3. Eat healthy plant foods

Plants provide vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates in your diet. Carbohydrates include sugars and starches — the energy sources for your body — and fiber. Dietary fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, is the part of plant foods your body can't digest or absorb.

Fiber-rich foods promote weight loss and lower the risk of diabetes. Eat a variety of healthy, fiber-rich foods, which include:

• Fruits, such as tomatoes, peppers and fruit from trees
• Nonstarchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower
• Legumes, such as beans, chickpeas and lentils
• Whole grains, such as whole-wheat pasta and bread, whole-grain rice, whole oats, and quinoa

The benefits of fiber include:

• Slowing the absorption of sugars and lowering blood sugar levels
• Interfering with the absorption of dietary fat and cholesterol
• Managing other risk factors that affect heart health, such as blood pressure and inflammation
• Helping you eat less because fiber-rich foods are more filling and energy rich

Avoid foods that are "bad carbohydrates" — high in sugar with little fiber or nutrients: white bread and pastries, pasta from white flour, fruit juices, and processed foods with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.