Proponents of the Acid Alkaline Diet recommend eating at least 80 percent alkaline foods, such as sweet potatoes, and no more than 20 percent acid-forming foods to help your body maintain a healthy pH level. The idea is that eating too many acid-forming foods makes your blood more acidic and causes health problems.

High blood sugar and cholesterol can lead to serious conditions. Uncontrolled high blood sugar can put you on a course toward diabetes and complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and amputations, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.

Planning a diet to minimize constipation and gas can be tricky, because many of the foods that can help with constipation may increase your risk for gas. The foods that cause gas vary, with some affecting certain people but not others.

Lowering uric acid levels plays a role in managing gout symptoms. Your body produces uric acid as a byproduct of breaking down substances in food called purines. In addition to consuming a low-purine diet, getting enough of certain nutrients may help lower uric acid levels.

The idea behind the Acid Alkaline Diet has been around since the 1930s. Whether the food you eat makes a significant difference in your body's overall acidity level is a subject of controversy, although foods do have either an acid-forming or alkaline-forming effect.

A strong and healthy jawbone is essential for activities such as talking and eating food. Additionally, a strong jawbone is necessary to keep all of your teeth in place, according to Medical News Today.

Glycerin, also called glycerol, is sometimes added to foods to help thicken them, to control their moisture level or to stabilize them if they contain a mix of water and oil. It's mainly used in processed foods and sweets and is generally regarded as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

With three meals per day plus snacks, rationing calories can seem like a chore. For most people, however, eating the same number of calories at breakfast, lunch and dinner is just fine -- so you don't need a unique formula for the contents of your midday meal, according to Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center.

Menopause brings on a number of biological changes, and in addition to the obvious hormonal changes, you might also notice a difference in your body shape. Body fat previously found only on your lower body, such as on your hips and thighs, can begin to appear in your midsection, causing stomach fat.

What you eat affects your mental state. Not only do food choices have an impact on your weight and heart health, but they also contribute to feelings of depression or stress. Compounds in certain foods stimulate your brain to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects your get-up-and-go.

Followers of the Lemonade Diet -- also called the Master Cleanse -- forgo solid food and drink only saltwater, herbal laxative tea and a lemonade beverage made from water, fresh lemon or lime juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup for 10 days.

Whether you're genetically thin or dealing with a medical condition that makes it hard to gain weight, you may struggle as much to put on the pounds as most people struggle to lose. While simply eating more calories sounds easy, it's also important to choose the right foods so you gain healthfully.