A healthy balanced diet is one very important component of your overall health. Along with physical activity, your diet is the key factor that affects your weight. A healthy balanced diet will keep you trim, give you lots of energy and lower your risk of certain disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some cancers. Over time, you will know to adjust your overall calorie intake up or down by monitoring your weight. If you need to lose weight, gain weight, watch your fat intake, protein intake, or sodium intake, you will have much better results if you use a food diary. Read more about Diet & Nutrition in this section.