Ways to Stay Committed to Your Health During Coronavirus
/Mom Crew caught up with health coach Leeann Rybakov, who shared some tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle while stuck at home. Read on for her suggestions and sign up for a free session if you’d like more personalized help.
Life has become a new terrain that likely none of us has ever traveled. The unknown is a very scary place, and it’s one that we are forced to inhabit on a daily basis right now. With a lot to focus on, maintaining healthy habits might seem like the last of our concerns – but it should really be at the forefront, because living a healthy lifestyle can have a big impact on both physical and mental health.
Here are few things to try:
1. Create a Routine
Get a notepad and a pen, and write your schedule for the next day. Being organized not only facilitates healthier food choices, but it can also take the chaos out of life and ultimately reduce your level of stress. Stress leads to increased levels of cortisol, and in turn hinders your immune system. Reduce your level of stress by having a plan for the week ahead, or even just the next day, so you can stay in control. For me: On Sundays I create a very simple outline of what our meals will look like for the week ahead. Monday is pasta night, Tuesday is fish night, Wednesday is breakfast for dinner, etc. On a daily basis I include my workout schedule, the kids’ homeschooling time, rest time for everyone (regardless of age, everyone needs “quiet time”), meals, snacks, etc.
2. Eat Fermented Foods
Our gut is often referred to as our “second brain” and is very much in charge of our daily bodily functions and our immune system. Fermented foods provide your gut with the good bacteria that it needs to fight off certain illnesses. Fermented foods come in various forms. For example: yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut. It’s important to pay attention to the labels when you are buying yogurt – the exact names of the “live cultures” should be listed in the ingredients, otherwise they are not there. Sauerkraut, or fermented cabbage, is one of my absolute favorite ways to get a good dose of probiotics, and you can even make it right at home, with two simple ingredients: cabbage and salt.
3. Hydrate
Not only does drinking water help to speed up your metabolism, but it can also be a defense against viruses. I have a 32-ounce water bottle that I refill at least 3 times per day. Tea is also a great choice, especially herbal teas with immune boosting ingredients like ginger and turmeric.
4. Limit Sugar
Being locked up in the house can definitely create some unhealthy cravings. But sugar is a powerhouse for illness and disease, and it can also deplete our immune system, which we really need at its prime right now! Artificial sweeteners are just as bad, if not worse than real sugar. Besides containing chemicals, the high level of sweetness can actually make you crave more sweets. A few healthy ways to curb sugar: bake your own desserts and use natural sweeteners such as dates and bananas. Challenge yourself to a sugar detox. After three days you will not crave it as much.
5. Keep Moving
Although we can’t go to the gym or our favorite fitness studios now, there are a plethora of free online workout options available. Movement creates optimism and energy, and increases our immune system. Plus, trying something new is great to “work out” your brain health. Here is a fun idea: test out a new workout every day, find a few that you love, and create a fitness routine. One of my absolute favorite apps is the One Peloton app. They even have meditation videos.
It is incredibly overwhelming to navigate so many roads of this new normal at the same time. Take it one step at a time, and allow space for kindness. I am currently offering free sessions for anyone who would like to chat about how to make your life healthier right now. You can book a time for us to chat over video here.
Leeann Rybakov, BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan, Chef Degree, Nutritious Life Health Coach, and Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, is a health coach with a focus on functional medicine, as well as wellness as a multi-dimensional approach. Although food and fitness are very important, our overall wellbeing is so much more than what we eat and how much we exercise. Sometimes our happiness is hidden in the least expected of places. Making the first step towards change is often the hardest thing to do. Let’s do it together and unleash your potential to pave the way towards your healthiest life yet.
