Hi, I'm Erin Peisach, registered dietitian and
wellness education specialist here at Sharp Rees-Stealy.
Let's talk about some of the common barriers to healthy
eating that people across the nation have been experiencing
related to our social distancing efforts. While you
may have every intention to continue your healthy habits,
you may find it's tougher than ever due to these three common barriers.
The first is stress eating. Stress is high, no doubt, and
eating is often used as a comfort. When stress is high,
cravings for carbs go through the roof so it's important to
have a list of some other stress-management techniques at
your disposal. This can help reduce the frequency of stress
eating. Some examples might include deep breathing, talking
to friends, going for a walk, journaling, really whatever
helps you to feel more calm. The next step for stress eating
is practicing environmental control. So, if you're going to
stress eat, make sure you control what foods you have
access to. Wouldn't it be great if we just stress ate on
celery sticks, radishes, carrots?
I encourage you to hide or get rid of the chips, the cookies,
the candies, other calorically dense, nutrient-
poor foods. Lastly, I want you to stay accountable to it, to
what you're eating. I want you to track it, portion it and
plan it. Make sure that the stress-eating episode is
accounted for. Put the food on the plate, portion it out and
know how it fits within your calorie budget for the day.
That way you don't additionally have feelings of regret, guilt,
self-pity after you indulge. You want to take ownership of
the behavior.
Another common scenario is boredom eating. For
many Americans, their typical schedule has been severely
disrupted. We are typically cued to eat upon seeing certain
triggers that we encounter throughout the day. So, despite
the changes in your routine, it's important to create a new
cue for eating. I'd like for you to write out an eating
schedule: what time of the day do you plan to eat your meals
and snacks. You can even go one step further and include what
you plan to eat during those time periods. Stick to your
schedule for a few days and soon enough, it'll feel like
your new normal.
Lastly, I'd like for you to create an activity list. We
know that eating is an activity and it can be pleasurable and
take up time when we're stuck at home and bored. So, I
encourage you to create a list of at least 10 other activities
that you can do at home when you're bored. So, examples
could include organizing a drawer, vacuuming, reading
a book, watching a show, arts and crafts, catch up with
a friend, work in the garden, prepare a recipe. You have to
find what will work best for you.
And then the third scenario I'm hearing about is poor access to
fresh food. The first tip I have is to try a local produce
box delivered straight to your doorstep.
There's many companies out there that are providing this
service and similarly there's services that will actually
deliver groceries straight to your doorstep. The second tip
is you can look to restaurants for takeout food.
There's many restaurants that have great healthy selections
where you can order a salad or a bowl. A few tips on ordering:
make sure that your dish includes some kind
of vegetable, but make sure that that vegetable is not
fried and/or crispy. We want to go for a leaner protein option,
things like fish, chicken, shrimp, turkey or tofu. And,
just making sure it's a well-balanced meal.
All right, now the last tip is look to the frozen section.
Frozen is still fresh. If you stock up on frozen fruits
and veggies, you can thaw them out and have them as a snack.
You can add frozen fruit to oatmeal, yogurt, you can
blend it up and make a smoothie out of it. Same with veggies.
Veggies can be used for, really, any dish, and they're
often a lot easier because you don't have to wash or chop them
up. You can even get them in a steam bag so you don't have to
dirty up a dish.
Do you need more support and guidance? I'd love for you to
check out our free 10-week New Weigh webinar. This is a 10-
week weight-loss program that emphasizes nutrition, education
and healthy lifestyle development. Classes are
conducted exclusively online, 30 minutes each week, with a
registered dietitian or a certified health coach. You can
get more information at sharp.com/wellness.
Thank you and stay healthy.