How Should You Eat at Home During the Coronavirus Quarantine?

Since the Coronavirus has taken over our agenda, a flood of information and recommendations — both accurate and misleading — has been making the rounds. As a dietitian and nutrition expert, I want to remind you once again — and unfortunately this applies to Coronavirus as well — that there is no miracle food, and no single food can be your medicine or your poison on its own. Instead of searching for miracle foods, let's focus on what we should watch out for, do, and avoid in order to protect ourselves from the virus.

As all experts point out, the first and most important form of protection is SOCIAL ISOLATION, followed by nutrition, exercise — in short, taking good care of yourself. Managing any existing conditions, or making lifestyle changes to prevent new ones from developing, is what truly matters!

No Panic — Just Precaution!

I've been saying this from day one: among the best nutritional measures you can take, boosting your immune system is at the top of the list. However, rather than taking high-dose extra vitamin and mineral supplements, it is far more important to meet these needs primarily through natural foods. Choosing foods rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants — and maintaining a balanced diet — is key.

Immunity-Boosting Foods

Vitamin C sources: Orange, grapefruit, red bell pepper, lemon, kiwi, rosehip, strawberry

Vitamin A sources: Carrot, spinach, Swiss chard, winter squash, broccoli

Probiotic foods: Kombucha, kefir, pickles

Prebiotic foods: Banana, ginger, apple, asparagus, garlic, Jerusalem artichoke, chicory, leek

Zinc sources: Shellfish, red meat, whole grain breads, or hard-shelled nuts

Selenium sources: Sunflower seeds, pekmez (Turkish grape molasses), fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, milk and dairy products

Omega-3 sources: Fish, purslane, flaxseed, walnuts

Since it can be difficult to get adequate levels of Omega-3, probiotics, and Vitamin D from food alone, supplementing with these during this period will not only help strengthen your immunity, but also support digestive health issues that may arise from inactivity or stress, as well as weight management and mental well-being.

What Should We Avoid When It Comes to Nutrition?

While we advocate these recommendations at all times, it is especially important during this period to limit your consumption of sugar and sugary foods and drinks that rapidly spike blood sugar, white bread and similar baked goods, deli meats and processed meat products, and foods high in salt (such as sauces, chips, and roasted nuts). We know that this type of diet weakens the immune system — at the very least, when making your daily food choices, don't forget that the virus loves sugar!

In these days when we're hearing that the death rate from #coronavirus is beginning to rise even among those under 50 worldwide, we need to trust our lifestyle and our immunity — not just our age.

We may not be able to decide our future, but our habits most certainly have an impact on it. I believe that these difficult days are, from another perspective, an opportunity to take better care of ourselves.

Below is a list of habits I believe will shape our future if we change them during these difficult times:

* Prepare all your meals at home (if you're still going to work, bring food from home as much as possible)

* Plan your budget and avoid unnecessary shopping

* Exercise is your greatest enemy of stress — if you can't go outside, exercise at home (even 30 minutes makes a difference). If you can't do it alone, there are great #yoga and #pilates videos on #YouTube!

* You can meet up with friends and family via #FaceTime or #Skype!

* Find a hobby you can do at home that doesn't require a budget

* Air out your home every day — fresh air is important for both physical and mental health!

* Don't forget that sleep is a wonderful ally for your immune system — aim for 7–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.