Social distancing, self isolation and the obsession with everyone to over stock their cupboards and fridges with food is creating a lot of pressures and temptations to eat more!
The increased anxiety, the constant stream of COVID 19 news and maybe the added pressure of teenagers at home and working from home as well! The first thing many of us do is head for the fridge for a little snack to make us feel better. So what little tips can you follow to distract you from over eating:
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Stick to a daily routine and meal times
Even though you are staying at home, avoid falling into lazy habits. Save staying in your PJs and snacking on the sofa for a special treat! Keep to a regular routine with a purpose, wash, get dressed and stick to regular meal times. Routines are a best practice proven to work for successful long term home workers and the routine helps but some eating boundaries in place!
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Make eating meals a separate experience
Avoid eating your breakfast, lunch and snacks at your desk or on the sofa with your laptop. This will help your digestion and focus, as you can take more time to enjoy and chew the food and it gives you time to clear your mind while eating. And an added bonus you do not get food all over your keyboard!
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Immunity boosting healthy eating
Make healthy food choices, snack on fruit and nuts, and keep your meal choices healthy with lots of vegetables and protein. If you are finding it hard to get fresh veg and fruit, there are a lot of options in the freezer aisle that are just as healthy!
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Conscious eating off a plate/bowl
It is easy to think the odd biscuit or hand full of crisps grabbed and eaten as you walk about the kitchen do not count – but they all add up. Docus on eating at a table off a plate, so that are more conscious of the amount you are eating.
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Avoid buying your guilty pleasure foods
If you have some foods you just cannot resist – like dark chocolate or cake. The answer is simple – just do not buy it or freeze it so you have to wait to consume it!
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Limit your caffeine intake
Some early medical research indicates that hot drinks are good at helping to fight the COVID 19 but herbal teas and hot water with lemon are the best choices here. Try to limit your coffee to a couple in the morning and avoid in the afternoon. In times of anxiety in times like this its better to limit caffeine by switching to decaffeinated!
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Distract yourself and think before you eat
Are you eating because you are hungry or bored? Listen to your body and mind. Is a glass of water, some fresh air or a phone call to a friend a better option that eating another bag of crisps?
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Keep a food diary
It is easy to lose track of how many calories you are consuming when at home, so it helps to keep track of this. Keeping a log on the fridge door can be a big deterrent or why not try logging everything you eat on MyFitnessPal – you can scan bar codes on here to get accurate data on calories and the amount of protein, carbs and fats consumed.
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Be Kind To Yourself
Ultimately, being kind to yourself is the most important thing. These are uncertain and difficult times, so if you want to treat yourself, thats fine too! Don’t beat yourself up if not every day is perfect, just try again the next day.
