I woke up this morning thinking, “I should bake some muffins!”
I haven’t baked muffins in forever but, clearly, I was seeking a sense of comfort in the face of this unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic.
Luckily, my initial thought was quickly followed by, “I’m going to be a LOT more sedentary than usual. I probably don’t need a big whack of carbs of sugar right now, NOR do I need to be tempted by baked goods staring at me from my counter!”
If you’re like me, you probably have WAY more than the usual variety and quantity of snack foods in your house right now.
Stocking up on toilet paper is all well and good but, personally, I was more concerned about my supply of dark chocolate, plantain chips, Rx Bars, and dried fruit snacks! (Wish I could say I was kidding…)
We humans have a primal need to gather the foods that make us feel safe and secure. That’s normal and natural.
That said, it’s counterproductive to our health (and immune systems!) to ignore our equally important need for nourishing, health-promoting foods!
So, while I definitely stocked up on an array of “better than” junk food, I also made sure to stock up on:
frozen organic veggies (riced cauliflower, broccoli, and veggie blends)
frozen berries
frozen smoothie packs (greens and berries)
high quality protein powder (I use vanilla bone broth protein and a vegan pea protein blend)
boxed nut milk
canned wild caught salmon
sweet potatoes
onions
spaghetti squash
frozen organic meat (grass fed beef and ground turkey)
citrus fruits (which keep well)
onions
fresh garlic
herbal teas
How I plan to avoid eating my way through this self-imposed quarantine:
While I have just as much of an urge to stress snack as anyone else (trust me!), I have learned to use the mantra “real food first”.
If I think I’m hungry, I ask myself, “Does real food sound good?” (By “real food”, I mean protein veggies, whole fruits, etc. rather than carbs or snack foods)
If the answer is “Yes!” and it seems reasonable that I COULD be hungry based on the timing of my last meal, I’ll go ahead and eat.
If the answer is, “Heck no real food doesn’t sound good, but I sure could go for a bag of those fruit snacks or plantain chips!”, I know I’m not physically hungry, but am more likely having an anxiety or boredom craving.
To be clear: This is an annoying realization. (I mean, who wants to be told no, even by themselves?!)
That said, asking and answering this question honestly has been so helpful to me in terms of my healthy eating habits, a peaceful relationship with food (i.e. not feeling out of control, stable body composition, and - very importantly - blood sugar stability, as carbs on their own feel AMAZING for a minute and then it’s a big swirly down the other side of the blood sugar roller coaster, leading to more carb cravings!
So yes, I’ll have some snacks while I’m home under self-quarantine but, in order to take good care of myself during this anxiety-triggering time, I’m ALSO going to do the following:
Avoid keeping snacks clearly visible (counter, main pantry shelf, etc.)
Stick to regular balanced meals and meal times
Portion out snacks using a condiment bowl or other small container and then put them away
Notice when I’m feeling stressed and reaching for snacks to soothe myself.
Look for other outlets for my stress, such as creative projects, watching a yoga video on YouTube, playing games, using my workout equipment (treadmill, kettlebell, exercise bands, dumbbells, etc.) watching/listening to funny programs, trying new healthy recipes, etc.
Stick to my normal sleep schedule
Limit my exposure to press conferences ;)
We’ll get through this, my friends, if we’re strategic and intentional.
Let’s do our best to emerge from our dens feeling as resilient, healthy, and sane as possible AND without having put on the “Coronavirus Quarantine-10”!