5 Tips for Staying
Healthy at Home:
Learn how to eat
healthy and stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic
A father, mother and
child all cooking together in the kitchen, illustrating how a family can stay
healthy at home.
In the early days of
the shutdown, the “quarantine 15” and the “COVID-20” were merely cautionary
tales. But as gyms closed and more people began working from home — or not at
all — for many of us, in-home exercise regimens quickly gave way to comfort
food and sourdough starters, and reality set in that our former diet and
exercise routines would need a refresh.
Staying active has
been a challenge in recent months, but the key to staying healthy is finding a
way to adapt in a changing world. Healthy eating and exercise go hand-in-hand
with accountability toward weight management, says Richard Onishi, MD, family
medicine physician at Scripps Clinic Carmel Valley.
“We’re eating too
much, we’re making the wrong choices and we’re deprived of our normal workout
routines,” Dr. Onishi says. “When you’re watching your diet, it gives you more
incentive to get to the gym and put the work in. It boils down to making the
right choices.”
Staying healthy during
quarantine
These five tips from
Dr. Onishi will help you restart your routine, simply and safely.
1. Focus on whole foods
Fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, lean proteins, beans, nuts and legumes are all healthy choices.
Bonus: A healthy diet is an immune system booster. Learn to recognize when
you’re eating in response to stress, despite not actually being hungry.
2. Think before you drink (or eat)
Pause for 15 minutes
to think about what you’re really craving, and whether you’re using food to
comfort yourself. Limiting your alcohol intake will help you avoid empty
calories as well as the health risks associated with binge drinking. Also,
trying drinking some water — we often mistake thirst for hunger.
3. Snack wisely
Keep your refrigerator
and pantry stocked with wholesome, nutritious foods instead of processed snacks
that are high in sugar, sodium or fat.
“Eating fruits and
vegetables throughout the day helps prevent you from overeating,” Dr. Onishi
says. “When dinnertime rolls around, you’re not as hungry as you would have
been if you hadn’t taken in those calories.”
4. Don’t starve yourself
“If you let yourself
get very hungry, you tend to make poor choices,” Dr. Onishi says.
5. Find a fitness routine that
works for you
Walking, jogging,
swimming, biking and surfing can all be done while respecting social distancing
protocols. And the internet is filled with free or low-cost cardio, yoga and
body-weight workout videos that can be done from the comfort of your own home.
“Even small amounts of
physical activity do make a difference in your health,” Dr. Onishi says.
San Diego Health
August 2020 Issue
This content appeared
in San Diego Health, a publication in partnership between Scripps and San Diego
Magazine that celebrates the healthy spirit of San Diego.
Source: https://www.scripps.org/
