Mississippi State Department of Health

Healthy Living

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Take charge of your health! Getting active, eating right, and keeping a healthy weight are the three key ingredients for a longer and healthier life.

Plan for Success

Making big changes in your life is hard, especially if you are faced with more than one change. You can make it easier by taking these steps:

Planning for change

Step 1 – Weighing Right

Being overweight can keep your body from using sugar properly. It can also cause high blood pressure.

In one study, people who lost between 5 and 7 percent of their body weight significantly reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing only 10 pounds could make a difference!

Choose sensible ways to get in shape:

Tools to use

Step 2 – Make Wise Food Choices

What you eat has a big impact on your health. By making wise food choices, you can help control your body weight, your blood pressure and blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Healthy eating

Losing weight

Tools to use

Step 3 – Be Physically Active Every Day

Regular exercise tackles several risk factors at once. It helps you lose weight, keeps your cholesterol and blood pressure under control, and helps your body control blood sugar. Being physically active for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and helps you maintain a healthy weight.

If you are not very active, you should start slowly, talking with your doctor first about what kinds of exercise would be safe for you. Make a plan to increase your activity level toward the goal of being active at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.

Choose activities you enjoy. Walking is one of the best ways to work extra activity into your daily routine:

Tools to use

Bonus – Keep Track of Your Health

Yearly checkups with your doctor keep you in touch with changes in your health. They let you learn about problems early, and take the right steps to correct them. To live your best life, make your doctor your partner. Even a good pharmacy can help you keep track of your basic health by providing blood pressure checks and other services conveniently.

Your most important health measurements are:

Tools to use



Links referenced on this page
What's my healthy weight?    http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,16290,289,html ok
Take control of your weight    http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/EatHealthyGetActive/TakeControlofYourWeight/
Weight loss for teens    http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/take_charge.htm
Choosing Foods for Health and Weight Loss    http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,0,213,html ok
Daily Food Planner    https://www.choosemyplate.gov/resources/MyPlatePlan
The DASH diet    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20048456
Mediterranean Diet    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801
Get active — start walking    http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,0,270,html ok
Tips for getting active    http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,0,270,806,html ok
Physical activity guidelines    http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/
Know Your Numbers    http://msdh.ms.gov/page/43,1161,91,214.html ok
High blood pressure and how to control it    http://msdh.ms.gov/page/43,0,297,431.html ok
Preventing diabetes    http://msdh.ms.gov/page/43,9136,296.html ok

Find this page at http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/index.cfm

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