It’s still the springtime and while we’re all in the middle of cleaning out our homes for the summer, we should also not forget to clean up our bodies. Since the COVID crisis began, we’ve all been stuck in the house and many of us have fallen victim to gaining some COVID weight. As the curve continues to flatten and restrictions start to loosen, you would think that COVID weight is going to very soon become a thing of the past right? Not necessarily. Many of us are likely to make up for lost time by eating out a lot more often and engaging in other activities that used to only be occasional and may not align with weight loss or health efforts. So, what can be done to keep our bodies clean for the spring?
I once had a client named Lona who came to me worried about her weight and wanted to improve her health to just feel better. The first thing I made sure to make clear to her was that her weight shouldn’t be her focus: it was her waist that she needed to target. That’s because her waist is where most of her weight was sitting. The thing you should know is that, when you have a lot of fat sitting around your waist, it becomes toxic to the body. This visceral fat produces chemicals that cause inflammation and puts you at risk for chronic diseases. So, if you want to clean up your body, your nutrition should be focused on reducing the fat in your waist. By definition, if a woman has a waist circumference of more than 35 inches and a man has a circumference of more than 40 inches, then they are at risk of chronic diseases.
The best, general guidelines I can give to reduce your waist size is to eat more fruits and vegetables, get in more healthy fats and have plenty of probiotics in your eating plan to keep the gut healthy. Getting a good night’s sleep can also make a difference. Since the start of COVID and the launching of my virtual practice, I have been helping people clean up their bodies and reduce their waist size even during lockdown. So, if you want a more detailed plan individualized for you, get started here. You can also take a look at all of my programs at MVNutrition.com.
