Balanced Habits. This company was named aptly, as we all need balanced habits to live our best lives. Habits are important, as the body thrives in a state of consistency and predictability.
What none of us saw coming was a total upheaval from the consistency and predictability of our lives. Our balanced and healthy habits have been tested at every angle. Very concerning too was how stress crept in and became an everyday challenge, which further exacerbated the seriousness of our compromised health and immunity. Definitely not an ideal situation!
Thankfully, we are starting to transition from our stay-at-home orders. Which means exposing our body and fragile health back into potentially dangerous situations. For most of us, our main goal is likely to just “not get sick.”
Let’s face it, these past three months have been filled with difficult challenges surrounding food; cooking every meal for ourselves, grocery shopping with limited options, and learning how to make decisions as we battled our emotions and the stresses that came with this pandemic. Many of us have gained some unwanted weight and chalked it up to “quarantine life.”
As we contemplate re-entering society what should we be doing to protect ourselves? Very important is making sure we are keeping our immunity strong, to not only stay healthy but also protect family, and ourselves as we begin re-establishing our routines. In short, we need to get back to a state of consistency and predictability with how we nourish our body.
Balanced Habits™ Registered Dietician-Nutritionist, Sara Colman Carlson wrote an article recently touting the importance of a strong immunity. Incase you missed it, here are some highlights that pertain to this important topic:
“Are there single foods that can make your immune system work better?
In reality, it’s not a single food, but rather healthy foods included in your usual, everyday eating that makes the difference. Balanced eating to maintain good health, prevent malnutrition or deficiencies, and address health issues related to overall nutrition all play a role in maintaining a healthy immune system.
Sara explains that according to the Oxford dictionary, immunity is “the ability to resist infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies or sensitized white blood cells.” We develop immunity starting at birth, and the specific antibodies we have depends on past exposures and immune response.
And for the rest of us, a great working immune system is built-in. You see it in motion if you catch a cold or have allergies. Since good nutrition is tied to overall health, it makes sense that a balanced, healthy diet ensures the immune system is working at its best. Rather than a specific food, focus on daily eating with less processed, lower fat protein sources; healthy fats; whole grains and grain products; legumes; lower fat dairy or dairy alternatives; nuts and seeds; and ample servings of fruits and non-starchy vegetables.
We all want to stay healthy and have our best immunity, especially today. Just as eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential, so is an awareness of hand washing, social distancing, and sanitizing our environment.”
Thanks Sara
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