For controlling the spread of COVID-19, the government of India has announced a 21-day full lockdown in the country. That means that everyone will be at home for 21 days. There is a lot of stress and anxiety at the present time as people are under quarantine. This sudden change in routine has put you under stress, and you might end up eating a lot more because food is the happiness center of the brain when people are stressed, isolated, bored and angry. Thus, Working from home and reducing social interaction can lead to a lot more eating. A person eats more to calm and control negative emotions. But there are ways in which you can maintain our eating pattern during the lockdown.

Here are 4 ways to eat smartly during the lockdown

1.Keep a food diary

The food diary will help you to know what sets you off to eat more whether it is sadness, stress, loneliness, or boredom. Write it in the food diary what you eat, how much you eat and what was the emotional reason last time you ate.

2. Involve yourself in other activities

Find activities that substitute to eating. When you feel stressed, try to involve yourself in any puzzle or brain game, reading, short walking or meditation. These ways will take your mind off from the food craving.

3. Start the day well

Start your day with green tea or lemon honey water, and eat healthy breakfast such as oats, poha or upma. In the mid-morning, have some fruits or healthy beverages like lemon juice or buttermilk. Your lunch should include vegetables, whole grains, and curd. In the evening have green tea or sprouts or roasted nuts and in dinner have soup or repeat the lunch or breakfast options with reduced portions.

4. Maintain the routine

If you were the person who woke up early before the lockdown, and did workout for 30-to-45 minutes then keeps that habit. Maintaining the same routine has a lot to do with eating. Your mind and body have set up this routine for the day because you have this habit from pre-corona time.

Stop feeling guilty if you like eating. This would develop a negative relationship with food that may put you into a vicious cycle of eating. Eat but be aware when you are eating, what you are eating because at the time of stress people do comfort eating. Follow the above-mentioned steps to avoid over-eating during the lockdown.