These are certainly unprecedented times with most of our lives upended. We’re either not working or working from home. Some of us are now home-schooling children while all of us are constantly inundated with news about the coronavirus, unemployment rates and our sinking economy. It’s enough to drive anyone to the pantry or fridge in search of comfort foods to help combat the stress. But you don’t have to. In fact, it could do more harm than good. Here are some tips for getting and staying on a healthy nutrition track while being quarantined.
1. Set a daily eating schedule for you and your family. Do your best to stick with the schedule as we all crave routine whether we know it or not. For example: wake up at 7 a.m. and eat breakfast at 8 a.m. Lunch is at noon just like it would have been at work or for your kids at school. Do an afternoon snack at 3 p.m. and have dinner at 6 p.m.
2. Start your day with 17 oz. of water upon waking. When you’re well hydrated, you are less likely to snack since you recognize more accurate hunger cues. Plus, drinking 17 oz. of cold water has been shown in studies to increase resting metabolism up to 30% for about an hour.
3. Get your protein. It’s important to have a quality protein source at every meal to stay full. You can significantly lower the unnecessary snacking by keeping your protein up. If whole food sources of protein aren’t readily available, consider a quality protein powder supplement you can easily mix into smoothies, coffee, oatmeal, milk, or just plain water!
4. Take your multivitamins daily! Give your immune system everything it needs right now. A great way to do this is to take a multivitamin at the same time every day.
5. Give you and your family a bedtime. Do you ever notice you crave more junk food on days you’re not getting enough rest? Although you may not be waking up to an alarm every morning, it’s still extremely important to get enough rest and to stick to a routine bedtime. Make sleep a priority.
– By Amy Jo Palmquest, NUTRISHOP® owner, personal trainer, nutrition coach, wife and mother of three. Learn more at www.AmyJoPalmquest.com.
