Both are important for your life but which should you focus on for your health goals?
Advice from a RealSimple article says that for different effects on your life, you will want to focus on either diet or exercise.
- If you want to lose weight, diet is the first thing you should focus on. To lose a pound a week, you need to cut about 500 calories a day. It is easier for most to swap one Starbucks frappacino for a small coffee and eliminate a bowl of ice cream at night, than to spend an hour at the gym. To lose weight, stick with primarily plant based diets and limit processed foods, and consider using an app to track you intake.
- To have more energy, diet is also key. To avoid blood-sugar spikes, a balanced diet and frequently eating smaller snacks will keep your energy from depleting.
- For reducing the risk of heart disease, focus on exercise. “Being fit is more important” to heart health than diet, according to professor of medicine Dr. Martha Gulati, M.D.
- Diet and exercise can also effect libido and mind “sharpness,” but exercise has proven to be more effective for improving these areas of your life.
