COVID-19 has changed many things in our life. It’s almost as if the world completely stopped and continued again. More importantly, it’s changed a lot of our habits; going to the gym, eating healthy, or any extra physical activity. Below, we discuss causes of gaining weight during this time and how to get back to your healthier lifestyle.
Weight gain is familiar territory for a lot of people, and with the most recent global changes it has been brought to the attention of many that the obesity epidemic is something to take note of. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it was calculated that about 42 percent of American adults were obese between 2017 and 2018. Looking further into the percentage increase during the most recent COVID-19 Pandemic scenario there were some interesting findings of what likely caused the exasperation. “Experts believe stress, isolation and added responsibilities many people faced during the pandemic led to behavioral changes that created the perfect storm for weight gain, also known as the Quarantine 15.”
Aside from the aforementioned reasons from experts, it is also noted that alcohol consumption massively increased during these times, adding insult to injury. Alcohol is high in calories with no nutritional value. Interestingly enough, alcohol use can also lead to nutrient deficiencies. When combined with food, it interferes with the breakdown and absorption of nutrients.
So, how can we get back to living a healthier lifestyle? Well, let’s start simple. Have you been meaning to call one of your family members? Give them a call while out on a walk. Start with a few days a week and slowly increase it each week.
Another simple, yet effective way is to give up your unhealthy snacks and trade them in for a bag of carrots and hummus. Since you probably still spend a good amount of time at home, it may be easy to grab a bag of chips, but try to refrain from that.
If you’re looking for further advice or would like to get on a healthy meal plan, feel free to reach out to us at (213) 385-9912 to make your appointment.
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