Products in case of quarantine: Potatoes, pasta and some buckwheat

Residents of Moscow and the Moscow region have already been sent to self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to forecasts, quarantine measures will be extended for at least another week. Supermarkets, fortunately, do not close, and there is no shortage of food. However, having at least a small food supply at home does not hurt. Who knows what will happen next … The main difficulty of eating “at a distance” is not to succumb to thoughtless gluttony and not to get fat. This is real if you stock up on really useful products. What to prefer, tells psychotherapist, nutritionist, nutritionist, candidate of medical sciences Mikhail Gavrilov.

What products are required

– The diet should be complete and balanced in terms of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, – says Mikhail Gavrilov. – Eat fractionally – 4-6 times a day, between meals should be no more than four hours. Drink enough water – one and a half to two liters a day. If we talk about the minimum supply of products in case of quarantine, I would recommend this set:

• fats: vegetable oil (ideally olive), butter.
• proteins: fish, any meat – something that can be frozen. Stew is good, but keep in mind: even the most expensive is still worse than just frozen meat. Canned fish is also possible, but choose canned sea fish that are harvested right in the sea. In its own juice or with the addition of oil. Also, do not forget to stock up on chicken eggs and foods containing vegetable protein (legumes, lentils, nuts).
• carbohydrates: pickles, sauerkraut – good. And seasonal vegetables that can be stored are even better. These are cabbage, carrots, beets, potatoes. Be sure to “antiviral” onions, garlic, salads, broccoli, herbs. Pasta for many families is a strategic product, but it is better to replace them with cereals: buckwheat, wild and brown rice, millet … Because pasta contains gluten, a problematic protein that strains the immune system.
• fruit, and preferably berries (can be frozen) – a must: apples, pears, oranges, lemons, pomegranate, cranberries, lingonberries, raspberries, sea buckthorn.
• from dairy products I advise sour milk, in a small amount: kefir, yogurt, cheeses, cottage cheese. But milk is not good for adults.
• green tea, coffee – great. Nuance: coffee increases the level of anxiety, it is better not to abuse it now.

Products in case of complete self-isolation

What if the coronavirus gets so pissed off that we can’t even go out for food? Stores will be closed, and food in the refrigerator for a couple of days? Sitting at home brings anxiety.

What food to prepare in case of emergency, said survival specialist in extreme conditions Vadim, one of the moderators of the forum “Disasters and Survival in Crisis Situations”.

– According to the mind, you need to calculate your (and loved ones) daily norm of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, taking into account calorie content, because physical activity is low in quarantine. The calculation can be done from books or websites about nutrition or applications like Samsung health. Add essential vitamins and minerals to compensate for reduced food variety. And then choose products based on the expiration date (see the label). Specifically: canned meat and fish, sugar, various cereals, peas, pasta. I also advise you to stock up on your usual food to the maximum, because a sharp transition to cereals and canned food will not please.

• Can you do without complex calculations?

– A person is not a machine, everyone’s metabolism is different. But if you don’t know how many calories are optimal for us, try to eat according to the norms. It will be a little – add, a lot – subtract. The main thing to remember is that such epidemics do not last long, this is not hepatitis or HIV, and, therefore, it will end soon. All the best, more optimism!

An approximate set of products for 1 person for 1 week (collected on the basis of the book by Alekseev A. A. “Food on a camping trip. Energy costs on a hike and their replenishment”):

• Groats – 1 kg
• Pasta – 500 g
• Meat – 1 kg (fresh in a whole piece is stored for up to 2 days, so divide into portions and freeze)
• Stew – 1 can
• Canned fish – 2 cans
• Eggs – 1 dozen (raw stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, boiled – 3 days)
• Sunflower oil – 1 bottle
• Powdered milk – 200 g
• Vegetables-fruits (potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, apples) – 3 kg
• Condensed milk – 1 can
• Chocolate – 1 braid
• Drying, cookies – 300 g
• Lollipops – 200 g
• Sugar, honey – 300 g
• Nuts – 200 g
• Prunes, dried apricots, raisins – 200 g
• Bread – 500 g (instead of bread)
• Tea – 1 pack

Approximate amount: 2000 rubles.

If water and electricity are cut off

If you assume that the water will be turned off (and in this case the sewage will stop, have you presented the consequences?), The guideline is this: you need about 4 liters per person per day for cooking and drinking, if you do not save. And then multiply by the number of days.

In case of a power outage and / or gas, buy a tourist stove and gas cylinders to cook food. But do not forget about the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning, follow the safety rules.

Don’t Forget About Hygiene

Buy in advance:

• personal hygiene items
• soap
• washing powder
• toothpaste
• toilet paper
• several changes of underwear
• cleaning products and disinfectants

Collect first aid kit. Drugs prescribed by a doctor for chronic diseases should be in sufficient quantities. As well as antipyretics, antiseptics, headache pills, remedies for relieving a runny nose and sore throat, burn spray, furatsilin. For problems with the gastrointestinal tract (loperamide, smecta, activated charcoal). Antiallergic (suprastin). Zelenka, cotton wool, bandage, hydrogen peroxide, adhesive plaster. Masks, sanitizers (ready-made or made by yourself).

Stock for dogs and cats: food, first aid kit, diapers

What pet owners should buy for the future in case of complete isolation, says Volunteer of the Moscow shelter for dogs “Oak Grove” Elena Lavrinova.

1. Food for 3-4 months (if the animal is on specialized food, then the supply can be increased), sweets.
2. First aid kit (specific medicines for pet chronic diseases, as well as enterosgel, smecta, suprastin, chlorhexidine 2-4%, hydrogen peroxide, anthelmintic drug, rehydron, pyrostop, papaverine, terramycin, iruksovetin, enterofuril, analgin in ampoules, traumatin, self-fixing bandage , thermometer, bandages, syringes 2-5 ml).
3. Cat litter, dog diapers in case you have to pee at home.
4. “Essential backpack” for quick evacuation of the animal: collar, leash, address book, carrier, drinker, a small supply of food, clothes, veterinary passport.

What you need to refuse

“Stop eating simple sugars,” the doctor cries. – Chinese doctors, after analyzing the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, talked about common fungal infections in the process of infection and illness. Yeast is known to love sugar. Replace bakery products with bread: buckwheat, rice. Try to completely abandon the “garbage” artificial products: cookies, crackers … For some reason, many people buy them almost in the first place. Make an effort on yourself in the store and pass by. Then there will be no temptation at home. And do not get fat, and take care of the immune system.

How to support the immune system

Is it possible to strengthen the immune system with nutrition so that the body becomes more resistant to the virus?

No foods or supplements will protect against infection with COVID-19 or any other viral infection. If you want to protect yourself, stay at home and practice hand hygiene. But it is possible and necessary to support the immune system. Products containing zinc are especially good here.

First on this list are oysters. But since there is no time for delicacies in quarantine, include pumpkin seeds in your diet – you can add them to salads or just nibble, drying them a little. Sesame and flax seeds are also rich in zinc. Sesame goes well with chicken or red fish. Flax can be simply chewed, added to salad or porridge. 2-3 walnuts or 4-5 almonds a day is great. It is possible to diversify the menu with seafood – super.

Copper, folic acid, iron, selenium, vitamins A, B6, B12, C and D are also important for the normal functioning of the immune system. In the spring, during beriberi, add multivitamins with trace elements to your diet. And the best source of vitamin D is the sun. Even sitting at home, you can sunbathe near an open window or go out onto the balcony.

What to do with anxiety

– The pandemic, the constantly growing numbers of sick and dead, the self-isolation regime – now there are many reasons for alarm. What foods help you deal with stress?

“First of all, give up products containing monosodium glutamate,” recommends Mikhail Gavrilov. – This dietary supplement increases anxiety levels.

Monosodium glutamate is found in almost all semi-finished products, so try to replace sausages with homemade cutlets, stick dumplings and dumplings yourself so as not to buy frozen ones in the store. Minced meat for the filling, by the way, is also better to use homemade, as the ill-fated flavor enhancer is added to the store. E621 is in packaged sauces, bouillon cubes, chips, crackers and other fast food.

Alcohol is possible?

– People buy not only cereals, but also alcohol – to drive viruses, relieve stress … In addition, spring, warm weather – time for picnics.

Quarantine is not the time for picnics! And now it is better to abstain from alcohol. First, it promotes the excretion of zinc from the body. Secondly, if alcohol relieves stress, tension, the brain remembers this, and addiction develops very quickly. Why do you need this?

What about dessert?

– Sweet is the first thing under stress for many. And you are so strict – you even advise to remove bread from the menu, not to mention buns. What to please yourself?

– Some dried fruits – 10-20 grams per day – instead of sweets.

How not to get fat

We put food scales on the table and try to eat in small portions – about 200 grams. We also focus on calories. Women need 1800-2000 kilocalories per day, men need 2500. Plus physical activity. Any movement. Turn on your favorite music and dance. Plank, march. There is a video on the Internet where Tarzan shows how to squat correctly – here you have a star company. Look for video tutorials for home fitness, yoga, download exercise apps.

“Movement is a vital necessity, you can’t replace it with any drugs,” admonishes Mikhail Gavrilov. – Otherwise, stress will hit the weakest points – genetic breakdowns in the body.

Advice for people at risk

— Are there any special dietary recommendations for people with diabetes and hypertension?

– Any chronic disease is a reaction of the body to the wrong way of life. Genetics plus hypodynamia plus nonsense nutrition – and the body fails. Therefore, for all hypertensive patients and diabetics, the main recommendation is to try to establish a lifestyle and take treatment not haphazardly, but clearly following the doctor’s prescriptions.

Add breathing exercises and meditation

– A popular recommendation for stress in recent years is breathing exercises. They also say that you can check on your own whether the lungs are in order – hold your breath for 30 seconds. If pneumonia in coronavirus is the most common complication, are strong, trained lungs also a kind of protection against the virus?

– Through breathing, you can really influence the state of the body. A simple and effective exercise that helps relieve tension well: inhale for three counts, then exhale for three counts and pause also for three counts. As for holding your breath. If the pulmonary system works well, you can not breathe for more than half a minute. But it has nothing to do with viruses. The immune system protects against viruses. And here consistency is important: a balanced diet, good sleep, movement, psychological practices.

— What psychological practices are within the power of people who have never practiced anything like this?

– There are very simple meditations on the Internet – choose any that you like. Try it! From the point of view of science, meditation is a cure for a modern person from an invented way of life. Basically, it’s doing nothing. Presence in the present moment just for the sake of it, and not for the purpose of achieving some result. Awareness of what is happening here and now: sensations, sounds, smells, thoughts. And purposefully getting joy. After all, if you try to notice the good, the habit of being happy is developed. Even in quarantine there is a benefit: a reason to be alone with yourself, your thoughts, attitudes. And resentment greatly affects immunity, so you need to learn to forgive. As the Indian yogi and mystic Sadguru says, if you are unhappy alone, then you are in bad company. This is just about dissatisfaction and other negative things.