Do you sit at a desk all day? No time to exercise or take regular breaks? Looking for healthy foods that can help you stay energized and productive? You’re probably hearing it a lot: Eating nutritional foods while sitting at your desk all day is essential.
We’re here to show you some healthy diet options you can take advantage of that will give you all you need.
Working at a desk all day long exposes you to serious health risks. Some people suffer from weak legs and tight hips, while others experience weight gain. Sitting down for too long also makes heart health and diabetes worse.
Exercise and regular breaks can help, but what if you forget? Also, schools and workplaces may not give room for rest. Your next logical option is to improve your diet. Here are healthy foods for those who sit at a desk all day.
1. Berries
Berries are some of the healthiest foods to incorporate into your diet. They contain very little sugar and are rich in antioxidants. Sitting for a long period of time every day increases your body’s inflammation.
Inflammation is a natural process to help your body fight infections. But too much of it can cause serious health effects.
Sitting down for too long causes inflammation because you’re inactive. Lack of activity means your body misses critical hormonal processes causing oxidative stress. That’s why adding berries to your food will help you cope. You can add berries to all sorts of meals or mixed with smoothies.
You can also consume them as snacks during lunch breaks at work. Some people like to have them on their desks and munch them like that.
Read: 5 High Fiber Foods for Healthy Gut
2. Avocados
Fatty food does a lot of damage to your body. That’s why doctors warn against eating too much-processed food. But your body needs healthy fats to function.
There are also some activities in your body that use fat. Avocados are one of the top healthy foods for those who sit at a desk all day. Avocados don’t contain cholesterol and add few calories to the diet.
Adding avocados to your food means that you’re going to be eating less junk food. It also comes packed with useful nutrients like vitamin B6, C, and E.
They also contain dietary fiber that promotes digestion. The best part of avocados is their content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
These types of fats help fight against harmful cholesterol in your body. So, when you eat them often, it reduces the negative effects of sitting down for a long time.
There are many delicious avocado recipes you can find online for your own enjoyment. You can also eat them raw and take in all the nutrients they have to offer.
Read: 5 Simple Exercises for Shoulder Pain Relief
3. Nuts
Your body gets plenty of nutrients from eating nuts. Additionally, they help you maintain healthy body weight and improve nutrient absorption.
Sitting all day robs your body of essential metabolic processes. These processes help with thousands of activities that make your body work.
Nuts contain vitamin E, selenium, copper, and manganese in large quantities. Selenium, which is found in Brazil nuts, is an essential component of enzymes. It also helps in the formation of DNA and protects cells against infections and damage.
Other nuts you can add to your food besides Brazil nuts are cashew nuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, and walnuts.
There are several creative ways you can consume these nuts. Most people like to eat them raw as snacks, which is fine. You can add them to smoothies, breakfast cereals, top your salads, or add to vegetables.
They are easy to prepare because you do not have to follow through with any complicated process to make them.
Heart health is another reason nuts are healthy foods for those who sit at a desk all day. People who sit down for too long risk heart health because of slow blood flow. It’s not a replacement for exercise. But when you add them to your food, it helps boost your heart.
Remember your heart is one of the most critical organs that keeps you healthy.
Read: 5 Simple Exercises to Fix your Bad Neck Posture
4. Olive Oil
Most people use oil in their cooking to improve taste and flavor. There are different options for cooking oil, but one of the healthiest is olive oil. So, if you live a sedentary lifestyle, you should consider using olive oil. Olive oil is like avocados because it is full of monounsaturated fats.
You know, those healthy fats we discussed earlier fight against unhealthy cholesterol. They are also full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that fight against infections.
One positive thing about olive oil is that you don’t have to worry about eating too much of it. It enhances the taste and provides the body with essential nutrients like iron. Some people even drink it or add it to drinks or smoothies.
Use olive oil in all your cooking, including for frying. It is a healthier replacement for butter. You can also use it as toppings for salads. There are different types of olive oil products on the market.
Make sure you do your research to get the highest quality. According to many reviews, extra virgin olive oil is one of the best types of oil you can buy.
Read: 10 Common Work from Home Ergonomic Hazards to Avoid
5. Garlic
For thousands of years, garlic has been part of food preparation for mankind. Garlic is one of the essential healthy foods for those who sit at a desk all day. The main medicinal compound in garlic is Allicin.
When you cut the garlic, the Allicin becomes activated and then absorbed when consumed. There is no reason you should add garlic to your food. It increases taste and flavor and promotes healthy eating.
Office workers are subjected to low temperatures because of air conditioning. This sometimes leads to colds and other health issues. Garlic can help you fight against the common cold and keep you active all day. Garlic helps to reduce blood pressure and heart diseases and promotes bone health.
The accumulation of heavy metals in the body can be dangerous. Consuming garlic regularly is one of the most effective ways to flush them out. Sitting down for too long can negatively affect your bones; garlic can make you feel better.
If you can eat garlic raw, do so. However, the most efficient way to use it is to cook and fry your food with it. When you combine it with onions and olive oil, you get nutritious food with medicinal value all the time.
Summary
You can do exercise, but it may not be enough. People in offices and schools sit all day long. There are healthy foods for those who sit at a desk all day. Among them are garlic, avocados, nuts, olive oil, and berries. They contain powerful nutrients that protect your heart, fight inflammation, and improve your health.
