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Is diet or exercise more important? Which one should I focus on?

What is More Important: Diet or Exercise?

If you’re determined to improve your lifestyle, lose weight, get stronger or simply boost your sense of overall wellbeing, you’re probably wondering where to start. We all know that diet and exercise are essential factors in maintaining good health, but many of us are unsure about which one to focus on. Those who would rather forget their memories of high school gym class, for example, may be more inclined to focus on maintaining a strict diet, while those struggling to give up their daily donut habit may pin their hopes on the treadmill to keep their health in check.

So, what should you do about this conundrum? The short answer, unsurprisingly, is that the relationship between diet and exercise is complex and there are no clear-cut solutions. There’s no doubt that eating well and keeping fit are positive things that will help you to feel good. If you’re hoping to achieve a specific goal such as losing weight, however, you will need to think carefully about your strategy. Fortunately, we’ve put together an informative guide below to help you understand the relationship between diet and exercise and develop a long-term plan that works for you.

The Benefits of Eating Well

Before coming up with a new health and wellness regime, it is important to understand the different positive effects that a balanced diet and regular exercise can produce. 

A balanced diet is, put simply, one that meets a person’s nutritional requirements. It should not exceed their recommended calorie intake and should include a range of foods from the five food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein). Of course, this leaves open plenty of opportunity for enjoyment of (and experimentation with) many different foods. Mediterranean cuisine, for example, usually contains an array of delicious and nutrient-rich ingredients, as do Japanese, Jamaican or Indian cuisines, amongst others. 

In other words, balanced diets do not have to be boring. You should simply eat a wide array of foods from the five main groups on a regular basis, avoiding or minimizing the amount of junk food you eat. This means cutting down on candy, sugary soft drinks, refined carbohydrates, and greasy, fatty foods. According to the World Health Organization, the benefits of eating a balanced diet include:

  • It helps to support the immune system
  • It can help to protect against non-communicable diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and more
  • It can aid weight loss or help you maintain a healthy weight
  • It can improve mental health as experimenting with new flavors can enrich your life

The Benefits of Exercise

Clearly, the arguments for eating well are very strong. But where does exercise fit into all of this? Exercise can take many forms including team sports, jogging, walking, or swimming. Many people find it very enjoyable and it can be done on a budget. It is recommended that adults try to complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise every week. Doing so should bring about the following benefits:

  • Reduced risk of heart diseases such as heart attack and coronary artery disease
  • Improved weight control
  • Better insulin and blood sugar levels
  • Improved mental health and a more stable mood
  • Stronger muscles and bones
  • Improved sleep and cognitive abilities
  • Higher life expectancy
  • Reduced risk of certain cancers including uterine, breast, colon and lung cancer

The Problem With Only Dieting

The benefits of maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regime are clear. But what if you’re not keen on hitting the gym? Perhaps you’ve got a chronic pain condition that makes you shudder at the mere thought of exercise? 

The good news is that it is possible to lose weight without exercising. In the short term, cutting the number of calories you ingest every day and loading your plate up with fresh vegetables will probably produce the results you desire. You will likely lose weight and fit back into your favorite pair of old jeans.

However, there’s a catch. It is very difficult to maintain a strict diet regimen in the long term. You may cycle through periods of super-healthy eating and periods of bingeing, a phenomenon known as yo-yo dieting. According to studies, yo-yo dieting can actually make someone heavier in the long-term as the loss of muscle mass lost through dieting can encourage the body to hang on to energy reserves and fat. 

The best way to tackle this problem is through regular exercise. Hitting the gym or doing a gentle yoga session every so often will help to strengthen your muscles and free up a few extra calories, allowing you to indulge in an occasional treat without feeling racked with guilt.

What’s more, there are some positive health effects gained through exercise that simply cannot be achieved through diet alone. Time and time again, studies have shown that exercise represents an essential tool in boosting mental health. This is vitally important for people whose eating habits are closely connected to their emotions. What’s more, it is perfectly possible to look thin and healthy while having high blood pressure, poor blood sugar levels, and a raised risk of noncommunicable diseases. Exercise can work wonders in helping to tackle this.

The Problem With Only Exercising

Despite the vital role of exercise in overall health, it is not enough to keep weight gain and certain lifestyle diseases at bay. Although exercise burns calories, it doesn’t burn nearly as many as most people believe. Unfortunately, this means that many people are likely to “overcompensate” after a hard bout of exercise, adding too many treats to their dinner plate in the mistaken belief that they will have burned off the extra calories in the gym. The scientific consensus is that, unless you’re a professional athlete, you shouldn’t be compensating with extra food after exercise. 

How to Maintain a Healthy Weight in the Long Term

As we have seen, exercise and diet both have very important roles to play in our health and wellbeing. Ultimately, you cannot favor one over the other if you are committed to maintaining a healthy weight in the long term. 

This is particularly important to understand as you get older. As we age, our metabolisms slow down and the role of diet and exercise in our lives becomes increasingly vital. If you’re feeling a little intimidated by this fact, don’t worry. 

Getting started with exercise is much easier than many of us imagine, even if you have certain limitations or disabilities. There are plenty of different exercises out there to suit everybody. Swimming is particularly gentle on the joints and bones of older folks, for example.  

Remember that consistent exercise is a great way to improve your overall attitude to your health and wellbeing. Many people who start exercising are inspired to quit smoking and keep their diet in check once they realize how great healthy living makes them feel. In this way, we recommend starting your health journey with gentle exercise and improving your diet over time. This is much more effective than starting with a punishing crash diet and will help to fight chronic diseases in the long term. Give it a go today!

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Pure and Simple

Love what isn’t here (artificial sweeteners) and how easily it mixes with my morning oatmeal: no clumps and lumps!

Big fan!

Your protein powder check so many boxes for us. No sugar, no fake taste, easy to mix into foods and drinks!

Good fish oil

I have been taking fish oil for years for heart and brain health. This fish oil by TGS Nutrition seems like a good one. It is sourced from wild caught Alaska pollock. It contains the triglyceride form of Omega-3's and the quality seems good. A serving size of 2 softgels contains 640mg of EPA and 420mg of DHA. The softgels are of the regular size and pretty easy to swallow. No fishy odor or burps.

No soy, no gluten, no crazy flavors - just what I needed

Very simple ingredients and no soy or gluten or wild flavors. I sneak it into a strawberry banana smoothie. My wife, who hates the taste of protein powders, said that was the least "protein-y" tasting protein drink she's ever had.

Always use trusted wild caught sources

Fish oil is a great supplement to take for so many reasons, heart and brain and joint health to name a few. You likely aren’t getting enough Omega 3 in your diet unless you eat fish a few times a week. Pregnant women need it more as it is critical for fetal development and for young kids it is important for brain development too, so read up on it. The recommended dose of total Omega 3 is 1100 mg for women , but 1600 mg for men, so this product falls a little short for men. Yes, you are getting oil from wild caught pollack, USA made. And that’s what your paying extra for of course. But there are other available options too of wild caught fish that are equally good, so shop around . More isn’t necessarily better, but try and get the recommended dose and a high amount of DHA ( at least 200mg DHA ) . This one covers that easily. This is a worthy product , but the fact that you should take it consistently means you need to find your most affordable option. Research and shop. Spend your money on good and economical products and always understand what you are taking and why. No complaints, this is a 3 month supply for about 14.00 a month and a good clean product.

This omega 3 fish oil is perfect

I am glad I purchased this jar from TGS Nutrition.
This company is famous with pure and clean products, and no additives or anything else, but what the product should be. I like this product a lot and it is as expected - just pure Omega-3 fish oil.
Thank you TGS Nutrition for creating amazing and high quality supplements!

Another great product!

I do my best to find trusted sources and if you ever reach out to TGS you can tell they really care about their customers! Great fish oil!

This is VERY NATUAL!

I really like this product. Many manufacturers and sellers have a tendency to overstate the benefits. However, that is not the case this time because this product really worked for me. I have to give it my highest recommendation. Five stars!

Happy with it so far

I’ve been taking this for a month now. I didn’t know omega 3’s were so important until my dr told me to consider taking a supplement. I’m very happy with it so far.

Good choice for omega 3’s

I take many various dietary supplements. But fish oil is the only one that I take faithfully daily. And I'm approaching 70 years old with great health, vigor and mobility. This TGS fish oil product comes packaged 180 softgels per bottle. Serving size is two softgels daily which delivers 640 mg EPA, 420 mg DHA, 200 mg other Omega-3s. The fish oil is sourced wild-caught Alaskan Pollock (not from shellfish or krill) and the softgel capsule is bovine gelatin-based . . . which is compatible with my kosher-like diet. Labelling claims the fish are sustainably caught, then processed to eliminate mercury (small fish generally contain much less mercury anyway). Expiration date appears to be about 2 years into the future.

TGS Omega 3 fish oil - 1260mg

It is really hard to find supplements now a days that are transparent. Whether it’s transparent with ingredient amounts vs. just proprietary blend formulas, or transparent on the actual ingredients. The fish oils by TGS have both transparency on the amount of EPA/DHA which are both in line for the levels you want in a fish oil, as well as, where the fish oil originates from (Alaska Pollock). I take 2-3g of fish oils a day as a normal part of my diet. These are easy to swallow and provide a good source of omega-3s.

Excellent!

Excellent product and great price. I don’t like fish but still need Omega 3s. The EPA and DHA content is great. Quality is what matters more for me - Wild caught, Made AND sourced from USA.

Very good!

Great product at a reasonable price. Thanks!

Potent and no fish burps

This fish oil has a high potency listed. As with any supplement, we as consumers are at the mercy of the manufacturer when it comes to potency listings and ingredients, but I have no reason to doubt this of this product. I believe this to be slightly pricey at $39.99, but I also believe that you could get by with 1 gel-cap per day as opposed to the recommended 2 per day. The National Academy of Medicine sets the daily adequate intake (AI) of omega-3 fatty acids as 1.6 grams for adult men and 1.1 grams for adult women, while standard supplements typically contain around 1 gram of fish oil, with 120 milligram of EPA and 120 milligrams of DHA, the two types of omega-3 fatty acids. I have been using fish oil, or krill oil, as a supplement for quite a few years and believe it to be beneficial.

I really had no dislikes (other than price) of this product. There was no fish burp after taking it. As with any fish oil capsules, they tend to be on the large side (1 is pictured atop a US Dime), but I had no difficulty in taking them. I even tried taking 1 before a meal and still had no fish burps.

I hope that this helps someone decide on whether or not to purchase this product.

Wild caught

From wild Alaska pollock and sustainably sourced as well as made in the USA, what more could I ask for.
I’m taking 2 softgels daily and this huge bottle contains 180 softgels so I have a 3 month supply for the very reasonable cost of $39.99.
I’ve not experienced any fishy burps with TGS fish oil nor any other negative effects. I’m very pleased with the quality of this supplement and i would definitely repurchase.

Good product and 3 month supply

Great product for a healthy daily fish oil. To get the 1260mg 2 gels are needed each day. Wild caught has always been my choice favorite. This container has a long expiration of year 2024. I am not having any issues taking these. I really like this product and recommend it.

Large easy to swallow clean looking capsules

I try to get my omega-3s from fish sources to take advantage of the benefits of fish oils. The capsules look clean. I didn't get any "aftertaste" and I think these are a good value.

Highly recommended

Fish oil is an essential nutrient in that it contains all the omega oils you need. I have taken at least 1,000 mg daily for years to help maintain my general health. So far so good.

Good fish oil

Easy to swallow and no bad aftertaste

Very good!

Great product. Reasonable price.

Good concentration

I've been taking Omega 3 for years and have tried many different supplements. This one has a good concentration of EPA and DHA. You get 180 gelcaps for a good price. I typically take quite a bit of Omega 3 as it helps a lot. As a result, I like getting containers this size. The small stuff I blow through quickly. You can't go wrong with this.

No artificial sweeteners

Was looking long and hard for a quality protein powder that did not contain artificial sweeteners. This one checks that box and goes well with whatever I mix it with.

No noticeable flavor and no a sugar bomb

Exactly what I was looking for. I add protein powder to my morning smoothies and the powders are always too sweet. Now my smoothies taste like smoothies and I don't taste the protein powder

satisfied

item as described arrived on time

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