Diet and Nutrition Tips from SLP Slimming

Health and your diet.

Having a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to help your overall health. Along with physical activity, your diet is a key factor that affects your weight. Having a healthy weight for your height is important.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers.

You can find out if you're overweight or obese by figuring out your body mass index (BMI). Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, whereas women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All adults (aged 18 years or older) who have a BMI of 25 or more are considered at risk for premature death and disability from being overweight or obese.

A healthy diet is sometimes much easier said than done. It's tempting to eat less healthy foods because they're easier to get or prepare. Between family and work or school, you're probably balancing a hundred things at once. Taking time to buy the ingredients for and cooking a healthy meal sometimes falls way down on your list. But you should know that it isn't hard to make simple changes to improve your diet. A little learning and planning can help you find a diet to fit your lifestyle, and maybe you can have some fun in the process!