Healthy Diet Tips for Sedentary Lifestyle
 

I have sedentary lifestyle. I fear putting on much weight. Can you let me know what is the Daily Calorie requirement of a sedentry male?

Daily calorie requirement for a sedentary man would largely depend on the body frame, height, weight and physical activity of a person. An obese or an overweight man may require less number of calories and an underweight or undernourished man shall require more calories. For example a healthy sedentary 30 years old male weighting 70 kg with the height of 5 feet7 inch will require around 2000 calories per day for maintenance.


According to the calories the percentage of protein, fat and carbohydrate intake will be decided. Approximately a healthy well balanced diet will have around 50%-60% of calories coming from carbohydrates (mainly complex carbohydrates), 20-25% of calories shall come from proteins and 25-30% of calories from good fats. For a detailed diet plan you can consult a registered dietician who can guide you according to your individualized needs.


Till then you can follow the listed healthy diet tips below to include good calories in your diet –

• Carbohydrates should form the main base of your diet. Choose healthy or complex carbohydrates in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, whole wheat products, whole cereals, whole pulses, legumes and beans. Simple and refined carbohydrates should be avoided as far as possible.
  
  
  This is for a simple reason – they lack majority of the vital nutrients required for health and provide only empty calories.
• Proteins should be included in the form of eggs, low fat dairy products, fish, poultry without skin and meat. Some other sources of proteins like shell fish, organ meats, meat, pork, poultry with skin and ham are also high in cholesterol and saturated fats so should be consumed with a word of caution.
• Fats in the form of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (high in omega-3 fatty acids) are a good option. The consumption of cholesterol rich foods and saturated fat rich foods should be minimized and the consumption of food with trans fats should be completely avoided.
• Include a variety of food and food group to gain all the vitamins and minerals in the diet.
• Avoid a sedentary life, be active and increase your physical activity.
  
  
  Enjoy sports or activities you love like swimming, jogging, skipping, cycling, or playing other outdoor games. A simple brisk walk when done daily for 30-40 minutes will also help to improve your overall health.

Vitamins in Eggs

You can have them boiled, scrambled, fried, poached, or create frittatas stuffed with veggies and cheese - so many varieties to choose from and we are still talking breakfast and eggs! Due to their versatile texture and taste, eggs maybe used in a wide variety of culinary processes like browning, glazing, emulsifying, and foaming. Egg whites and egg yolks are a quintessential part of the baking process. It is what makes flaky dough or smooth batter.

However, the goodness of eggs extends beyond its taste and texture. Medical experts recommend eggs as part of your daily diet due to its high protein content. Egg proteins are essential for the growth and development of the body. Our body breaks down proteins from eggs into essential amino acids, which are absorbed by the body to promote bone, muscle, and organ development. Although highly recommended to fulfill your body’s protein requirements, vitamins in eggs also play a substantial role in promoting health and development of the body.

Vitamins in eggs. Between the vitamins in egg whites and egg yolks, one serving of egg can provide almost all the various types of vitamins. One serving of egg can also provide the body with essential minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Listed below are the various types of vitamins in egg and their benefits:

•   Eggs contain vitamin A, essential for the overall growth and development of the body. Vitamin A from eggs promotes healthy immune system, cell regeneration and better eyesight.
•   You will find nearly all the vitamins from the vitamin B-complex group in eggs. Vitamin B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B5 (panthothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid or folates) and B12 (cobalamin) are all the B vitamins that you can find in eggs. Vitamins in egg whites include vitamins B1 and B2. Both thiamin and riboflavin are essential to convert carbohydrates into energy and provide fuel for bodily functions. Riboflavin is essential for maintaining healthy skin, hair, and vision. It also helps the body provide for its energy needs. Vitamin B5 is essential for metabolism, hemoglobin synthesis, and regulating the nervous system. Pyridoxine helps to regulate hormonal functions, and therefore, it is important for children and young adults to consume eggs and benefit from this vitamin found in whole eggs and egg whites. Folates or folic acids from eggs are especially beneficial to pregnant or lactating women. Folates help the growth and health of DNA and prevent defects during childbirth. Vitamins in eggs also include vitamin B12, which is essential for nerve function and production of red blood cells.
•   Which vitamin in eggs is a naturally occurring vitamin and one of its rare natural sources? Vitamin D occurring in egg yolks is one of the few natural sources of this type of vitamin. Mostly, our body makes vitamin D by absorbing sunlight through the skin. Vitamin D helps in the assimilation of minerals such as calcium, iron, and phosphorus promoting healthy bone and dental health.
•   Vitamin E found in eggs is essential for healthy skin and bones. Studies reveal that vitamin E in eggs may contain antioxidant properties that can fight certain cancers.

Most weight watchers prefer egg whites to a whole egg since they are concerned about the cholesterol from the egg yolk. However, studies reveal that the egg yolk contains most of the nutrients and you could be losing a lot of vitamins and other essential nutrition by discarding the yolk. Including eggs into your daily diet may help you lose weight since it is an inexpensive and satisfying meal.

sedentary diet

sedentary lifestyle, diets for a sedentary lifestyle, diet for a sedentary life

Those people who do not follow an active lifestyle and instead have a very sedentary lifestyle should ideally follow  a sedentary lifestyle diet so that the calorie intake is proportionate to their minimal level of activity. Diets for a sedentary lifestyle will typically exclude trans fats and saturated fats that are the most unhealthy fats. Diet for sedentary people should not include trans fats because trans fats get transformed into solid fat form liquid fats via a process called hydrogenation. Some of the common sources of trans fats which should be avoided as part f a diet for a sedentary lifestyle are fried and baked foods. On the other hand sedentary diets should also strictly avoid saturated fats which are rich sources of fatty acid radicals and triglycerides and are commonly found in red meats such as beef and animal proteins. While eating for a sedentary lifestyle one should avoid both saturated fats and trans fats as they are known to cause severe harm to the body by increasing the triglyceride levels as well as the bad cholesterol levels in the body. This in turn is known to raise the risk of heart disease and other such cardiovascular medical conditions. Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and are keen on following a diet for a sedentary life should also avoid foods that tend to have high amounts of cholesterol such as animal based foods like poultry, eggs, milk products , poultry and even fish.

Typically the liver is known to produce all the cholesterol that is actually required by the body. However as one also consumes external protein sources of cholesterol, the excess cholesterol starts to collect into the blood. Additionally the lack of proportionate physical activity  which would otherwise burn up the excess cholesterol, one is at a higher risk of developing cholesterol plaque in ones arteries over a period of time. This plaque in turn results in the blockage of the blood vessels thereby not allowing the blood to flow freely resulting in issues with the cardiovascular system of the individual. Sedentary diets should also steer clear of processed foods such as cookies, cakes, white flour products and so on as though they are tasty and convenient they are known to have a large amount of preservatives, calories, sodium and even fat added to them to enhance their flavor. Instead a sedentary diet should be rich in plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables which should also be used as snacks between meals. Similarly those who are keen on following a sedentary diet should also avoid junk foods as they are loaded with plenty of unhealthy fats as well as salts and calories. This excess intake of calories is known to result in gaining weight and thereby raising the risk of the individual towards obesity related medical conditions such as heart disease and even diabetes. The additional salt that is consumed via junk foods is also responsible for raising the blood pressure of the individual as well as the risk of premature death. Similarly those following a sedentary lifestyle diet should also try and minimize or even completely avoid the intake of carbonated beverages like sodas and other fizzy drinks. This is because these drinks tend to have a huge amount of sugar and calories which results in weight gain and also issues pertaining to ones blood sugar levels. Instead as far as possible the sedentary lifestyle diet should include plenty o fresh drinking water and fresh fruits or fruits juices as they are full of nutrients and vitamins. Before taking up a sedentary diet one should understand that following a sedentary lifestyle indicates that the individual spends a significant portion of their time being inactive or even sitting. This is mostly true in the case of individuals who belong to a profession that require them to remain inactive for extended periods of time. Having a sedentary life is known to have its own set of health related risks and hence one should ideally modify their diet to take care of the lower rate of burning calories on a daily basis. Typically depending on one’s intake of calories, following a sedentary lifestyle is known to raise the risk of poor circulation, depression, high blood pressure, obesity, cognitive decline in elderly people and also heart disease. Along with following a sedentary diet , one should also incorporate some amount of exercise in their daily diet. This can be done by making simple changes such as taking the stairs instead of using the elevator, walking wherever possible or even doing some form of mild exercise while watching television if possible. One may also take up some other forms of exercise that can be practiced on a daily basis such as walking, jogging, aerobics and even swimming. A diet for a sedentary lifestyle should also involves eating smaller portion of healthy foods regularly during the day. This is known to raise the metabolism of the body thereby helping in faster burning of the calories and also helps in maintaining stable blood sugar levels without any sharp fluctuations. A sedentary diet should ideally include low fat versions of regular foods, whole grains, lean chicken and turkey along with fruits and vegetables.

Following a sedentary diet is essential because it has been found that a sedentary lifestyle is known to increase the risk of strokes. Those intending a sedentary diet should also try and incorporate at least 30 minutes of physical activity in their daily life. This is essential because the lack of physical activity tends to result in the accumulation of carbohydrates in the form of body sugar thereby resulting in medical conditions such as diabetes. Those leading a sedentary lifestyle and intending to follow a sedentary diet should initially consult their doctor who will recommend the ideal sedentary lifestyle diet taking into consideration the individuals age, gender and other such factors. Physical activity to supplement a sedentary diet need not include going to the gym but can also be doing some basic household chores.