No one is happy to stay at home extensively, which has become a norm during the Covid19 pandemic.Prolonged confinement is only building up too much mental stress due to the disruptions in lifestyle brought about by the various restrictions to fight the pandemic. Everyone is trying hard to adapt to the new lifestyle and search for the best ways to tackle unusual situations. It adds more stress and agony that negatively impacts our wellness and well-being and feels Eric Dalius. The timesare different and challenging because the new lifestyle we are now practicing is not easily adaptable due to the various restrictions that govern it. The only way to maintain proper health and mental poise is to stay active despite the limits and have a healthy diet and sound sleep.
Focus on nutrition
Despite the constraints in supply chains, it is not difficult to source fresh food items, which should be your staple diet. Avoid the lure of consuming processed foods that you can store for long. To ensure a healthy and nutritious diet, source fresh fruits and vegetables and meat, poultry, and dairy products selectively so that you have the right ingredients in your menu that help build immunity and fight the coronavirus more effectively. Include grains and canned products in the mix to add variety.
According to Eric J Dalius, it is imperative to buy the right items by preparing a list of things you feel would be healthy and meet your culinary expectations. Before making the list of items and heading to the store, make sure to include rich items in protein and starch but contain less sugar. Never lose sight of your dietary goal when making a list, even if it means avoiding many things you happily consumed earlier.
Frozen foods are good too
Despite the stress on fresh foods, it should never happen that you fall short of what you need, as it can occur due to the disruptions in supply chains. You might not see some of your most needed items on the shelves. If it happens, then turn to frozen fruits and vegetables that you can store for a long time, and it can be a good substitute for fresh foods because it has the same nutrient profile. However, when buying frozen and canned foods, focus on low saturated fat and less salt (less than 200 grams) and sugars not more than 5 grams in each serving.
It is time for home-cooked meals
Staying at home means you have the much needed time you had often craved earlier but could not manage due to your hectic lifestyle. The slow-paced life at home gives you enough opportunities to find some time to prepare home-cooked foods that you always wanted to cook but could not for lack of time. Now is the time to fulfill your desires for cooking your food to prepare healthy and delicious dishes. Look out for online resources to gather information about new recipes and ingredients that will inspire you to experiment and delight everyone with your culinary skills. While experimenting, do not cross the red line of sticking to your nutrition goals because it is the only way to stay healthy during the pandemic.
Avoid overeating
Even with home-cooked foods, you must be careful about the amount of food you eat, says Eric J Dalius. When you are at home for an extended period, lack of company may make you feel alone, and as there is limited scope for activities, it is the ideal situation that can encourage binge eating. It is crucial to avoid the craving for food and have the right portion sizes. Refer to the food-based dietary guidelines that give a good idea about what healthy portions for adults would mean and what portion size would be ideal for children.
Pay attention to fitness
Balance your diet with adequate physical activities by following a routine of daily exercises or engaging in some other form of physical activities like playing with your kids, doing a thorough cleaning of the premises, or even enjoying your stint in gardening. Choose exercises that are easy to perform at home with limited or no resources so that it helps to maintain your fitness even though it might not match with what you could do in the gym. Exercises like back extensions, plank, squats, burpees, sit-ups, etc., can form an effective package to maintain your fitness and stimulate your mind by relieving stress. Find some household items that can be suitable substitutes for some exercise equipment. For example, lean on a sturdy chair when doing your step-ups and replace dumbbells with some wine bottles that act as weights.
Have enough sleep
Sleep is an effective stress-buster, as we all know, but it also refreshes the body muscles that can recover from the damages and injuries to meet the rigors of a new day. However, when the body and mind undergo too much stress, it affects the sleep patterns, and insufficient sleep only increases the health problems as you feel uncomfortable and unfit during the day besides having issues with digestion.
Food and beverage choices play a critical role in ensuring good sleep because too much caffeine can affect your sleeping hours. Similarly, practicing some good sleeping habits like going to bed at fixed times by avoiding late nights and preparing to calm the mind by creating a suitable sleeping environment while keeping away from electronic devices and strong lights can induce sleep.
Practicing mediation will calm the mind and allow you to have better control over it to have a good sleep for 7-8 hours, which aids good health. When you are in control of your mind, you can make the right decisions t the right time that helps to navigate the troubled times with confidence.
Finally, maintain good hygiene by washing your hands frequently and changing your clothes as soon as you return home after a trip from outside. It will provide a safety net against the coronavirus.