There are so many diets and books about nutrition that it is easy to see why so many people get frustrated when trying to lose weight or just eat healthy.

One of the most important things is to learn about the nutrition facts that are printed on every food product that you purchase.

First, always check to see how many servings are in the package. It is easy to glance at the box and see only 2 grams of saturated fat. That 2 grams is per serving, so if there is 3 servings in the package, that would be a total of 6 grams of saturated fat.

Saturated fat is the worst kind of fat and needs to be eaten in moderation. It is not healthy to totally cut all fat from your diet. Just limit your intake per day.

Cholesterol should also be watched. The average person should only consume around 307mg per day. Dairy products and greasy foods have the highest amounts of cholesterol. If your cholesterol level gets too high, this can lead to future heart troubles.

Sodium is just not good for you. The average person should eat around 1000mg per day. We consume around 6 times that. It is best to purchase low sodium products when possible and eat fresh or frozen vegetables.

At times we may think that we are eating healthy and really be eating a lot of bad things. For example, we can get a nice green salad and think we are doing ourselves some good but pile on the dressing. Eat vinaigrette dressing or low-fat dressings.

There are many things that people may think are fattening that are actually low fat. Examples: Boxed pancake mix (this is only bad when you put lots of butter) Cereals (use low fat milk) Oatmeal and grits (again, light on the butter)

Always try and eat fresh fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water. Start walking! This is the easiest form of exercise to get your blood pumping and be on your way to feeling great.