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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home MAY 27, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Health & F tness
Shed Those Quarantine Pounds By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN
T
his spring is a very different spring from last year. Last year at this time, schools were closed, most of us were working remotely, socially distancing, spending time with only our immediate household, and living a quarantined life. This spring, while, yes, Covid-19 still
exists, things have opened up, and life is beginning to feel normal again. Other than the vivid quarantine memories, we have something else that lingers on from last spring: excess weight. A study published by JAMA Network Open found that during pandemic-related lockdowns
last spring, people in the United States gained an average of 1.5 pounds per month. Data showed that between February 1 and June 1 last year participants in the study added, on average, about 0.6 pound of body weight every 10 days after shelter-in-place orders were implemented in their areas. “Many of us don’t fully realize how much physical activity we routinely perform when we are more freely out and about in the world, whether walking up the stairs to a meeting room, walking to the bus or even standing on the subway,” study co-author Dr. Gregory M. Marcus said. “Clicking from one Zoom to another doesn’t burn a lot of calories,” and with food “more accessible, such as while working from home ... it’s possible more calories are going to be consumed,” said Marcus, associate chief of cardiology for research at the University of California-San Francisco. In addition to consuming more food while stuck at home, with more people staying home from work or school and gyms closed, physical activity declined for many people in the United States, the researchers said. Furthermore, participants also stated that stress related to the pandemic was causing them to eat and drink more. This spring, with the beautiful sun shining, it’s time to get outside, get active, and get back to your pre-pandemic weight. There is no greater weather than the springtime when it’s warm enough to exercise outdoors but not too hot where it becomes unbearable. Walking, jogging, running, biking, and playing sports are all excel-
lent ways to help keep you physically active in this ideal weather. In addition to physical activity, eating the right foods can help you shed those unwanted pounds. Eating avocado may help lose weight due to its high fiber and healthy fat content. One cup of sliced avocado contains 10 grams of fiber, almost one-third of your daily recommended intake. Fiber and weight loss go hand-in-hand because fiber suppresses your appetite, by making you feel fuller longer. In fact, a study published last spring explained that after eating an avocado, you will feel full for up to six hours afterward. The study also concluded that people who eat avocados tend to snack less throughout the day. A great breakfast of one slice of whole wheat toast covered in creamy avocado with two eggs on the side is about 300 calories. Yes, there is fat in this meal, but no, this breakfast will not lead to weight gain. Something else to add into your diet this spring should be chili peppers and cayenne peppers. The ingredient that gives chili peppers a spicy kick is a compound called capsaicin, which is also the active ingredient in cayenne pepper. Capsaicin has been shown to help boost metabolism and reduce hunger by lowering the body’s production of a hunger signal called ghrelin. When ghrelin is produced, your body gets signals to feel hungry. When ghrelin is reduced, your body will not make you feel hungry. Coconut oil should also be on your shopping list this spring as well. Co-
