News — healthymealdelivery

It is fair to say that none of us have ever lived through, or faced something like the current COVID-19 global pandemic on such a big scale before. Together as families, as cities and as a country we have faced disasters (such as the Brisbane floods, or the recent bushfires) and we have come together to overcome these challenges. But with something as large as COVID-19, which is affecting the entire world in different ways, it feels almost surreal, uncomfortable and triggering for a lot of us.

If you are feeling a little bit panicked, your head is scrambled or you're feeling unprepared, firstly know that those feelings (and many others) are completely normal to feel.

The following tips might help you to feel a little bit calmer and more collected during this time:

1. Focus on the areas of your life that you can control, and that make you feel calmer and safer

This could be something as simple as planning your meals, planning your workout routine, or even staying organised while you work from home. If an organised and full freezer helps you to feel calm, remember that we are continuing to deliver every Tuesday to all of our Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunny Coast peeps. 

2. Normalise your response

Know that it is normal to feel anxious, or frustrated, or sad. Try to find comfort in the fact that most people in the world are quarantined and self-isolating and we are all connected in this way. Know that we WILL get through this and it won’t last forever. Feel your emotions but also try to tap into the part of you that knows you will get through this.

3. Try not to over-consume on information

Information seems to be being mass produced right now, and a lot of it is being mixed in from the media, from the government and from social media, causing a panic mix of information. Try not to over-consume, but stay informed and check reputable sources once or twice a day to stay updated.

4. Get back to basics (eat, move, rest)

Remember to eat well, and also to eat enough, but not to over-eat.  If you're eating for emotional reasons, is there something else you could do instead?   Try to slow down, stay grounded and listen to your intuition.  Stay connected with friends and family but remember to be careful of too much screen time, especially late at night, Move your body (especially outside in the natural elements where you can soak up some vitamin D), and remember to REST your body.

5. Optimise your immunity

Optimise and boost your immunity through the foods that you eat. Eat all colours of the rainbow, and even if the grocery stores are empty, there are still amazing dried or frozen items you can buy (frozen veggies and fruit, dried beans and legumes, dried mushrooms).

Cook with immune supporting herbs and spices like garlic, ginger, turmeric, rosemary and coriander. Keep your gut calm by practicing mindful eating, getting some probiotics into your diet, doing light exercise, and getting in your Oxygen. Get enough sleep every night so that your body can heal and repair. And something that is very important for the immune system – try to manage your stress levels. Go for a walk, practice a hobby, take a nap, anything that you know will help to make you feel calmer and less stressed.
 
We have lots more tips and ideas related to what’s going on at the moment over on our blog at https://wholesomeness.com.au/blogs/news. Food waste hacks, tips on stocking your fridge and pantry, home remedies for clearing and preventing phlegm and mucus, plus much more.

Post-Easter Healthy Tips:

Easter – chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate! Did staying at home during Easter mean you had easy access to the chocolate-filled fridge and pantry? Or maybe your kids received too much chocolate so you had to eat most of it? Maybe you have a sugar hangover, and feel tired and cranky? Or maybe you ate too much chocolate that you have a sore stomach?

Trust us, we are complete advocates for a little indulgence every now and again.  But sometimes it’s nice to have a few tips up your sleeve for getting back on track and for feeling energized, motivated and healthy again.

Tip one:

Adopt a Guilt-Free Mindset: If you indulged in some sweets over the Easter break and you enjoyed it without any regrets then that’s great! Your thoughts are very important, especially the way that you think about yourself and the food that you eat/have eaten. If you enjoyed the Easter holiday, had a few treats and are now ready to get back to your usual routine, without any negative feelings, then you are already on the right track.

Tip two:

Start with one: It’s about having a start point, or set point for getting back on track after a period of over-indulgence. For nutrition, focus on that first meal. When you wake up in the morning, think “I’m going to have a great breakfast this morning”, whatever that looks like to you – porridge, toast with avocado, a fruit salad with coconut yoghurt and granola.

For exercise, start with just one walk, or one run, or one home CrossFit session.

For mental health (feeling stressed), start with one thing also, like a home yoga session, meditation session or mindfulness session.

As soon as you start with one small step, the next steps become easier. One small step will set the tone for the rest of the day, and for the rest of the week. This also helps if you’re feeling some decision fatigue about how to get back on track, or your feeling overwhelmed about what steps you have to take. Take one step at a time and it will help you get back to your normal routines (although our “normal” routines might have changed a lot over the last few weeks!).

Tip three:

Try a 4-week Wholesomeness detox: Gluten and dairy free meals, no added additives or nasties, no refined sugars, and made with love from our kitchen in Brisbane. Every week you will receive 14 vegan or low fodmap meals (your choice), snack packs, breakfast packs and a premium protein powder blend. You also receive gut health supplements to support your gut during the detox, detox tea to support and help your body expel toxins, and a detox welcome pack in the first week. We believe in still being satisfied during a detox, that’s why we make our meals healthy and delicious at the same time. Find more info about our detox plan on our website under '4 WEEK DETOX'. 

Right now, with the rapid spread and unprecedented nature of the COVID19 virus outbreak, and particularly the massive, overcrowded demand on supermarkets, Wholesomeness meals make a great option to any “strategic stocking up” you might be trying to do!

When frozen meals use fresh, seasonal ingredients and are balanced, nutritious and free of nasty additives and preservatives (aka Wholesomeness meals) then they can be an ideal option to stock up on during this difficult time.  Here’s why:

1.    Nutrient-packed 
Now is the best time to eat to build your immune system. Instead of just stocking up on pasta and toilet paper, order a stash of our yummy and healthy frozen meals. 

If you’re planning on staying home more than usual, a freezer full of nutritious balanced meals is going to ensure you’re getting all the fibre, vitamins, minerals and other health and immune-supporting compounds that your body needs!  And if you get sick, you probably won't want to cook from scratch but you will have an added nutrient requirement.

2.    Avoid the crowded supermarkets
This may be especially important for our elderly customers or people with underlying health conditions. We hope we can help ease the burden of cooking for some of our customers who are self-isolating or who are avoiding the crowds. 

3.    Gourmet meals prepared to strict food safety standards
Food safety has always been important to us, and we want you to know that we implement high food safety measures with every meal that we make. Especially during this time we are ramping up the frequency of sanitisation for staff, and every area inside our 5 star approved commercial kitchen. You can have your full trust in us that your meals will come made with love, and to the highest quality that they can be. 

Our meals are frozen to minimise food spoilage and contamination.  We give you a couple of fresh meals for the first 2 days but freeze the rest for you so you can pop them into your freezer and keep them safe and packed with nutrition until you need them.

4.    Food Diversity
The supermarket shelves are getting bare and you may have a lot of the same items in your fridge or pantry. Our menu changes weekly and our meals are different and unique, from our Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Caramelised Carrot Risotto to our Tofu and Pineapple Massaman Curry with Quinoa.

Evidence shows that a varied diet and the rotation of grains, proteins  and produce is best for immune health as well, which is definitely what we aim for when we create our menu. 

5.    Frozen Meals
Our meals are frozen immediately after cooking which locks in all the freshness, flavour and nutrients in the food. 

Freezing locks in the nutrients and keeps nutrients from oxidising. Generally, frozen foods retain their vitamins and minerals and there is no change to the carbohydrate, protein or fat content.

In some cases, frozen foods have more vitamins and minerals compared to fresh food because fresh foods can lose vitamins and minerals over time through oxidisation while freezing preserves nutrients.  It also keeps food safely out of the optimal growth zone for bacteria, (temperatures below zero). 

Freezing, or ‘natures preservative’ means we don’t need to add preservatives or gas to our meals.