Living healthier begins with the food you eat. We all know we should eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, minimal prepackaged foods, avoid fast foods, and make healthy food choices overall. In addition making sure these eight foods are in your diet will help you to live healthier. 

#1 Low fat milk and cheese are good sources of calcium and much more effective than taking a calcium supplement. They are also good sources of Vitamin D. It is recommended that you take in 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams of Vitamin D per day to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. One glass of milk will provide 300 milligrams of Vitamin D. Low fat milk and cheese are excellent because you get all the benefits without all the fat. 

#2 Eat plenty of broccoli sprouts. Did you know broccoli sprouts contain as much as 50 times more cancer fighting compounds than the broccoli heads do? Start enjoying these cancer causing properties today.

#3 Eat fermented foods like miso, yogurt, or sauerkraut. Studies have shown that these types of foods can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, boost immunity, improve the GI tract, and protect against yeast infections to name just a few benefits. 

#4 Replace all your butter and margarine use with either olive oil or canola oil. The omega 3 fatty acids along with the unsaturated fats can help you improve your good cholesterol and reduce your bad cholesterol levels. It can also reduce your risk of heart disease. 

#5 Drink six ounces of 100% orange juice every day will reduce your risk of stroke by as much as 20%. This means the type of orange juice that has no sugar added. Look for the fiber rich type if you want additional benefits. 

#6 Include cinnamon in your diet for the antioxidant benefits. It does even more – it slows the rate your food is processed and so it stops blood sugar spikes that also cause crashes. Studies have shown just ½ teaspoon a day will lower your cholesterol and blood sugar if you have type 2 diabetes. 

#7 Eat a handful of nuts every day and reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 35%. That’s significant. Nuts are also a great source of protein. 

#8 Berries should be part of your daily diet. A Finland study found that just five ounces every day will offer you a healthy heart, lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol levels, and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.