Among the countless other aspects that the pandemic has influenced in our lives, it has altered our eating habits. This means different things for different people.
While many of us took advantage of the extra time at home to cook and bake instead of ordering takeout; eating cleaner and healthier, as a result, there were still many who had to juggle work from home (WFH) and household duties and didn’t have time to streamline their diets.
Their dietary habits became more disorganized and their lifestyle became more sedentary. Not to mention the physiological reasoning for turning to food when something seems to be falling apart around you.
In short, people are having trouble with their eating habits right now, and in ways that they aren’t used to. Ms. Mona Johar, Functional Integrative Nutrition and Co-Founder Mechanism Wellness list some ways to practice mindful eating when working from home.
Structure Your Day
We have been forced into eating disorders due to a lack of normal comfort zones such as socializing, traveling to work, or spending time outdoors in nature. And, of course, the confusion that comes from the lack of a schedule. People need to adhere to a routine, trying to wake up and sleep at regular intervals. This will give them meaning and put an end to the “pandemic boredom.” Diet, exercise, and sleep will all fall into place until there is a system.
Desktop diet
Because of homeschooling and WFH, life revolves around a table and chair for the majority of the day, meals on the desk, snacking is an obvious inference. Snacking can help keep your energy levels up, but it also lets your body store excess fat in a sedentary environment. A mixture of low-calorie and high protein snacks or low calorie and high fiber snacks should be eaten. Plan your meals ahead of time and try to consume as many new and organic foods as possible.
Eat mindfully
Diets are not conscious or intuitive eating habits. They’re mindsets that demand you trust, your instincts and attention to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Rethinking food preferences and habits, returning to traditional eating techniques, and stimulating the senses by observing colors, smells, sounds, textures, and taste are all part of mindful eating. Work your way up to mindful eating every day, and forgive yourself if you don’t succeed. It can take weeks or months to develop a stronger mind-body link and strengthen your relationship with food, so be gentle with yourself and enjoy the process.
Start an intuitive journey
Honor hunger: Maintain a healthy level of energy and carbohydrates in your body. All thoughts of mild, aware eating become meaningless once you hit a point of extreme hunger.
Don’t eat for the wrong reasons: Get in touch with your emotions and don’t use food as an excuse to avoid coping with negative emotions like frustration, anxiety, or loneliness.
Make peace with food: Purchase food that you want to enjoy. Listen to your hunger pangs; it’s fine to indulge now and then.
Stop when full: Pay attention to your body’s signals that you’re no longer hungry. Keep an eye out for signs that you’re comfortably full.
Don’t over-exercise: Check in with your body; if you’re tired, don’t push yourself too hard; instead, opt for a gentler routine. Have a range of exercises at your disposal and pick which ones to do depending on how your body is feeling.
Eat nutrient-dense food: Take note of how you feel when you eat nutritious, high-quality foods. Examine the physical, behavioral, and emotional reactions.
Related: Feeling stressed? Avoid these foods
