[LifeStyle] Changing habits could serve as a shield for COVID-19

[#Steeven.™]

While the COVID-19 pandemic is a distressing health emergency, it also invites us to pause and ask: What can I do to lead a healthier lifestyle?

The so-called new normal is an unbeatable opportunity to resume eating and exercise habits that help to be in good shape and that, due to the quarantine, were put aside, nutrition specialists agree.

"We are at a stage in which, if there was an increase in kilos or sizes in the months of confinement, people will want to see rapid results of losing weight, and for that they can resort to very restrictive or fashionable diets," he says nutritionist Grace Ibarra.

The invitation is to avoid these types of diets and instead focus on smart habits, she says.

"It is to create a general awareness: if we are in a time in which we are worrying about our health, following measures to prevent contagion, we also need to be consistent and learn the lesson about what we are introducing to our body," he said.

After all, the food that enters the body is as important as gasoline for a car, exemplified by Andrea Fraga.

Just as poor quality fuel can affect the functioning of the car, describes the also nutritionist, unhealthy eating weakens the immune system, responsible for defending the body when pathogens attack it.

 

Food, more important than ever
Both statistics and epidemiology specialists agree that chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes increase the chances that a person carrying the new coronavirus will develop complications, Fraga indicates.

“This underscores the importance of people taking care of their health more than ever, stopping consuming the things that harm them the most, such as processed or industrialized foods that affect both cells and hormonal balance, and choosing to eat as much as possible. possible natural ”, he insists.

There is no superfood that, when consumed every day, raises the body's defenses, adds Ibarra, but it is a varied, complete and balanced diet, combined with the regular practice of exercise, which can make a difference. in the well-being of people for months and years to come.

 

Emotional hunger?
Constantly ordering at home, having snacks with high caloric content in the cupboard and not doing physical activity are some of the habits observed during the months of quarantine that explain an increase in weight in patients who ask for a consultation, Fraga and Ibarra coincide in pointing out.

The anguish unleashed by the health contingency has also highlighted the strong link between anxiety and food, they add.

“What we call emotional hunger happens. Many, when they feel stress, begin to feed thinking that it will give them peace of mind. This emotional hunger is a type of hunger in quotes, because the desire or craving is very specific and you can hardly calm it with another meal. You always want more ”, explains Fraga.

“The relationship between food and emotions comes from when we are little, when they tell us, for example, that if we stop crying they will give us a lollipop or a chocolate. That is why it is difficult for us as adults to stop making the association ”.

Examples of foods connected with emotional hunger, indicates Ibarra, are those high in fat and sugar, such as sweet bread, cookies, sodas or French fries. To these is added the consumption of alcohol, also linked to the sensations.