CLEVELAND -- When it comes to nutritious food, you know what you need: more colorful, fresh fruits and veggies, healthy proteins, less sugar, sodium and saturated fat.

The impact is about much more than your weight or cholesterol. NewsChannel5's Lee Jordan spoke to a local doctor about the healthiest foods out there and what they can do for your health.

"Is the saying true, you are what you eat? Well, pretty close to it. In other words, you get a huge change in how genes function in what you eat," said the Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Michael Roizen.

Along with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Roizen is the co-author of several books that present the latest and best information on your body and your diet, and how saturated fat, for example, is a true villain to long-term health, Lee reported.

"What it really does is change a gene that makes an inflammatory protein that makes arteries harder, and makes it more likely that you'll have inflammation and get cancer," said Roizen.

There's a cornucopia of choices, however, that can also have a very positive effect on how the smallest cells in your body are functioning. They are super foods.

First up is wild salmon. It has fewer PCBs than farm-raised, in addition to being a healthy protein.

"It contains a great omega 3, high in EPA and DHA, which are two active omega 3s, which contain aging of your brain and aging of your arteries," said Roizen.

Next up is broccoli, a great source of folic acid, and that's only one of the items in this nutritional champ.

"Broccoli has special phyto-chemicals that fight cancer," said Roizen. "The green stuff in them, lutein, helps preserve eyesight; other good things, also in cauliflower and other cruciferous veggies, decrease risk for cancer, and actually have anti-cancer properties."

Skim milk makes the list, and if you're lactose intolerant, you can choose soymilk, as long as it is fortified with vitamin D and calcium.

For Clevelanders, it plays an important role.

"The sun in Cleveland doesn't have enough energy to convert inactive to active vitamin D between Oct. 1 and April 15. So you need to get it in some form of supplement or milk, and this gets you the calcium and protein as well," Roizen said.

Tomatoes are good for your health, especially if you cook them.

"All tomatoes are good for you. They have, in fact, a lot of fiber and healthy chemicals in them. We think the healthy chemical is lycopene. It's best absorbed if you cook tomatoes and have a little fat. So in fact, tomato sauce or paste is great," said Roizen.

Finally, eat more sweet potatoes, but skip the marshmallows and brown sugar.

"If you don't put sugar or butter on as you mash it, wonderful, mashes itself; has a lot of potassium, calcium, nutrients become flavinoids and carotinoids. Not necessary for life, but they help you," said Roizen. "If people just do this, think about it, they're beautiful foods, and they're great for you."

Roizen has a few super food of his own to add to the list: avocados and nuts, especially walnuts, because they're high in those good Omega 3 healthy fats.

He also said to add curry or mustard to your diet every day because it’s a great way to maintain healthy memory function as you get older.

Check out the full list of super foods here.