Surviving Shelter-In-Place

We're at the next level of protecting our health from the COVID-19 virus.  Most of us are sheltering at home to protect ourselves and the community in order to reduce the on-going spread of the virus.  As of now, it's unclear how long we'll need to do this.  Let's do what we can remain safe, sane and healthy while respecting our current restrictions. 

• Food at Home - Look for foods that can last more than a week to reduce trips to the grocery store.  There's no nationwide food shortages so no need to hoard food, buy what you need for a couple of weeks.  Create a shopping list and map out your path before you leave home to minimize time wandering and exposure to others.  Examples of food to buy are frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, eggs, pasta, canned foods - tuna, salmon, tomatoes (chopped, sauce, pureed) and beans and canned or boxed broths.  Currently frozen items may be limited but you can buy fresh and freeze items yourself.  If you're willing to soak and cook dried beans (legumes), these work well for many a plant-based meal.  Lentils are another quicker options since they don't require pre-soaking.  Those who have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot can quickly cook beans.  Try not to give in to the fast food commercials on TV, rather support the local restaurants that offer healthy choices for pick-up or delivery.  See below, Fitness/Nutrition in the News for more tips on food delivery.

• Cooking Skills - If you're a recipe follower, this is great time to practice making substitutions since some ingredients may not be on hand or currently available in the stores.  Sample substitutions: for eggs in baking- smashed banana or 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed soaked in 3 tablespoons water, many herbs like basil can be interchanged with oregano, substitute 1 tablespoon fresh herbs with 1 teaspoon dried or 1 garlic clove with 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, or replace lime juice with equal parts vinegar.  Additional, we each have our unique tastes and preferences for foods, feel free to modify recipes to your liking.  Recipe modification with baked goods can be tricky, these can fail without proper measurements of ingredients but there still can be room for experimentation.  Expect with any cooked meal there will be failures and sometimes you're not at fault, it could be the recipe or that it's just not to your taste.  This is great opportunity to create or modify recipes to your own taste preferences.

• Home Office - Working from home has multiple challenges, all the more important to take regular breaks.  Walk to the kitchen to get water, yes, remember to stay hydrated.  Take a break to stand up, walk around and look out all the windows or put on some music and dance!  Evaluate your work space, does it support proper posture?  If not you will pay physically.  Improvise with what you have to improve your workspace to support good ergonomics - find a box to put your laptop on to make a standing desk, while seated use a chair that supports good posture.  Try to establish a separate workspace for work and non-work activities to create a separation from being connected to work all the time.  While not working from home, create a project list, break it up into small steps and set some goals for each day.  Make sure to include breaks to drink fluids and eat healthy.

• Exercise and Activities - Get outside and walk or run while social distancing ("physical distancing" as Gavin Newsom says since we should still be connected socially), even if it's raining, grab some rain gear and get out.  Enjoy the blooms, it's spring time, daffodils, tulips and cherry blossoms are abundant.  Try an online exercise class there are many free classes available for streaming.  Be selective, find a class at your fitness level so you don't injure yourself.  Try gardening - weed, plant a vegetable garden, admire your flowers.  Don't forget to breathe deeply.

• Medical Advice - Know that there are alternative options to visiting your health care professional - virtual meetings, telehealth and phone appointments if you need them.  Most insurance companies are offering coverage for these services.  If you'd like individualized nutrition counseling and health coaching services, please contact us for help with eating well and continuing with healthful behaviors to get through this unusual and difficult time.

• Mental Health - Check in with yourself - how are you managing isolation?  Feeling irritated, anxious, and/or depressed?  Video chat with friends and family.  There are many free computer and phone apps to help with connecting, such as Zoom, Skype, Google Duo, FaceTime and more.  Reconnect with people you haven't contacted in a while.  Most importantly, don't spend the whole time discussing the coronavirus and any other unpleasant subjects.  Get support if you're having a hard time coping, call a consulting nurse line or contact mental health counselors who are available through telehealth.  Make sure you are taking your prescribed dose of medications, this not a time to slack.  Feel good about yourself by giving to charities; meals-on-wheels, many local grocers are accepting donations to help seniors or the under-served during this time, sew masks and/or donate restaurant gift cards for our health care providers.

Here are few reasons to visit with a nutritionist/personal trainer/health coach: relieve tension and stress in the body, properly train or progress in an activity, improve your microbiome, assess nutrient intake, disease prevention through evidence-based diet, and exercise, maximize exercise performance, improve sleep quality, enhance mental clarity, optimize digestion and nutrient absorption, establish long-term healthy habits, meal planning for a whole foods diet and eat in a way to sustain the planet.  Please consider Sheri for nutrition counseling and/or fitness appointments to help you develop a healthier lifestyle for you and the planet. 

Free introductory 15-minute appointments are also available.