Eating Well to Regain Your Strength after COVID-19
Battling any kind of illness can sap your strength. If you or a loved one had COVID-19, you may not have been as active or eating as much as usual, which means your muscular strength may have declined. After you have fully recovered, it’s important to work to rebuild it.
Don’t be concerned if you’re not back to your old self overnight. Regaining any strength you may have lost takes time and effort. One simple but crucial way to start is by focusing on your diet.
Eat on schedule: Create an eating plan and make regular meals and snacks part of your routine. Eating regularly will help provide your body with the nutrients and calories you need to restore strength and immune function.
Protein: Eating enough protein (fish, poultry, other meat, dairy, beans) at every meal is essential to help stimulate muscle growth and prevent a continued breakdown of muscle. Coupled with physical training, eating protein will result in improved strength over time.
- Eat 25 to 40 grams (3.5 to 6 oz) of protein at each meal and 10 to 20 grams (1.5 to 3 oz) at each snack. A 3 oz serving is the size of a deck of cards.
- Use ready-to-drink protein shakes, homemade shakes, protein powders or bars to help you meet your protein needs if you find it difficult to do so by eating enough.
