Good eating habits are the key for maintaining and/or improving your health no matter what your age, gender, occupation or location. Of course, staying active plays a large role in overall health, but putting the wrong kind or wrong quantity of food in your body will keep you from being as healthy as you could be.

The best eating habits that you can develop are ones that allow you to enjoy what you eat (not a complete feel good diet however), but have a balanced and good variety of wholesome foods that don't leave you getting too much of one thing and not enough of another.

One nutrient that is commonly out of proportion in the American diet is carbohydrates. Carbs are essentially complex sugars, which are burned for energy, unless your body doesn't need them at the time they are consumed. Unfortunately most of the foods that taste the best are loaded with carbs. While these sugars are fuels for your body, they are not very nutitious.

Get the most nutrition out of your calories.

- There is a proper number of calories for you to eat each day. The closer you are to that number, the better health you will enjoy. Of course, this number depends on a variety of factors including your age, activity level, and whether you're trying to gain, maintain, or lose weight. Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can from each food group each day-those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients but lower in calories. Pick foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and similar nutritionally valuable food products more often.

There is a proper number of calories for you to eat each day. The closer you are to that number, the better health you will enjoy. Of course, this number depends on a variety of factors including your age, activity level, and whether you're trying to gain, maintain, or lose weight. Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can from each food group each day-those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients but lower in calories. Pick foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, berries (acai berry and blueberry are both excellent sources of antioxidants) and similar nutritionally valuable food products more often.

Maintaining good eating habits can be challenging, especially since it is difficult for most people to find time to prepare all their meals, and most quick meals or meals at restaurants, namely fast food, are not very healthy overall compared to meals prepared at home with fresh vegetables, herbs, and other ingredients. Although it's probably not possible to eat correctly all the time, as long as you keep good eating habits in the forefront of your mind, you'll be much more likely to practice and benefit from them.