COVID-19 is compelling a lot of daily changes around the world to increase human survival during a challenging time. First and foremost, you are required to stay at home, practice social distancing, and follow WHO guidelines. Next, you need to practice a healthy lifestyle in order to boost your immune system. Read the article as I’m going to list a few food-related tips that you can follow to ensure optimal health.
#1: Prefer Filling Meals with Plenty of Nutritional Value
It is observed that approximately 90% of Americans don’t consume enough vegetables and fruits. However, during the COVID-19 outbreak, it is essential to eat a lot of green vegetables and fresh fruits. You should cut down on processed food items, such as tinned fruits, breakfast cereals, bread, bacon, sausages, etc.
It is necessary to consume filling meals to extract sufficient nutritional value. This allows you to possibly boost the immune system that can help you fight off the coronavirus. COVID-19 is taking over the world, and it is the appropriate time to switch to healthy filling meals (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and food from animal sources). They are enriched with minerals and vitamins. Visit common sense health for healthy filling recipes.
#2: Break Your Eating Out Habits
Secondly, but most importantly, you should stay at home and avoid eating out. It is better to prepare fresh meals at home rather than choosing food delivery options. I’m not saying that you are not allowed to order ingredients. I’m saying that you don’t have to order ready-made meals, that are not good for the human body.
Eating at home also helps you practice social distancing and direct contact with the people. This way, you can significantly ramp down your probabilities of being exposed to coronavirus. Hence, it is suggested to avoid crowded places, like hotels, restaurants, and cafes. Home-cooked meals can also ensure good hygiene practices.
#3: Limit Your Alcohol Consumption
Next, you need to drink plenty of water and consume fresh juices, and substantially limit your use of alcohol. Currently, many people believe that alcohol is the only way to reduce pandemic stress. However, you must realize that alcoholic drinks have zero nutritional value to offer. Understandably, excessive use of alcohol can lower your ability to deal with highly infectious diseases. Alcoholic beverages are high in calories and can cause harm to the immune system and overall body.
In addition, alcohol is also responsible for affecting your mental state. It can make you feel more depressed and panicked during the self-quarantine period. If you cannot avoid alcohol, it is better to use it moderately. Sensibly, it is better to switch alcoholic drinks with healthy drinks, such as green tea, fruit smoothies, coconut water, nutrient-dense vegetable juices, shakes, etc.
#4: Cut Down on Excessive Sugar, Salt, Fats, & Oils
It is recommended by the doctors to consume less sugar and salt to maintain your physical well-being during the coronavirus outbreak. You should use a minimal amount of salt and high-sodium condiments when preparing food at home. Remember, you need to use iodized salt in your meals. It is well-suited to limit consuming salty snacks and sugary drinks. You can switch soda drinks with fresh fruit juices, flavored milk, and dark chocolate shakes. You should also cut down on bakery snacks, cookies, cakes, etc.
Furthermore, it is advised to cut down on oily products and reduce your fat intake. According to the World Health Organization, daily fat consumption should be less than 30%. Therefore, you should prepare homemade meals that use cooking methods, like grilling, steaming, sautéing, etc. If needed, you can use unsaturated oils for cooking.
