It's a common question on so many of our minds: How can I fortify my health and my family's health to protect us from the widespread coronavirus?

My answer is this: As best as you can, eat nutrient-dense foods that bolster your immunity, and avoid things that are depleting. I always agree with the advice of Michael Pollan: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

Here are my main pillars for approaching nutrition and wellness during this unprecedented time.

Cut out the sugar.

This doesn’t just mean refined sugar. This also means coconut sugar, molasses, maple syrup—any sweeteners, really. If I'm really being honest, this also includes raw honey, even though raw honey (especially coveted Manuka honey) contains excellent antibacterial and antiviral qualities. It's important to really limit any sugar intake right now because sugar may be a culprit for curbing the immune system's ability to fight off infection and other potential health invaders, as research suggests. (Too much sugar has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and other illnesses.)

Try to eat six to nine cups of vegetables—generally three cups per meal—daily.

Even at breakfast. You can mix them up. Leafy greens should take up at least 50 percent of your plate. Starchy vegetables (these are your sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc.) should take up an additional 10 to 15 percent. Then protein and any other starches you may be eating (this could include gluten-free grains) should make up the remaining 15 percent or less. Don't let these percentages and numbers overwhelm you. What is most important is to follow the overall principle of eating mostly plants. And out of those plants, we want at least half of our plates to be leafy greens, with as much variety that is available at any given time and place.

I apply the same principle, in smaller amounts, to my daughter. Sometimes she plates her own food. Other times I plate for her. In general, I offer her healthy foods and let her decide what she will or will not eat. Of course, she’s six and still needs guidance. She’s not allowed to serve herself all of the sweet potato fries and nothing else. When I see her making fewer good choices, I tend to move in and make choices for her. But I do that less and less as she gets older. Eventually, she’ll make all of her own choices, good and bad, for herself.

Keep moving forward.

Mental health is a key component to the health equation. Having a healthy relationship with food is essential to overall long-term health. Do I always eat perfectly? No. But I feel zero guilt over choosing one thing over another. If it’s on my program but maybe not the ideal choice for my health (say, it’s way too starchy or it’s FODMAP stacking), or if I want a treat and overindulge, I eat it, enjoy it, and MOVE. ON. I don’t dwell on the idea that I messed up. I don’t waste any mental space on feeling bad about what I’ve done. I keep going and I aim to pack my next meal with nutrients. And if that doesn’t happen, I aim for the next meal. If my entire week gets thrown off, I appreciate all the comfort food I enjoyed. And then I veer back to more plants and nutrient dense foods. These are the foods that make me feel good—energetic, lithe, agile, flexible, ache-free, clear-headed, and stable throughout the day. This subtle shift makes all the difference, and it empowers me to make good, healthy choices more often.

Aim for variety.

This brings me to the bird’s eye picture of how we eat on a weekly basis. In our household, our ideal diet is broad and constantly varied—for the most part. What I mean by this is that the more vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats we eat means the greater the variety of nutrients that we consume. This ensures that we are getting just what we need but not too much.

I mix it up and do a rough weekly meal plan so we don’t end up eating the same ingredients (especially for breakfast or dinner sides) five days a week. This can happen VERY easily—and it doesn’t matter what your dietary restrictions may be. If you're gluten-free, for example, the same ingredients (rice, corn, cassava flour, to name a few) are used ubiquitously in gluten-free packaged foods and baked goods. The point is the same: It's important to be aware and aim for variety.

Consume healthy fats.

If you have to allocate your money, spend it on healthy fats. Nuts and seeds go rancid very quickly—in six months or less for some—because of their unsaturated fat content. It's important not to hoard these to avoid storing them for too long. Research has shown rancid fats and oils to be pro-inflammatory and cause cellular damage. I store mine in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer, depending on how quickly I go through them.

I also recommend storing animal fats in the fridge and in the freezer where they will last much longer. (I'm always mindful of purchasing animal proteins and fats that have been raised without hormones and fed with grains and grasses that haven't been sprayed with pesticides.) Variety applies here too: To save on waste, I save bacon drippings to use them for cooking grease instead of butter or oil sometimes. This makes everything taste better.

Buy organic.

This is an essential thing we can all do to reduce our intake of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and potentially up our nutritional intake. Some studies show organically grown fruits and vegetables to have higher concentrations of antioxidants. If I want something and it’s not available organic, it’s likely because it’s out of season—so I don’t buy it. I’ve made exceptions a few times, but usually choose not to. I realize that Californians are fortunate to have access to so much fresh, organic produce year-round. If organic is not an option for whatever reason, stick to fruits and vegetables that tend to have lower amounts of pesticide residue. (The Environmental Working Group is an excellent resource for this.) But try to never give in on the dirty dozen or any produce with thin skins, like berries.

Cook your own foods.

The only way to truly know what you’re eating (or putting on your body) is to make it yourself—or as much of it as possible. The next best is to buy it from someone you know follows the same principles as you do. Cooking dinner, be it for ourselves and our families, can be very hard and even monumentally challenging for many, especially under the circumstances we're currently living. I have arranged my life in the most efficient way I can, with the resources I have, to be able to continue to cook for me and my family. This is a priority.

I also make it a priority for us to eat together as a family, which we have done ever since my daughter started eating solid food. During the week it is usually just the two of us, although sheltering in place has changed that and we’re together every night now! Regardless, we still follow the same routine and arrange our lives around it. This constant makes it easier when there are a lot of changes going on.

Drink adequate water.

A good rule of thumb is to drink at least half of your bodyweight in ounces—and drink an additional amount to compensate for any caffeinated beverages you drink. (So, if you have an eight-ounce cup of coffee, try to drink an additional eight ounces of water that day.) Don't gulp, but rather sip it slowly and steadily throughout the day. Some research shows that gulping may actually be counterproductive as it can cause the body to excrete too much water, along with electrolytes, too quickly. Particularly now, I’m leaning toward the safe side and sipping every fifteen minutes or so (I always have a glass next to me) and always room temperature or warm water.

If I feel like I haven't consumed the optimal amount of water I like Laird Superfood Hydrate, which contains freeze-dried coconut water and essential minerals. Coconut water, which is rich in potassium, is also very hydrating and can also be added to smoothies. (This is a good trick for enticing little ones to take their supplements.)

And again: Be generous.

Are we eating this strictly right now? I think we are eating good enough. I’ll be honest, I think we're eating better than most (better than most of the country on a Standard American Diet), but everyone starts somewhere and everyone starts over at some point (or many points) in their lives. So be generous with yourself.

Recently I’ve been doing a lot of recipe testing, as well as baking with my daughter. Also, like many, I’ve been feeling some strange biological imperative to feast while we’re hunkering down. Added to that, I started my cycle and was craving more starch and sweets than usual. I admit that I’ve enjoyed more macadamia nut bread with warm, homemade jam and far more brownies than I’ve needed to. Just the other day my husband said to me: “You made brownies, AGAIN? Good grief!” You know what? I sat down and savored every single serving. Then I moved on. I had hydrating, cleansing juice first thing when I woke up this morning, then a nutrient-dense breakfast with my daughter. I had a huge salad packed with healthy fats and a little bit of protein for lunch. For dinner, I made a short-rib stew packed with veggies.

The bottom line is that I am not advocating for scarcity-focused end-of-the-world eating. I am advocating for a loving attitude toward ourselves. Let’s waste no energy on self-recrimination. Let’s just keep going and be open-minded, caring, and generous with ourselves and our families. Aim for variety, go for fresh and organic, and savor all the moments. I believe that is the best thing we can do for our health—now and always.

With Love,
PrimaFoodie