Are you concerned about your weight or would like help knowing what are the correct vitamins or supplements you should be taking? Call into Miller’s pharmacy for advice on how to manage your weight more effectively.
For a healthy balanced diet we should be eating, plenty of fruit and veg, a small amount of wholegrain carbohydrates like brown pasta, brown rice and wholegrain bread, some meat, fish and other protein sources, some milk and dairy products and a small amount of foods that are high in fat and sugar.
Are you getting your 5 a day? Having 5 pieces of fruit or vegetables daily can lower your risk of heart disease.
The food you eat contains several different types of nutrients, which are all required for the many vital processes in your body. Key nutrients in your diet include the following.
- Carbohydratesprovide you with energy.
- Proteinsare another source of energy and essential for the growth and repair of all tissues in your body.
- Fatsare a very concentrated source of energy and also have a number of other roles, including helping to transport essential vitamins around your body.
- Vitamins and mineralsare important to keep your body healthy and functioning.
Another important element of your diet is fibre. Fibre isn’t classed as a nutrient, but it’s essential to keep your digestive system healthy and certain types of fibre can help to control your blood cholesterol levels.
If you’re overweight or obese
Your risk of health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer is higher if you’re even a little overweight and the more overweight you are, the greater your risk of these diseases. This risk increases even further if you don’t do any physical activity.
Losing excess weight and getting active will be very beneficial for your health. To lose weight, you need to burn off more calories through physical activity than you take in from food and drink. The best way to do this is by increasing how much exercise you do and reducing how much you eat.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet and cut down on foods containing fat and sugar. If you don’t exercise, start by building physical activity into your usual daily routine, for example, walking to work instead of driving or taking the stairs instead of the lift. Gradually increase how much you do until you reach the weekly recommendation of 150 minutes.
If you’re underweight
There are many reasons why you may be underweight. These include medical conditions, such as anorexia nervosa. Older people may be underweight through not eating enough, possibly because they find it difficult to prepare or eat meals, or they have a reduced appetite. Unexplained weight loss or being unable to put on weight can sometimes be a symptom of an underlying health problem. If you find it difficult to put on weight or if you have lost a lot of weight in a short time, see your GP.
If you have a very restricted diet, you may not be getting all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to be healthy call into Miller’s pharmacy when we can advise you of what supplements may be suitable for you to take. This can lead to health problems such as heart arrhythmia (palpitations) and osteoporosis. Try to increase your calorie intake through eating a balanced and nutritious diet, in order to gain weight and get back into a healthy weight range for your height.