How Do Nutrition and Exercise Go Together for Working Folks

Being a working professional has its challenges. So, how do nutrition and exercise go together? Today, things are changing fast in the workplace, and you must adapt to new situations to progress in your career. To do so, maintaining optimum fitness and balanced nutrition is crucial as it makes you a healthy working professional and increases productivity [1]. For example, exercising regularly and having a fitness diet plan for a working person is important. 

So, the question remains, how do nutrition and exercise go together for working professionals? Scroll further to read more about it.

Diet Plan for Indian Working Professionals

Whether you commute to the office or work remotely, it is important to exercise regularly and understand how to balance gym and work. One of the prerequisites is to follow a healthy diet plan. Make sure to consume foods loaded with protein, healthy fats, fibres, vitamins and minerals, and exercise following a specified routine. Go for plant-based proteins like soybeans or animal proteins such as fish, meat and eggs as per your preference. Also, include all seasonal fruits and vegetables in your diet to make it wholesome. Talk to your doctor to understand the kind of nutrients your body requires. If you have conditions such as high blood sugar and high cholesterol, doctors may lay out a personalized diet plan and explain how to diet with exercise.

Foods and Drinks You Should Avoid or Limit

How do nutrition and exercise go together? To understand that, you must consider the importance of a proper diet. Especially if you are on a fitness goal, it is important to stay true to your diet plans. It means there are certain foods and drinks you must avoid or limit. Here's a look at them:

• Sugar: As sugar is a food filled with empty calories with no other nutrients, it is crucial to cut down on it as we get sugar naturally from sources such as fruits, vegetables and milk products. Limit your consumption of human-made sugar products such as sweets, candies and chocolates
• Sugary drinks: It is crucial to avoid sweetened drinks such as soda, soft drinks, flavoured water with added sugar, and more to stay fit. For healthy alternatives, you can drink plain water, lemon water, or herbal tea
• Processed foods: Processed or refined foods made of maida have limited or zero fibre. They can hamper your bowel movement with symptoms of constipation. Consuming refined foods can also lead to colon cancer in the worst cases
• Caffeine: Caffeine is found in high amounts in coffee and in moderate amounts in tea, colas, and chocolates. It is wise to limit caffeine intake as it can lead to health issues such as hypertension, headache, insomnia, depression, fatigue and more
• Saturated fats: Foods such as desi ghee, fried foods, and fatty meats may tingle your taste buds due to their taste and spice. But the saturated fats they contain are not good for your health and can affect your cardiac health and overall well-being
• Salt: Consumption of salt is crucial to maintain your body's fluid balance, regulating heartbeats, and boosting the function of nerves and muscles. However, consuming more than a quarter tablespoon of salt a day may lead to conditions such as hypertension. Here are a few high-sodium foods that you can consider limiting:

• Pickled meat
• Cakes
• Pastries
• Canned and tinned foods
• Packed sauces and soups
• Breakfast cereals high in sodium

• Alcohol: Excessive consumption of alcohol not only affects your consciousness but also leads to conditions such as irritability, headaches, and dehydration. Being an alcoholic also makes you prone to fatal conditions such as liver cirrhosis. That's why it is wise to limit alcohol consumption if you cannot avoid it.

A Few Diet Tips for Working Professionals

How do nutrition and exercise go together while prioritising your professional commitments? Being a super busy office goer or remote worker, it may seem challenging to understand how to do proper diet and exercise to leverage maximum health benefits. However, here are a few diet tips you can follow besides doing exercises to stay happy and healthy:

Stay hydrated

It is important to drink three to four litres of water a day. The water requirement of your body may further increase during summer. Make sure to drink plenty of water before and after workouts. It provides your body with essential energy and promotes metabolism by making digestion smooth. It also prevents the body tissues from dryness.

Consume loads of fruits

Adding every seasonal fruit to your diet is crucial unless you have a health condition that prevents you from consuming them. In summer, go for mango, jamun, grapes, bananas, watermelon, lime, jackfruit, and more. Have plenty of oranges, apples, oranges, pears, kiwis, and more in winter. Note that some of these fruits are also available throughout the year.

Opt for a healthy breakfast

Make breakfast your first heavy meal of the day and fill it with healthy options such as dry fruits, eggs and milk. You can also add vegetables and cereals for added fibres, including high-protein soy, chia, and ground flax. Thus, you can make it a wholesome meal that keeps you full for a long time.

Say ‘No’ to overeating

Ensure you eat as per your body's requirement, as overeating can lead to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiac disease, weight gain, and obesity. In addition, it can increase your cholesterol levels and put extra pressure on your heart. Overeating also triggers mental health conditions such as depression and associated symptoms.

Have an early dinner

It is wise to have your dinner by 8 p.m. so that your digestive system gets enough time to process it while you are awake. Going to sleep immediately after dinner can cause symptoms such as indigestion and heartburn, making it difficult to sleep.

We hope you have received the answer to "How do nutrition and exercise go together" by understanding how easy it is to incorporate a balanced diet and an exercise routine into your daily schedules. If someone asks, "How do you work out calories", you can guide them about the strategies that have worked for you. 

If you need further guidance, you can go for an online dietitian consultation at Bajaj Finserv Health. So whether your concern is effective lifestyle habits or something else, book an online doctor consultation to resolve your queries immediately!