose meat organs, even the famous foie gras is best to be steer clear from.

Cooking healthy

If there are available recipes and cook books that promote a low fat diet, try to purchase one. When the recipe calls for using eggs, use the egg whites instead of the yolks.

When cooking fried foods, drain off the fat using a rack. However, cooking with little fat like baking, broiling and boiling is always advisable.

Using lard, shortening, margarine should be limited. When basting, use fruit juice or wine.

Any fats found on meat must be removed and any skin from poultry must not be eaten as these contain lots of fats.

All in all, eating healthy is easy if you just put your mind to it and if you sincerely crave for a disease free life.