Proper Nutrition During Quarantine

Self-isolation has changed many things in our lives, and we will observe its consequences for several months after. What is already obvious today is how the path from work to home or your favorite bar has shortened to the path from the table to the refrigerator. Walking and jogging will replace home training with questionable success, but even this will most likely reduce your physical activity. So it's time to review your diet and eating habits.

Is a diet necessary and how to adjust it in quarantine conditions

The regime will not interfere with those who are not used to spending so much time at home and with the onset of self-isolation began to visit the refrigerator more often out of boredom or in an attempt to relieve stress. Planning will help to adjust the regime.

Make a healthy and tasty menu for at least a week and buy products from the list for the dishes you will cook. So you won't have to leave the house again (which is important in quarantine conditions ) and there will be fewer opportunities to eat disorderly. Make a clear schedule of meals throughout the day and stick to it.

We should not forget about the variety and useful products, but the number of meals should be reduced if physical activity is on the decline. Less energy is spent, and accordingly, its intake should also be less. Otherwise, during self-isolation, you risk gaining a couple of extra kilograms.

Do not forget about water - in the office, you most likely go to the cooler more than once a day. At home, this habit can be supported by placing a jug of water on the work trail. The generally accepted norm is 30-40 ml of clean water per 1 kg of body weight.

Should the volume of portions be reduced?

It should come in as much as it is spent, unless your task is to gain weight. In order not to burden the digestive system while eating , you can use the principle of the palm and fist. For example, a portion of meat or meat products should be no larger than the size of a palm (without fingers). Vegetables and greens consumed in salads or fresh at one time should fit in 2 palms folded together. Fruits consumed at one time (oranges, apples, peaches) should have a volume equal to the size of the fist of one's own hand. In this way, one can find out how much food and certain products should be eaten in one meal .

Try to maintain physical activity at home: exercise, walk in place, work or talk on the phone while standing. The necessary minimum according to WHO recommendations: 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intense physical activity per week in any combination. Try video workouts or app workouts.

Also, it should not be forgotten that restricting food during quarantine is not the best option. It is not a fact that you will have enough for a long time. In addition, you run the risk of morally eating your loved ones or yourself. Just don't eat more than before. It will be more correct to increase physical activity. For example, perform your favorite exercises every day with any comfortable number of turns and approaches or sign up for one of the remote training sessions solo or with friends.

Do you need a special diet?

There are no special diets invented for people in quarantine or self-isolation (if only because both terms are quite broad). In addition, everyone's home conditions are also different: in a country house or in the country, many can afford full-fledged walks and sports in the fresh air, and someone rarely left the house before and trained in an apartment. Any healthy food system is suitable , which includes all important food groups in their diversity: vegetables, greens and fruits (the more types and colors, the better), cereals, protein sources (poultry, fish, meat, dairy products, eggs, legumes), healthy fats: oils, nuts, seeds.

It is better to give up products that may not be very useful for the body. This is everything that undergoes high technological processing (sausages, sausages, carbonates), products with a high content of refined sugar, alcohol and carbonated drinks. Also, you should be more careful with tea and coffee if these drinks increase anxiety.

Do not forget to listen to your body - it will let you know that the diet is not going according to plan. During the period of constant stay at home with irregular physical activity, digestive problems, in particular constipation, may worsen. To avoid this problem, monitor the amount of liquid consumed: at least 1.5 liters per day. Be sure to include 5 portions of vegetables and fruits and 1 portion of unsalted nuts (a portion is 80 g) in your diet .

Being in a horizontal position for a long time or smoking more heavily can also aggravate heartburn or acid belching due to stress. To control heartburn, you should avoid overeating, follow a diet , take your time and do not talk while eating . It is very important not to lie down within 2 hours after eating and not to indulge in exercises for the abdominal press and bending the body forward.

What life hacks will help from frequent snacks

All the same boring planning. Think in advance what you will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, prepare meals from natural products. Use a variety of vegetables, greens and fruits of different colors - so it is more likely that the body will receive all the necessary micronutrients. If you want a snack, choose healthy options. Place a plate with chopped colorful vegetables, fruits, berries, and a handful of nuts next to the workplace. Keep water on hand (can be with lemon, frozen berries or even cucumber). Aromatic teas are also great.

Another way is discipline. Hang a note in a prominent place in the kitchen - a reminder that you should eat only at the table (it will not hurt to remind everyone at home). As a rule, it works, and gradually the habit of snacking on junk food on the go disappears.

The second tip: before reaching for something sweet, drink a glass of water. It is likely that you are not hungry, but thirsty. And after a couple of sips, you won't need a snack anymore.

If snacks cannot be avoided at all, choose healthier products instead of chips and rolls. For example, thinly sliced ​​apples, carrots, cucumber or banana. Stock up on fitness bars made of dried fruits, muesli and whole grain breads, low-fat portions of fermented milk products - all of them are suitable for unplanned snacks.