Eating Healthy While Isolating

If you have looked on social media during the last few months, chances are you have seen someone mentioning ‘lockdown gain’ or ‘lockdown pounds’. The fact is that with so much more time at home during the current pandemic, many of us have paid less attention to our diets than usual. One study found that as many as 75% of the U.S. population has experienced a weight gain of us to 16 pounds during the last five months. Another shows that 65% of U.S. adults are now prioritizing post-quarantine weight loss in a bid to counteract the dietary choices made during the initial coronavirus lockdowns.   

Eating healthy while isolating doesn’t need to be difficult. Doing so could help prevent any future weight gain and combined with our professional treatments like Light Therapy Treatments (also known as LLLT or Photobiomodulation) can even help you to lose weight and enjoy a slimmer, smoother, and more youthful appearance. Eating healthily will also boost your immune system, which could potentially make you less susceptible to becoming unwell with any sort of disease or illness. Here are our top tips for eating healthy while isolating. 
 

Stock up on fruits and veggies

Unsurprisingly, fruits and veggies are some of the healthiest things that you can eat and should always be your go-to food groups if you decide that you need a snack. Experts agree that we should all aim to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day to maximize our nutritional input. And since fruits and veggies are among the most important foods for filling us with the vitamins and minerals our body needs to keep our immune system strong, these food groups are super important for our overall health and wellbeing too. The fruit has natural sugars that add to your daily carb count, so consider your fruit choices and amount of fruit you are consuming or simply opt for more veggies as a snack. 
 

Not all fat is created equal

Many people think that foods that are high in fat are automatically unhealthy. However, not all fats have the same effect on our health and, in fact, fat is a crucial part of a healthy, balanced diet. By replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, we can be healthier and reduce our risk of problems like high cholesterol and heart disease. Sources of good fats include sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds, oily fish like salmon, tuna and sardines, and soy milk.
 

Limit your sugar and salt intake

Did you know that when you consume lots of foods and drinks that contain a lot of fat, salt, and sugar, you are more likely to consume excess calories? This is because, while the foods may taste delicious, they often provide little in the way of nutritional benefit. You are better saving salty snacks and sweet treats for an occasional munch, rather than making them a regular part of your diet.
 

Develop a routine

While we are talking about regularity, it’s important to note that one of the most important things that you can do to stay on track with healthy eating during isolation is to develop a routine. If you are at home all day, it can be easy to lose track of time and find yourself mindlessly eating at all sorts of random times of the day. A routine will help prevent you from over-eating and make it easier to stick to an eating plan. It will also prevent you from running out of groceries too early – which is important when you are getting produce less often during isolation.
 

Drink plenty of water

It may sound like a cliché but drinking enough water really can help you to control your eating. Many people mistake hunger for thirst and eat when really, they should be drinking instead. Drinking a large glass of water can help fill you up before eating and ensure you don’t eat too much. Not to mention of course that water is the healthiest thing we can drink and helps all of our body systems to function optimally – including our virus-busting immune system.
 

Food safety awareness

Although there isn’t any current evidence that suggests that COVID-19 is transmitted through food, it makes sense to be just as rigorous in our food preparation practices and eating as we would at any other time. This means remembering to wash our hands thoroughly before and after food, washing all fruit and vegetables before cooking or consuming them, disinfecting work surfaces, and making sure all food is thoroughly heated before we eat it.

If you would like more advice on eating healthy while isolating, or to find out more about how healthy eating combined with Light Therapy Treatments (also known as LLLT or Photobiomodulation) may help patients achieve a figure that they feel confident in, don’t hesitate to contact Sarasota Laser Lipo today for any questions or concerns.