Volume 2: Nutrition

Welcome to Evemail, Evewear’s guides to wellness during Covid-19. As a company we try and have intention and purpose with everything we do. While we locally make sustainable sleepwear, we also hope to build a community with like-minded people who are interested in the same ideals that we are :)

Welcome back for Week 2! This week we are going to focus on eating healthy. During this time, especially, it is imperative that we keep our immune systems strong---your health is your wealth!

My mom is a holistic nutritionist, so naturally my whole life I’ve eaten pretty healthy. When I was a teenager I definitely tried to rebel and get as much candy as I could from outside the home, however as I’ve gotten older I see the value in eating a clean diet.

Everything you eat relates back to how you look and feel, stronger hair and nails, better skin, disease prevention, a stabilized mood, there’s a long list of positive outcomes that come from eating healthy. I’ve put together a special Covid-19 list of important foods to keep in your diet during this time:

Inflammation is the body’s natural immune response to damage on the cellular level. The body sends white blood cells to the site to begin healing which is helpful because it causes heat, pain, and swelling which tells our brain to take care of that area. However, if the inflammation process occurs for too long it could lead to problems such fatigue, weight gain, body pain, depression, and chronic diseases. A healthy diet helps keep inflammation under control and makes sure it is working optimally.

Examples of Good Anti-Inflammatory Foods Are:

- Ginger (root or powder)

-Blueberries (frozen is a great alternative)
- Tuna/salmon (canned)

- Turmeric (root or powder)

- Cherries (frozen)

- Pineapple (canned)
- Pomegranate (juice)

Tali’s Tea

Whenever I’m not feeling well I make this hot drink that has come to be called Tali’s Tea, during Covid-19 I’ve been making it alot to keep my immune system strong

Put in a blender- Cut up ginger, turmeric (careful because turmeric stains!), lemon juice, raw honey, ground pepper (which is also anti-inflammatory and activates the absorption of turmeric so it doesn’t just go through your system), and a little bit of hot water
Blender together until you have a nice paste
Pour into a mug and then fill the cup with hot water
Add more honey for taste

Antioxidants protect cellular health, speed physical recovery, reduce risk of disease, and improve skin’s appearance and elasticity. The best source of antioxidants are fresh fruits and vegetables.
Cruciferous Vegetables
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Brussel Sprouts
- Cabbage

Berries
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
Raspberries (frozen)

Here’s a list of fruits and vegetables that have the longest shelf life!

Whole Foods & Grains
The rule of thumb is you should eat foods as close to nature as possible (no boxes). Grain based foods are rich in complex carbohydrates, your body’s best energy source as key fuel. Carbohydrates provide your brain, heart, and nervous system with a constant supply of energy to keep you moving, breathing and thinking.

Stay Hydrated

We should all be drinking six to eight glasses (1.2 liters) every day of water. Fluid intake is super important during this time to keep mucus membranes moist.

Remove Sugar and Refined Flour
Sugar is the enemy of a good immune system, it steals nutrients and hydration from your skin, feeds bad bacteria in your body, slows the production of anti-aging hormones, and is highly addictive. There are natural sugars which your body metabolizes in a helpful way as an alternative to refined sugar, such as raw honey, pure maple syrup, dates, and coconut palm sugar to name a few.

Avoid NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs)
Avoid Advil, Motrin and other medicine with Ibuprofen, doctors have found it aggravates the virus and may dampen the body's immune response. While there has been debate about this topic, I would avoid it and stick to Tylenol.

I feel like everyone has been brushing up on their cooking skills during this time either by choice or by circumstance. Taking ingredients and using all of it’s parts to stretch it across as many meals as possible has been a skill I have acquired over the last 20 days. For example, yesterday I used a butternut squash for a soup, as a side, as well as a full meal.

Here are a list of some of my favorite recipes from my favorite food blog/websites: