Book excerpt: Healthy eating doesn't have to be difficult. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the conflicting diet and nutrition advice available, you're not alone. There seem to be two experts who recommend the complete opposite for everyone who says a certain cuisine is healthy. While certain minerals or foods have been shown to have a favorable effect on mood, your complete dietary pattern is most important. As the foundation of a balanced diet, natural foods should always take precedence over processed foods. Eating food that is close to how nature anticipated it might make a big difference in how you look, feel, and think. You can cut through the complexity and learn how to create—and maintain—a tasty, diversified, and healthy diet that is as good for your mind as it is for your body by using this straightforward advice.