Practice proper hygiene – check

Regular hand-washing – check

Social distancing – check

A plan to keep you and your family nourished – we are here to help!

Here are our top wellness tips for optimizing health while trying to control the spread of COVID-19:

1. Keep excessive grocery shopping to a minimum. Be mindful of your community and don’t over-purchase products. It is recommended to only buy enough for two weeks. Offer to do groceries for someone vulnerable in your community, and leave a few items for the food bank bin after check-out.

2. Use this time to focus on yourself and your health. If you don’t normally cook at home, consider learning how to make simple healthy meals. Avoid eating out and allow social distancing in order to prevent the spread of illness and be part of “flattening the curve”.

3. Look for healthy foods that are also low in cost, have a long shelf life, last longer in the fridge or allow you to make multiple meals. Examples include:

• pulses (beans, lentils, chickpeas)
• canned fish
• oats, whole grain cereals, pasta, rice
• eggs
• tomato purées
• nuts and seeds
• whole-grain bread (that can be frozen)
• frozen fruit and vegetables,
• root vegetables (squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, turnips)
• seasonal fruits with higher shelf lives like apples and oranges.
• Purchase meats like chicken, beef, and fish and freeze for up to 6 months.
• Skim milk powder is great to use in baking and in smoothies, as well as provides a good source of protein.

Bonus Tip: Take the time to look for new recipes on Google and Pinterest to make the most of these basic foods. 

4. Support your immune health. Vitamins C and D may help improve immune system function to help fight infections. Vitamin C can be found in fruits like strawberries, oranges and cantaloupe as well as veggies like broccoli, red pepper, and cauliflower. In the winter months, up your vitamin D with fatty fish, whole eggs and dairy and alternatives. However, there is currently limited-to-no evidence on the use of supplements or natural health products or specific nutrients to protect against illness or COVID-19.

5. Consider at-home or in your backyard, or patio exercises to stay active. Staying active can help improve your overall mental and physical health and may improve your ability to fight illnesses. Use your own at-home equipment, stairs or hallways, check out free instructional videos like yoga or HIIT training or follow posts that can be found through social apps. Aim to move your body every day, and try to have fun while doing it! 

We can only imagine how hard it is for everyone during times like these, but the most important thing is to stay calm, focus on your health and take things day by day. For more information on how to maintain good health during this pandemic, book an appointment with an RD to help make the most of your groceries. Video and phone counseling are available as well as free 20-minute Q&A’s – We are here to support you and your family! 

Stay tuned for free Facebook mini-seminars starting this week! Follow us on Facebook to stay up-to-date.

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