Staying healthy seems to get more and more complicated as each passing day brings new updates about what to eat and what not to eat, what diet to follow and what's yesterday's news. It's enough to drive a professional nutritionist crazy, much less the average person who is trying to decide what to have for lunch, and how to lose a couple of lbs!

Watching portion sizes, counting calories, and knowing every ingredient in every meal are awesome goals for sure, but these can be complicated endeavors that leave you overwhelmed, over-stressed and reaching for the cookie jar - thwarting any all intentions to lose weight. 

Sometimes simple diet rules can be just as effective at creating a healthier you. Here are ten:

1. Don't eat neon foods (unless the color is natural). More and more studies are coming out that question how food colorings (like blue # 1 & 2, green # 3, orange B, red #3 & 40 and yellow # 5 & 6) act in the body and brain, particularly in young children (for whom these foods are usually intended). Hot pink cereal, bright purple cupcakes and blazing orange soda contain additives that no one needs in their body.

2. Always drink water with your meals. Make H2O your main beverage and save juices, sodas, coffee, tea, milk or anything else a special treat.

3. Buy brown instead of white when it comes to sugar, bread, rice and flour. The less a food is refined, the better it usually is for your body.

4. Drink green tea every day. Instead of reaching for another snack or soda between meals, enjoy a healthy, antioxidant-rich cup of green tea. Add a squeeze of lemon for an added boost of vitamin C, but forget the milk and sugar. You don't need those last two, and if you give them up for a while, soon you will discover that you don't even miss them.

5. Never grocery shop hungry. When you hit the supermarket on an empty stomach, your cart is much more likely to be filled with sweet treats, fatty chips, easy processed meals and junk food. If you find yourself at the store with a growling belly, simply buy a gr...

There's no question: As temperatures plummet, a warm bowl of soup is absolutely food for the soul. But as Rebecca Katz - chef, nutritionist, and author of The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen - says: "With all the different antioxidants, nutrients, and minerals, eating a bowl of soup is like giving your body an internal spa treatment." Here are some ways to make your soups extra healthy this winter, keeping you energized and vital through these dark, cold months - nourishing to the mind, body and soul.

1. If you generally saute your onions and garlic (or the popular onion-carrot-celery soup base) in oil at the onset of your recipe, consider switching to a healthy saute in vegetable broth. Cooking with oils is increasingly being found to be detrimental to your health. Check out our Cooking with Oils: The Manifesto here. 

2. Most foods lose nutrients once cooked, and all foods will suffer nutritionally once overcooked. But research has shown that some veggies actually increase in antioxidant content upon cooking. You can reap the most health benefits from these in your cooked soups: carrots , spinach , mushrooms , asparagus , broccoli , cabbage , red cabbage , green and red peppers, potatoes , and tomatoes . But keep in mind two things: Don't overcook and don't get anything out of a can. 

3. To get the most from all the nutrient-dense foods your adding to your healthy soup, try simmering slowly on your stove top on low heat, avoiding boiling. High heats will destroy your soups nourishing potential.

4. Always include these ingredients in your soups for their phytonutrients that will keep your immune system burgeoning through these more susceptible times: Garlic , carrots , tomatoes , sweet potatoes , broccoli , and dark leafy greens like kale . Want a few more? Here are 10 Nutrient-Rich Foods that Fight Disease. 

Here's an easy delicious soup recipe that we love from the World's Healthiest Foods  to get you started:

Super Energy Kale Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
...