Keeping A Healthy Diet While in Lockdown
As the lockdown continues, our anxiety levels are starting to rise, and it is all too easy to ease those feelings by snacking on comfort foods, but emotional eating can be detrimental to both your physical and mental health.
These uncertain times are scary and I am certainly not saying that now is a good time to focus on losing weight or completely changing the way you eat. It is a time to start looking at food as a source of energy and health.
Eating a healthy diet is a great way to boost your immune system and it could help to fight off infections. “The World Health Organization (WHO) is also urging people to maintain a healthy lifestyle while on lockdown, saying it could boost their chances of a fast recovery should they contract Covid-19.”
- Try to keep your mind active and healthy snack available for when you do get the urge to start picking.
I try to keep dried fruit and nuts in the cupboards. Apple slices with a spoon of peanut butter is also a great go to for when you fancy something sweet. Hard boiled eggs, roasted sweet potato chunks and humus with chopped raw veggies are easy to keep prepared in the refrigerator. Here is Snack Nation’s Guide to 121 healthy snacks: https://snacknation.com/blog/guide/healthy-snacks/ - Try to plan your meals for a whole week, this way you won’t have to worry about losing inspiration and turning to that frozen pizza in the freezer drawer. Planning meals in advance also helps ensure that you use up all of the ingredients, preventing waste and saving money.
- Think about creating big meals that you can freeze, this is a great way to save money and ensure you have a healthy, home-cooked meal available even when you are feeling less than inspired to cook. There are lots of great websites with ideas for freezer meals, here are a couple that I stumbled across:
Money Saver, Best Ever Freezer Meals – https://happymoneysaver.com/freezer-meals/
Bon Appetite, 37 Recipes That freeze Well – https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/recipes-that-freeze-well - “Three nutrients that you should definitely include (because they help to support your immune system) are Vitamin A (found in sweet potato and spinach), vitamin C (found in berries, tomatoes and peppers) and zinc (found in meat, shellfish, dairy and bread),” Ludlam-Raine adds for The Independent.
- Oily fish is also one of the few food sources of Vitamin D which is important for bone health and our immune system. If you are not able to go outside as often as you would like, it is important to include this in your diet.
- It is important to try to keep a routine, eating at set times throughout the day and in a set place. Avoid eating in bed or where you work, keeping your spaces separate. This should help curb your snacking and help your body adapt to your new schedule.
- Keep yourself hydrated!!! Drinking plenty of water has an effect on your brain function, your skin, your physical and mental well-being. We should be drinking 1.5-2ltrs of water a day. Try upping your water intake (if you are not already drinking enough water) and see the difference it makes to how well you function.
- It is important to treat yourself, especially during Corona Lockdown. Not only will this boost your mood, but it will also save you from snacking on treats you have forbidden yourself.
- Most importantly, be kind to yourself.
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