Healthy Eating Archive

While a healthy eating plan is crucial for health, bending the rules on occasion probably won't hurt most people. One strategy to try is the 90-10 rule-eating healthy foods 90% of the time and splurging on unhealthy foods 10% of the time. For example, if someone eats three meals a day for a week, for a total of 21 meals, the person would be able to splurge on 10% (about two) of the meals. Dietitians warn that applying the 90-10 rule to every meal can lead to trouble, such as weight gain.

Many spices inhibit damaging inflammation that can cause or worsen a variety of chronic diseases. Four beloved holiday spices-cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and turmeric-boast a variety of health benefits, but need to be used liberally to maximize the effects. People can challenge their palates to use more spices all year long by trying new recipes, testing spices in restaurant or ready-made meals, and bringing spice-laden dishes their ancestors once enjoyed to their own tables.

A 2025 study suggests that consuming higher amounts of flavonoids such as berries, apples, oranges, and black tea may promote healthier aging, particularly in women.

A 2025 study that included 97,000 people found that those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables-between 20 and 40 grams per day-had a 17% lower risk of developing colon cancer, compared with people who ate the least.

Circadian rhythms, which are hardwired into nearly every cell of the body, regulate the heart and blood vessels. Disruptions to this rhythm-from shift work, poor sleep, or unhealthy habits-can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, heart attacks are more likely to occur on Mondays than any other day of the week. That's because people tend to stay up later than usual and then sleep in the next day. On Monday morning, when they have to wake up early again for work, the change may cause subtle changes in blood pressure, hormone secretion, and metabolism that raise heart attack risk.

Eating two eggs per day doesn't appear to raise harmful LDL cholesterol, as long as people follow a diet low in saturated fat. Although eggs are high in cholesterol, dietary cholesterol doesn't have much of an effect on the amount in a person's bloodstream. But excess dietary saturated fat does raise blood cholesterol, which is why people should limit their saturated fat to 7% of their daily calories.

Eating a plant-based diet may help people lower their risk for chronic constipation, according to a 2025 study. This effect may be due, at least in part, to the high fiber content of plant-based diets.

The trend toward eating plant-rich diets has led to a number of new dietary terms and buzzwords. Examples include the terms "plant-forward," which describes the shift toward the gradual incorporation of more plant foods into the diet; "plant-based protein," used for foods that contain a high amount of protein, even some processed foods; and "sustainable eating," whichrefers to the big picture of food choices and how they can help sustain the environment, the planet, and health.

A 2025 Harvard study found that people who most closely adhered to a Mediterranean or a plant-based diet had up to a 20% lower risk for chronic constipation, compared with people who followed other eating patterns.

A 2025 study suggests that consuming more olive oil may lower women's risk of developing breast cancer, especially certain more aggressive types.