4 essential tips to maintain your Gut Health in Lockdown

Sitting at home and overeating is something that’s troubling almost everyone. Being at home all day long, makes a person turn towards the refrigerator and the kitchen more often. Health is always an important part, but during a pandemic, it’s all the more crucial now. So, with no physical activity, and too much opportunity to snack and eat while sitting on your couch can have adverse effects on our body, weight, and Gut health also.

How to avoid this?? How to keep your eating in check and not overindulge?? Check out the 4 essential tips to maintain your Gut health:

– First and foremost, MONITOR, you’re eating schedule. I always emphasize on maintaining a food log, or food journal, by mentioning the time of intake and what food was eaten. Also, mention the number of glasses of water taken. This may sound very methodical and a bit too tedious, but is definitely doable during the lockdown. This serves as a powerful tool to connect your brain with your physical and emotional hunger. Since, boredom can turn people towards food, a bit too often, a food journal can help them understand that whether it’ a boredom call or real hunger.

– Feed yourself with Fibrous fruits and vegetables. Foods that are high in fiber, keep us full and give us energy for longer time periods. Also, these foods are excellent for our Gut Health. High fiber foods are also generally high in vitamins and minerals, and hence provide us with a great balance of essential vitamins and keep us healthy.

– Drink enough WATER. Water is essential to keep us hydrated and satisfied both physically and mentally. Also, often enough when our bodies are actually thirsty, our hormones may trick us into believing that we are hungry. This is something that often leads us to overeat or binge eating. Hence, it’s important to rule out the possibility of thirst over hunger before consuming extra calories. So, every time you feel like eating a snack in between meals, first go and drink a whole glass of water. Give your mind and body two minutes to realize. If you feel hungry still, then go grab a healthy snack, otherwise, give it a pass.

– Feed on Healthy snacks. Keep some healthy snacks always handy during the lockdown. It’s important to munch on something that provides you nourishment as well as the satisfaction that will help you ensure that you don’t feel hungry again and again. Examples of such snacks are- almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, coconut flakes, fresh coconut, coconut water, etc. All these foods are full of essential components as well as are good sources of healthy fats. These help you stay full and keep your food and sugar cravings under control for longer.