As the coronavirus is forcing more and more people to stay home, our health and well-being have become a major focus now more than ever. But there is much more to this than simply just not getting sick. What we feed our bodies has a major impact on our health and choosing healthy eating can boost your energy levels, improve your mood, and even protect against diseases.
So how can you take this step to really stay consistent with healthy eating habits? Although this certainly isn’t without its own challenges, prioritizing healthy and wholesome food on a daily basis will have lasting positive effects. Here are some tips to stay consistent with a healthy diet:
- Be mindful of what you are eating and why you are eating - is your selection a healthy choice? Are you hungry, or are you bored?
- Find accountability partners – Reach out to your family, friends, and coworkers to help keep you accountable. If you have an Apple Watch, you can share your activity levels with other friends’ watches as well, and even challenge each other to see how many steps or minutes of exercise you are doing each day. There are even other apps such as My Fitness Pal, Fat Secret, and Noom that can help track your food intake and allow you to share this with your dietician.
- Find a virtual exercise class – If your gym is closed, see if they are offering any online classes during this time. If they aren’t, there are thousands of free exercise classes of all types on YouTube.
- Try new healthy recipes at home – Since our evenings have fewer outside obligations, now is a great time to start trying new healthy foods! Aim for colorful fresh whole vegetables & fruit, and even get creative with your cooking. The Vantage Wellness Program and Pinterest are great places to find new recipes as well as cooking demo videos to help you along the way!
- Involve your kids with cooking – If you have kids, this is a fun and great way to boost math skills! Kids are also more likely to try food they have helped prepare.
- Prepare 2 meals per day - Instead of sandwiches for lunch, try preparing enough food for a couple of meals each day. This is an awesome opportunity to experiment with an instant pot, crock pot, or air fryer. Take pictures of your creative dishes using fresh or frozen vegetables and share them with others!
- Get moving! Aim for a weekly exercise goal of 150 minutes. Go for a walk with your family and friends, and even share memories and stories that you have. Exercising with family members can create lasting memories and great bonding opportunities.
- Start a garden - It doesn’t have to be large. Small container gardens are easy to maintain and fresh vegetables straight from a garden are very tasty! Be sure to rinse your food in cold water, and then pat dry or spin dry. Storing your vegetables and fruit in mason jars will help keep food fresh for up to 3 weeks.
This is a great time to be focused on your health by eating right and exercising. As we navigate these changing times, one thing that you can keep consistent is your diet. If you would like to receive more information on nutrition and healthy eating, visit www.myaffinityhealth.com/Nutrition