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Published Friday, April 3, 2020
Take care of food in timesof quarantine By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Nutrition specialists from Social Security called on the population to take care of their diet as well as take preventive measures handling food when the country is facing an emergency due to coronavirus covid-19 isolation orders. According to specialists, the obligation and responsibility to stay home to help prevent the spread of the disease is a major change in people's lives and customs. This could cause stress and anxiety in a new and unknown situation, which could generate a change in nutritional habits. Some noticeable changes are the risk of compulsive eating, ingesting an excess of foods full of fats and sugars, as well as neglecting the balance of a healthy diet. During isolation, it is important to maintain a pattern of schedules and the right number of meals. This means that at least five feeding times should be carried out as breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snack times. This way the body will have the necessary energy, avoid possible nutritional deficiencies, as well as prevent eating too much, which is often caused by anxiety. For this reason, people should think about quantity and quality. It is crucial that diets includes a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes, say specialists. Eat at least five times with fruits and vegetables of different colors to provide the necessary micro-nutrients that help the immune system and the body to function properly. For the implementation of a complete and balanced diet plan, specialists give the following recommendations: Your food is your medicine. If you or someone in your family has recently become ill, proper nutrition can contribute to the recovery. Choose good quality protein, fruits, vegetables, and foods that provide more energy. Plan the menu. Make a weekly or biweekly organization of the menu, so purchases will be limited to the necessary products and avoid improvisation with more caloric foods. The number of people must be taken into account, as well as the rations that must be prepared. Choose healthy foods. This way you will avoid eating large amounts of fast food and getting hungry again right away. The recommended foods are raw vegetables, fruits in shell, chickpeas, lentils and beans, seeds and lean meats. Prefer whole grains. Bread, pasta, rice, flours and whole-grain breakfast cereals contain more fiber and therefore generate more satiety and are better for the intestine. Eat fruits and vegetables daily. Choose fruits of the season and in its natural state. The problem with canned fruits is high sugar content. Avoid processed foods. It is easy to think that it is good to add these foods in the shopping with the false illusion of having a full pantry in the long term, however, these products are high in sodium. Avoid sugary drinks. Drink water, tea or coffee instead of carbonated drinks or juices with a lot of sugar. Avoid eating constantly. Choose healthy snacks such as whole-wheat toast with tuna or yogurt with seeds and whole fruit. Drink a lot of water. Adequate hydration is essential for the proper functioning of the body. It is recommended to drink, on average, two liters of water a day. The water can be flavored by adding lemon, strawberry, or ginger slices. Avoid shopping every day. Buy food once a week or better once a month. In one day buy all the food you need. Only one person should do the shopping to protect the rest of the family. Before going out to buy, check what is at home to avoid buying too much, make a list of everything you will need. Make a weekly plan, so you can better organize your purchases and make sure that nothing is missing and help avoid stockouts in supermarkets. All food should be washed before stored in the refrigerator Disinfect your food in 4 liters of water with a tablespoon of bleach and let them rest for 10 minutes, then wash them with water and remove the bleach. The country is facing an increase in cases infected with coronavirus covid-19. That should be enough motivation to take precautionary measures to make a healthy diet and reduce the risk of getting infected, specialists say. --------------------------- What other advice would you give to have good eating habits during quarantine? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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