Sedentary lifestyle and common misconceptions about a bland diet: Heart disease risk prevention and a scientific dietary guide

Sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of heart disease: Due to continuous technological advancements, our lifestyles have changed drastically. With cars and food delivery services, reduced physical activity has become a global public health problem. Worldwide, more than 5 million people die prematurely each year due to lack of physical activity.

Sedentary lifestyle and heart disease: Researchers have found that sedentary individuals have higher abdominal fat percentages, shorter breathing during exercise, larger waist circumferences, or lower than recommended levels of physical activity. Further research has shown that sedentary individuals have a 29% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Other Dangers of Prolonged Sitting:

1. For every additional hour spent watching television daily, the risk of developing diabetes increases by 9.2%.

2. Prolonged sitting increases the risk of death by 24%, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 17%, and the risk of cancer by 13%.

3. Women who habitually sit for long periods have a 1.4 times higher risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer.

4. Men who sit for more than 20 hours per week experience a 44% decrease in sperm count.

How Long Does Sitting Still Count as Prolonged Sitting: There is no strict definition of how long sitting still constitutes prolonged sitting. We can refer to the recommendations in the *American Diabetes Guidelines*: Everyone should reduce their sitting time, especially avoiding sitting for more than 90 minutes at a time.

Other Definitions of Prolonged Sitting: When a person is awake, sitting or leaning in a position that consumes ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents of energy for more than 2 hours is considered prolonged sitting. (Generally, sitting or lying quietly consumes only 1 metabolic equivalent, while using a computer or writing consumes about 1.5 metabolic equivalents.)

How to Avoid the Dangers of Prolonged Sitting: Activity is key. The European Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. A study published in the *Journal of the American Academy of Nephrology* showed that standing up and moving around for two minutes every hour of sitting can reduce the risk of death by 33%, and for those with chronic kidney disease, it can even reduce the risk of death by 41%.

"A light diet" is not "a bland diet":

When cardiovascular disease patients are seen or discharged from the hospital, doctors often advise a "light diet." Some patients immediately start eating whole grains and vegetables, some even going so far as to become vegetarian, cooking without any oil. Is this interpretation of the doctor's advice correct?

Studies have found that a daily diet of bland food or an extremely vegetarian diet can lead to insufficient nutrient supply and calorie intake, weakened immunity, and cognitive decline, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, angina, and atherosclerosis.

A "light diet" as described by doctors does not mean a completely vegetarian diet or abstaining from meat, but rather a diverse and balanced diet. Maintain appropriate proportions of animal-based foods, fruits and vegetables, seasonings, and cooking oils. Use natural seasonings as much as possible, and steam or boil more often than fry or boil.

1. Prioritize white meat when eating meat, and when consuming red meat, choose lean cuts. Pork, beef, and lamb are red meats. Their lean cuts are rich in high-quality protein and iron, while their fatty cuts are high in fat and unsuitable for people with cardiovascular disease.

Fish and poultry are white meats with lower fat content. Deep-sea fish, in particular, contain unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for people with cardiovascular disease and dyslipidemia.

2. Use cooking oil sparingly and vary the types of oil used. Insufficient unsaturated fatty acids in the diet can easily increase low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood, leading to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, when choosing cooking oils or other foods, it is best to choose those low in trans fatty acids and high in unsaturated fatty acids.

Corn oil: Contains up to 87% unsaturated fatty acids, is rich in vitamin E and linoleic acid, and has strong antioxidant properties. Characteristics: Not heat-resistant. Suitable for quick stir-frying.

Soybean oil: Contains lecithin and linoleic acid. Characteristics: Not heat-resistant. Suitable for quick stir-frying, making noodles, or soups.

Regardless of the type of cooking oil used, daily oil consumption should be controlled at 25-30g, which is about 2-3 full spoonfuls.

3. Natural seasoning, low salt and sugar: Studies show that eating too much salt or sugar can lead to lipid metabolism disorders, water and sodium retention, and even cognitive decline. Therefore, a light diet also includes low salt and sugar, minimizing the use of artificial seasonings, and using more natural seasonings such as scallions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, mustard, and bay leaves. These not only improve appetite but also reduce salt intake.

4. Soybeans, milk, and eggs are all essential: Soybeans and soy products, fresh milk, and eggs contain natural high-quality protein and should be consumed in moderation daily. Some people believe that eggs, especially the yolk, contain a lot of cholesterol and therefore refuse to eat eggs. In fact, cholesterol isn't entirely useless; it's an important raw material for the synthesis of metabolic cells in the human body. Too low a cholesterol level can lead to an imbalance in the body's internal environment, while moderate intake is beneficial to health. It is generally recommended to consume about 200g of soy products, at least 250g of milk, and one egg daily.