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The economic and productive impact that COVID-19 has generated in the world is indisputable. But there is another factor that affects people’s productivity: the stress caused by this new normal.
Because families stay together all day at home, with constant changes in work and school hours, an inconsistent daily routine can increase anxiety and disrupt healthy eating.
This uncertainty can increase stress, which in turn can damage healthy eating programs and harm the body, affecting the immune system and making it even more difficult to protect against disease, says Susan Bowerman, Herbalife Senior Director of Education and Nutrition. Global nutritional training.
And since a healthy immune system depends on a nutrient-rich diet, good nutrition is one of the best defenses against disease.
However, that’s easier said than done, Bowerman acknowledges.
Stress can also cause fatigue or depression; Therefore, healthy eating can take second place over fast or comforting foods, usually loaded with fat, salt and sugar. And if you choose caffeine to combat fatigue, it can also fail because it disturbs your sleep.
These calorie, comfort-rich foods can stimulate the release of certain chemicals in the brain that make us feel good, at least in the short term, and that we want to keep eating.
But a vicious circle develops: overeating can lead to weight gain, accentuate psychological stress and, in turn, you can continue to overeat.
While you can’t get rid of stress, you can follow these five tips to help you manage your response to the disease.
• Choose balanced meals. Try to include lean proteins, such as chicken, eggs, low-fat dairy, lean meats, fish, vegetables, or soy products, with every meal. Protein quenches hunger and helps you stay mentally alert. Complete the meal with fresh fruit and vegetables and cereals.
• Eat regularly and don’t skip meals. When you’re stressed, it’s easy to postpone or skip meals, but this will lower your energy levels and you may end up overeating when you finally eat. If stress takes away your appetite, try eating smaller portions more often throughout the day.
• Avoid eating to reduce stress. Instead, a brisk walk or cup of herbal tea can help. If you feel like eating, hard, crunchy foods help relieve stress by exercising your jaw muscles. Try eating a handful of almonds, soybeans, or baby carrots as a snack.
• Cut back on caffeine. When people are stressed, they often lack energy and turn to caffeine as an energizer, but this can disrupt sleep. If caffeine makes you sleep at night, drink decaffeinated coffee and tea.
• Try to make the meal a pleasant time, away from work and other sources of stress. If you eat at the table while you work or pay your bills at dinner, something needs to change. Set aside a little more time to calm down and relax while you eat; they are likely to eat less and have more fun.
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