Here are 11 basic rules of eating smart. These apply for general health, for losing weight, and for relief from allergy and asthma.

1. Cook only with olive oil and other monounsaturated oils.
2. Eat one meal every day composed primarily of vegetables, with a small side of lean protein. This could be canned chicken mixed into dark salad greens, ratatouille over whole-wheat pasta with grated Parmesan cheese, or vegetable lasagna.
3. Consume beans or legumes at least three times a week.
4. Have fish at least three times a week. Researchers have found that children who eat fish more than once a week have one-third the risk of developing asthma compared with children who eat no fish. And that's not just any fish, but oily fish rich in omega-3's. Other studies find that adults with asthma who regularly eat oily fish have better lung function, less wheezing and breathlessness, and fewer episodes of waking up with a tight chest. Canned tuna counts, as does a spaghetti sauce that uses plenty of omega-3-rich anchovies. If shellfish is not a problem for your allergies, make shrimp a weekly dinner staple.
5. Avoid any food that lists sugar among the first four ingredients on the label. You can get sugar-free varieties of foods like ketchup, mayonnaise, and salad dressing in the diabetic section of grocery stores.
6. Choose foods that are as close to their natural state as possible: fresh vegetables and fruits; fresh meats, fish, chicken, and eggs; raw nuts and seeds; and fresh salad greens. You can assume that the more prepackaging and preparing occurs at a factory or processing center, the more that healthy ingredients have been removed and unhealthy ingredients added.
7. Choose whole-grain breads and pasta. Make sure the first ingredient is whole-grain or whole-wheat flour. You'll know it's really whole-grain bread if it has at least 3 or 4 grams of fiber per slice. Don't be fooled by color either: some companies use molasses or colorings to make their breads look whole wheat even if they aren't.
8. Snack on raw nuts, fresh vegetables and fruit, hard and soft cheeses, and other unprocessed foods.
9. Cut your salt intake by using "lite" salt and using herbs and other spices in place of salt.
10. At least three times a week, eat a cup of live-culture yogurt for its beneficial acidophilus bacteria. If you don't like yogurt, try acidophilus supplements, available in many drug and health-food stores.
11. At breakfast, drink natural fruit juices, low-fat milk, tea, or coffee. But throughout the day, make water your primary drink.