Let's Eat!
Healthy style
Nutrition is at the cornerstone of our health and wellness, and there is no better time to make it a priority than during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s no secret nutrition is essential for immune health and the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. Those who follow a healthy diet have lower risk of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, which are all risk factors for COVID-19. It’s important to understand what a healthy diet consists of, as well as some tips that will keep you and others safe and healthy.
Key Components of A Healthy Diet
Fiber
Probably the most important thing a person can do to improve their health is increase their fiber intake. The average person doesn’t get anywhere near enough fiber. Fiber keeps you full, thereby preventing overeating on calorically dense foods. It also directly feeds the gut microbiome, which has anti-inflammatory effects. Speaking of heart health, fiber also plays a key role in the removal of excess cholesterol in the blood. The USDA recommends a “whopping” 25g of fiber a day, which is not a big amount and can be achieved through a variety of foods. To get enough fiber, simply make sure to eat things like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Low Fat
Getting in enough fat from your diet is essential. However, most of us get way too much of it, rather than not enough. Most of the American’s fat intake is saturated fats from things like butter, red meat, eggs, and coconut oil. Saturated fat directly increases risk of heart disease by raising LDL cholesterol. The healthiest type of fats are unsaturated which come from foods like avocado, walnuts, flaxseed, and olive oil. An easy way to reduce saturated fat intake is to minimize your consumption of animal products and processed foods, while emphasizing plant based foods.
Fruits and Vegetables
Of course we all know that fruits and vegetables are healthy. They are great sources of antioxidants which help neutralize free radicals that cause inflammation in the body. They are also excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C is not only a vitamin but also an immune boosting antioxidant that fights infection and lowers inflammation. Getting a variety of fruits and veggies in your diet, paying attention to select an array of colors, can ensure you’re getting an ample amount of immune boosting compounds.
Tips for eating healthy
its easy as 1, 2, 3
Eat in
Good news is that you’re spending most of your time at home, this is probably the best time to clean up your diet. You probably will be eating much less fast and processed foods too. This is an easy way to control the ingredients in your meals, like fat, sugar, and salt, and portion sizes.
Eat more plant based
Reducing the amount of meat you have in your diet can be beneficial in many ways. Not only can it save you money, but it will also lower your intake of saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium - which your heart will thank you for. Plus, getting your protein from plant based sources will provide you with additional fiber, antioxidants, and heart healthy compounds like nitric oxide. You can substitute meat with beans, lentils, tofu, and tempeh. There are even some healthy faux meat alternatives that are relatively inexpensive and can be found at most grocery store chains.
Make a plan and buy what you need
Right now, it’s important to be considerate of others who will be shopping for children and the elderly. Before heading off to the store to buy a surplus of food, take an assessment of what you have at home. Make a list of things you’ll need from each category of food; produce, dry goods, canned, etc. Buying in bulk makes sense right now and can save you a lot of money. Get what will last, rather than what will likely go bad in a short amount of time. Things like canned or dry beans, pasta noodles and sauce, frozen fruit and veggies, and non-refrigerated non-dairy milks. Always plan your meals ahead of time, and come up with a list of what you need.