The American Dietetic Association says the five leading nutrition-related causes of death for women in the United States are heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, weight control and diabetes. To get more information, the Office of Research in Women's Health is conducting a 15-year study involving 164,500 postmenopausal women across the country to determine whether hormone replacement therapy, calcium supplements and dietary changes are important in preventing and treating heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast and colorectal cancer.

But you don't have to wait for the study results to implement changes in your nutrition habits that will improve your health today.

Benefits of a plant-based diet

A diet that relies primarily on plants -- fruits, vegetables and grain products such as rice, breads and cereals -- is known to have many advantages. It is:

• high in fiber, which is important in preventing heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes
• low in saturated fat (implicated in cancer and heart disease)
• lower in calories, which helps control weight. Excess weight is often associated with many illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and breast cancer.
• high in antioxidants that help protect against heart disease and cancer
• naturally rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for good health

Be choosy about your protein

Although many of us grew up on a diet high in red meat, science has shown the value of eating more fish and seafood, as well as vegetable sources of protein: