RALEIGH — Many of us will soon be racing the clock to finish our taxes. A tax audit sounds like a painful process, but not eating well can actually cause you pain and suffering later in life.

Try checking your diet against thefood guide pyramid. If you receive the recommended serving of a particular food group each day, you should give yourself a credit. If you do not receive the recommended serving, that should be considered a debit.

Although a good nutrition audit will not leave a refund in your mailbox, the returns last you a lifetime, but if you try to cheat on your taxes or nutrition, it will eventually catch up with you.

"We cheat everyday on our nutritional intake. We cheat our bodies every time we pick up something that has no benefit to us and put it in our bodies," says Janet Grubbs of the Southeast United Dairy Association. "Whether it be a soft drink or a bag of chips, we are cheating our bodies of something that could be nutritious and a good choice and provide us with the vitamins and minerals we need."

Healthy eating is associated with reduced risk for many diseases, including the three leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Keeping track of your caloric intake and exercise will help you see progress and hopefully produce a healthier you by this time next year.

Health Team Producer/Photographer:Lynn French