
 
        
         
		Wellness 
 How to stay healthy at home 
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
 Caribbean L 28     ife, Sept. 4-10, 2020 
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 BY BETH DEDMAN 
 With many gyms  
 closed and grocery lines  
 a mile long, it can be diffi  
 cult to sustain healthy  
 living within the confi nes  
 of quarantine, but it is  
 still possible to promote  
 health and well-being  
 from home.  
 The  U.S.  Department  
 of Health and Human Services  
 advises that half  
 of every meal should be  
 made up of vegetables in a  
 variety of colors. This increases  
 the chances of intaking  
 all of the essential  
 vitamins and minerals to  
 maintain a healthy diet.  
 Vegetables and fruits  
 can  be  stored  in  the  
 freezer for months at a  
 time. While shelf-stable  
 options are good to have  
 in stock, the HHS recommends  
 cutting down on  
 refi ned sugars by eating  
 whole grains and looking  
 for ingredients such  
 as brown rice, quinoa and  
 oatmeal.  
 Low-fat milks and lean  
 proteins, such as chicken,  
 fi sh and eggs are a good  
 way  to  keep  energy  levels  
 up without packing on  
 quarantine weight. Seafood  
 is  particularly  full  
 of  protein,  minerals  and  
 fatty acids, which keep  
 your  body  from  storing  
 weight. 
 Diets composed of refi  
 ned foods and sugars  
 can increase the risk of  
 depression by 25-35%  
 compared to diets that are  
 high in vegetables, fruits,  
 unprocessed grains and  
 seafood, according to  
 Harvard Medical School.  
 About 95% of serotonin,  
 a neurotransmitter that  
 regulates sleep, appetite,  
 moods and reduces pain,  
 is produced in the gastrointestinal  
 tract. 
 Exercising for at least  
 30 minutes a day, fi ve  
 days a week can help produce  
 serotonin, maintain  
 weight, reduce health  
 risks and improve mental  
 function, according to  
 the CDC 
 Running and bicycling  
 outside are great  
 ways  to  increase  cardioactivity, 
  as long as there  
 is  a  six-foot  buffer  between  
 people. YouTube  
 and other digital platforms  
 have hundreds of  
 at-home workout guides  
 that  can be done  even  in  
 a tiny apartment in New  
 York City.  
 The CDC recommends  
 limiting alcohol and drug  
 use as they can disrupt  
 natural neurotransmitter  
 production, which can  
 lead to more symptoms of  
 anxiety and depression.  
 Reducing the intake of  
 notifi cations, social media  
 posts and news stories  
 about the pandemic can  
 help reduce stress and  
 anxiety, says the CDC.  
 Meditation and physical  
 relaxation can also  
 combat those anxieties  
 and stabilize the body’s  
 rhythm and fl ow.  Evidence  
 from multiple studies  
 shows that meditation  
 may reduce blood pressure, 
  symptoms of irritable  
 bowel syndrome,  
 fl are-ups in people who  
 have had ulcerative colitis, 
   symptoms  of  anxiety  
 and depression and it may  
 help  people  with  insomnia, 
  according to the National  
 Center for Complementary  
 and Integrative  
 Health.  
 Taking time to unwind  
 and reaching out to  
 loved ones digitally can  
 also improve mood, cognitive  
 function and mental  
 health. Physical selfisolation  
 is necessary for  
 reducing the spread of  
 COVID-19, but emotional  
 self-isolation can lead to a  
 negative mental state.  
 “Coping with stress  
 will make you, the people  
 you care about, and your  
 community stronger,”  
 says the CDC website. 
   Getty Images