5 TIPS FOR MANAGING YOUR NUTRITION, FITNESS, AND OVERALL HEALTH

Life feels a bit surreal right now. No matter where you live, there is a good chance that some part of your routine has been impacted by the current Covid-19 outbreak. 

While we can’t control a mandated quarantine or the fact that it’s impossible to find toilet paper anywhere (when you really, legitimately need it!), we can redirect our energy from stressing over what we cannot control to focusing on what we can control.

Life feels strange right now and maybe you’re trying to navigate working from home with kids, trying to feed your family when grocery store shelves are sparse, or trying not to emotionally eat all of your pantry snacks at a time when stress is extra elevated. Today we’re sharing five tips for managing your overall health at this time:

NAVIGATING WEIRD GROCERY STORE OPTIONS

You cannot control what is available at the grocery store, but you can still make the best choices given what you have. From what I’ve experienced so far, produce and perishable foods are plenty and sometimes the meat and dairy sections are cleared out.

SHELF STABLE PROTEINS || Jerky, eggs and greek yogurt (not shelf-stable, but they last a while), canned tuna or chicken, collagen peptides, protein powder or bars, dried edamame, canned chickpeas, canned lentils ,nutritional yeast as seasoning, and frozen meat and seafood (also not shelf-stable, but you get the point)

PREPARING EASY CARBS || Batch prepping carbs like rice, quinoa, lentils, roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, and pasta can cut down on prep later in the week. Example: A batch of cooked rice can be used across several meals for one week - in taco salads, as a base for chicken stir fry, mixed with cauliflower rice in a veggie bowl, etc. The same goes for any of the carbs above.

EASY WAYS TO GET YOUR MICROS || Micronutrients come most easily via fruits and vegetables. If fresh produce isn’t available (or if you want to minimize trips to the grocery store), frozen and canned options are just as great. They get a bad rap but, aside from the fact that there may be a little extra sodium in processed foods, the differences are negligible and you don’t need to avoid frozen or canned because it is “unhealthy.”

PRIORITIZING MOVEMENT

You cannot control that your gym may be closed, but you can still choose to move. Maybe that means one of the zillion at-home workouts currently available online, or maybe it means a long walk, a bike ride, or playing outside with your kids.

(If you need suggestions for at-home workouts, grab one of these free resources: 4 Weeks of Bodyweight Workouts and Butt Stuff: Glute Workouts on the Go)

FOCUSING ON REST

You may not be able to control what work stress looks like for you right now, but you can still prioritize rest and take the opportunity to get sufficient sleep while your routine is a little funky. Try to stick to a regular sleep schedule and, if you can, use the extra time you have from not commuting to work or the gym to get a little extra sleep. We have many stressors present right now, so minimizing those we can control (like poor sleep and fatigue) can make a world of difference.

RECOGNIZING EMOTIONAL EATING

You may not be able to control all of the emotions you are feeling right now, but you can recognize how you respond to those emotions and if you respond with food. Emotional eating happens. And instead of trying to eliminate all stress-eating, our goal should be to minimize the amount in which we use food as a coping mechanism.

A few ways we can do that:

• Take 10 minutes to wait it out when you feel hunger come on.  Can you tell if it is real physical hunger (which usually doesn't come on immediately) or emotional hunger?

• Set "rules" for yourself that you follow when eating. Example: always eat sitting down at the table (as opposed to hovering in the kitchen), drink a glass of water before you eat, always eat on a plate (rather than out of a bag/package)

• Have easy snacks on hand that are more aligned with your specific goals (i.e. jerky, chopped veggies, fruit, flavored greek yogurt, portioned out chips/crackers/snacks). We usually reach for whatever is easiest/most available, so make sure it's good stuff that's right in reach.

• Eat your food free of distractions (rather than in front of the TV or on your phone).

None of these suggestions are novel ideas, but there’s a good chance that changing some routine eating habits can help you recognize (and minimize) the frequency of emotional eating at this time.

(If you want to practice your Intentional Eating skills at this time, grab this free worksheet on mastering a Mindful Meal)

STICKING TO THE BASICS

You get it - we can’t control everything, but we can choose to treat this strange situation as an opportunity to do our best rather than the excuse needed to throw in the towel. Rather than stressing over the fact that your routine is gone and things aren’t perfect, stick to the basics. Some examples for basic habits to fall back on:

• Focus your meals around a protein source and veggies first

• Try to hit your water target each day

• Get up and move for a few minutes each hour while you’re working from home

• Work towards a movement goal each day

• Continue to prep your food 

Most of all remember that a few weeks of a different routine won’t completely destroy your fitness or body composition. Regardless of where you’re at during this strange time, small efforts make a big difference and we can do our best given the cards we’ve been dealt.

Can this count as Tip #6? Take this time to utilize your coach and all of the free resources provided. You know we love to hear your questions so if you have any at all, send them my way!