The cold season and working alone in the home office also mean less motivation. We move less and eat less healthily. But that need not be. Our nutrition expert Björn Wittwer has put together five helpful tips on how we can easily stay fit and healthy.
It doesn’t take much to eat healthily and stay fit, and you don’t have to take a cooking class either. With a few simple tips, you can have balanced meals at home in no time at all. You should pay particular attention to these five points:
Structure Creates Well-Being
Giving structure to your day can be very helpful for your health and inner well-being during these times. So plan your day and prioritize:
- Set goals for each day and write them down. Everything is possible: a call to friends or relatives, sports, shopping or new recipes you have always wanted to test or try out.
- Put a tick next to your completed tasks.
Try it! It will give you a more intense after-work feeling in the evening.
Shop Properly And Healthily
Eating healthy means planning. If you can take something positive from the current situation, it is more time to rethink your diet. If you want to eat healthily, you need high-quality ingredients, time and creative recipes. Plan your meals for a whole week and reduce the risk of getting infected through frequent shopping.
When shopping, use mainly frozen fruit and vegetables. Because these are shock-frozen immediately after harvesting and contain far more valuable vitamins and minerals than fresh vegetables.
Proteins, Fats, Carbohydrates, Vitamins: Building Blocks For A Healthy Diet
A diet rich in variety, protein and fibre is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.
Proteins are found in eggs, dairy, legumes, fish, and meat. They are building blocks of our cells and muscles and have an enormous influence on our body’s production of endorphins.
Carbohydrates such as oatmeal, potatoes, legumes and vegetables contain many vitamins, minerals and fibre and keep your stomach and intestines fit by ensuring good digestion. Instead of wheat flour, try other, much healthier types of flour such as oat, rye or spelt flour. You can also find great alternatives for rice, especially spelt rice, quinoa, couscous, bulgur, Kamut, pearl barley and millet.
The right choice of fats is also essential. For example, nuts, linseed, fresh fish, avocados and valuable oils such as linseed, olive, sesame or rapeseed oil contain large amounts of essential fatty acids.
Vitamins can be found in insufficient vegetables, fruit, whole grain products and good oils. An exception is vitamin D – the only vitamin your body can produce in significant amounts with sufficient sunlight. So combine your sporty walks in the fresh air with a good portion of vitamin D for strong bones and a resilient immune system! How to protect your vitamins:
- Buy fruit and vegetables from the region with short transport routes
- Prefer ripe fruit
- Store fruits and vegetables in the fridge
- Go for frozen foods
- Protect vegetable oils from sunlight
Liquid Food: The Right Drinks
Be sure to drink enough water (daily 35 ml per kilogram of body weight) in addition to your solid food. Avoid sugary drinks and alcohol if possible. I recommend a large glass of water or tea with every meal.
Musculature: Motor For A Robust Immune System
If you exercise actively for half an hour several times a week, you are doing the right thing to strengthen your immune system and protect yourself against infections. A mixture of strength and endurance training is ideal for enhancing the muscles and cardiovascular system. Eat well and start a more active life!