Dr Bollmann, Skin Care Specialist, Anti-Aging Expert

Here's a new idea! Eat more fruits and vegetables. How many times have we heard this, then headed to McDonald's instead. Let's see, vegetables or French fries - tough choice.

But there is a reason doctors and other experts say to eat fruits and vegetables. They promote health and prevent disease, especially chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and obesity.

With global rates of chronic diseases rising as the population ages, scientists seek solutions to lower the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.  Zumin Shi, from the University of Adelaide (Australia), and colleagues assessed health, diet and lifestyle data of 1,020 Chinese men and women who participated in the Jiangsu longitudinal Nutrition Study (JIN).  Observing that the proportion of those in the study with more than one chronic disease increased from 14% to 34% over the five year study period, the researchers found that those participants who ate more fresh fruit and vegetables, and more grains other than wheat and rice, had better health outcomes overall.

The study authors conclude that: “greater consumption of fruits and vegetable and whole grain products consumption appear to lower the risk of multi-morbidity.”

Over the years I have been able to maintain a normal weight. First, I listened to my mother. Never snack, always eat a meal before eating desert. Don't eat between meals. Eat three meals a day.

Then I discovered a simple solution to the vegetable problem as I got older. And lazier. I eat a decent lunch, then for dinner I put a baked potato in the oven and just scrounge in the refrigerator. I take out a tomato, avocado, lettuce, carrots, and anything else I can find and JUST EAT IT RAW. What a unique idea. It does not require cooking, cleaning pots, and takes no time. And you can even do it at the sink without a plate if you want. All it requires is a salt shaker if you want. Or you can just skip the salt shaker.

And for desert, microwave popcorn. However, this does require the effort of punching in one or two buttons on the microwave.

It is also a good way to keep your weight down, for those of you always dieting. You get to actually eat food.

And this is the healthiest way to eat vegetables. You get all the benefits and no mess. And it pleases my wife, who thinks cooking is a city in China.