Reducing your risk for developing many diseases could be as simple as shopping the perimeter of your supermarket and getting better acquainted the foods that create a plant-based diet. Thats the premise of Whole Foods CEO and co-founder John Mackeys new book The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity, which he co-wrote with Alona Pulde, M.D., and Matthew Lederman, M.D.

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Before you roll your eyes at another complex piece of advice suggesting you eat more fruits and veggies, consider Mackeys two simple rules for eating to reduce your disease risk:

Rule 1: Eat whole foods instead of highly processed foods.

Rule 2: Eat mostly plant foods (90+ percent of your daily calories).

And, make sure you get your essential eight daily:

By following this way of eating, you can have significant strides in your health, Mackey told Fox News.

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Fox News talked to Mackey and Lederman to learn more about which foods can help reduce your chances of developing some of the diseases linked to the most common causes of death in the United States. Here are their suggestions:

1. Heart disease If someone has heart disease [or is trying to help prevent it], eat whole, unrefined plant foods, Lederman said. A diet consisting of 90 percent plant foods can significantly impact heart disease and help reverse it, he pointed out.

2. Cancer [Cruciferous vegetables] contain glucosinolates,which break down to create isothiocyanates and indoles, and may inhibit the development of cancer, and help protect against tumors, Lederman said. Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, radishes, collard greens, artichokes, arugula and kale.

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3. Alzheimers disease Berries prevent against cognitive decline, Lederman said. Its not just that raspberries or blueberries help, but people eating this whole-food diet tend to be protective against these brain diseases, he explained. To boost your brain health, reach for juicy fruit like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, cranberries and currants.

4. Autoimmune disease When someone is suffering from an autoimmune disease, his or her immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body.Following a typical western diet can cause inflammation in the body and contribute to autoimmune diseases, research suggests. Inflammation shows up in the body in different ways, Lederman said. For example, studies have found that diets high in plant fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in walnuts, sunflower seeds and flax seeds) may help reduce the chance of developing multiple sclerosis, a common autoimmune disease. Allow your immune system to function optimally so it can heal wounds where it needs to, he said. If people can get this [plant-based diet] down, theyre going to feel better, Lederman said.

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5. Parkinsons disease To help protect against Parkinsons, which causes tremors and difficulty with movement, consider following an anti-inflammatory diet. While the precise cause of Parkinsons is unknown, the medical community generally agrees an inflammatory event or episode contributes to theinitiation of neurodegeneration. When you eat whole, unprocessed foods, you decrease inflammation, improve blood flow, remove waste, and bring nutrition to the cells, Lederman said. Your bodys immune systems thrives on this diet. Some studies have found that people who eat more peppers have a lower risk for developing Parkinsons disease. Other research suggests people who eat berries, apples and oranges have a reduced risk of developing the disease.

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Medication helps many adults and children with ADHD, but it doesnt work for everyone.

Parents and adults see me either because the medication isnt doing the job, or they want more improvement and cant increase the dosage without increasing side effects, says Richard Brown, M.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and coauthor of the recent book How to Use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care.

Medication does not cure ADHD, and it should never be the only treatment, says Edward Hallowell, M.D., coauthor of the best-selling Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood. Diet and nutrition play key roles in how well the ADHD brain operates. Toward that end, here are 10 foods, ADHD supplements, and herbs that you should add to your treatment plan. As always, talk with your doctor first before doing so.

Poor nutrition can cause a child or adult with ADHD to become distracted, impulsive, and restless. The right foods, on the other hand, can lessen those symptoms.

Protein Foods rich in protein lean beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, soy, and dairy products are used by the body to make neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by brain cells to communicate with each other. Protein can prevent surges in blood sugar, which increase hyperactivity.

Because the body makes brain-awakening neurotransmitters when you eat protein, start your day with a breakfast that includes it, says Laura Stevens, M.S., a nutritionist at Purdue University and author of 12 Effective Ways to Help Your ADD/ADHD Child: Drug-Free Alternatives for Attention-Deficit Disorders. Dont stop there. Look for ways to slip in lean protein during the day, as well.

Balanced Meals Hallowell suggests that you divide your lunch and dinner plate in the following way: Half of the plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, one fourth with a protein, and the remaining fourth with a carbohydrate, preferably one rich in fiber whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice.

This combination of foods will minimize swings in behavior caused by hunger or by a shortfall of a particular nutrient. Fiber prevents blood-sugar levels from spiking and plummeting, which can increase inattention.

Many diets are deficient in key vitamins and minerals that may improve attention and alertness, says Brown. Supplements can often fill in the dietary gaps.

Multivitamin/Multimineral If your child is a picky eater or eats lots of take-out food, he wont get the daily recommended value of vitamins and minerals. A daily multivitamin/multimineral will ensure that he does, no matter how finicky he is.

B Vitamins Studies suggest that giving children who have low levels of B vitamins a supplement improved IQ scores (by 16 points) and reduced aggression and antisocial behavior. Vitamin B-6 seems to increase the brains levels of dopamine, which improves alertness, says Brown.

Zinc, Iron, and Magnesium Zinc synthesizes dopamine and augments the effects of methylphenidate. Low levels of this mineral correlate with inattention.

Iron is also necessary for making dopamine. In one small study, ferritin levels (a measure of iron stores) were low in 84 percent of ADHD children compared to 18 percent of the control group. Low iron levels correlate with cognitive deficits and severe ADHD.

Adequate levels of magnesium have a calming effect on the brain, says Brown. While diet is the safest way to increase mineral levels, a multivitamin/multimineral with iron will ensure that you or your child will get the daily reference value (DRV) of all three.

Omega-3s One study suggested that a subgroup of boys with ADHD are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids compared with those who have no symptoms of the condition.

Another study showed that omega-3s-found in cold-water, fatty fish, such as sardines, tuna, and salmon-tend to break down more readily in the bodies of patients with ADHD than in those without the condition. Individuals with ADHD who have low blood levels of omega-3s will show the biggest improvement in mental focus and cognitive function, says Brown.

Picamilon A combination of the B-vitamin niacin and gamma-aminobutyric acid, picamilon improves blood flow to the brain and has mild stimulative effects, improving alertness and attention. It can also reduce aggressive behavior. Both adults and children derive benefits from this supplement, says Brown.

Most children and adults derive moderate benefits from the vitamin-mineral approach, says Brown. Those with more significant ADHD may need stronger stuff-namely, herbs.

Ginkgo and Ginseng These herbs are cognitive activators, says Brown. They act like stimulants without the side effects. Typically, adults and children who take ginkgo and ginseng improve on ADHD rating scales, and are less impulsive and distractible. Asian ginseng may overstimulate younger children. If this happens to your child, switch to American ginseng.

Pycnogenol An extract made from French maritime pine bark, pycnogenol was found to improve hyperactivity and sharpen attention, concentration, and visual-motor coordination in students after one month, based on standardized measures and teacher and parent ratings.

The herb pycnogenol is also rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that protect brain cells from free radicals. The first double-blind study on the herb was published in 2006, confirming its benefits, says Brown. Larger randomized trials, though, are needed.

Rhodiola Rosea Made from a plant of the same name that grows in the Arctic, this herb can improve alertness, attention, and accuracy. It can be too stimulating for young children, and is occasionally beneficial in children ages eight to 12. It is most useful, says Brown, for students in junior high, high school, and college, who have to complete long papers and spend hours reading.

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10 Foods (and Vitamins and Supplements!) to Boost Your ADHD Brain - ADDitude

Professor Susan Lanham-New, Clinical Advisor to the National Osteoporosis Society and Professor of Nutrition at the University of Surrey, says: Diet in early adulthood is so important because by the time we get into our late twenties it is too late to reverse the damage caused by poor diet and nutrient deficiencies and the opportunity to build strong bones has passed.

Half of all women and one in five men develop osteoporosis after the age of 50. Broken bones, also known as fractures, caused by osteoporosis can be very painful and slow to recover from.

A poor diet for those in their teens and early twenties now could see a significant rise in the numbers of people suffering fractures and the complications associated with them in the future.

Professor Lanham-New said: Without urgent action being taken to encourage young adults to incorporate all food groups into their diets and avoid particular clean eating regimes, we are facing a future where broken bones will become just the norm.

We know that osteoporosis is a painful and debilitating condition and young adults have just one chance to build strong bones and reduce their risk of developing severe problems in later life.

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'Clean eating' is a ticking timebomb that puts young at risk of fractures - Telegraph.co.uk

Daily Herald

A diet that's benecial to everyone but used by few Daily Herald Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (a.k.a. the DASH diet) is celebrating 20 years of helping people with hypertension and pre-hypertension lower blood pressure just as well as some medications. It has the potential to lower health-care costs and ...

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A diet that's benecial to everyone but used by few - Daily Herald

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Your Guide to an Outrageously Shiny Coat TheHorse.com The blaze down his face and all four of his stockings are bright white; his mane and tail are shiny and tangle-free; and Welde can almost see her reflection in his coat. Welde attributes Ringo's shimmer to his diethigh-quality hay and plenty of good ...

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Your Guide to an Outrageously Shiny Coat - TheHorse.com

Big changes may come to Whitney Avenue

Big changes may be coming to Whitney Avenue.

The state Department of Transportation will hold a Road Diet public information session this month on a proposal to reconfigure Route 10, also known as Whitney Avenue, from four lanes to three lanes in Mount Carmel.

A road diet is a technique for designing roadway corridors with a reduced number or effective width of vehicular travel lanes to accommodate more types of users safely. This treatment cannot be used for all locations, but when applied appropriately is an effective tool for accommodating all users, according to a Complete Streets report executive summary posted on the state website.

Theres a state proposal to adjust Route 10 with the intended goal of improving safety and travel by creating a focused middle turning lane for going into businesses and onto side roads, Mayor Curt Balzano Leng said.

The change is proposed for the section of Whitney Avenue from School Street, which is located one block from Memorial Town Hall and the Whitney/Dixwell Avenue intersection, down to Mount Carmel Avenue at Quinnipiac College.

It was determined that the section of Route 10 between School Street and the Route 40 Interchange has the potential to be converted from a four-lane roadway to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes, one in each direction, and a center two-way left turn lane, according to a statement released this week by Lengs office. The reduction of lanes allows the roadway cross section to be reallocated for the dedicated center left-turn lane.

The proposal comes as the Department of Transportation plans to pave that section of the road this summer.

Patrick Zapatka, a transportation planner at the state Department of Transportation, said Road Diets work best when there are certain conditions present on the road.

There are a few things to consider when we do a road diet, Zapatka said. If we are going to go through with something like that, we would check out what is the average daily traffic, so we would get traffic volumes on Route 10. The amount of cars that are on that roadway could be used as a determining factor whether it would make a good candidate for a road diet to happen there.

In addition to traffic volume, other things are examined, including the frequency of accidents on the road, he said.

Another thing we look at is crash data are there a lot of crashes there, property damage, are there fatalities or serious injuries, Zapatka said. The city may propose it, and if it fits those type of criteria, I think it would be a fantastic candidate for a road diet.

There are many possibilities when considering the implementation of road diets, Zapatka said. Road diets are really good because it gives us the opportunity to implement bicycle lanes, wider shoulders and the possibility of pedestrian amenities such as sidewalks or crosswalks, he said.

Police Chief Thomas Wydra said he believes the change would make the road safer, and with the planned paving, now is the time to investigate it.

Its certainly an idea worth exploring, and this is the moment to consider it when the road is being resurfaced and the options are available to us in terms of the line painting that will be applied, Wydra said. Thats the moment when you consider any other option that can be taken advantage of that reduces accidents and makes the road safer.

Its a big change, but it is something residents should look into before forming an opinion, Wydra said. The DOT has provided us with an optional plan that is different from what we have been used to in that section for a long time, and I think its something that we should seriously consider, he said. It would likely cause delays at certain times, but what I think it would do for sure is make the roadway safer. I think safety prevails over convenience.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. April 19 in the council chambers at Memorial Town Hall.

The police chief and I discussed this and we organized a public input and discussion session to learn more about the idea, Leng said.

Mount Carmel resident Erika Nealon drives the section of the road every day. She said shes skeptical of the plans.

At rush hour theres so much traffic, and I think this will make it worse, she said. She hasnt noticed any problems with cars turning left, she said, especially because there are left turn lanes at most of the traffic lights on the road.

I dont understand why they want to do this, she said. Leave it the way it is.

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'Big changes' may come to Whitney Avenue in Hamden - Post-Chronicle