The coronavirus outbreak has upended a sense of normalcy and daily routines, which may be affecting your typical health and wellness regimen as well.
And while health experts say maintaining a healthy weight is important, you don’t have to go overboard to avoid gaining weight right now.
"I'm not suggesting starting a strict diet or intense exercise program while sheltering in place, but there are some simple things you can do to prevent weight gain and protect yourself not only from Covid-19-related complications, but also from diseases such as diabetes and heart disease," Dr. Melina Jampolis wrote in an article for CNN.
Make stress management a priority
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, it's important to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health, experts note.
"I know, it isn't easy. Balancing homeschooling, financial challenges, cabin fever, social isolation and illness is stressful, but stress can contribute to poor eating choices and increase fat deep in your belly (underneath the muscle) that can contribute to heart disease and diabetes," Dr. Jampolis wrote in the CNN article.
Additionally, the CDC recommends the following measure to look out for your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak:
- Stay informed, but avoid over-saturating yourself with coverage of the virus
- Take deep breaths and try to meditate
- When you can, eat healthy foods and get regular exercise
- Take time to unwind "and remind yourself that strong feelings fade"
- Take breaks from consuming coverage
- Connect with others about what you are feeling
- Maintain healthy relationships with friends or family members
- Try to maintain a sense of positive thinking
Pay attention to what you’re buying
When you go to the grocery store, or order supplies to be delivered, pay attention to what you’re adding to your cart. Try to stay away from having too much junk food in the house to avoid temptation.
Getting enough water and servings of fruits and vegetables is also recommended.
More tips on cooking amid the pandemic can be found here.
Get a good night’s rest
If you’ve been having trouble sleeping lately, a new study shows that you’re not alone.
The study, commissioned by Sleep Standards, found that nearly 77% of Americans have lost sleep over the coronavirus pandemic.
Sleep is an essential part of all-around health.
"Both excess sleep and inadequate sleep have been linked to weight gain, increased appetite and worsening blood sugar control, so try your best not to completely abandon your sleep schedule," according to CNN.
Stay social
Just because you're sheltering in place, doesn't mean you have to be socially isolated. In fact, the World Health Organization even encouraged experts to move away from calling it "social distancing" and instead opt for "physical distancing."
Maintaining a sense of connection with people in your life can help keep a sense of normalcy, which can help keep you healthier all around.
"It occurred to me from the beginning that this was an unfortunate choice of language to talk about 'social distance', when actually what was meant was 'physical distance,'" Martin W Bauer, a London-based sociology professor told Al Jazeera. "It is good that WHO finally tried to correct an early error of mistaking physical distance for social distance. In these strange times of the virus, we want clear physical distance, but at the same time, we want people to remain close to each other 'socially.'"
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