For those who put on excess weight during the lockdown and those who would love to know what to feed on during a lockdown, this chapter is your answer. Everything about weight loss is about eating right mixed with exercise. Shedding off weight is mainly about focusing on what you eat and preventing weight gain is also about watching what you eat. To be totally healthy, you should know what to eat and what to stay away from.
Begin the little changes
Most times, people spend more time complaining about how they look or worrying that they would soon look out of shape. Worrying over your weight does not help you actualize your goal of losing weight; instead, it makes you depressed and affects your self-perception. Worrying makes you lose confidence in yourself. The first step in your weight loss journey would be to eliminate worry and anxiety. All you will need to do is to make little changes to what you eat and how you live. Do not rush yourself. See it as a journey to health that should be taken gradually. Rushing yourself might get you anxious. Day by day, make little changes to your habit, diet and lifestyle.
The choice to alter your daily life for good will take you to your desired goal. For instance, you can decide to stop stocking your house with processed foods and depend more on natural food items that are high in nutrients. You can decide to take water instead of soft drinks or your favourite sugary juice. The decision to spend a few minutes exercising will pay off both mentally and physically. All you need to be healthy is a daily decision to make and enforce positive changes in your life.
Change what you eat
Make up your mind to eat only things that are high on nutrients. Avoid fatty food and other high- calorie foods that increase your chances of gaining weight. During a lockdown, it is important you pay more attention to the nutritional value of what you eat, including what your kids eat if you have kids. Avoid raising your children on unhealthy foods such as fries and burgers. Teach your children to eat lots of vegetables and drink plenty of water. A healthy family is wealthy.
Eliminate and avoid the following:
During a lockdown or when trying to lose weight, do your best to reduce how often you take the following foods.
a. French Fries and Potato Chips: French fries and potato chips are extremely high in calories and are easy to consume in large quantities. Staying far from French fries and potato chips is best for your health.
b. Sugar-sweetened beverages, like soft drinks are high in sugar and have little or no nutritional value. Studies have linked obesity to excessive consumption of soft drinks. The body thrives more on natural sugar than processed sugar.
c. White Bread: White bread is refined and high in sugar. During a lockdown, it is best to avoid food that contains refined sugar.
d. Candy Bars chocolates and sweets: these kinds of foods or snacks are high in sugar content and sugar definitely is not your friend.
e. Fruit juice: Not all fruit juice is healthy. Some of them have added sugar than natural fruits. A lot of them have been processed. It is more health-effective to take an orange than a cup of orange juice.
f. Pastries, Cookies and Cakes: these foods are high in calories but have little nutritional value. For a person trying to lose weight, it is best to avoid them.
g. Alcohol changes the body metabolism and lowers inhibition which means there is a tendency to eat unhealthy food. Aside from losing weight, alcohol consumption has little advantage to the body.
h. Ice cream: ice cream is tasty but highly unhealthy. It is safe and best to reduce your intake.
i. Coffee: caffeine is a natural stimulant, able to deprive you of sleep. Most persons tend to indulge in late night snacks if they can’t sleep.
Losing weight or being healthy does not mean your food must be tasteless or bitter. It can be sweet and it should be delicious, but it must contain little calories. Calories are what make some food healthier than others.
To lose weight and stay in shape, certain foods are recommended.
1. Leafy Greens: this includes spinach, collards, swiss chards, kale and others. They are loaded with fibre and are low in calories and carbohydrates. They are healthy for weight loss.
2. Salmon: this type of fatty fish is healthy because they are rich in nutrients and low in calories. It is a high-quality protein and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
3. Cruciferous Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts are super rich in fibre and should be present in your food.
4. Avocados are a great source of vitamins and are rich in omega-3 fatty acid which is healthy.
5. Whole grains are the seeds of grass-like plants called cereals. Some of the most common varieties are corn, rice, and wheat.
6. Beans: Lentils, black beans, kidney beans and some other beans are rich in protein and can make you full on time. It is an easy homemade meal that can help in weight loss. Beans contain fewer calories and it takes some time for one to get hungry after eating beans. Beans should be a serious part of your daily diet. Beans can lower blood sugar, decrease cholesterol in the body.
Here are some healthy recipe ideas
1. Healthy Chicken Taco Soup: soup is generally a great recipe for weight loss, especially when high in protein. It is easy to make this at home during the lockdown or even regular family meals
What you will need:
Heat a large pot in medium heat. Once it is hot, add avocado or coconut oil alongside peppers, onion, and garlic. Wait for the onion to become translucent, then add your chicken, tomatoes, green chilies, spices, lime juice, and chicken broth. Stir it properly to mix and allow the soup to cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is soft and easy to shred. Once the chicken is tender, take a fork and shred it, then serve it with fresh coriander, diced red onion, and fresh lime wedges.
2. Caribbean Steamed Fish: this is a healthy meal and is easy to make at home.
What you will need:
Recipe
First of all, season the fish with lime juice, crushed garlic, black pepper, salt and a little thyme.
In a large, wide heavy bottom pot over medium heat, add oil