Invited Monday of the program "Without appointment", on Europe 1, the nutritionist Patrick Serog delivered some advice to maintain a balanced diet during the confinement period and avoid gaining extra pounds. Everything is based in particular on the organization and ritualization of meals.

Can we reconcile containment and healthy eating? At a time when millions of French people are forced to stay at home, due to the coronavirus epidemic, the temptation is great for many to change their diet, whether it is due to lack of time, poor organization, or all simply by favoring sugary foods that are often comforting for morale. Invited Monday of Europe 1, the doctor and nutritionist Patrick Serog came to give some advice to eat well for the next few weeks, and avoid gaining extra pounds.

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Are we really gaining weight in confinement?

According to Patrick Serog, it is "normal" to gain weight during confinement, in particular because energy expenditure "decreases by around 15%". And faced with this reduction in activity and the change in diet, not everyone is equal. "It depends on each individual, how they will behave, but also on their personal proportion of gaining weight," explains the nutritionist at the microphone of Mélanie Gomez. "When you are already overweight, you can easily gain extra pounds."

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Besides, beyond the difficulty of losing the accumulated pounds, gaining weight can especially cause health problems. Thus, "beyond a certain weight limit, the body will metabolically get out of balance, with for example a blood sugar level which will increase and why not trigger diabetes". Finally, insists Patrick Serog, "you have no interest in gaining weight compared to a Covid-19 infection, because the bigger you are and the more you have diabetes problems, the more you are at risk of complications" .

The importance of organizing meals

Contrary to what you might think, filling your fridge and freezer to the brim "is a very good idea", notes Patrick Serog, who recalls that it is while leaving that one is exposed to the coronavirus. On the other hand, he nuances, "it depends on what you buy". And the doctor would rather invite you to cook yourself and especially to organize your meals in advance.

For example, rather than rushing over very sweet desserts, "as we have time, we can cook desserts that are sometimes much lower in calories than what we find outside". And planning your meals in advance can be interesting to avoid getting bored. "We don't notice that we are changing our diet if we do a three-week program," explains Patrick Serog, "whereas if you do it for seven days, and repeat the same thing every week, at some point you will crack. "

Patrick Serog thus advises families to "try together to make a list with what we want to eat, then organize their meals over three weeks, and do their shopping according to that".

Eat at fixed times and don't forget the vegetables

If the period of confinement can be accompanied by disorganization, with meals at unusual times, sometimes only consisting of a dish, Patrick Serog recalls the importance of keeping fixed times with full meals. "Ritualization is extremely important," he insists, "the more confined we are, the more we must ritualize".

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At lunch, he adds, "you have to keep a small starter, a main course, a dairy and a dessert, so that you don't want to snack all afternoon. And in the evening, you have to eat a new meal , but instead of starchy foods, vegetables are added. " And if it is more difficult to keep fresh vegetables over time in this period of confinement, the guest from Europe 1 reminds that frozen vegetables are "a very good option", in particular because of their low salt content. . "These are products processed immediately after picking," he explains. Thus, "we can cook them using the amount of salt or pepper we want, while, in canned, the amount of salt is higher".

Chocolate, a good way to have fun

Of course, watching your pounds doesn't have to mean giving up all fun. And chocolate can be a good idea for a snack between lunch and dinner. "You have to be able to dose it satisfactorily," warns Patrick Serog, saying that you can eat "up to 30 grams per day".