In the context of a nation lockdown where food options are limited, we should be mindful of our food intake to maintain optimal health. As such, we have FUSED 9 tips you should adopt to get healthier with minimal effort and just by staying at home!
1. Stock up on nutrition-based foods that can last for a week or longer
While you prepare for self-quarantine, it is crucial to get the right foods with adequate nutrition to support good health.
Some food recommendations to get are:
Whole grains rice, quinoa, oats, buckwheat
Starchy roots: potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava
Bread: whole-grain English muffins, bagels, wraps, frozen whole wheat waffles
Dried fruits, nuts, and seeds
Dried and canned pulses: beans, lentils, chickpeas (high-protein)
Reduced fat, shelf-stable milk: UHT milk, powdered milk
Frozen fruits and vegetables: berries, pineapple, mango (high fiber)
Less perishable fruits: apples, bananas, orange, clementines, grapefruit
Less perishable vegetables: carrots, turnips, beets, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower
Plan ahead on what foods to buy first before heading to the supermarket to minimize unnecessary visits. You may consider doing meal prep to lock in the nutrients needed for the week. Read more on the benefits of meal prep and some recipes here.
2. Limit your salt intake
Although fresh foods become less readily available, do try to avoid canned and processed foods as it contains high levels of salt, sugar, and fats. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends consuming less than 5g of salt per day, which is measured to be around 1 teaspoon.
You should avoid:
Canned and pickled foods (otherwise rinse them before eating)
Instant food
Adding more salt when cooking
instead,
Use fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables
Prepare your own meals and limit the salt in your recipes
3. Limit your sugar intake
WHO recommends consuming a 5% sugar intake of your daily calorie count. For an adult of a normal body mass index (BMI), that works out to about 6 teaspoons -- or 25 grams -- of sugar per day.
You should avoid:
Sugar-filled drinks: sodas, energy drinks, fruit juices
Desserts: cakes and ice-cream
Common sauces used in the kitchen: ketchup, barbeque sauces, and sweet-chili
Common breakfast foods: cereal, pancakes, waffles, muffins, jams
instead,
Eat fresh fruits: contains natural sugar to satisfy those sugar cravings
Eat full-fat foods: shockingly, low-fat foods usually contain more sugar and calories than full-fat foods)
Eat nuts and dried fruit: contain good calories, protein, and healthy fats
4. Limit your fat intake
WHO recommends limiting total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake, of which no more than 10% should come from saturated fat.
You should avoid:
Red and fatty meats: beef, pork, lamb
Full-fat dairy products: whole milk yogurt, whole milk, cream and cheese sauces
Palm oil, coconut oil
Hydrogenated fats: shortening, lard
Trans fats: Processed and fried foods such as doughnuts, frozen pizzas, crackers, margarine, and baked goods
instead,
Opt for cooking methods that require less or no fat, such as steaming, grilling, or sautéing instead of frying foods.
Use unsaturated oils such as rapeseed, olive or sunflower oil to cook foods
Eat fish and nuts that have unsaturated fats
Trim excess fat from meat and poultry and remove the skin from the meat before cooking
Try cooking with herbs, spices, lemon juice, etc., instead of butter or margarine
5. Consume enough fiber
Fiber helps to keep our digestive system healthy and prevent constipation. It offers a prolonged feeling of fullness, which helps prevent overeating. Besides, including fiber-rich foods in a healthy balanced diet can improve weight maintenance and dietary fiber can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer (bowel cancer).
According to the American Heart Association, the daily value for fiber is 25 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet for adults. This number may also depend on age or sex: women under 50: 21 to 25 grams per day. men under 50: 30 to 38 grams per day. To consume enough fiber, aim to include fruits (berries, pears, melon, oranges), vegetables (broccoli, carrots, and sweetcorn) and whole grains (whole-wheat bread, quinoa, rice), peas, beans and pulses in your meals.
6. Consume enough fruits & vegetables The general recommendation is 1½ to 2 cups per day of fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables as they are loaded with plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that can help you stay fuller for longer. Consider getting non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, and other dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. Studies have shown that they are low in calories but packed with nutrients, fiber, and water.
7. Avoid alcohol or at least reduce your alcohol consumption Does alcohol kill Covid-19? The answer is no!!
Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol will just lead to numerous negative effects on our bodies. Some of which include weakening your immune system that will undermine your body's ability to cope with infectious disease, such as Covid-19. Turns out, alcohol consumption will make you more vulnerable to the virus! Besides, drinking too much alcohol will increase symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear, and panic, where the feelings may intensify during isolation and self-quarantine. Hence, alcohol is not a good coping mechanism neither in the short nor long run. Instead, it would increase the risk of developing more complicated health conditions in the future.
8. Control your portion size Eating less would mean consuming less salt, sugar, and fats which may cause weight gain and adverse health effects. The truth about portion control is that when we are presented with a larger portion size, we will eat more even though we are not as hungry. Hence, to achieve healthy eating, it is better to downsize our plates and eat less to lose weight by keeping our calories in check.
9. Get more quality sleep
Do not neglect the importance of getting quality sleep as it is absolutely essential for optimal health. Poor sleep is linked to weight gain, greater risk of heart disease, and stroke. Moreover, having insufficient sleep may lead to depression and it affects one's emotional stability and social interactions. We wouldn't want to lose our ability to interact socially after the quarantine right?
Furthermore, studies (1,2) have shown that quality sleep will improve our immune function and we will be less susceptible to getting a cold. In fact, it is proven that those who slept less than 7 hours were almost 3 times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept 8 hours or more.
Thus, what you need to do to ensure quality sleep is to unplug yourselves from technology for an hour before bed and stick to a regular sleep schedule. Set your internal body clock right and it will help you to sleep faster and get healthier!
Let's all stay well to stay strong!! #Stayhealthyathome
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