Have you succumbed to the Quarantine 15?

We’re months into the pandemic and as our communities are slowly opening, we’re all evaluating how to move forward. Perhaps you’ve experienced  fresh baked cookies in quarantine and the extra glass of wine at your home happy hour. Now that we’re understanding that COVID-19 is here for the foreseeable future, we need to start asking ourselves how we can stay healthy in the upcoming months and years. And, how are we going to shed the quarantine 15 (lbs.)? Now need to manage our health in this new era and shift our focus to what we can control in our lives.

Diet

It seemed like a novelty at first baking bread, fresh cookies, new recipes for kids schooling at home, but the sugar and carbs are contributing to those extra pounds that have slowly come on in quarantine despite our daily walks.

It’s time to wean off the sugar, clean out the pantry and recognize that sugar is inflammatory, weakens our immune system and raises our blood sugar which also increases our weight. Here are three tips for cleansing the carbs:

1. Focus on vegetables at EVERY meal – even sautéed greens with breakfast or organic greens in a morning protein shake.
2. To satisfy cravings while decreasing refined sugar, add more fiber to your diet in the form of vegetables, chia seeds, hemp seeds or even add Designs for Health Paleo Fiber to your daily routine to improve satiety AND improve your gut health.
3. Increase the healthy, plant based fats like avocado, nuts and seeds, olive oil , avocado oil, olives to your snacking rather than the chips we’ve been reaching for.

Alcohol

Alcohol sales initially increased by 300% in our country with COVID-19. Bars and restaurants may have closed but our home happy hours were increasing and adding to our Quarantine 15! Alcohol affects your ability to burn fat if you are trying to lose weight (not to mention the empty calories), robs you of sleep, wrecks your ability to cope with stress, and accelerates your aging.

Think about these tips:

• Avoid drinking every night –select two or three nights of the week and plan a special home happy hour
• Savor one drink for a longer amount of time
• Try these refreshing mock-tails

Quarantine 15 Busting Basil Berry-ade

1 ¼ cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries
4 springs fresh basil
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups chilled filtered water
1 cup ice (optional)

Place the blueberries and basil in a blender and blend on high until combined, about 30-60 seconds. Add the lemon juice and stir to incorporate. Pour water into a pitcher and add ice, if you want. Add the berry mixture to the pitcher and stir to combine. Can be sealed in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Sparkling Watermelon Spritzer

1 ½ cups watermelon
4 springs fresh mint
juice of 1 lime
2 cups chilled sparkling water
1 cup ice (optional)

Place the watermelon and mint in a blender and blend on high until combined about 30-60 seconds. Add the lime juice and stir to incorporate. Pour the sparkling water into a pitcher and add ice, if using. Stir in watermelon mixture and mix to combine. Serve immediately. Best enjoyed when fresh but can be stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, just add sparkling water and enjoy.

Stress

Despite the quarantine, we may feel over-committed, craving comfort foods, night eating and sleep disturbances. Chronic stress increases the stress hormone cortisol and it has far reaching effects on our metabolic ability.

Stress and the stress hormone Cortisol, increases blood sugar, disrupts sleep and lowers our immune system. AND if you are trying to lose any extra pounds from quarantine, the stress hormone blocks the metabolism keeping the weight on.

What can you do about stress:

• Try botanical extracts like Thorne Relora or a combination of botanicals and nutrients in Designs for Health Catecholecalm. These products help regulate the nervous system
• Do a 10 minute guided meditation daily
• If you aren’t someone who likes to meditate, try box breathing 2-3 minutes, 2-3 times per day. It can have a dramatic effect on regulating your body.

The Quarantine 15 is a real thing and at Kaufman Health and Hormone Center we want to help you achieve your optimum lifestyle. Contact us to set up a consultation, or use this easy online supplement order form for your next in-office pick-up.