Naxis

First, congratulations on quitting smoking. I know how incredibly hard that is. Everything ealse here should be easy by comparison.

Healthy eating *can* be for weight loss, but that's mostly determined by calories. The basic guidelines remain the same regardless of the health goal. No diet prescribes Taco Bell and Cocoa Puffs for a reason.
Low (saturated) fat and low cholersterol is generally part of eating healthy. But ultimately you are going to choose the foods you want anyway, so just be conscious of what is in things. Read the labels, avoid high saturated fats, sugars, preservatives and white foods like bread, sugar and rice (wheat bread and brown rice is better).

Chopstix was spot on, it's a lifestyle change and might be best to get into one step at a time. Like removing one or two bad things for good and replacing them with something better (like losing french fries - one of the worst possible foods next to the fried Twinkie - and opting for a veggie instead). Getting enough protein, proper amounts of the right kinds of carbs and enough healthy fats is the cliff notes version of healthy eating.

You might also want to work toward some lean muscle. It will increase bone density, increase metabolism, immune system, energy levels, hormone regulation and so on. Resistance training with any kind of resistance or weights will do the trick. Riding your bike is good cardio and a good start but the muscle is really important.

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins