While eating a healthy diet is essential when it comes to living a healthier lifestyle just as important when it comes to keeping fit is to take regular exercise. Exercise strengthens muscles, keeps the body toned and the blood flowing healthily around the body while a good well balanced diet helps you to keep trim and wards off illness. Combining the two together is the only way to lose weight, keep it off and live a healthier lifestyle.

When it comes to exercising one of the best all-round forms of exercise that you can do and which does not cost anything is walking. Walking has been known to decrease the risk of heart attack, stroke and to lower the blood pressure. It is also a great way of keeping fit and strengthening the muscles of the legs and is a great way of boosting the immune system and easing stress. If you take a brisk 30 minute walk everyday then it will help you to lose weight by burning up calories at the rate of around 200 per 30 minutes. If you can only walk at a slow to moderate pace you can still benefit by losing around 100 calories and of course still have all the benefits it brings to your health.

When it comes to a well balanced diet then you do not have to cut out everything you love. Simply eat with common sense and gradually introduce foods that are healthier for you into your diet. A well balanced diet should include plenty of fresh fruit and veg of different kinds and should also include starchy foods such as pasta, rice and wholegrain bread. There are also foods that you should try to cut out or at least cut down on. Foods to be avoided or limited include salt, sugar and fat.

Getting the correct nutrition is essential to any successful diet and exercise plan and fruit, veg and starchy foods will provide you with all the necessary nutrients needed. Starchy foods should be around a third of your daily diet and just as important is eating different types of starchy foods. They are an excellent way of getting the energy that your body needs and of also getting fibre, calcium, iron and Vitamin B which are all essential for a well balanced diet.

Just as important in a diet and exercise plan is to include fibre in your diet. It is important to vary the types of food you eat that contain fibre. Oats, beans, lentils, seeds and seeds are all excellent sources of fibre. Soluble fibre is needed to keep the amount of cholesterol down and insoluble fibre keeps the digestive system in good working order.

It is only by combining both diet and exercise in a regular plan that you can turn your life around and be fitter and healthier. Making a well balanced diet a part of your life is the only way to be fitter, lose weight, and be successful when it comes to keeping it off.