
Chiropractor Tanya Averill is worried about her new, inactive lifestyle. She’s now trying to get outside every day for a run.
May 1, 2020
You’ve heard of the Freshman 15, the belief that students gain 15 pounds in their first year at college or university. What about the Quarantine 15?
As everyone focuses on flattening the COVID-19 curve, many of us are not paying close attention to how much we consume. Those Instagram posts of pudgy sourdough loaves and homemade cocktails are fuelling growth — and not only around our middles.
Flour and yeast have been flying off shelves for weeks as grocery shoppers stock up. Alcohol sales reported by some provinces' liquor commissions spiked in March, compared to a year earlier: up 40 per cent in British Columbia and as much as 70 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador. One-quarter of Canadians (aged 35 to 54) are drinking more while at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a poll done for the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction. The lack of a regular schedule, stress, and boredom are blamed for the increase.
With Alberta now in its sixth week of a public health emergency, many people are abandoning their healthier eating habits and opting for whatever is handy — precisely the problem, say experts.
Some people find comfort in stressful times by eating, says Raylene Reimer-De Bruyn (pictured above), PhD, a UCalgary nutrition researcher and registered dietician. “It’s not surprising given the situation we are in and the fact the fridge may be just a few feet away from your desk.”
Chiropractor Tanya Averill knows this situation all too well. Like other Calgarians who work in businesses not considered essential services by the Alberta government, Averill has been housebound. The northeast clinic where she practices closed in mid-March. Replacing her physically demanding job with far too much time to “snack on carbs and drink more beer” means “I can hardly fit into my clothes.
“This is a worry for me, as I’m usually very health conscious,” she says.
Chiropractor Tanya Averill is worried about her new, inactive lifestyle. She’s now trying to get outside every day for a run.
The kitchen activities of mixing, kneading, proofing, shaping and finally — baking — have a way of helping to reduce stress. Says Aviv Fried, BSc (Eng)’08, the owner of Sidewalk Citizen Bakery: "I think people gravitate to bread baking for the inherent challenge and for the satisfaction of making something from start to finish. Producing something with your two hands and then starting all over again — there’s something very satisfying about it. Always has been.”
When facing a global pandemic, what’s a few extra pounds? Only you can answer that question. But for those who want to make healthier choices, here are Dr. Reimer-De Bruyn’s tips on eating well during this time of social isolation:
Dr. Raylene Reimer-De Bruyn, PhD, RD, is a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Cumming School of Medicine, and member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute.