CULINARY CONSUMPTION DURING COVID-19

ID YOU KNOW THAT GIANT PANDAS EAT for almost 12 hours a day? In today’s day and age of #lockdowns and #socialdistancing, we seem to be doing the same thing sitting at home all day. Maybe that’s why they call this a ‘Pand’emic.

I know it isn’t easy to keep your snout out of the refrigerator when there’s not a lot else exciting happening during the day to keep your mind focused, but the need of the day is to remain healthy above all else. A healthy body with strong antibodies is really important if we are to fight this, and the diet of a racing driver would seem like a very smart choice at a time like this.

The key ingredient in this adjusted lifestyle would be creating a daily routine. An exercise regimen of some sort along with a nutritious diet. In a recent conversation with Narain Karthikeyan, he told me that he’s never been fitter than he is right now. It’s the perfect time for us to look after ourselves and heal our bodies, just as our planet seems to be healing itself too.

Eat at fixed times and at evenly spaced intervals. Start the day with a hearty breakfast. The old adage of “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” is actually one that we should all follow fastidiously. It is also very important to finish your dinner by 8pm at the very latest, as that helps the body to digest your food better and faster, which in turn helps efficient weight management.

Say a big fat NO to refined carbs and sugary foods. Avoid things like pasta, dessert and white bread, as they are instrumental in increasing body fat percentage and weight gain. Fibre based foods, whole wheat foods and complex carbs helps in weight maintenance and prevent food cravings. Avoid snacking at all cost.

Racing drivers eat multiple small meals during the day. They avoid processed foods like the plague. It’s better to eat six to eight small meals, well spaced out during the day, rather than hogging two or three times a day.

Eat plenty of raw fruit and drink plenty of water during the day. If you only drink when you’re feeling thirsty, that means the body has already started dehydrating itself. Remember, it’s very rare to see a racing driver walking around the pit-lane without his sipper bottle in hand, and there’s a sound reason for that.

I guess that many of you are binge watching TV, and hopefully that includes Netflix’s “Drive to Survive”. However, remember to stay healthy, stay home, and stay fit, because at a time like this we all need to “Survive to Drive”. ⌧