The expert panel of nutritionists was holding discussions at the sixth
edition of the series themed – Lifestyle Behaviours During Covid-19
· Obesity the new disease that needs to be taken
seriously owing to the sedentary lifestyles created in the face of COVID-19
· Focus to be on getting right food and exercise
· Emphasis on the need to pause long durations of
screen time and chair time
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of
India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of
Supported by the hygiene brand SAVLON, the programme
which promotes healthy living with focus on wellness and preventive health
through healthy habits, diet, exercise, and holistic health saw the speakers
discuss at great length the importance of eating right, at the right time and
getting enough exercise to aide metabolism. They also discussed at great length
the high risk of obesity striking a large part of the population owing to
current sedentary lifestyles enforced upon us due to COVID-19.
Equating healthy living to better immunity, she
focused on the need to exercise regularly as unlocking of the country happens
in phases. She added that people need to get back to physical activities like
walking, jogging, cycling and running even if gyms continue to remain shut as
this is going to be the new normal and will continue to be so for the next few
months.
However, both experts agreed that people should not
blindly opt for artificial supplements unless they contract COVID-19 and are
medically prescribed. For healthy people, they suggested opting for natural
resources of supplements like herbs, vegetables and fruits.
Ms Khosla further added that to battle obesity,
focus should be laid on consumption of functional foods and increasing
fermented food consumption. For non-vegetarians, she suggested balancing meat
consumption with anti-inflammatory diet to keep the digestive and gut system
healthy.
Sharing a few quick tips on breaking the sedentary
nature of working at home, she emphasized the need to balance screen time and
chair time, “No matter what we do, we need to keep moving so there should not
be more than an hour of constant siting. This should be followed by 10-15 mins
of walking or strolling. We need to take that break to get up and stretch.
Sitting can lead to inflammation. Same goes for screen times. There has to be a
pause button.”
.JPG)
