coping-with-COVID19 Archives

7 Comforting Foods To Help With COVID Stress

Stress and anxiety can create physical and mental chaos. COVID-19 has aggravated the problem globally. There is no sight of vaccination. Hope and prayers are failing to bring anything constructive. Can eating come of any help? Food items are a ‘new normal’ that is shaping pandemic recovery.

What is the connection between COVID-19 stress and food? Stress-causing pandemic is not just limited to mental abilities. It can prod indigestion and irritable bowels, which can mess with your gut causing digestive stress, heartburn, constipation, bloating, and stomach discomfort. There are many ways to lessen this stress. Correct dietary habits can keep your gut healthier and happier. Here are some uplifting food options for your health and gut. Practice them for an excellent and healthy appetite.

1. Eat Protein-Rich Nuts

Stress eats upon vitamin B stores in our body. Nut snacking helps to replenish our system with proteins. B vitamins protect our body’s neurotransmitters and help them fight stressful situations. Eating a few servings of potassium-rich pistachios a day helps reduce blood pressure and cuts down the strain on our heart. Eat a handful of almonds and walnuts to boost your energy level and improve your mood. Nuts are rich in omega-3, zinc, and keep blood sugar levels at an optimum level.

2. Include CBD As Dietary Supplement

Quelling pandemic anxiety is not a straightforward task. Natural remedies like hemp-derived CBD are showing positive results and good recovery from stress and depression. CBD in edible forms like gummies and oils are a delicious way to get functional benefits from the cannabis plant. Buy Lazarus Naturals online to get a sense of calm, focus, and fast-acting effects from CBD and other phytocannabinoids. CBD oil tinctures use the sublingual route for quicker results.

3. Tuck Into A Bowl Of Oatmeal

Complex carbs like oatmeal can make you feel more relaxed and calmer. The increased serotonin production (a brain chemical) reduces stress hormones. So, instead of reaching out for a sugar-filled breakfast bowl, turn to complex carb-rich oatmeal. It doesn’t hike your spiked glucose levels and is a healthy inclusion in your diet.

4. Spoil Yourself In Raw Vegetables And Leafy Greens

Tame your stress and hassle by including crunchy raw vegetables in your diet. Celery and carrots help ward off tension. Leafy vegetables like spinach contain folate, a dopamine-inducing brain chemical that helps you keep calm. The Journal of Affective Disorders published a research study done on 2,800 middle-aged people and senior citizens, which revealed that folate eaters had lower depression symptoms than those who ate the least.

Folate and fiber-rich vegetables like cabbage, collard greens, spinach help stabilize mood. Aside from the green diet, root-based veggies like sweet potatoes have plenty of vitamins, fiber, and minerals that boost serotonin neurotransmitters.

5. Treat Yourself To Fruits

Most of you like to end your meals with something sugary. Sodas and sugary drinks are sweet-led and refreshing takeaways. But they are calorie-rich and have no health benefits. Fresh fruits have natural sugars that are harmless to the body. They complete your body’s fiber, health, and energy needs and give you a nutritious and wholesome advantage. They also keep you feeling fuller for a more extended period.

6. Bite Into Stress-Relieving Dark Chocolate

The healthful flavonoids in dark chocolate improve blood vessel flow. Just a bite of the pampering dark cocoa reduces stress hormones, including cortisol. It also reduces the ‘fight-or-flight’ hormones known as catecholamines in stressed individuals. Dark chocolate also has a seductive reputation as an aphrodisiac. Choose dark chocolate that has 70 percent cocoa. Remember to eat it in moderation to help you seek comfort from stress, not as regular milk chocolate that increases calories.

7. Sip Herbal Tea

The University College London showed exciting research findings on tea and anti-stress. A UCH study revealed that tea drinkers de-stressed faster and experienced lower cortisol levels than those who drank a placebo. Although black tea came into use in the research study, herbal and decaffeinated teas score an edge over ordinary teas in stress-fighting abilities. Have a cup of chamomile tea. It has an apigenin antioxidant that enables good sleep by binding to sleep receptors. Peppermint tea also brings a soothing effect to the digestive tract.

Mindful Food Choices That Can Drive Corona Anxiety Away

Here are some slight changes you need to bring in your dietary habits to avoid pandemic stress and strain.

● Devise a daily meal plan for yourself and your family and follow it relentlessly.

● Buy fewer processed foods like cheese, cakes, slices of bread, and edibles containing high-salt and high-sugar.

● Load up your diet with low-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, yogurt, and lean proteins. It will help build up immunity and resistance.

● Flavor drinking water with citrus fruits and berries to add a health approach to it.

● Include comfort foods at least once a day in your meals to enjoy the most benefit.

● Make clear soups an essential part of dinner.

● Substitute carb dishes at night, such as rice with healthy chapatis.

Conclusion

Welcome, 2021, with the power of anti-stress comfort foods. Eating healthy food, and that’s a conscious choice, can help you come out of COVID stress and brace optimism. Give up eating a calorie-rich and oily diet alone or with your friends and family. Switch to healthy, organic, and fat-free choices for an active heart and abundant wellness. Make a persistent effort in the New Year to eat healthy and organic food, and you will love your decision.

About The Author

Lisa Dinh is a thorough and meticulous Content Analyst. She commits herself to continuous learning and focuses on sharing ideas and techniques learned from her experiences. And she is a passionate writer who loves writing about health and wellness. She writes in a concise manner so that the information is helpful for everyone.

Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Make Your Fitness a Priority in 2020

To say that 2020 has been a weird or different kind of year would be quite the understatement. With everything this year is throwing at us, it’d be understandable if we all simply decided to lock the door behind us, hide under the covers, and hibernate while we wait for better days ahead. But here’s exactly why we shouldn’t – our health depends on it. And while it may seem like the last thing you want to do right now, exercise has a myriad of health benefits, both physical and mental, which is something we all could use an extra helping of in these fatiguing, anxiety-ridden times.

Exercise Benefits

According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise aids in weight management efforts, which is especially important as our days are growing colder, shorter, as well as with the holidays around the corner (whatever they may look like for you in 2020), as this is typically a time when people tend to gain a few pounds due to rich, comfort-style foods in combination with lower physical activity levels. Exercise also promotes better sleep, and enhanced mood and energy. Again, who doesn’t need this benefit in 2020? Engaging in higher levels of physical activity can also reduce our risks or help us effectively manage conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, and certain types of cancer, to name a few.

How much exercise should we be aiming for each day?

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, key guidelines for adults are as follows: “For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week.”

Ultimately, this could be broken down into 30-minute bouts of exercise 5 days per week. Also, make sure not to leave strength training out of your routine as, “adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits.”

Types Of Exercises That Are Beneficial

Although activity levels will vary across populations, moderate activity can be described as walking at a brisk pace between 3-4.5 mph on a level surface, whereas vigorous activity would involve jogging or running at 5 mph or greater. Remember too that if you don’t have a full 30 minutes to devote to a workout, breaking it down further has been shown to be just as effective, for example, completing 3, 10-minute bouts of exercise throughout the day.

Create An Exercise Routine

In the time of a global pandemic, adding an exercise routine or maintaining the one we already have may seem superfluous to some, but it can be one of the best things we do for ourselves. Because for many of us who are working from home or simply staying home more than we used to. Which most likely means that we’re not moving as much either. Combine this with the idea that staying home may mean we’re snacking more often given our proximity to the kitchen, or the higher levels of boredom, fatigue, stress, and anxiety we’re currently experiencing.

Good Habits

Thus, these changes to our dietary habits and lifestyle can lead to weight gain, which may have an effect on both our mental and physical well-being. Need another reason to add exercise to yourTo-do list in the midst of a pandemic? Unfortunately, along with COVID-19, flu season is nearly upon us as well. While there still needs to be more research to prove a link between exercise and immunity, some theories suggest that exercise may help our respiratory system by flushing out bacteria, or that because physical activity reduces stress hormone release in the body this action may protect against illness, as stress seems to increase our chances of getting sick. Of course, if you’re already not feeling well and are experiencing symptoms, you should rest instead.

Combat Covid fatigue

To combat COVID fatigue, getting ourselves into a simple routine each day can go a long way. Remember, even if you only have several minutes at a time to devote to a fitness routine, use it to meditate, stretch, or plan out your day while being cognizant of fitting in a workout at some point – it’s certainly better than nothing at all. To help with the loss of social interaction many of us are experiencing at this time, find and follow along with exercise videos online, or if available in your area, take a virtual class that your gym is offering. A simple walk (whether that’s outside or through your apartment) is another great form of exercise. Keep track of your steps and challenge yourself by trying to get a few extra steps in as the week progresses. Remember that taking the smallest steps towards developing or maintaining a fitness routine count towards fighting COVID fatigue.

Whether gyms in your area opened back up months ago or you’re still staying close to home, finding ways to incorporate exercise into your day can help you improve your mood and energy levels, as well as battle COVID-19 and the flu, seasonal depression, and anxiety. Still looking for other options to fight off COVID-19 fatigue that may not be directly exercise related? UC Davis Heath has some additional suggestions. Take a look, and get moving – your physical and mental health will thank you.

About The Author

Margo Myers is a Health Education Specialist, animal lover, and caffeine addict. She loves visits to her family farm, walks with her dog, Otis, and watching Gilmore Girls and The Office on repeat. Margo enjoys writing health and fitness-related articles as well as penning healthy, happy relationship pieces. Follow her on Instagram

Pandemic Anxiety: It’s OK To Not Be Okay Right Now

No, I have not been okay, and I am sorry but smiling is not going to help me feel less miserable. You pointing it out is not helping. Also, honestly, it is none of your business why I am feeling the way that I am. I feel like crap and yes, I probably look like it too. However, you pointing that out was not, in the slightest, helpful to the situation. It was actually really rude. Not only that now I am walking around judging myself all because you judged the look on my face and told me that I looked miserable and all I needed to do was smile.

This is what I wanted to say to someone who told me that I looked miserable and just needed to smile more and everything would be okay. I am here to tell everyone that if you see someone struggling, this is probably not what you want to say to them. Making some feel even worse than they already do because it makes you feel uncomfortable is not helpful. It is, in fact, a really selfish thing to say. What we as a culture need to get used to, is that it is okay to not be okay.

So to the girl who is not okay, it is okay that you are feeling that way. No, it won’t last forever. Yes, you will probably be in this place at some point in your life again. However, it is not hopeless. Here are some things that I am doing now when I am not okay:

1. Journaling:

This one is more recent. And is something that I used to think was not easy nor was it really useful. However, I was really wrong. What every is going on that is bothering you needs to come out. Stuffing it all down is not helping. Get it out of you and on paper. I feel better and honestly I had to learn this the hard way. So just write!

2. Walking

I find that getting my heart rate going with some cardio will take my mind off of whatever I am going through. And I prefer to walk at night because that is when all of my anxiety comes out. When I start thinking about all the things that bother me, I stroll. So taking a walk especially in nature really helps me.

3. Cuddles with my fur baby

My dog (who is my child) has become one of my biggest comforts. She can tell when I am having a hard time and is always down for some cuddle time with her mama. It is good for both of us. I instantly feel calmer.

4. Audiobooks

Listening to something to get my mind off of things is helpful. For me the thing that reduces my anxiety the most is audiobooks. I love music too but I think that can be too stimulating when my anxiety is super high so I have chosen to listen to an audiobook instead. (I have tried to read a book however, I have a hard time concentrating so that is something that I have gotten away from when my anxiety is really high)

5. Sitting alone

No, I am not okay and this may mean that I am not the most fun to be around. Hearing that when you are not okay is really hard to swallow. So, I try to just sit alone. I like to sit outside because it is a lot less miserable being outside then it is being inside alone. This gives me the time and space to digest all of the things that I am thinking.

Coping With COVID19

These are just some of the coping skills that I have learned the last few months. If you are like me dealing with emotions and not being okay is not something that you are great at. It is hard to deal with it because honestly I am not great at it and in the past I didn’t deal with it I threw myself into other things to avoid not feeling okay. I know that I have to deal with those feelings and other feelings that I don’t want to deal with. So I share the things that help me hoping that it also helps you.

Just remember it is okay to not be okay. If you are not okay reach out to someone who will listen then try some of these things to help you feel a little better about life. It won’t last forever!