What Are You Searching The Fridge For? (It Might Be Your Feelings)

Maybe you’re making the most of being stuck at home – exercising outdoors, spending quality time with family and cooking more. (In my house, we’re all sleeping more — teenagers really do need 10-11 hours!)

Or perhaps you’re wrestling with new routines and work demands or a job loss and economic uncertainties. You’re worried about Covid-19 affecting you or loved ones. Maybe it already has. Your family is driving you bonkers. Or you live alone, and it’s getting lonelier. 

Most of us can relate to both scenarios. Thankfully, dog walks and saying ‘hello’ to strangers — at an appropriate distance, of course — help me feel normal.

Along with exercise, connections and sleep, nutrition plays a central role in this new normal. Most of us have more time to plan meals and try new recipes. And cooking for yourself is one of the best things you can do to improve your nutrition. One client told me recently that she’s lost a needed 10 pounds in the last several weeks. Her only change? Home cooking.

“Cooking for yourself is one of the best things you can do to improve your nutrition.”

However, the accessibility of the refrigerator and pantry means it’s easy to snack all day if you’re bored or stressed out. If you notice yourself overdoing snacks, especially junk foods, don’t beat yourself up. You’re human. And every day is a new opportunity to eat well.  

Here’s where I present you the Proper Dietary Plan for Pandemics.

Haha, just kidding. There is no “perfect diet” now or anytime. Each of us has our own set of dietary needs. But there are basics that benefit all of us – starting with real, whole and fresh foods (yep, you can still find fresh vegetables and fruit in grocery stores). What better time to work on your nutrition than when you’re trying to stay healthy?

Boost nutrient density

By eating a nutrient-dense diet you give your body the good stuff it needs. Think avocado, nuts, eggs, leafy greens. Nutrient-dense foods are whole, real foods – not tortillas, pasta or chips and other highly processed foods that lack nutrients, contain added junk ingredients, raise blood sugar and promote inflammation. Tips:

• Hydrate – drink at least half your body weight in ounces each day. 

• Eat plenty of veggies and fruit, mostly veggies. Aim for 8-10 servings. Vary colors, raw and cooked. (Organic is best and wash them well under cool water.) Plant fiber helps keep you full, balance blood sugar and poop like a champ!

•  Eat protein with each meal, roughly the size of your palm (Amount will vary by size, age, lifestyle and other factors.)

• Eat healthy fats such as nuts & seeds, olive oil, avocado, high-quality butter & dairy (if tolerated), fatty fish like wild salmon and sardines.

Sometimes supplemental nutrients are great, but talk to me or another qualified health provider before adding new vitamins and other supplements. **Some vitamins and herbs that normally support immune function may be contraindicated for Covid-19.*

Embrace nourishment

Food quite literally makes us who we are. But in our modern day hustle and bustle, nourishment suffers as we focus on convenience. We fill up on packaged snacks and hit the drive-thru or reheat up prepackaged meals. We eat at our desks or standing over the stove.

Nourishment hits the pause button on crazy. Nourishment is about taking pleasure in (or at least tolerating) making a meal for yourself or your loved ones. Generations ago, survival was our ancient ancestors’ daily goal. Food was a huge piece of that, and traditions arose to bless the food. Tribes and communities gave thanks for a good harvest or hunt. Gratitude = nourishment.

“Nourishment is about taking pleasure in (or at least tolerating) making a meal for yourself or your loved ones.”

Feeling overcooked by life and undernourished in your lifestyle? Follow these tips:

• Take a few slow deep breaths before eating a meal.  

• Notice, how does you food smell? What colors on your plate most appeal?

• When you take a bite, what seasonings do you taste first?

• What’s the texture like?

• What do you love most about this food or meal?

• Who is around you and what do you love about them?

Did you know that chewing slowly and sharing a meal with people you enjoy supports healthy digestion? And by cultivating awareness at mealtimes, you’re more apt to notice when you’re full and resist overeating.

Stay on track

Good nutrition is HARD. It’s a daily practice, like learning guitar or yoga. Be kind with yourself and keep trying.

• Hungry? Or perhaps just dehydrated? Often we mistake thirst cues for hunger cues. 

• You’re in the kitchen again… Stop and ask yourself why. Are you truly hungry? By all means eat! Or did boredom or anxiety send you searching in the fridge for answers? Find something else to soothe or entertain you. Play a game, meditate, look for ways to be creative, take a walk, drink a glass of water, read something (besides today’s headlines), call a friend. 

• Stock your kitchen with nutritious foods you enjoy. This is tricky when family members stock the pantry with crunchy and sweet snacks. If that sounds familiar, consider chatting with your daughter or your husband about it. Family members are more likely to ditch or at least limit the junk if they know that will help you (rather than if they think you’re judging their food choices and eating habits).

• Cook some dinners in bulk so that nutritious leftovers are easy and quick the next day.

• When a treat tempts you (your neighbor brought you cookies!), ask yourself if you truly want a cookie right now. Yes? Look at the cookie. Smell the cookie, then savor every last bite of that cookie. If the answer is no, then skip it. And if you’re the person who won’t eat just one cookie (or chip), but a whole plate (or bag), politely tell your neighbor no thank you, that you’re working on your nutrition. Or, there’s no shame in tossing them out.