Through nutrition, we supply our body with energy and important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and secondary plant substances. Our immune system needs this to work properly and to fight off pathogens. And someone who is already sick needs the nutrients to recover better and faster. The Corona crisis is currently causing fear for many people – and that not only stresses the psyche, but also the immune system. The right diet is especially important right now to stay healthy.
What are the cornerstones of a healthy diet?
If you want to eat healthily, you should eat colorful, varied, and as naturally as possible. So give preference to unprocessed foods, because most ready-made meals not only contain a lot of calories but also low-quality fats, a lot of sugar, or artificial additives. A healthy meal plan is plant-based and consists of lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Care should be taken to ensure that pesticide exposure is low because pesticides put a strain on the immune cells. In the meantime, however, even the discounters have really good organic goods on offer.
Meat is also allowed in moderation, but in good quality and not heavily processed in the form of sausage or cold cuts. Those who also prefer wholemeal products to white flour products, do not let their sugar consumption get out of hand, rely on good fats and high-quality protein, are on the right track. Unfortunately, most Germans, especially many young people, are real vegetable grouch.
How to eat a little healthier?
First of all, nobody should put themselves under pressure. No fast food fan will become a vegetarian overnight. Step by step is the motto, every step counts. Better to do something 50 percent good than 100 percent bad. Small changes bring a lot. So eat a salad more often as a side dish and incorporate healthy snacks more often: an apple, an orange, some raw vegetables. Cooking yourself also motivates you to eat healthier. Meal prep, i.e. pre-cooking meals, is currently very much in vogue. Not only does it save time; Planning meals also help you eat healthier. Because when the cravings come, you have something nutritious in the house without having to cook first. The chance of reaching for something unhealthy in a hurry is then less.
The great thing is that there are really a lot of quick healthy recipes out there. Natural yogurt with a few fresh berries is super quick and much healthier than ready-made fruit yogurt. If you add nuts and oatmeal, you have a filling, nutritious breakfast. Or vegetable soups: They are easy to cook and contain many vitamins and hardly any calories.