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Since I've been working from home a lot recently and making less trips to the grocery store, my diet was definitely suffering. I'd been snacking a lot more and eating things like frozen pizzas and oven fries for dinneranything that's convenient and saves me unnecessary trips to the store.

I've always had a sweet tooth and now that I had easy access to my cupboard full of junk food all day, I'd been unable to resist the pastries, chocolates and all the sugary treats. After a few days of binging, I had noticed how my increased sugar intake had been affecting my body and I was determined to make a change, but eating healthier would be a challenge while avoiding trips to the store as much as possible.

I started looking into meal delivery services, and I found a few smoothie companies that would provide some nutritional valueI quickly realized this would not be enough to satisfy my cravings. I still wanted to avoid weight gain during my working from home period, so I continued searching.

That's when I came across Nutrisystem. I heard about it before, but I never considered it as I thought it was mostly for weight loss. I never had a huge issue with my weight, but when I saw Nutrisystem sends a monthly shipment that includes breakfasts, lunches, dinner and snacks--I was intrigued, so I kept reading.

All the meals are easy to prepare--they just need to be heated up. The menu is filled with healthier (and delicious!) versions of your favorite foods. Breakfast is as easy as grabbing a snack bar or muffinit's convenient and tasty which is exactly what I had in mind.

I decided to take the plunge and sign up. A few days later, my first monthly shipment arrived. The first impression I had of the meals was that they looked delicious. And once I tried them, I realized they were just as tasty as they looked. I could still eat my favorite foods like pizza and mac & cheese, but Nutrisystem's meals are all balanced with complex carbs, protein and fiber without sacrificing taste.

Nutrisystem has a team of experts who do all the work for youno need for counting calories or keeping up with your food intake. Something I always struggled with is portion control I used to pile my plate with at least twice as much rice as I needed, and I would end up eating it anyway. I never thought of it as much of a problem until I started eating perfectly portioned meals with Nutrisystem. I noticed that their portions and meals keep me feeling full for longer while providing me with the right nutrients I need.

The major benefit of Nutrisystem was the sheer convenience of it. All my meals were delivered right to my doorstep, with minimal preparation needed. This is just what I needed. Plus, I could still be satisfied while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. My personal favorite is their lasagnadelicious!

I started Nutrisystem a few weeks ago, and it has already saved me so much time cooking. Although I still need my fresh grocery items, it has definitely lessened my trips to the grocery store. Plus, I find myself less tempted to reach for the snacks in my cupboards, as Nutrisystem allows me to still have my comfort foods. I am no longer worried about my weight.

I'd recommend Nutrisystem to anyone who is looking for a convenient way to lose weight while stuck at home.

UPDATE: The awesome folks at Nutrisystem are extending a new special offer to our readers. Follow this link to Buy ONE Month, Get ONE FREE!

Original post:
Nutrisystem Is The Key To My Healthy Work From Home Diet - Popdust

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One of the most important aspects of postworkout recovery is getting enough protein. Doing so helps repair and build your muscles, and, believe it or not, reduces soreness as well.

The recommended daily amount of protein for women in the U.S. is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, so for a 140-pound person, thats about 51 grams per day. In the U.K., the recommendation is even lower, at 0.75 grams per kilogram of bodyweight daily. But new research presented at the American College of Cardiologys annual scientific session suggests that aiming slightly higher could benefit your heart.

Researchers examined data from nearly 100,000 women, with a median age of 64, over a 10-year period. The women filled out health questionnaires, providing information on what foods they ate and how much activity they got, as well as cardiovascular markers like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary and peripheral artery disease, diabetes, and history of heart failure.

They found that those who ate between 58 and 74 grams of protein daily were five to eight percent less likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is a heart rhythm disorder associated with serious cardiovascular issues like stroke. Those with the lowest protein intake had the highest incidence of AFib, even if they were meeting U.S. recommendations.

Want to take action now? Luckily, it doesnt take much to boost your protein intake to hit that more beneficial range, lead study author Daniel Gerber, M.D., cardiovascular medicine fellow at Stanford University, told Bicycling.

Eating as little as 10 to 15 grams more protein a day could have a significant effect, and thats just a cup of Greek yogurt, for example, he said. Increasing healthy, lean protein intake could be a relatively easy way to lose weight and decrease your risk for AFib.

More research will need to be done to understand exactly why additional protein can lower your AFib risk, he added. But the answer may be related to the way higher protein consumption helps with fat loss, lower body mass index, and improved insulin sensitivityall of which are beneficial to your heart.

Also, the age of the participants is importantAFib is more common among older people, but also, as women become postmenopausal, they tend to lose bone mass and lean muscle mass. Not only can protein have a protective effect for the heart, said Gerber, but may also enhance these effects and reduce risk of frailty.

Although this affects women slightly more than men, Gerber said its likely that similar results would be seen in a study with male participants.

[Looking to start cross training but dont know where to start? The Beginners Guide to Strength Training will teach you all the fundamentals to get the most out of your weight session, priming you for stronger miles in the saddle.]

So, if consuming slightly more protein has so many heart and muscle benefits, does that mean even more could be extra protection? Not so fast, he suggested.

There does appear to be a sweet spot with regards to protein intake, where going above 74 grams per day is no longer beneficial, he said. We believe this may be related to concurrent higher calorie intake, and obesity in women eating the most protein, which negates the benefits.

Its also worth noting that your body cant absorb more than about 30 grams of protein at one time, so its best to split up your meals in this way and not try to cram as much protein as you can into them.

Gerber recommends sticking to that sweet spot and focusing on healthy protein sources like fish, chicken, lean beef, Greek yogurt, lentils and beans, nuts, seeds, and eggs.

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How Much Protein Should You Eat Daily to Keep Your Heart Healthy? - Bicycling

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Another stressor at the moment is increased boredom, which is linked with emotional eating. At the same time, people have become untethered from many of their usual coping strategies, such as meeting up with friends and spending time in nature.

Caroline Kamau, an organisational psychologist at Birkbeck, University of London, whose research links burnout to binge eating, points to five risk factors that might now make someone especially prone to this common form of disordered eating:

1) Mental health problems, especially anxiety and depression

2) Body image issues, including frequent dieting and weight changes pre-pandemic

3) A highly impulsive personality, which might take the form of excessive gaming, gambling or drug use

4) Emotional eating, for instance reaching for food when upset

5) Friends and relatives who have disordered eating

Most people probably binge eat once in a while but wouldnt be classified as having binge-eating disorder, Kamau is careful to point out. For instance, its common to devour a whole pizza once in a while, and this wouldnt be concerning. Yet a milder form of this may be becoming more frequent now, even if it doesnt reach the threshold of a disorder. When youre in a situation where youre highly stressed, youre more prone to engage in disinhibited eating, Warren says.

While over-eating can feel good in the short term and provide initial comfort, this doesnt last. That first flush of feeling good is often followed by guilt, which increases distress.

Connect with family and friends

So how can we maintain a healthy relationship with food at a time when there are limited avenues for fun and higher levels of stress?

The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a fact sheet on coping with stress during infectious disease outbreaks. Though it was published in 2014, and specifically mentions Ebola, many of the recommendations remain relevant for Covid-19.

A key suggestion is finding social connection. In my WhatsApp group of fellow vegans, weve been sharing photos of our corona cupboards and some of our meals. Its a way to practise photography and exchange practical tips, but also to continue connecting by means of food the very thing that brought us together in the first place. Its a means of making food a more social experience, especially for those of us who live alone or live with non-vegans.

Visit link:
Coronavirus: How to avoid over-eating when working from home - BBC News

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Exercise. Eat better. Sleep more. Dont worry about things you cant control.

Those are good tips anytime, but especially during a global pandemic, said Dr. Tyler Tyler Cooper, president and CEO of Cooper Aerobics and a Cooper Clinic physician.

The venerable institution on Preston Road is in its 50th year. It was founded in 1970 by Coopers dad, Father of Aerobics Kenneth H. Cooper, and has grown into a multi-specialty practice focused on preventive health care and backed by extensive research.

In an interview with the Dallas Business Journal, Tyler Cooper shared some tips for executives and others working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Right now, its incredibly important for prevention of disease, for prevention of infection, to focus on those staples that weve been talking about for years, Cooper said.

Here are five areas Cooper emphasized:

Fitness

Regular physical fitness is associated with a decreased risk of the ability to acquire infection, Cooper said.

He encourages his patients, and everybody for that matter, to maintain a regular fitness program that includes at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. But dont overexercise, because that weakens resistance, he said.

Nutrition

Does an apple a day keep coronavirus away? It could help, Cooper said.

Now that people are staying home, they have more time to cook and focus on a healthy diet, Cooper said. He recommends a well-balanced diet that follows American Heart Association guidelines.

The Heart Association recommends a variety of fruit and vegetable servings every day. Dark green, deep orange, or yellow fruits and vegetables like spinach, carrots, peaches and berries are especially nutritious.

The recommendations also call for a variety of grain products every day and fish at least twice a week. Oily fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, like tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines, are best for heart health.

Sleep

Get your Zzzzs, Cooper says.

Its extremely important to be well-rested in order to fight disease, he said. Even if you were to get the COVID, the better shape you are in, the better chance youll get through it with the least amount of difficulties.

Cooper recommends eight hours of sleep per night and no TV or reading before fading to la-la land.

Certainly during times of stress, it's sometimes difficult to sleep, he said. You lie in bed awake and toss and turn.

To fight against that, sleep in a cool, dark room, and consider trying melatonin if youre having trouble sleeping.

Vitamins

Many people dont get the right amount of vitamin nutrition through their regular diet, so regular supplementation is important, Cooper said.

A multivitamin will help, as will Vitamin D, which is especially good at building immunity, Cooper said. Fish oil is associated with a decrease in inflammation and would be beneficial as well, he added.

Theres not a one size fits all on supplements, but if youre going to try to cover the bases, a well-respected multivitamin is going to be a benefit, he said.

De-stress

To rein in stress, focus on controlling what you can control, Cooper advises.

You want to be aware of whats going on in the country, he said. Certainly with the stimulus act and the growth of the virus, you need to be aware. But you dont need to be obsessing all the time about things you cant change."

"You cant control the spread of the virus beyond yourself, you cant change the economy, you cant change whats happening in the world," he added. "But what you can change is focusing on making yourself stronger.

Keep a positive attitude and look for the silver linings in this time of crisis, Cooper said.

Its so seldom ever in our life that youre going to have this much downtime, he said. Do something advantageous. Do that home project that you never did, or call that friend you havent called in a long time.

See the rest here:
Working from home? Here are 5 things you can do to take care of yourself - WFAA.com

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Highlights

If you find yourself dozing off at odd hours at odd places, you would blame it on lack of sleep. But, if you also feel lethargic all the time or after every meal, you may be suffering from the problem of chronic fatigue. There can be many factors that lead to drowsiness and fatigue. If you can't really point at any obvious reason, maybe your diet isn't as nutritious as it should be. Here are some foods that you must include in your diet or exclude from your diet to beat fatigue.

1.Refined carbohydrates like white bread and pasta may cause blood sugar level to shoot up and lead to low insulin level in the body. This can cause weakness or fatigue.

2. Avoid caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee. These drinks might boost energy temporarily but too-much consumption of caffeine can be a major cause of fatigue in the long run.

3. Processed and sugary foods are of little or no nutritional value and high-fat content in them lead to depletion of energy rather than increasing it, which other healthier foods do.

4. 60 per cent of the body of an adult human is made up of water. It is an important part of blood in the human system and also helps carry essential nutrients to the cells and flush out toxins from the body. So, keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water throughout the day.

5. Chia seed is a highly nutritious food. It is rich in fibre, protein, vitamin, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids and tons of antioxidants. All these nutrients supply bouts of energy to the body.

6. Although vitamins and other supplements cannot replace the value of natural nutrition that you can get from food, there's no harm in taking these supplements if your body lacks a particular nutrient and is unable to receive it from your diet.

About Neha GroverLove for reading roused her writing instincts. Neha is guilty of having a deep-set fixation with anything caffeinated. When she is not pouring out her nest of thoughts onto the screen, you can see her reading while sipping on coffee.

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Watch: 6 Diet Tips That May Help You Fight Fatigue And Tiredness - NDTV Food

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Samantha Irbys new essay collection, Wow, No Thank You (Vintage Books), is an irreverent, hilarious, and vulnerable dive into the authors brain. Irby skewers herself and her daily life, whether it is her work-from-home malaise, the dangling of luxuries she cant afford, the difficulties of making friends as an adult, or her comfortable but often unsexy marriage.

The book is filled with the follies of turning 40, hauntings by dead pet cats, lunch meetings with Abbi Jacobson, going clubbing with bowel issues, and the trials and tribulations of being married to another woman in the rural Midwest. For all of Irbys wit, depression over debts, and social awkwardness, there is a deep resounding warmth in her essays, too. A hard-won empathy, a stubborn acceptance of self that invites us to join her and revel in the chaos.

We spoke with Irby about various topics, random and not-so-random, from smelling good in tax jail to Love Is Blind.

I got a D.S. & Durga candle, and you wanna talk about smelling rich? It was like $65, but it smells incredible. I think its called Big Sur After the Rain. Its the kind of thing I get and think, Im a stupid fucking person. Theyre sending actual rich people this shit for free. But it makes me feel very luxurious. This year, Im pivoting to sweatshirts. The one Im currently wearing is from Rachel Antonoff, but even my raggedy sweatshirts, I will spray some Jo Malone on them and think, this is luxury. It makes me feel like Im actually a person worthy of things. Im like, put me in Coming to America, because I am a queen. Dont tell the IRS Im on a payment plan. When they finally take me to tax jail, theyre gonna be like, You know what bitch? You smell amazing.

I came of age in the super sweet spot where you could still be homely at the club. You could not wear heels but also get in. Now, if you try to get in the club with New Balance, which is what I like to do, they are like, no bitch, get out. I spent so much of my twenties in nightclubsI wouldnt take it back. But now, Im just like, where are the chairs? Take me to the cordoned off senior section where I can just watch other people. After like five drinks, I can feel my body dying. Its a race to get home, like Cinderella. At midnight, my body goes from keeping me alive to shutting down all my organs unless I get somewhere with a bed and air conditioning. I wanna go out, but I also want to not die in a club. One of my worst nightmares is an ambulance coming to get me at the club. The lights come on and everyone looks like shit. I dont want that to be the last thing I see.

Truly the greatest invention of all time. People who are anti-phone, I dont get it. I refuse to believe there is a person who is so fulfilled by their life that they dont need any of the distractions or joys of phones.

I crossed the threshold. Facebook creates a false intimacy between yourself and people you only know on the internet, which is extremely seductive. But its not real and Facebook was the place where I felt I had to be careful. Then I created a book group and every day there was a new issue monitoring the group. I would rather walk into a lake and never stop walking or die from whatever Chlamydia is in the lake over and over like Groundhog Day, than to keep moderating a group where everyone is fighting about Young Adult fiction.

I had no other way to tell people I had crushes on them. I couldnt use my words and be rejected. It only takes one time of watching someones face crumple in horror as you reveal your crush on them. Ever since the seventh grade, I was like, okay Im never doing that again. I will only prove my slavish devotion to them by spending hours recording CDs to tapes for them. The feeling when someone made you a tape? Launch a thousand love boats right into my heart. And when youre young, it was also so cool to see what your friends were into. I would always pull out my most obscure, cool sounding songs even if I didnt like them that much. Id really be crying to Ani DiFranco, but Id be like, let me put this punk song on here.

I wanted to write an actual twenty-two-minute porn teleplay called Two Old Nuns Having Amazing Sex. But I just didnt have time, so I made fun of the trope that old broads dont have sex, but then wrote about the stuff we do. Like, I dont have to have an orgasm if I get to cancel on a lot of parties. It truly is the same rush. I want to get over this cultural myth. Everyone thinks everyone else is having more and better sex than they are. I just want to be like, no, none of us are, and its fine. Like, maybe there are people somewhere fucking all day and thats great, but over here, we read books and dont talk to each other.

You cant have gone to as much church as I had to go to as a kid and not have some residual belief. I did aura readings twice and I had an orb that the photographer said was a spirit. I am not smart enough to deny the existence of anything. I want there to be a little mystery, a little inexplicable crop circle. I feel like that makes life better and more fun.

I havent watched it because I cannot watch attractive people falling in love. I dont believe in it. Wake me up when love is ugly, or fat, or fucked up. Its very easy to be in a pod, get out of it and fall in love with someone who is conventionally beautiful. I want someone to talk to me for seven months, be ready to give me a kidney, then come out the pod and be like, oh look how swollen her ankles are, Im done, get me off this show.

I love to see a regular looking lady. I love Bernard. Regular people 2020.

Im drinking a little sip can right now. Diet Coke is the best when its crackling cold and those tiny cans stay cold for the whole can. My wife started getting them because she is for real an everyday doomsday prepper. I was like honey, you can keep getting these.

I dont ever have any on hand. Its tragic its now sold out. I am truly a hand washer. Nobody wants my sensitive doughy, writers hands to get cracked and bloody from sanitizer. It smells like a hospital that I dont mind in the hospital, but in my real life I want everything to smell like butter and Jo Malone. Put that on my tombstone when I die from Corona: I dont use hand sanitizer, Im a washer.

Originally posted here:
Samantha Irby on 'Love Is Blind' and Doomsday Prepping with Diet Coke - Interview

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. During this unprecedented time in our nation, American Dairy Association North East encourages dairy farmers to share positive, science-based facts about the health benefits of milk and dairy products with consumers. The key message to remind consumers during the COVID-19 situation is that dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt are safe, nutritious and affordable foods for all families.

Now more than ever, its crucial we share credible information from reputable sources because people are scared, and they arent sure who to trust, said American Dairy Association CEO Rick Naczi. Thats why health organizations like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention use simple, consistent messages with the most accurate information known at the time. Dairy farmers have so many great things to talk about, from the animals you raise to the nutritious, safe products you produce lets focus on that.

During this time of social distancing, social media is the best way to communicate with consumers. Kelsey OShea of Mapleview Dairy in Madrid, N.Y., shared an excellent example of how to approach the topic. View her post here:https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=525786118314701

In less than one minute, she conveyed several important messages including:* Farms continue to operate somewhat business-as-usual* Cows are still receiving top-notch care* Farmers still supply a safe, quality product to grocery store shelves* Farm staff and employees health and safety is a priority

Consider what families are dealing with the uncertainty and confusion. Some of the information dairy farmers share could easily be misconstrued by those less informed about the dairy industry. For example, comments like farmers may have to dump milk could lead consumers to think the milk is tainted in some way, which is not true. Another example would be sharing that cows receive a vaccine for Coronavirus. Consumers could misinterpret this to mean that the virus must be prevalent in dairy cows and they should not drink milk. Again, an untrue statement.

Several social media posts have been circulating that indicate drinking milk will help people stay strong against COVID-19. Science-based research shows that a balanced diet that includes dairy is important for overall health and wellness, however, we highly caution against content that claims human immunity benefits from dairy and the protein found in dairy called lactoferrin.

Below are facts from Dr. Greg Miller, Chief Science Officer, Dairy Management, Inc.:

Further positive messages that can help bolster consumer confidence in dairy farmers, dairy farms and dairy products at this difficult time are listed below:

Dairy and Overall Wellness

Dairy foods are a source of high-quality protein because they contain the essential amino acids that the body cannot make on its own. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17403271)

Milk is good for all ages, because its the #1 food source for calcium, vitamin D, and potassium nutrients that many Americans, including children, are lacking in their diets.

Dairy and Immunity

Dairy and Food Storage

If you see friends or fellow farmers sharing unverified claims, consider messaging them privately and ask them to remove or edit the post.

Please contact Beth Meyer (bmeyer@milk4u.org), Director of Consumer Confidence at American Dairy Association North East, for further tips on communicating with consumers.

ADA North East will continue to work on behalf of dairy farmers. If you have concerns or suggestions about addressing the challenges during this time, please call 315.472.9143.

###

About American Dairy Association North East

American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmers checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing more than 10,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc., the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region.For more information, visitwww.AmericanDairy.com, or call 315.472.9143.

See the original post here:
American Dairy Association North East Offers Tips for Talking to Consumers About Dairy Amidst Covid-19 Pandemic - PerishableNews

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The Nutrition Facts panel focuses our attention on calories, fat, sugar, and salt. It lists total carbohydrates, but does not distinguish between the fast and the slow carb varieties. Yet the processed starch of fast carbs represents a staggering percentage of the calories we consume. Think of hamburger rolls, pizza dough, and fries. The average American eats more than 1,000 calories of rapidly digestible starches and sugars every day, and gets 500 more from the fats and oils added to many of these products. Starch serves as the carrier for much of the fat, sugar, and salt that we ingest, and like sugar, it is converted into rapidly absorbable glucose.

All of this undermines what should have been an American success story. We became an agricultural powerhouse because of the nations abundance of fertile grasslands, ideal for growing grain, and the industrial infrastructure that refines that grain into starch. But the processed carbs that became our main food source have also proved to be a missing link between obesity and metabolic dysfunction. That story has largely gone untold. Despite all the research on nutrition and disease in recent years, the effects of inundating our bodies with a constant stream of rapidly absorbable glucosea poison hiding in plain sighthas not been well examined.

Modern processing techniques involve intense heat and mechanical forces that destroy the structure of food. In addition, food manufacturers add fat and salt to highly processed carbs to increase their palatability, making them much softer and easier to chew and swallow. We thus eat more and we eat it faster. Because the nutrients never reach the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract, hormones that should trigger signals of fullness dont get stimulated. (By contrast, less-processed foods retain their tight structure so that enzymes dont break them down completely; we can still digest the food, but may not absorb all of its calories.)

Fast carbs elevate blood glucose, and with it, insulin levels. When this happens repeatedly, especially in people who are overweight, metabolic pathways can become dysfunctional: Insulin stops working effectively, leading to insulin resistance, and eventually, diabetes and other disorders. Our bodies become intolerant to fast carbs, and by continuing to eat them, we further accelerate metabolic dysfunction.

Read: The startling link between sugar and Alzheimers

The dangers of processed carbs are amplified in an environment of positive energy balancethat is, a world in which bodies take in more calories than they burn. Historically, humans had to work hard to find food and were lucky to get enough calories to match their energy expenditures. When we burned at least as much as we consumed, processed carbs didnt present the same problemsespecially when those carbs werent as highly processed, because we didnt have industrial techniques to shatter the food matrix so completely. But today, when many of us struggle with weight and confront disorders like prediabetes or worse, processed carbs are a disaster. It is shocking, but perhaps no surprise, that only about 12.2 percent of Americans are cardio-metabolically healthy, their blood pressure, lipid levels, blood glucose, and weight falling within current guidelines, a repercussion of these changes.

Read the rest here:
The Danger of Fast Carbs - The Atlantic

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As part of social distancing efforts, many Americans are stuck at home, where they're tempted to snack on junk food all day long. Here's what experts say you can do to avoid the temptation to "stress eat."

Cheat sheet: 5 tips to make telework work for your team

Jennifer Wegmann, a lecturer in health and wellness studies at Binghamton University, said, "With most people, the first thing to go when we're stressed is self-care." By self-care, Wegmann says she means things like exercise, sleep, and eating well. "We let go of those things first because we think we need to be better for other people," she said.

According to Mackenzie Kelly, a clinical psychologist at Rush University Medical Center, there's another reason why we may be inclined to ditch our healthy eating habits during particularly stressful times: Stress can cause us to crave foods high in fat or carbohydrates. As Kelly explained, stress causes the release of cortisol, a hormone, and increased insulin production, "which impacts the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, and when that's activated, it can impact food selection."

Meanwhile, some people respond to stress by not eating, according to Debra Kissen, CEO of Light on Anxiety CBT Treatment Center. That reaction goes back to prehistoric times.

"When you're about to be eaten by a lion, and you either need to fight or take flight, it's not really efficient for your gut to be digesting food. It's a waste of energy," Kissen said. The reaction is "a prehistoric way of surviving that for a modern life crisis can be ineffective."

Wegmann said the first thing to do to address stress eating is acknowledge that stress and anxiety are causing your feelings. "Once we can acknowledge that we're afraid," we can figure out what behaviors stress is causing, Wegmann said.

One way to keep yourself from stress eating is giving yourself time between meals, Kelly said. "If people are feeling stressed or anxious, just allowing some time to pass can help," she said.

Elisabetta Politi, nutrition director at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center, recommends making "mealtimes very clear, so everybody knows there is a time to eat and time to not eat." For example, you could decide that food can only be eaten at the kitchen table or over a placemat. "Create a change of scenery, so you realize it's a different moment," Politi said.

Keeping healthy foods on hand can also help, according to Politi. While people might be afraid to buy fruits and vegetables given their shelf life, Politi said some produce items "are much less perishable" than others. Some examples of longer-lasting items, according to Politi, are bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, apples, and citrus fruit.

If you need a snack, Kristin Kirkpatrick, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, recommends nuts or chopped vegetables rather than things like pretzels, as nuts and vegetables have a higher nutrient density and are more filling. "Most pretzels, all you're getting is white flour and sodiumnot a great combo," she said, adding that you could even eat popcorn instead. "At least with popcorn, you're getting a grain."

And for those not eating enough, Kelly recommends eating something rich in calories when you do eat, like a protein shake. "It would be one thing if this was a day or two, but we're in this for a while," she said.

But in either case, it is OK to have a treat, and in fact, indulging a little can be important, according to Politi. She recommends giving yourself one treat a day and deciding in advance what it'll be and when you'll eat it. "[A]sk yourself, at what time of day do I feel most vulnerable, when I would really enjoy eating this?" she said (Miller, New York Times, 3/25; Potkewitz, Wall Street Journal, 3/23).

More:
Are you stress-eating while working from home? Here's how to break the habit. - The Daily Briefing

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I get it its difficult to think about a diet in times like these. Especially one that relies and thrives on the type of shelf-stable commodities that have recently become caloric gold.

No more pinto beans. No more chickpeas. No more rice. And no more tofu? Im still scratching my head at that last one.

If youre like me, walking the aisles of the grocery store has become a depressing exercise of anxiety and uncertainty. Sometimes, youre optimistic the vegan bread you like isnt sold out.

Other times, youre wondering who in the world was so desperate for mac and cheese, theyd grab the box of vegan alternative, unknowingly about to open a packet of yellow goop that smells like a foot.

Its their loss, I suppose.

But even as COVID-19 wreaks havoc on our countrys health care system, economy and sense of safety, you dont have to give up a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. Heres why:

As the reality of the coronavirus pandemic set in, it seems everyone in America did one thing: hoard all the toilet paper under one arm and all the doomsday-prepper-approved food in the other.

Last week, in fact, I drove around the South Hill to see what food and toiletry options were still available. A lot depends on when you get there compared to when the last shipment arrived. Unsurprisingly, Super 1, Rosauers on 29th Avenue and Safeway off 29th and Southeast Boulevard were wiped out.

But Trader Joes? When I was there, shelves held plenty of pasta noodles (and sauce). Stacks of cartons of eggs (for you vegetarians), and giant sacks of cheap rice. They even had hand soap.

Two employees were standing at the automatic doors tallying the number of people allowed in at any given time. On a Wednesday afternoon around 5:30 p.m., they were near useless it seemed the stay home, stay healthy order had worked, as the store was as empty as Ive ever seen it.

The newly opened Natural Grocers on Southwest Boulevard, too, was fully stocked, and I may have been the only shopper inside. Staff there seemed almost surprised to see me. And, yes, they had paper towels (sorry, no toilet paper).

Its no surprise that vegans tend to spend a lot of time in the produce section. And if thats the only place you visited in insert grocery store here, youd probably assume life was normal. Almost too normal.

Full displays of vegetables, fruits and berries. Some on deep discount. People, it seems, just arent interested.

And thats to your benefit. According to food and public health experts, theres little evidence to suggest coronavirus can be transmitted by food. That is, if youre cooking it.

So while its natural to feel skeptical of buying that apple (after all, anybody could have coughed on it, touched it after rubbing their nose, etc.), dont let that stop you from buying produce youd normally cook.

And you can still buy the fresh produce youd eat raw. Just wash it as soon as you get home, and remember to wash your hands (you should be doing that regularly anyway).

Its difficult, but experts agree its important to remain upright and active, within reason. While Gov. Jay Inslee has ordered us all to stay home and healthy, he still encourages us to go for walks and bike rides. Perhaps a run, even. Just do it away from others.

Continue to exercise and continue to eat a balanced diet. That includes taking a multivitamin. Anything to help your immune system function properly.

I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I ordered delivery food through Uber Eats, Grub Hub or Postmates. That all changed last week.

While I still prefer to cook even if I cant make some of my favorite recipes as easily we owe it to our local vegan eateries. Places like Rut, Cascadia Public House, Allies and Saranac Public House all have delivery options. And nearly every restaurant in Spokane has some sort of takeout option.

And when you order, please tip your driver.

Now, ignoring the previous sections, heres my parting advice: Embrace the fake.

What I mean is, you know that section of the freezer filled with all sorts of vegan frozen goodies? The fake chicken nuggets? The fake bacon (facon?). Or farther down, the nondairy ice cream?

Well, if all else fails, indulge yourself. It seems to be just about the only thing not completely sold out across the board. Itll probably make you happy, too.

And while I wouldnt recommend eating it for every meal, its perfectly OK to fry up a Morningstar hamburger for dinner. Yes, its processed and filled with sodium. But life is weird for all of us right now.

Live a little.

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Powered by Plants: Navigating these dark times as a vegan or vegetarian - The Spokesman-Review

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