CORONA diet 101

STOP. Before you scroll past this article, because you’re sick of seeing the word Corona or Covid-19, I feel you. I understand, it’s genuinely taking the world by storm, however I’m not here to update you on the one shop that has toilet paper or how you may as well cancel the rest of 2020s plans. No, I’m simply writing to improve your approach to isolation. As much as it might be tempting to start baking cakes and binge watching Netflix, we don’t need to make it an obesity pandemic either. Being locked inside will reduce you’re movement throughout the day, so it’s more important than ever to not overeat and try and move where you can. The following will suggest a few nutrition savvy ideas to keep in routine during lock down.

1. No frozen fruit or veg? DIY

The supermarkets are low on most long lasting foods, especially the frozen fruit and veg. At a time when it’s important to keep our immune system at its best we need to keep our nutrition consumption high! Why not opt for DIY? All this time at home? May as well spend it chopping up fruit and veg. Make sure you blanch before freezing, to keep your produce as good as new.

2. Set eating times

Set specific times for breakfast, lunch and dinner (even snacks). This will prevent you from bored eating and keep you in routine whilst at home.

3. Purchase from local markets

At a time when the economy is low its important to support your local businesses. These places are likely to have more abundance of food, seasonal produce (more nutrients) and less risk of contamination as they haven’t been imported from overseas. Still be cautious of washing all produce after purchase during this process. Places you could look are Brickworks (southport), farmers markets, or even a friendly neighbour with their own garden.

4. Crock pot time

Did you know that cooking food in crock pot or microwaving are the best methods to retain the most amount of nutrients? This is because the heat applied isn’t too much that it kills the nutrients and often when veg is boiled or steamed the nutrients dissipate. However when cooking in a crock pot the nutrients do leave the vegetables, but end up in the sauce that will be consumed anyway.

5. Variety is key

Eat your fruit and veg. Different plants contain different nutrients that provide for different roles in our body. It’s suggested that containing 30 different types each week is most ideal for gut health and immunity function. Top immune boosting vitamins: Zinc, Magnesium, Vit C, D and E

6. Try Vegetarian

The shelves are clearly lacking any type of meat products. Use this opportunity to try new plant based proteins! This could include a lentil curry, black bean Bolognese, chickpea pasta, tofu stir fry or smoothie bowls topped with hemp seeds. Take this opportunity to be creative, google has plenty of recipes to explore.

On the other end of the spectrum is weight loss, at such an overwhelming time it’s important not to place our body under anymore stress. Make conscious efforts to balance each meal with carbs, protein, healthy fat and micros. Fuel yourself and your mind, search up The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating to learn more. If you’re worried about your health in such an important time don’t hesitate to contact a health professional.