1. Healthy Eating Slideshow: Fat-Fighting Foods
2. Food Frauds Slideshow Pictures
3. Take the Diet & Nutrition Quiz

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In this Article

• Healthy living facts
• Eating (diet)
• Physical activity and exercise
• Avoid tobacco use
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
• Avoid high-risk sexual behaviors
• Avoid other high-risk behaviors
• Additional tips for healthy living
• Healthy Living Index

Although there are many other risky behaviors that may impede an otherwise healthy lifestyle (for example, working with toxic or radioactive materials, drug addiction, travel to areas with unusual endemic diseases), these are too numerous to cover in this general article. However, the reader is advised to visit such topic sites on MedicineNet.com, eMedicineHealth.com or WebMD.com because most of the specific articles will provide tips to avoid health-related problems.

Previous contributing author: Dennis Lee, MD

REFERENCES:

Gerace, James E. "Smoking and Heart Disease." Mar. 9, 2010. <http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/quit-smoking-heart?page=3>.

United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Sleep and Sleep Disorders." Sept. 23, 2010. <http://www.cdc.gov/features/sleep/>.

United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Smoking & Tobacco Use." Mar. 21, 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/#adults>.

United States. National Cancer Institute. "Tobacco Statistics Snapshot." Nov. 12, 2010. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/tobacco/statisticssnapshot>.

United States. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. "Healthy Eating Plan." <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/calories.htm>.

United States. United States Department of Agriculture. "ChooseMyPlate.gov." Aug. 26, 2011. <http://www.choosemyplate.gov/>.

United States. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Produce Safety." May 16, 2011. <http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm114299>.