Tips for a Smooth Sail through the Extended Quarantine Period

On 24^th March, 2020, the Government of India implemented a nationwide lockdown of 21 days, which has now extended till 3^rd May,2020. The modified mandatory order that was cited to be an imperative preventive measure against coronavirus is also unintentionally stirring some new issues among the mass. As cooperative as we all can be, this extended quarantine period has started taking massive toll over our lives.

People are stock piling on things that could withstand a famine; industries have been shut down, leading to rise in the unemployment rate; people are losing their grip and turning towards domestic violence; 

These are some of the issues among many that have originated from the extended quarantine period. At closer dwelling, such concerns can be easily resolved. All it needs is a little bit more patience and understanding.

This blog will act as a guide for how to fulfil your nutrition requirements without stock piling, productive things to do during lockdown to keep yourself busy and sustain your mental well being. At times like these, the phrase ‘being human’ really needs to be reminded to us all.  

Food and nutrition tips

The food and nutrition tips that I am about to give will be in compliance with the guidelines of what to do and what not to do.

Stock-piling is fine but don’t overdo it

There have been numerous cases of stock-piling and hoarding all over the nation which is a very sad and thoughtless incident. Although the government has clearly mentioned that the food and pharmacy supplies will continue, many people doesn’t seem to pay heed and indulge in panic buying. They themselves become ready to fend for their families but don’t even give a single thought about others, especially the needy. This behaviour has multiple adverse consequences like dearth of supplies, food price hikes, unequal product distribution and the worst of all food wastage, because apparently people can’t read the food storage instructions and decide to ignore it completely.

If you are one of those kinds or observe such behaviour around you, decent thing to do is to put some sense into them. People need to understand that they should take what they actually need and would last them for a week.

Make a plan and stick to it. This is not a crisis, supplies will be replenished every week hence all you need to do is plan your grocery list around a week or so.  Please consider and check your pantry for food that does not have long shelf life. Finish those products first then go for alternatives. Give priority to fresh foods that will be available out there. Plan your food intake and don’t overeat.

Think about the unfortunate ones. What you throw out can fill their one day storage. Help your fellow beings and think about those who might need these supplies more than you.

Great opportunity to cleanse your digestive system

If you had a very busy lifestyle prior the lockdown, then this comes as a opportunity for you to hone your culinary skills and also put in some healthy stuff in your belly. I am talking about the importance of a healthy diet that you always knew but never had time to actually work on it. All cards on deck, this lockdown is making us to stay home. I say let’s make something good and healthy out of it. Now you can look up those recipes on the internet that you have always tried to make at home. Making and eating home cooked meals is a dream come true for most of us, trust me! It will give a huge relief to your mother as well since you will be helping her out. Just make sure to not waste any stuff and overdo the experimenting. Resources are available but are not surplus for everyone. So, try to keep yourself under control.

Tips for those who can’t cook at all!

Let’s face it! Some of us are totally incapable of this art. As much as we all want to indulge in healthy eating, this desire is met with certain limitations. Some of us can’t cook at all, some of us are not interested enough and some do not have cooking resources at all. Due to the sudden shutdown onset in various cities, many students and working people living as paying guests or in hostels didn’t get the chance to go to their native homes. For such individuals, home cooked meal was never an option before nor is right now. Solution? Food delivery! Out of the list of various services that are allowed during lockdown is food delivery system. It is important though to opt for only complete contact-less delivery and advanced systems to minimise the risk of infection. When receiving your food, there should absolutely no contact between you and the delivery person. You can ask them to sanitize the package before you receive it. Amid present circumstances it won’t be rude to have the sanitization procedure to be done in front of your eyes or even to ask if the delivery person is infection-free.

It is your right to question the delivery conditions and if they are following the food hygiene maintenance protocol. You should know that any feed item that is to be transported must be kept below 5° C and under perfect hygienic containers.

Take advantage of the food delivery services that are available in your area. Sort out the best service and ensure that they are not overwhelmed with day and night deliveries.

Handle your food with care

After you are done with your grocery shopping, the next chore to do is food storage. Sort your food as per their shelf-life and availability. A healthy diet is prepared not only with a well proportioned amount but also with well maintained food ingredients. A healthy diet is safe to consume when prepared in hygienic manner and made contamination-free. Although COVID is not food borne or transmitted disease, still there is no harm in preserving the sanctity of your energy fuel. There are certain practices that you need to follow for your sacred food:

• Keep food ingredients in hygienic conditions.
• Separate fresh food from the storable kinds. Store them in less than room temperature.  
• Keep raw animal food products separate from cooked ones.
• Sanitize your hands before and after cooking.
• Maintain cleanliness of your kitchen area, including utensils and containers.
• Keep the area clean and dry.
• Get rid of food trash. Don’t allow flies or insects to swarm over them.
• Use clean water bottles. Wash them on regular basis.

What to eat and what not to eat

Any sort of intoxicant will always be a strict no-no in any circumstance. There was an uprise of ridiculous claims on social media a while ago, stating consumption of alcohol and other strong agents will kill CoV-2. Well, proven to be nothing more than a false alteration of the benefit of alcohol based sanitizers, such toxic items indeed have the potential to kill. Not the virus, but you!

So, let’s make a smart choice for ourselves and not fall a prey of any such foolish attempts. With this out of the way, let’s see what food item you should take in limited amount.

 What NOT- Sugar, salt, fat, alcohol!(The last one is allowed only if you really must)

 As necessary it is, quarantine is boring! Due to ban on any outdoor activities, one of the fun indoor activities is eating, eating something sweet to be more precise. Also summers are here, there is nothing fulfilling than a cold ice-cream bar or frozen sugary treat. For those who don’t have a sweet tooth, the best alternative is salty or spicy goods. Food industry has tons of salty snacks to choose from. Moreover they are easily storable and have long shelf life. For cooking experimenters, the first thing that comes naturally is frying everything away! From fritters to pancakes, everything involves an oily pool of delicacy. Nothing mentioned above counts as bad food. Anything is acceptable only in moderation. The key is to not go overboard.

Putting on weight should be the last of your worries as there are much more complications that follow regular high intake of sugar, salt or fats. There is high risk of developing cardio vascular ailments, high blood pressure, liver and renal complications caused by their high intake.

Although fresh food is always going to be available in the market, filling your stores with frozen and canned food will keep you prepared for any possible undersupply. As comforting these foods are, they are very high in sodium, sugar and saturated fats. They are made so to sustain the edibility of processed foods. You can go ahead and relish on the goods by minding some points first:

• Buy those foods with reduced amount of salt or no added salt.
• Do not use the brine of canned food and rinse them properly before using.
• Since processed foods are preserved in high salt content, you don’t need to add more salt to it.
• Limit your salt intake by increasing consumption of natural foods.
• To curb your sweet cravings, have fruits instead. They are rich in many antioxidants which are beneficial for your body. If you must have ice-cream, turn fresh fruits into popsicles. There are tons of recipes available on the internet.
• Have food items that are low in fat. Dried fruits, fish, walnuts, avocados are some of the healthy good fats to chose from.
• Try to avoid adding extra sugar to your food. You don’t need that extra calorie trust me. Our taste buds can adjust themselves as per the food availability.
• Limit your fat intake by preparing food with less oil. You can try other cooking methods such as steaming, baking, sautéing and grilling which are healthier and gives much tastier outcomes.
• Use only unsaturated oil such as olive oil or sunflower oil to cook food.
• Avoid red meat and instead go for fish and poultry food items. They are much healthier options.  
• Limit processed foods in your diet as they are full of empty calories. Frozen pizzas and donuts are the popular culprits which you can replace with home cooked recipes.

What to EAT- water, fibre, fruits, vegetables

Our body is constituted of 60% of water. Which means it needs adequate amount of water for proper functioning. Water is an amazing life potion. It is full of minerals, benefits and is cheap! It is advisable to consume 8 glasses of water everyday. If you don’t feel like to drink that much of water while locked down, you can add flavour to it by adding herbs, mint, fruits, berries and other ingredients. Drink water not sugary drinks. They don’t solve the purpose of healthy drink.

A healthy body is founded on a healthy digestive system. Besides eating a well supplemented diet and doing exercise everyday, fibre intake is also an important additive. Eat whole grain foods, oats, pulses, brown rice to fulfil your fibre requirement. Don’t go for pasta or white bread, they serve no such purpose, rather refined and deprived form of fibre.

You can’t leave out fruits and vegetables from your essential list of nutrients. They are rich in vitamins and minerals and strengthen your digestive system and enhance your immunity.  A strong immune system is what is needed the most to stay protected from COVID.

Now since we have covered the part of fulfilling your nutritional requirements during lockdown period, let’s go through the other aspects of keeping yourself busy and your mind healthy:

Productive things to do in quarantine