Coronavirus: Part of the vulnerable group? Nutritionist Liz Cooper shares her top tips

Coronavirus is highly contagious. Those in the vulnerable groups are advised to self-isolate for up to three months. Nutritionist Liz Cooper shares her top tips during these unprecedented times.

The most vulnerable groups in society include people over the age of 70, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.

Such health conditions include diabetes, heart disease, emphysema and chronic liver disease.

By now, the people who are most at risk of severe illness from Covid-19 will have received a letter in the post.

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Nutritionist Liz Cooper suggests people in self-isolation to take advantage of the extra time at home by “being creative in the kitchen”.

She advises looking at recipes in cookery books you already have or searching for new ones online.

“Experimenting with new ingredients can really bring your meals to life,” she says.

Cooper says: “Eating the right foods and keeping the gut healthy with live bacteria supplements can be a great way to keep cognition optimised during self-isolation.”

Cooper explains: “Studies indicate that live bacterial supplements may be able to improve cognitive function.”

And she recommends live bacteria supplements “Bio-Kult Advanced Multi-Strain Formulation or Bio-Kult Mind”.

Cooper also recognises that the mind needs to keep busy – in a positive way – during self-isolation.

One great way to keep yourself occupied is to do a spring clean – and it’s the right season for it too.

“Spring clean your home, starting with the kitchen,” Cooper adds. “Throw out anything past its sell-by date and sort through the tins, cans and bottles of food that have been sitting there for ages which you’re unlikely to use.”

Then Cooper states that you can move on to clearing out desks and drawers.

Noting how important a healthy mindset is, Cooper adds: “It can be a fantastic way of increasing positivity by bringing back happy memories from years ago when you find a memento or photos you stored away and forgot about.”

The mind and body connection is undeniable, and so incorporating daily exercise into your routine is paramount to remain upbeat.

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Cooper says: “There are many online exercise classes run by celebrity instructors such as Joe Wicks, or if you scour YouTube there is something for all ages with hundreds of pilates, yoga, tai chi and dance videos.

“You could even devise your own and upload it to YouTube! Even doing a spot of gardening is a great form of keeping fit.”

To help stimulate the mind – and to prevent laziness and lethargy from settling in – Cooper lists actives you could try.

“Watching live online educational sessions from zoos and museums, or learn something new such as a foreign language or DIY.

“It can really keep our minds occupied and reduce our focus on [any] negative thoughts and feelings [that may surface].”

She continued: “Keeping our minds stimulated is something that we should continue to do throughout life, and research indicates that this may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.”

For anybody struggling during self-isolation, Cooper recommends “free online meditation and coaching session”.

She elaborates: “Coaches will help you with designing goals and planning next steps to take you where you want to go.

“You could also start a vision board displaying images and words cut from magazines and newspapers that help you to focus on these goals and set them in motion.”

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