If you are overweight, you are at higher risk for developing chronic illness like hypertension and other forms of heart disease. Being overweight or obese occurs over time when you consistently eat more calories than you use. According to MedlinePlus, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases.
Fad Diets
According to MayoClinic.com, fad diets usually promise that you'll lose a large amount of weight in a short period of time, and they usually do not include exercise or healthy eating habits. Fad diets simply over-promise and under-deliver. A successful diet is one that balances calories with daily activity and exercise.
Significance of Calories
The foods that you eat have calories that must be burned or they will be stored in your body as fat. There is no shortage of weight-loss programs available, but the only proven long-term and safe method is to burn more calories than you consume. To burn more calories or eliminate the excess calories being converted to fat, you have two options. The first is to reduce your caloric intake by eating less food or healthier food. The second is to increase your energy expenditure by exercising more.
Healthy Diet
The Harvard School of Public Health advises that what you eat is one of the most important factors in preventing chronic disease. To lose weight, you need to focus your dietary choices on low-calorie foods and foods that are low in saturated fat. Fruits and vegetables are natural foods that provide both of these features and are key to any healthy diet. The Harvard School of Public Health, HSPH, points out that a healthy diet should include whole grains, a large variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy oils like olive oil, fish and lean meats like poultry. Exercise is "a key partner to a healthy diet," says HSPH. In addition to healthy foods, you should limit your sodium intake and consider an omega-3 fish oil supplement. These two dietary choices have been shown to decrease the risk for heart disease and hypertension.
Benefits
If you eat healthy foods and exercise daily, you will be able to keep your calories in balance with your activity. This will help you decrease your body weight and will provide many health benefits, including a lower risk for hypertension and other chronic illness like cancer and diabetes.
Considerations
Hypertension and other heart diseases are related to lifestyle factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise. If you engage in a healthy diet and decrease your body weight, you can manage your hypertension. Fad diets usually fail and that is why so many are available each year. The foods listed above are the basis for a healthy diet that can lead to weight loss. For specific diet recommendations, talk to your doctor and find out whether a dietitian can be of assistance.
