Diet.org

Blood pressure can be unhealthy even if it stays only slightly above the normal level of less than 120/80 mmHg. The higher blood pressure rises above normal, the greater the health risk.

In the past, researchers tried to find clues about what in the diet affects blood pressure by testing various single nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium. These studies were done mostly with dietary supplements and their findings were not conclusive.

The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets nor bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise.

For example, someone who hasn't exercised for years shouldn't rush into running miles a day or pounding the treadmill. Not only will the struggle to do so leave you feeling disheartened and demotivated, you're also far more likely to injure yourself and set your fitness levels back further.

For many years, doctors and researchers used insurance statistics to determine what people should weigh. Today, we have a better approach that takes into account the health risks of being overweight. It’s called the Body Mass Index (or BMI), and like your cholesterol and blood pressure, it’s an important number to understand. A higher BMI increases the risk of weight-related health problems.