You might be reading posts on Facebook or on the internet about taking certain nutrition supplements or eating certain foods to help prevent yourself from getting COVID-19.  As you might expect, there is little to no research proving the effectiveness of doing so.  Unfortunately, some companies take advantage of people and their fear of the virus.  It is vitally important to evaluate the claims being made by the informercial, Facebook poster, etc.  Thoroughly investigate to make sure the nutrition supplement or advice is researched and well documented as safe.  

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates dietary supplements and requires submission of safety data about any new ingredient not sold in the United States in the supplement before 1994.  “In all other cases, the FDA is not authorized to review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed” (D. Craig Hopp, Ph.D., and David Shurtleff, Ph.D., NCCIH).  Once these supplements are on the market, the FDA will track side effects. You can see and report data here: https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements/how-report-problem-dietary-supplements

With regard to COVID-19, “The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and FDA have issued warning letters to sellers of unapproved and misbranded products claiming they can treat or prevent the virus.” https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/coronavirus-scams-what-ftc-doing

You can find even more information about this at https://www.eatright.org/coronavirus

The best thing to do at this time is to focus on eating balanced meals and snacks and moderation.  As much as I would LOVE to add food variety, I understand how difficult this might be right now.  It is more important than ever to “reuse and recycle” the foods in your house.  Be creative with the food you have in your pantry or refrigerator.  For example, how can you use those grapes that are on the verge of going bad?  Throw them in the freezer and use them as ice cubes in your water or eat them frozen!

Since we are stuck at home, I know how easy it is to want to hit up the kitchen for snacks…all day long.  

Here are a few tips:

1. Keep your mealtimes the same as they were before the quarantine.
2. Stay hydrated. If you are hydrated, your body will more accurately tell you if you are hungry.
3. Distract yourself. This will help you be more mindful of whether you are truly hungry or not.
4. Plan ahead. Plan your meals and snacks as much as you can to make sure you are using the food available to you.
5. The most important thing to remember during this time is to take care of yourself. 

If you are struggling to get groceries or need assistance check out https://www.indy.gov/activity/covid-19-individual-and-family-food-support for support, or you can call us at Motion 4 Life Fitness.  

Amanda Garant, MS, RD, CD

Registered Dietitian

Motion 4 Life Fitness