THE ROAD TO HEALTH SERIES: How does the pandemic affect us?

The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly caused numerous changes in many areas of our life. We’ve had to question our current opinions, priorities, the way we perceive the world. Many people have decided to focus on themselves and take care of their health and well-being, and thus start eating healthy and take up sport.

Therefore, in this post from the series “The Road to Health. Do you know that…?” I wanted to sum up my thoughts on how the pandemic has changed our daily habits and behavior in terms of nutrition and physical activity over the past year ?

 

Preparing your own meals and eating together

Remote work, the closure of schools and colleges, as well as numerous restrictions and limitations meant that most people spent more time at home than usual. They could spend their free time e.g. preparing their own meals and eating together with household members at one table, thus strengthening family ties. It has also been a good time to learn or develop your culinary skills, as well as to try cooking new dishes that you had never eaten before but always wanted to try. What’s more, a quieter pace of life has eliminated eating random, often unhealthy, meals, in a hurry, at irregular times especially when eating out.

 

 

Immune-Boosting Diet

The constantly increasing numbers of cases of new infections have prompted many of you to try and strengthen your immunity. I wrote about ways to boost it during the pandemic in other posts, which you can read HERE and HERE. One of the most important aspects that you have paid attention to is healthy eating and including products which, when consumed regularly and over a long period of time, have immune-strengthening properties. Your diets have become rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, lacto-fermented vegetables, warming spices such as cinnamon, turmeric and ginger, as well as hot meals and drinks.

 

Conscious food choices

During the lockdown, you went to the shops less frequently, which resulted in fewer opportunities for spontaneous and impulsive purchases. You started planning your meals in advance and trying to use up your stockpile, thus helping to reduce food waste, which is undoubtedly another advantage.

People’s awareness has also changed, as they started to worry about their health and a lot of them have realized how much it is affected by proper nutrition. Therefore, some of you have begun paying attention to the ingredients of products and reading labels. This has resulted in making better and more informed food choices.

More and more people have started to eat not only more fruit and vegetables, but also seeds, nuts, and superfoods, while giving up processed foods, fast food and ready-made meals. In addition, frozen fruit and vegetables have become more popular as well as lacto-fermented products, mainly because they are easier to store and last longer than their fresh equivalents.

 

Shopping

In order to avoid large crowds of people, we visit large stores like supermarkets less often. In recent months, small corner shops have gained in importance, as well as producers offering local food, often organically sourced, and delivering it right to our door. The online sale of food products has also increased, and (also to help your favorite restaurants) you ordered take-away dishes.

 

 

Not only health – self-care and well-being

Due to the pandemic, some people not only wanted to take care of their health, but also their appearance and well-being. The closing of hair salons and beauty parlors contributed to the increased popularity of home beauty treatments. Skin and hair treatments, such as masks, scrubs and hair oiling, have become really popular. More and more people now use health and beauty advice published on social media, on forums and blogs. For the sake of well-being, some people started using relaxation methods, breathing exercises, meditation or yoga for the first time.

 

Physical activity

Closed gyms, fitness clubs and swimming pools, as well as travel restrictions, have led more and more people to exercise in their own homes, using online training programs. Those who hadn’t exercised at home before have only now discovered the benefits of home training. Others have run out of excuses like “I don’t have time” because during isolation it has become easier than ever before. 

I’ve told you hundreds of times that exercising at home is worth the effort. Training at home is suitable for everyone. Moreover, when exercising at home, you can do any type of training, from cardio or strength exercises using your own body weight, to relaxing stretching. However, with small equipment at your disposal, such as dumbbells (you can also use water bottles), mini bands or a chair, you can perform many exercises involving every part of the body. Remember that lots of types of workout, both with and without equipment, can be found in my app Diet & Training by Ann. And that’s not all! I am constantly developing my app to meet your expectations and to help you achieve your goals by introducing new training programs and new trainers, as well as by organizing exciting challenges.

 

The other side of the coin

Unfortunately, despite a number of positive changes that I wrote about earlier, the coronavirus pandemic also has its dark side. In some people, it contributed to the rise in overweight and obesity. Remote work, mobility restrictions, as well as closed gyms or swimming pools meant that more people have begun to lead a sedentary lifestyle and quit sports. In addition, spontaneous movement, such as going for a walk or shopping, has decreased significantly. On the other hand, reduced contact with other people, no social meetings and boredom have led some people to eat more unhealthy snacks or abuse alcohol. Others, on the other hand, have tried to cope with increasing stress levels by overeating, often not paying attention to the quality of their meals.

 

Summary

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the lives of many people around the world, in every area of life, including in terms of behavior and food choices, as well as the approach to physical activity. Despite the fact that the current situation is difficult for all of us, it makes us aware that our health and the health of our loved ones is the most important thing. That’s why we should do everything to enjoy it as long as possible. 

Sending you hugs! ?