Introduction

Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine

The key to good health and longevity is simple: eat a wholesome diet.

Protein can help you shed those unwanted pounds -- and keep your belly full. But it's important to eat the right amount and the right kind of protein to get its health benefits.

Sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrates. Sugar occurs naturally in some foods, including fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products. Sugars include fruit sugar (fructose), table sugar (sucrose) and milk sugar (lactose). Starch.

Eating fat can be heart-healthy if you pick the right kind.

Vitamins are essential nutrients that we need to consume each day. To meet your daily needs, vitamins must be obtained through your diet. Most people can meet their vitamin needs by following Canada's Food Guide and eating a variety of healthy foods.

Health Canada recognizes that the foods we eat can affect our health in different ways. Some food labels contain statements about the beneficial effects of certain foods on a person's health, such as "a healthy diet low in saturated and trans fat may reduce the risk of heart disease". This type of statement is an example of a health claim.

Food nourishes the body and gives us energy to get through each day. Healthy eating is fundamental to good health and is a key element in healthy human development, from the prenatal and early childhood years to later life stages. Healthy eating is equally important in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases.

Since food was such an important part of the survival and successful reproduction of our ancestors, the motivational systems in our brains are highly attuned to it. The brain receives information from sensors in the mouth and small intestine that measure the nutritional value of what we eat, and it sets our level of motivation to eat each food according to its nutritional value (mostly its calorie content).