A high score on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index reduces the risk of a variety of ailments.

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A high score on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index reduces the risk of a variety of ailments. If your family has a history of heart disease, you undoubtedly attempt to eat a balanced diet to lower your risk of heart disease. But did you know that focusing on combinations of foods that have been verified for their disease-fighting abilities will help reduce your risk of developing numerous chronic illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes?

The AHEI (Alternative Healthy Eating Index) assigns scores to foods and nutrients that are linked to chronic disease. The AHEI was developed by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health academics as a replacement for the US Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index, which assesses compliance with the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. "The Alternative Healthy Eating Index and the Healthy Eating Index are comparable,

Read More 5 Essential vitamins and minerals for women How would you rate your diet? Based on how often you eat certain items, both healthy and bad, the AHEI rates your diet, assigning a score ranging from 0 (nonadherence) to 110 (perfect adherence). For example, someone who claims to consume no veggies regularly would receive a zero, whereas someone who claims to eat five or more servings per day would receive a ten. When it comes to harmful options like sugar-sweetened drinks or fruit juice, the scoring is reversed: a person who consumes one or more servings receives a zero, while a person who consumes zero servings receives a ten.

High AHEI scores have been linked to a lower risk of chronic disease in studies. When compared to persons with low AHEI scores, people who scored higher on the AHEI had a 19 percent lower risk of chronic disease, including a 31 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and a 33 percent lower risk of diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that those who scored high on the AHEI had a 25% lower chance of dying from any cause and a 40% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who scored low on the AHEI. Separate studies of older men and women found that individuals who scored highest on the AHEI performed better on tasks such as ascending stairs, lifting groceries, walking a mile, and participating in moderate or vigorous activities than those who scored lowest. A global study found large differences in diet quality among countries and anticipated that altering current diets might avoid millions of deaths from cancer, coronary artery disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, kidney disease, diabetes, and digestive problems. Is it possible to use the AHEI to assess your diet? According to Kathy McManus, director of the nutrition department at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, using the actual AHEI rating system is probably not viable. However, you may easily increase the amount of healthful AHEI foods you consume. Some of the better choices are as follows: Vegetables. Aim for five a day, with an emphasis on getting extra servings of green leafy vegetables, which may assist to lower diabetes risk. Avoid the potatoes and fries as much as possible. Fruit. Eat four servings of fruits and vegetables every day to help prevent cardiovascular disease and some malignancies. Avoid drinking too much fruit juice because it may increase your risk of diabetes. Grains that are whole. According to McManus, eating five to six servings of fruits and vegetables per day may help prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Reduce your intake of refined grains, which have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and maybe other chronic diseases.

Read More 3 best detox water recipes for weight loss Nuts, legumes, and vegetable protein are all good sources of protein (tofu). Getting a portion of protein a day from these sources is a good approach to supplement your diet with nutrients and may help protect you from diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Fish. Including fish in your weekly meal plan can provide your body with a boost of good fatty acids, thereby lowering your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Fats that are good for you. Increasing your intake of healthy unsaturated fats lowers your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and safflower oil are all healthy choices, according to McManus. These healthy fats are especially advantageous if you replace saturated fats like butter with them.

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