Is COVID-19 feeling overwhelming? If there was ever a time to focus on home and family, it is now. With COVID-19 most of us are spending more time at home, and more time with family. All of us have had to change the way we live our lives. We are having to reinvent ourselves, reflect on what we are grateful for, and find new ways to move forward. Supporting wellness during the COVID period is an important step moving forward, and you can take advantage of the extra time at home to do this.
If you are stuck at home more than you’d like to be, and are having to spend more time with family members, then read on.
Here I am in the early 1970s sharing Easter breakfast with my family. Family meals were a big priority in our household, which is a tradition I have carried on.
FAMILY
For as long as I can remember, family dinners were a priority in my house. Both now and when I was a child. Shortly before dinner was ready, my mom would call my brother and I into the kitchen to set the table with placemats, cutlery, and coasters for the hot dishes that would be placed on the table. My brother and I would be starving by then and would often start munching on raw veggies from a container my mom always had prepared in the fridge. I’ve carried on that tradition with my own family, though I often serve in the kitchen rather than place everything on the table the way my mom did.
Recent research supports the idea that family support is more effective in reaching health goals in type 2 diabetes than attempting it alone (1). This research matches what I see clinically regardless of the health condition. When a client comes in with a family member, whether it’s their spouse, parent or partner I know they will likely do well with dietary changes. The best outcomes I see are when the family member(s) joins that person in eating the same way. No one wants to be singled out and eat differently than everyone else, especially kids. Families that eat together, get well together.
After adopting our youngest son in 2008, sharing meals together became a chance to bond as a family.
When we put my youngest son on the GAPS diet in 2014, we all joined him initially, and I continued on a Paleo, gut-healthy diet as he moved through the stages of the GAPS diet. Not surprisingly my health also improved, but I see the same thing happening with my clients’ families.
I am continually grateful for my husband’s support in making changes with our kids. When he travels on his own with the kids he consults me about shopping and food preparation, since he doesn’t always remember the details of the different protocols my kids follow. While both my sons are on a Paleo-gut healthy diet, one is also low-histamine and low-ketogenic. We have both committed to a dietary approach for our children.
Holidays and celebrations are a time when families often come together for meals. Often these celebrations create associations between HAPPINESS and UNHEALTHY FOOD. Think of any holiday, and the foods that come to mind. Easter brings to mind chocolates, and hot-cross buns. Other examples include pizza after winning a game, candy hearts at Valentine’s, Christmas cookies… Or maybe a child gets a sugary treat after completing a task such as finishing their dinner, cleaning their room etc. We learn these associations early in life. But that’s all they are - an association. It’s just as easy to create an association around HAPPINESS and HEALTHY FOOD.
TIPS FOR FAMILY WELLNESS
Sit down and eat as a family. Family meals should focus on vegetables, and good quality protein and fat. Healthy carbs include sweet potato or yams, fruit, plantain and cassava flour baking. A simple guideline can be to fill half the plate with vegetables, 1/4 with meat, fish or eggs, and 1/4 with a healthy carb. Add avocado or olive oil, butter/ghee or coconut oil to the meal in the cooking process or drizzled over your food. Even if your kids won’t eat this way, you are role modelling for them. You choose the foods, but they get to choose the quantity. If you have school aged children, involve them in cooking. They will be learning a great life skill.
If someone in your family is on a specialized diet, then don’t eat foods they can’t have in front of them. Save those foods for when you are away from the house or eating on your own. If you are the one on the specialized diet, then set clear boundaries with your family about what you want by letting them know which foods are good for family meals. Only you can advocate for yourself or your child! Post a food list in the kitchen that everyone can refer to. Remember, families that eat together, get well together.
Change your food associations! Find replacements for family favourites! This is much easier to do than you think. Just do an online search using search words such as paleo, AIP, SIBO or whatever protocol you are on. For example, type “paleo birthday cake recipe” to find great variations that are grain and sugar free. Type “AIP taco seasoning” if you are looking for a combination of seasonings to make tacos while on an autoimmune protocol. There are so many great food bloggers out there these days that there is a wealth of information out there to help you! You don’t have to figure this out on your own. With Easter just a few days away, do a search to find healthier versions of hot cross buns or whatever foods you enjoy with this holiday.
Sitting down to an amazing picnic lunch last fall with extended family was a great opportunity to get to know family members I hadn’t seen in many, many years.
HOME
Spending more time at home definitely has some stressful components to it, but it can also be a time of reconnection, sharing meal preparation with family members, and getting overdue projects done.
Home-schooling my youngest is very stressful for me, because he has severe learning disabilities. Reading is the greatest area of challenge for him, so I’m going really easy on him. I’m choosing to read to him, rather than have him read, so that the experience is pleasant for both of us. This is how we have to move forward with our current situation.
Here are some tips that I’ve implemented to help things run smoothly while we are all at home.
TIPS FOR HOME
Keeping a schedule is important for your wellbeing, so create a schedule for work/school, meal preparation, exercise and other home projects. Following a schedule means getting up and going to bed at the same time each day too.
During COVID the work/school part of the day will most likely involve a lot of time in front of the computer. Take frequent small breaks, and stop screen time at least an hour before bedtime. Blue light blocking glasses, or an app that filters blue light can be helpful if you need to use any screens in the evening.
Getting out of the house is important. Take a daily walk on your own or with a family member to get fresh air, exercise, and sunshine (even if it’s cloudy). Sit on your patio or front steps with a cup of tea on nice days. As the weather improves, set up lawn chairs on the front lawn with the recommended 2 metres between them and invite neighbours to sit outside and chat. Chairs will need to be cleaned after each sitting.
Focus on the things you are grateful for each day.
I hope you are well!
Happy, Healthy Eating!
Tracey