One of the best practices when eating healthy is simple: eat whole foods. The reason I think it’s so important is because whole foods are where we get our micronutrients, a.k.a. nature’s pharmacy! Our bodies rely heavily on these nutrients to function properly and be healthy; our immune health is one of the many things that are impacted by which nutrients we are(n’t) putting in our body.
As you are all aware, our country (and the world) are facing a virus known as COVID 19. Walk in any grocery store and you probably notice people stocking up on lot’s of things. If I could give you a list of foods to be buying (not hoarding) right now, these are it: produce and protein.
Produce – it doesn’t HAVE to be fresh. Frozen veggies, frozen fruits, canned veggies and canned fruits (look for ones that are not in “heavy syrup” or any type of sugar added syrup. Having fruits and veggies are important during this time.
“Frozen is fine. Manufacturers freeze fruits and veggies at “peak” ripeness, which means they’ll pack a similar nutritional value as their fresh counterparts.”
– Cleveland Clinic
Protein – make sure you’re still getting adequate protein during this time (meat, beans, fish, etc). As a lot of us are sitting at home it’s super easy to go into snack mode and over eat highly processed carbs. There are several reasons this is a bad trap to fall into. One is because these snacks are usually very calorically dense (meaning a small portion amount contains a lot of calories) and it’s very easy to overeat. Another is that these snacks often result in making us feel sluggish. Ugh.
“A truly healthy immune system depends on a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals over time, plus normal sleep patterns and a hefty dose of exercise.”
Your body needs you to fuel well during this time (and the rest of the time too)! Back away from the ramen noodles, pick up the frozen broccoli. Let’s focus on thriving through this, not just surviving.