Of course, it’s easier said than done.

If you’re someone who can’t keep yourself from eating your favorite foods – and by that I mean the chocolate cake and the ice cream you keep so handy in the fridge – it’s really a BIG challenge to stay away from them or at least limiting your servings of these foods.

Eating healthy doesn’t necessarily mean you stop eating all your favorite foods, you just have to exercise restraint over your portion control and food cravings, and that’s really easier said than done. But if you really want to start eating and living healthy then now is the time to separate yourself from these unhealthy food choices.

Here are some simple secrets to eating healthy that will definitely help you start on the right road for a healthy lifestyle:

1. Portion control – Again, eating healthy doesn’t mean cutting out all your favorite yet unhealthy foods from your diet, well, at least not yet. It just means cutting down the portions and servings, and loading up on healthier foods especially fruits and vegetables.

2. Not all fats are bad for you – Most people believe fats are unhealthy and they tend to generalize this. But the truth is, your body needs fats as a source of energy. There are two kinds of fats – saturated and unsaturated fats – and unsaturated fats are good for you!

3. Balanced diet – If you want to be healthy, you need to have the needed amounts from each major food group. It’s definitely defeats your healthy eating plan if you load up on lots and lots of fruits and vegetables but eat little of the other nutrient sources. You may just end up having one form of nutritional deficiency or the other.

4. Keeping ‘em fresh and cooking ‘em right – When go to the supermarket, buy fruits and vegetables fresh, or if it just can’t be fresh, then go for frozen but try not to buy processed foods. When cooking, do so by cooking the healthy way – baking, braising, steaming – retaining the flavor and nutrients as much as possible. Use less salt and fat but do add more herbs and spices.

5. Drink up – No, that doesn’t mean alcoholic drinks or other beverages, it means drinking up enough water. The body is composed of more than 60% water and water is essential to many of the body’s processes. Drinking enough water is therefore important to keep your body in good running condition.

6. Keep a food diary – Not only to keep track of what you eat but also to be able to decide which unhealthy foods you can give up eating once and for all. It’s not wise to suddenly give up chocolate cake, you’ll find yourself feeling deprived which may lead to depression and overeating.

7. Commitment and motivation – The first few weeks will be the hardest. But just hang in there and keep going.

Now, that you’ve done reading, it doesn’t sound so hard, does it?

It all comes down to – are you willing to take on the challenge of making a BIG change in your eating habits for a healthier, fuller life?