The last couple of months have been rough on all of us. Who knew even vegetarians and vegans could balloon in weight only eating organic produce? Apparently, being stuck in the house with only the fridge for company will do that to your body!
A lockdown is tough because it’s boring, which is the main reason you’re snacking too much or overeating. Of course, you can use the time productively. As a wellness coach, this is the perfect chance to teach others about how to lead a healthier lifestyle, even when life is challenging.
With that in mind, here are four diet techniques you should consider to get yourself back on track.
Vegan-Vegetarian Mix
If you’re a vegetarian, you’ve probably considered making the switch to veganism. However, after careful consideration, you might have assumed that it was too hard or just not your bag. That’s fine, but you never know until you try, and now is the ideal time to give it a whirl. All you need to do is stick to your plant-based diet - balsamic vinegar on kale is delicious - and avoid a few dairy items. Eggs, for instance, are pretty easy to swerve, and they’re needless calories.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a phenomenon that is gaining popularity around the world. The core principle is that you leave an extended period between meals. Before you shiver at the thought, you don’t need to wait hours for lunch or dinner. An excellent hack is to eat your normal meals, yet to finish dinner a little earlier than usual. If you don’t eat again until the morning, you’ll have gone ten to twelve hours, most of which you’ll have slept through! There are heaps of ways to do it, including the 16/8 method, which is the most common.
Fasting Mimicking
A tastier alternative to a fast is not to fast at all, but to fool your body into thinking it isn’t receiving any nutrients. When this happens, you don’t experience hunger as intensely, yet your metabolic rate speeds up as your brain assumes you’re starving yourself. It’s a cool trick that’s called the fasting mimicking diet plan or FMD. Everything is natural, so they aren’t any additives or preservatives, and you stick with it for five days. After a week, your body should be in fasting mode and burning calories as fast as you can shove them in your face!
Gauge Your Carb Intake
Removing carbs from your diet entirely is unhealthy. Carbohydrates have, unfairly, been singled out for treatment as they transform into fat. During normal times, you’d be active enough to burn off pasta and rice and prevent your body from storing the calories around your waist and hips. Of course, this lockdown is making your lifestyle more sedentary, which is why it’s essential to watch your carb intake. Please don’t stop consuming them altogether, but do put down the bread if you’ve already had a slice, or switch to brown as it contains fewer chemicals.
What’s your lockdown diet routine?