BEIRUT: Quarantine requirements for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have kept us spending more time in our kitchens. For some, exercise has been limited to moving from the sitting room to the kitchen and back, several times a day. For others, the stress brought on by the situation has led to unhealthy eating habits. While it is normal to feel anxious, sad, uncertain and scared sometimes, maintaining a normal daily routine will help manage some of this stress.
Write down a weekly plan — including all jobs, your exercise plan, your leisure activities and plan your meals and meal times.
Here is some important healthy considerations to avoid weight gain:
- Put a tentative schedule to your meals and try to stick to it. Planning is the key to healthy eating.
- Tell all family members about your schedule so you help one another.
- Do not ruin your sleeping pattern. Poor sleep can lead to a change of hormones that control hunger and appetite. A lack of sleep reduces the hormone leptin that suppresses appetite.
- Stay hydrated.
Write down a weekly plan — including all jobs, your exercise plan, your leisure activities and plan your meals and meal times. (Shutterstock)
- Plan your food shopping ahead of time. Eat home-cooked meals.
- Think healthily and eat mindfully. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means famishing, evaluate how hungry you are before eating.
- Be aware of portion sizes. Use measuring spoons, cups, or scales. Do not depend on guesswork.
- Enjoy family meals not only for strengthening family ties but also to encourage each other to eat healthily.
- Think more fruits and vegetables. Whole grains, pulses, lean meats and healthy fats should be on the menu as well.
- Eat your food in the kitchen, not in the TV room or bedroom.
- Snacking does not need to be your enemy!
Here are some filling and quick ideas for 200 calorie healthy snacks:
- Medium banana and a tablespoon of honey
- 14 almonds with 2 tablespoons of raisins
- Cup of chocolate pudding with a teaspoon of flaxseed
- Half cup of edamame with 20g of dark chocolate
- 1 cup of berries and half a cup of yogurt (90g)
- 2 Rice cakes and a tablespoon and a half of peanut butter
- Half cup of cottage cheese (arishe in Arabic) and a tablespoon of molasses
- 3 cups of popcorn with a half cup of juice filled with ice
- A cup of carrot sticks and 4 tablespoons of humus dip
- 2 toasts of 30g with a slice of white cheese (45g) and a teaspoon of jam
Randa’s tips and tricks:
Identify the one time during the day when you feel the need to snack most. Delay the urge to snack until this time arrives.
Whenever people around you are eating a tempting snack that you need to resist, go and grab your healthy snack to be on track with your plan.
If and when you decide to eat a less healthy snack like creamy cakes or tarts, go for a small two-finger sized portion.
Stay safe, stay healthy.
*Randa Dunya Fahd is a renowned nutritionist. Click here for more information about her work.
