Coronavirus: Should I worry about my lockdown eating?
Weeks of lockdown is putting a strain on some people's relationship with food.
www.bbc.co.uk
A study is currently underway to see how habits are changing but...
It's a long article but here are some tips on how to eat more healthily during lockdown:...Prof Minihane has anecdotal evidence that suggests people have adopted unhealthy behaviour patterns - overeating the wrong kinds of foods, and drinking more. ...
- Have a glass of water - you might be thirsty, not hungry, and sometimes we confuse the two.
- Exercise and social interaction help bring cortisol down, as well as anything that makes you feel calm, like reading, meditating, going for a walk.
- Foods that are high in protein or fibre will make you feel fuller for longer - for example beans and other pulses, eggs or nuts.
- Frozen ingredients are just as good, potentially even better than fresh, and you can also use canned vegetables and fruit
- More information about how to eat healthily during coronavirus can be found here from the British Dietetic Association.
How are people coping?So what can you do if you're concerned you're overeating or snacking too much?
Routine is really important, so try and keep to a routine of having three meals a day, says Clare Thornton-Wood, a registered dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.
It's fine to have a couple of snacks, but you might then need to have slightly smaller meals.
And if snacking is a real concern, you could put your snacks for the day in a box. If you eat them all before lunch, that's fine, but there's no more.
And whatever our new eating patterns are, we shouldn't feel bad about ourselves, she adds.
I am trying really hard to replace the exercise and social interactions I would normally do, by going for long walks while chatting to people on the phone, and when I shop, I avoid buying too many unhealthy foods because I know the temptation will too great if I have easy access to them! So far this seems to be working for me.