Staying Lean in Tough Times

By Sandy Schroeder

When stress becomes a daily event as we struggle with the pandemic, it's all too easy to reach for a bag of chips or chocolate chip cookies. If you can relate, you know it takes a real effort to choose leaner options like putting fresh salsa on cottage cheese or baking low-fat peanut butter cookies.

However food works at your house, this may be a very important time to get a grip on your diet and that of your family's. Doctors advise us that obesity is a serious issue if the virus strikes.

Start with healthy favorites - Make a list of all of the fruits and veggies that you and your family love. Then shop for them and look for new recipes in Epicurious.com to bring them to your table.

Take a look at your weight - Look at your weight and that of family members and see what is needed to get to a lean state. Whatever it takes, start shaping menus that focus on 1,200 calories a day if you have pounds to lose. Check in with your doctor for weight loss advice too. Set up weekly checks and reward lost weight with new hats, shoes, or scarves.

Find ways to keep moving - If you spend less time on the couch, and more time walking, doing yoga poses, or stretching exercises, you are also apt to eat less snacks. At the same time you will be building muscle and losing fat.

Make meals a special time - However it works at your house, sitting down to a meal with those around you can make a big difference. Instead of mindlessly eating in front of the TV or the computer, you can sit and talk as you enjoy your favorite meals.

Start growing something - You may just line up pots of herbs on a windowsill or go out and plant a small garden plot near your patio, growing fresh spinach, basil, dill, and tomatoes. This could turn into a science project for your kids or just a wonderful way to have fresh produce without all of the hassle of delivery or shopping. Kids will be proud of what they helped grow, and more apt to eat their veggies.

Cut pizza and burgers way back - Those favorite pizzas can still appear, but try to intersperse them with barbecue on the patio, homemade black bean or fish tacos and salad and fruit buffets with your own baked fruit tarts or avocado salads.

As you begin to eat healthy and like what you see in the mirror, staying lean in tough times may be easier than you thought. Enjoy!

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Windermere, Fla.