Avoid The 'Quarantine 15' With Healthy Snacks, Adding Mindfulness To Stay-At-Home Routine
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Stress, staying at home, and the short distance from the couch to the refrigerator have given rise to the hashtag "quarantine 15."
The unprecedented coronavirus pandemic has most people across the country staying safe at home, where many have thrown most healthy eating habits out the window. So certified nutritionist and personal trainer Samantha Brooks has a few tips for staying healthy while at home.
"It's really about creating that mindfulness to choose healthy options," she said. "So really when we talk about healthy options, really creating that well-balanced meal — we want a protein, and healthy fat, and a complex carb. We want to load up on high fiber, and we want to stay hydrated."
Well-balanced meals contribute to the feeling of being full, faster, and will help improve the overall mood and prevent an opportunity for emotional eating.
Being at home can also contribute to more frequent snacking, so it's important to keep them healthy — good examples include nuts like pistachio, guacamole, hummus, chia seeds and fruit.
The stay-at-home order is also a unique opportunity for self-improvement, she said. One way would be to create a more healthy schedule by incorporating meditation or affirmations into the morning routine, or tweaking the evening routine to get more sleep.
"But really using this time to self-reflect and really schedule yourself a routine that you can sustain once you get out of quarantine, because we know this won't last forever," Brooks said.
To connect with Brooks, visit her website train2thrivewellness.com.
