My Lockdown, my plate & my Heart- How the Lockdown promoted unhealthy dietary habits - Aishwarya Aiyar

 A wave of mixed emotions flourished the minds of all when a nationwide lockdown was

declared in the early month of April on account of the Covid pandemic. Was it Abundant time? ,

was it the sense of freedom & luxury of staying at home that eluded us or was it a bane in

disguise? As per the recent WHO report, about 1/3 rd of the mortalities caused were due to

cardiovascular diseases attributable to mainly lifestyle factors. Physical inactivity causes 1 in

10 deaths worldwide, according to a series of studies released in British medical journal The

Lancet, putting it on par with the dangers of smoking and obesity. Well! That’s an alarming

statistical analysis, isn’t it? On one hand, it did promote people to try home cooked food, but

also led to adverse practices of binge eating and many other unhealthy eating habits. Limited

access to daily grocery shopping led to reduce the consumption of fresh foods, especially fruit,

vegetables and fish, in favor of highly processed ones, such as convenience foods, junk foods,

snacks, and ready-to-eat cereals, which are high in fats, sugars, and salt. 

Anxiety and panic regarding the pandemic and a new shift to the work from home culture

drastically brought changes not only to our way of functioning but also to our to our plates. Just

to name one, Maximum of us have seen the whipped cream, sugary coffee flooding our social

media platforms feed and became very keen to try and satisfy our palates? Yes, the internet

food Fad, the dalgona coffee challenge. Similarly, one exotic food led to the other and this

vicious cycle continues even today. Also, constant bombarding of myths and elevated media

coverage led to Food cravings, Boredom, Physical inactivity, limited socialization has caused

high stress levels and negative patterns of eating. This Stress induced response has led so

many of us towards overeating, especially ‘comfort foods’ rich in sugar, defined as “food

craving” These foods, which are mainly rich in simple carbohydrates, can reduce stress as they

encourage serotonin production with a positive effect on mood. However, this food craving

effect of carbohydrates is proportional to the glycemic index of foods that is associated with the

increased risk of developing obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity induced

hyperventilation, early fatigue and childhood obesity are few of the problems that have

refurbished alongside the main pandemic. In order to contrast and respond to the negative

experience of self-isolation, monotony and sedentary lifestyle people have become more prone

to look for reward and gratification physiologically associated with food consumption, even

overriding other signals of satiety and hunger.

Many recent studies have pointed out the recent association of the release of pro-inflammatory

cytokines (due to increased adipose tissue deposition) and altered sleep behavior which in turn

has a direct implication of the cardiovascular status of the individual. Sleeping for too long can

have negative effects on the body, which includes a heightened desire to consume excess

sugary and salty foods, Reduced Exercise tolerance reduced functional capacities and

respiratory system mechanics have been linked with obesity and dysregulation of appetite. Low

physical activity levels have been suggested to interact both with body fat and appetite

dysregulation. The diet we eat has control over all levels of gene expression of all the cytokines

in our body, leading it to modulate the process of inflammation and oxidative stress. The worst

affected are the young middle aged population of the age group 18-55 years. Higher body mass

index, as well as a lower age, seems to have an associated to an increase of junk food

consumption (packaged sweets and baked products, sweet beverages, savory snacks and

dressing sauces). A recent Australian study too has identified “poor diet” as one the leading

causes of heart disease in the lockdown, sending us chills down our spine.

Thus, the ideologies such as ‘’emotional eating, food cravings and reduced consumption of

fresh food /fibres, have negatively impacted our appetite & satiety indexes. Various conditions

such as heartburn, gastrointestinal reflux disease, panic attacks, obesity, osteoporosis & wrong

working postures have escalated tremendously during this lockdown and it becomes pertinent

for us to know these adverse implications that have a direct correlation with heart health and

immunity

So, how to we break the chain & protect our heart? Are there solutions? A healthy diet is a

proper combination of quality foods, based on macro and micronutrient content, and the

absence of contaminating substances Thus, by cutting down on salty, spicy fried food and

opting for alternatives such as baking, steaming can be called as the need of the hour. Low

cholesterol levels and high levels of antioxidants contained in fruits and vegetables, and

monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) in simple foods need to be incorporated in our diets along

with regular fluid intake. Regular exercise (Mild to moderate level) ranging from 30-45 minutes

every 5dys/week) based on individual parameters need to be followed. Thus, on this World

Heart Day, Let us all pledge to work towards a healthy heart, leading to a healthier planet.

-Dr. Aishwarya Aiyar(PT)

Seth GSMC & KEMH