Let me preface this by saying that I’m not a doctor. I eat candy, and love McDonald’s fries as well. With that being said, I DO eat relatively healthy majority of the time, and I know how much food plays a part in our overall health, so I think I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t take some time out to acknowledge that we are in weird times right now, and due to COVID-19 forcing so many people to self-quarantine, that means everyone is stocking up on food for their home (and apparently toilet paper but that’s a whole ‘nother conversation).
As with most emergencies and disasters, you should have a stash of non-perishable food items at home to help you get through the next few days, but, I also want to suggest stocking up on fresh fruits and vegetables as well if you can. Most of us are healthy and hopefully we will stay that way throughout this, but there are also a ton of immune boosting foods that you can nosh on and add to your meals while we wait to get the word on whether or not it’s safe to be social again or go back to work.
If you haven’t already been to the grocery store, consider adding any of these immune boosting foods to your shopping list:
- blueberries
- oranges + other citrus fruits
- carrots
- onions
- garlic
- grapefruit
- mushrooms
- lemons
- limes
- ginger
- spinach
- green tea
- greek yogurt
- red bell peppers
- broccoli
- almonds
- raw honey
As always, consult with your doctor, dietitian, etc. if you have questions about what you can or cannot consume, but definitely include fresh produce and other healthy options on your “survival” list when you grocery shop. Will I still be getting my Watermelon Sour Patch Kids Candy? Hell yea (they’re so good + I’m borderline addicted), but I will also be picking up fruits and veggies so that I can take time out and prepare healthy meals at home while I’m there. Cooking is relaxing for me (and can be a really fun activity for you to do with your mate or kids), so don’t look at “social distancing” as being trapped, especially not in the kitchen. Let’s make the best of things and do what we can to keep ourselves as healthy as possible.