During these days of uncertainty, many people are looking for ways to cope with the coronavirus pandemic and find the “new normal”. With many people now working from home, kids being homeschooled, schedules and routines disrupted, anxiety has increased and can also disrupt healthy eating and living patterns. Here are few tips that can help you and your family stay healthy during COVID:
Tip 1: Create Healthy Meal Plan
Healthy meal planning is a challenge, it requires you to dedicate time to it. It’s way easier to grab a candy bar or chips when quarantined, however, these processed foods tend to increase anxiety and decrease mood. Incorporate more vegetables into your diet and decrease processed food. Try implementing one green smoothie a day. The saying “you are what you eat” is true. What we put into our bodies affect how they function. Be certain that the foods you are eating help strengthen your body and not weaken it.
Tip 2: Exercise Daily
Exercise can help reduce stress, boost the immune system, improve sleep and prevent weight gain. Regular exercise may also help to decrease the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is the major cause of death in COVID patients. The CDC recommends exercising 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise plus muscle strengthening activities two or more times a week. Find a way to exercise daily, whether at a gym (following social distancing guidelines), at home, or outside. Regular exercise has far more benefits than we know.
Tip 3: Get 8 Hours of Sleep
Sleep is always important, but especially during this pandemic because of its benefits on your mental and physical health. Your body needs time to recuperate and recharge. Sleep helps strengthen your immune system, increase brain function, enhances mood, and improves mental health. Set a bedtime routine and stick with it, minimize naps and limit screen time at night to help improve the quality of your sleep.
Tip 4: Get Vitamin D
It’s finally summer! Get outside and get some natural Vitamin D from the sun. Did you know that Vitamin D has shown to lower the risk of severe COVID symptoms and potentially reduce the chance of getting the virus? In fact, many severe COVID patients had low Vitamin D levels.
Hopefully these tips will help you and your loved ones stay healthy during this pandemic. What are you doing to stay healthy? Comment below and share with us.
Tags: COVID-19, exercise, health, Nutrition, sleeping tips