Eating a healthy and nutritious diet can benefit your body in so many ways. It helps to keep it strong when inevitable diseases come around. Throughout life, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet, however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more crucial.
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Physical & Mental Wellbeing
If you are at risk of severe symptoms from COVID, cooking healthy meals can feel like the last thing on your list. It can be difficult to adjust your normal routine, and distancing from others can have an impact on your mental health. Some tips to help maintain your wellbeing include:
- Try to eat foods that are rich in fruits & vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. These foods can help keep you feeling healthy even if you become sick.
- Avoid foods that can impact anxiety. These include caffeine, alcohol, and processed sugars. These foods can also work as a treat during stressful times. So while you should not avoid altogether, you should reward yourself when needed based on what you like.
- While home with others, try to eat at least one meal a day together. This can help create a sense of normalcy and can keep stress levels down. Cooking with someone can also keep stress levels down.
- Try to eat meals and snacks at regular times to help create a routine. This can help ease anxieties and keep you grounded.
Safety while Grocery Shopping
Anxiety can be high while grocery shopping. It can feel stressful to go in public to eat healthy, especially when ordering food is so convenient. However, certain steps can be taken to help ease anxieties:
- Think ahead and plan your time in the store. This can include writing out meals and snacks for the whole week and grouping foods together based on their location in the grocery store. This will keep your time efficiently, and you will be exposed for less time.
- Include healthy foods that are common in recipes that have a long shelf life. This includes carrots, potatoes, onions, apples, oranges, lemons, and frozen fruits and vegetables.
- Only send one house member to the store. Ensure they are prepared with a facemask and hand sanitizer or wipes. This can help with wiping down carriages.
- Try to maintain a 6 foot distance from others and only touch foods you plan to purchase. If possible, go during a less busy time, such as the middle of the day. There will be fewer people in the store during non-peak hours.
