Spending more time indoors doesn’t have to affect your healthy lifestyle. While you may not be able to follow your normal day to day routine, there are many ways to adapt your health and diet to suit staying at home.
With this in mind, Grenade® has put together the ultimate guide to keeping healthy, active and occupied. No gym? No problem! Grenade® has some nutrition advice on healthy eating at home.
Eat more protein
Studies show that protein is the most filling and metabolism boosting of all the macronutrients. To get more protein into your diet and curb hunger cravings, it is important to try and consume protein at every meal, and even as a snack. Packing more protein into your diet can really help keep hunger at bay, so opt for lean meats, lentils, eggs, nuts or even a glass of milk to up your protein intake at mealtimes. Grenade®’s Hydra 6® is a great source of high-quality protein to help you pack more into your diet and is particularly vital in maintaining a balanced diet whilst you may be suffering from food shortages in stores.
Snack wise, stocking up on protein bars as a go-to cupboard essential is a must. Grenade®’s Carb Killa® bars are a perfect, guilt-free substitute that taste just like a normal chocolate bar, but with up to 10 times less sugar per bar than leading confectionery brand equivalents. Each bar is packed with protein and fibre too, to help keep you fuller for longer and with 12 flavours to choose from, there is something for everyone.
Get more sleep
When sleep is interrupted or shortened, Ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, often referred to as the ‘hunger hormone’ increases, and leptin, the hormone that suppresses the appetite decreases. To keep your levels of Ghrelin down, aim to get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night and avoid foods and meals high in sugar before bedtime, as they will cause a surge in blood sugar and increase energy, which in turn will disturb your sleep, making you feel cranky and hungry the next day.
Eat fibre rich foods
Foods high in fibre are known to boost fullness and suppress appetite. Fibre-rich foods also lower levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone insulin. Since high-fibre foods generally take longer to eat, it gives your body time to register when you’re no longer hungry. You’ll quickly feel satisfied and will stay feeling full for several hours afterwards. Fibre also takes longer to leave the stomach, adding to the feeling of satiety without adding calories. There are many ways to boost your fibre intake, but the easiest would be to ensure a variety of wholegrain products are included in your diets, as well as upping your portions of fruit and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Don’t skip breakfast
In an ideal world, you should be eating three meals a day and one snack. You should also be making sure to space your meals throughout the day so that you don’t go longer than four hours without eating. This is incredibly important when it comes to avoiding hunger pangs because it will keep your blood sugar levels and hunger hormones stable. Most importantly, you must eat breakfast. It’s been said many times, but it is the most important meal of the day, and eating a hearty, healthy breakfast helps reduce levels of the hunger hormone Ghrelin, keeping you satisfied throughout the morning.
Take the right vitamins and supplements
It’s now more important than ever to keep ourselves fit and healthy. We all know the drill when it comes to a balanced diet and getting enough exercise, but what about vitamins and supplements? This area can be a bit of a minefield, so here’s a quick rundown of a couple popular vitamins you should be stocking up on and their benefits.
Vitamin C
An obvious one, but a must-have all year around. Vitamin C protects your body’s cells and contributes to the production of collagen, essential for maintaining the health of tissues and organs.
Vitamin C has also been proven to prevent the common cold, making it a great supplement to add to your diet during the winter when cold and flu illnesses increase. And if you do happen to get caught by the cold bug, vitamin C can help ease symptoms and speed up your recovery.
Vitamin D
Sunlight is one of the main sources of vitamin D. In the UK or in colder climates, it can be difficult for our bodies to absorb the vitamin D intake we need due to. However, it is now more important than ever to step outside and enjoy your outside space – reaping the benefits from any sunlight we may get!
Vitamin D is best known for its immune system boosting properties so when we stop getting our fix, we may become run down and catch viruses a lot easier. Adding this supplement to your daily diet could also prevent tiredness, low mood, muscle pain and impaired wound healing.
Ration Pack
Stock up on these essential supplements and you’re more likely to avoid illnesses and viruses, ultimately fighting them off quicker if you do happen to get struck down with a bug. But what if, like many of us, you always forget to take your supplements? Enter the Grenade® Ration Pack, your essential daily vitamins together in one handy pack.
The Ration Pack includes four tablets: a multivitamin and mineral, one essential fatty acids capsule, an antioxidant capsule and a Bifadex™ capsule. All of these supplements were carefully selected to allow you to create the best foundation for muscle growth, repair and overall health, all year around. At a time when it’s understandable to be concerned about your lifestyle, Ration Pack is a product that will help support your general health and the immune system.
