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People are becoming more aware of food and are also becoming more willing to try out new food from around the world. There are many countries that have the most fantastic foods that much of the worls barely know about. Foods even change dramatically from region to region in one country, India is an excellent example of this as you travel from North to South and East to West the culinary changes are that of more than one country.

Chinese food is popular throughout the world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in all major citys and in many smaller towns and villages over the world as well. When people in the west speak of Chinese food, they probably mean Cantonese food. It's the best known and most popular variety of Chinese food.

Good food should be tasty, nutritious and safe to eat, so why is our food a major cause of preventable diseases such as obesity, cancer and strokes?

10 Important food facts

1. A diet high in fat (particularly saturated fat) and high in salt is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

2. It is estimated that, on average, a third of cancers could be prevented by changes in diet. A diet which is high in fibre and wholegrain cereal and low in fat has the potential to prevent a number of cancers, including colon, stomach and breast cancer.

3. Many fertility experts believe that an unhealthy diet, high in fat, sugar, and processed foods and low in nutrients essential to fertility, can lead to infertility and increase the chances of miscarriage.

4. A diet high in fat, sugar and salt leads to weight gain and increases the risk of obesity. Carrying excess weight doesn’t just increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and infertility; it is also associated with fatigue, low self-esteem and poor mental and physical performance.

5. An unhealthy diet increases the risk of depression and mood swings. It’s also linked to PMS, food cravings and anxiety.

6. A diet high in additives, preservatives and refined sugar can cause poor concentration, hyperactivity and aggression. This is because foods high in sugar and additives lack chromium which is removed in the refining process. Chromium is needed for controlling blood sugar levels; when these levels are out of control it can trigger these behavioural problems.

7. A diet that is low in the essential nutrient, calcium, (needed to keep your bones strong), increases the risk of bones becoming weak or brittle – a condition known as osteoporosis.

8. A diet low in nutrients puts enormous strain on the liver. The liver is essential for the proper digestion and absorption of life-sustaining vitamins and minerals. For optimum health you need your liver to be in peak condition. The liver cannot cope with large amounts of saturated fat and alcohol and this can lead to liver and kidney problems, such as kidney disease and cirrhosis (a life-threatening condition where the cells of the liver die).

9. A diet too high in sugar can lead to too much glucose (a form of sugar carried in the bloodstream) circulating in your body. Too much glucose problems such as diabetes mellitus. Its symptoms are thirst, frequent need to urinate due to excess glucose, problems with vision, fatigue and recurrent infections.

10. If your diet is poor this can compromise your immune system and make you more susceptible to colds, flu and poor health. We need a steady and balanced intake of essential vitamins and minerals to keep our immune systems working properly, to provide protection from infections and disease.