Nutrition and Spirituality: Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle ...

Nutrition and Spirituality: Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle ...: Many of us are under some kind of workplace restriction and our local government has asked us to participate in frequent hand washing with...

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle during this Covid 19 Pandemic

Many of us are under some kind of workplace restriction and our local government has asked us to participate in frequent hand washing with soap and water, as well as, social distancing which means keeping at least six feet away from other people. So, now we are working from home and adjusting to the new normal of conference calls, job stress, and coordinating learning plans from schools or watching younger children. This all leads to hunger as a way to calm down the anxiety of the situation, and often ends with overeating.

In the body, your hormones control your appetite. When high stress situations happen, we ultimately look to food for comfort, although other measures such as smoking, drinking and sex are tried.  Cortisol, the hormone made by the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys, rises with increased stress. Eating foods high in fat and sugar are often the fastest way to calm us down and lowers these cortisol levels.  High insulin levels and ghrelin, a hormone secreted in the stomach, stimulates your appetite which increases food intake and promotes fat storage.  This makes you overeat.  

So what do we do to help ourselves?  Don’t panic! Get back to basics. Make sure you follow a healthy diet by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. If chicken, beef or other meats are not available at the grocery stores, substitute protein sources with beans or tofu products. Eat whole grains and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.  Sometimes you eat food when actually what your body is looking for is hydration. Slow down on treats but don’t feel bad if you do eat them.  These are rightfully extraordinary times and your body chemistry is just looking for a way to calm itself down.

Since the family is home, use this opportunity to cook meals together. Bring out the cookbooks and practice. Plenty of restaurant chefs are offering live cooking lessons on YouTube where you can learn tips and secrets.  It is easy to bake sweet treats, but as we follow the home quarantine over the long term, it will be better and healthier to cook or bake lower calorie items that can maintain your weight or help with weight loss.

 Finally, exercise at least 150 minutes per week and use meditation, yoga and strength training to keep your muscles toned. Socialization is equally important during this time so keep up with family and friends with conversations via group chats or by phone.  All these suggestions will help to calm you down and reduce the worry over when this pandemic will end.