To Your Health!

Anyone else feels like they are going to be in the dietary doghouse when this quarantine is over. We are officially in a comfort food lollapalooza. With time to burn we turn to Grandma’s favs and try our hand at creating our own culinary masterpieces. Naturally, we can’t share our creations with the gang at work, and no one could do something as horrific as throwing out food in a time like this. The only sensible option then is to eat it. As one humorist quips, “We need to wear masks indoors not so much to prevent COVID-19 as it is to stop eating.” Jokes aside, how do we propose to come through this time without the added burden of significant weight gain?

I will give you my best guess and say, the first thing to do is remember, that food, is going somewhere —stomach, hips, thighs, arteries — you get the idea. Mindless eating is not an option.

Second, with less exercise, our bodies' demand for calories should be less. Practically speaking, even if we are eating the right things and the portions are friendly to generous, we may still have calories to spare or to deposit in the fat bank.

I love starches. Don’t you? Everyone has a favorite staple but enjoy sparingly. Balance with plenty of vegetables (fortunately this is moving slower off the shelves), moderate amounts of fruits (since that kicks back to sugar), and lots of water. Meat may be limited which is not terribly bad because our bodies do not need the whopping great portions of meat we tend to ingest at each meal.

Try to exercise. Walking is excellent and can be done safely as an already socially distancing activity. If you have stairs at home, walk them a couple times a day and get the additional steps in. I hate squats (my knees hate them even more) and crunches are only good when covered with chocolate. Still, you know what I mean. Be intentional about burning a portion of what you eat. Don’t just hang out in the kitchen. Get your food and go. Study, read, work, or game somewhere else.

Last, this ordeal has spiritual as well as physical components. Don’t forget to pray, meditate, grieve, read, or worship — whatever it takes to make you whole. This too will pass.