DIET TIPS: EAT RIGHT WHEN STAYING AT HOME

Covid-19 is gripping the world and many governments around the world have placed or enacted tough regulations to counter and contain the spread of the virus. While professionals and personnel from the healthcare industry are on the frontline battling this pandemic, most of us are helping them in the fight against the virus by staying safe and at home.

Something that we tend to overlook these days is the amount of food we intake and the reduction in physical activity. Many people also tend to binge and overeat in stressful environments and as there isn't much to do at home, they find comfort in eating and may gain weight during this period. It also doesn’t help that being at home limits what you can do to keep yourself engaged.

Major signs of overeating

Overeating is one of the root causes of many conditions. If you are already at risk of developing health conditions, overeating without any physical activity would lead to many health problems starting with obesity.

If you have been eating at odd times or out of your regular diet schedule, while watching TV or even while working from home, these are signs of overeating.

These are the times that we eat in addition to our routine, and also don’t realize how much and what we consume.

Being watchful of the calorie intake and engaging yourself in productive activities such as yoga, light exercises and some stretching can be very beneficial during this period.

The ideal diet plan for people staying at home

The best way to control what you eat is to reduce the amount of total carbohydrates that you consume, since physical activity is limited to just moving around the house.

Dal and legumes contain both proteins and carbs and can be had to compensate for not eating carb-only sources. You should also watch the total amount of fats and oils too, as they are calorically dense. People tend to consume something ‘special’ when they are free and at leisure, which invariably is high in fat content and can harm in the long run.

Add more fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet. While nuts are considered to be healthy fats, they are calorically dense and should be consumed wisely only.

We do not recommend frozen foods, but in the time of an unprecedented crisis, they are the go-to as they are undeniably convenient. However, in the UAE, since there is no dearth of fresh food, why not make a habit of eating healthy.

Even if you have frozen food, keep the consumption to a minimum and rinse thoroughly to leach the extra salt and sugar added to them.

The most important takeaway here is to ensure that you keep yourself active mentally and physically to avoid developing conditions later. In these tough times,

1. Try and be positive by engage yourself in activities that make you feel and think positive.
2. Exercise also plays a major role in feeling good mentally. There are many online videos and apps available for exercises that can be done at home.
3. Lastly, eat well and healthy. Consume thoroughly cooked food, especially meat and meat products. Reduce portion sizes by having a little less than usual of everything.

Dr. Lubna Abdussalam Dhalani

Registered Dietician, Aster Clinic, Bur Dubai