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The human body is like a machine. If it is fuelled with nourishing food, it will run smoothly.

Eating wholesome foods provides your body with nutrients. These nutrients give your body energy, keep your brain active and even change the way you feel. On the other hand, regularly eating ‘junk food’ – food high in fat and sugar with low nutritional value – can make you feel tired and sick.

Good nutrition lowers your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Dr Nathan O’Callaghan is interested in how the foods we eat affect our DNA. Nathan measures the amounts of particular molecules in a person’s body to form a ‘picture’ of the way their body is working. This ‘picture’ helps Nathan and other experts from CSIRO’s Food, Health and Life Sciences group work out which foods will keep them healthy.

Healthy eating means having a range of nutritious foods. Nathan suggests eating foods that are high in fibre. Fibre keeps the digestive system healthy and can be found in fruits and vegetables. We should also eat Omega-3 rich foods such as oily fish and nuts. These foods keep us healthy, providing essential fats that our bodies need to function.

Health is about feeling good and giving your body all the ingredients for success. Healthy eating is only half the story, and combining it with exercise can go a long way. So get active and remember, ‘you are what you eat’!