An elephant in the room…COVID kilos

Okay, let’s be blunt. Tracksuit pants, active gear, even the all-day PJ habit (oh dear) can help delude… working from home with accessible food available 24/7, no incidental exercise such as walking to work or even just walking from the train, tram, or car park to work.

No high intensive exercise due to the unavailability of gyms and personal trainers. And, just a general weariness of such an extended lockdown. Looking for joy in chocolate or a glass of wine.

Let’s put a halt to this now, so when we do all go back to our workplaces, those zips won’t be unmanageable and those dresses and shirts will fit comfortably. I know all of my lovely patients know the basics but let’s just reiterate a few things.

No snacking or grazing all day. Three small meals with complex carbs (e.g. brown rice, oats, quinoa) once per day. Two snacks per day at max comprising of either fruit, vegetables or a small quantity of protein such as a boiled egg or a small can of salmon. Two litres of water daily and keep alcohol to 1–2 glasses twice weekly if at all.

Exercise for at least 45 minutes each day, and try not so sit down for hours on end, get up and walk around the garden, step out to the balcony, check the mail, stretch.

Keeping a diet diary can be most helpful. Having to write down every morsel which enters your mouth, tends to make one think twice! Also set a goal. A weight loss of 3 kg per month is extremely achievable.

If those kilos remain stubbornly unshiftable, there are supplements which can assist.

Chromium helps to increase the uptake of insulin, thereby decreasing excessive blood glucose, forcing our bodies to use fat rather than glucose for energy production. Many of you, I know are familiar with a supplement I use in the clinic which contains cocoa, green tea and sweet pepper. This combination has been shown in clinical trials to decrease body weight and waist circumference in overweight adults. It is particularly helpful in promoting abdominal fat loss. And a double bonus this blend also assists in managing carbohydrate cravings.

Increased cortisol, our chronic stress hormone, which undoubtedly in 2020 has been significantly raised in many, can result in difficulty losing weight. High cortisol levels also lead to mental and physical fatigue, feeling flat and exhausted. Three herbs are specific to decreasing elevated cortisol levels, Rhodiola, Withania and Siberian ginseng. All three herbs have been shown to reduce plasma cortisol levels via their effects on the adrenal glands. Rhodiola, in particular also improves mental fatigue, involving complex perceptive and cognitive cerebral function, as well as enhancing athletic performance. A wonder herb!