Health and wellness at your fingertips

The spring weather on the Coast has been beautiful, breezy with lots of sunshine, but coronavirus ground our lives and schedules to a halt.

This pandemic changed our daily lives, with most people practicing social distancing and staying home. Suddenly there was no more going to the gym, no social activities, no vacations, no school and no going to work for many of us. Then there’s grocery shopping — do you allow yourself to buy all the comfort food you crave for you and your family, or do you stick to your healthy meal prep although you aren’t packing your meals and heading to work?

We were forced to adapt to a new way of life, but this should not be a pass to eat poorly and not exercise. Such times are opportunities to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit.

While working from home with my gyms closed, I took to the internet to see what I could do from home. I was so pleased to see many awesome apps available to help me stay on my healthy eating and exercise journey.

Here are some apps and companies I came across offering great online resources:

1. FREE TRAINING: “HOW TO BECOME ADAPTABLE” BY BISHOP T.D. JAKES

Success Live has free recordings on Bishop T.D. Jakes, sharing all the ways to learn and grow during these times of struggle so you can truly thrive when things return to normal. www.successacademy.com

2. MY FITNESS PAL

This is my favorite app. My Fitness Pal is free and tracks my food intake and nutritional information, my exercise calories burned, my water intake and much more. It also offers healthy recipes and meals to cook for the family.

The app has amped up the wellness articles, featuring foods to help combat stress and anxiety, the walking workout you can do without leaving the house, and my favorite: seven-minute, at-home workouts.

3. CALM

This is my go-to app — and yes, it is free, too. At this time, we all need to take a deep breath. The Calm app helps people relax, meditate and sleep. From two-minute mediations to lessons on how to breathe and do a body check, this app will help you find your calm.

4. VIRTUAL, AT-HOME FITNESS

The internet is filled with fitness studios that are live-streaming or recording so you can join workouts from anywhere, with most offering classes for free during this crisis. Take advantage of opportunities offered through local studios, as well as large companies like Peloton, Beach Body, Orangetheory, Gold’s Gym and many others. You can work up a sweat and stay healthy at home.

Dramatic routine changes are difficult, but we on the Coast know how to adapt. In such times, focus on what you can control, like eating right, exercising and relaxing, and do your best to stay healthy. When the worst happens, help is at your fingertips.

Brandt is an executive host with Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, as well as co-author of the Amazon best-seller “The Struggle is Real: Finally Break the Dieting Cycle, Transform Your Mind and Body, and Evolve into The Person You Have Always Wanted to Be” and the “30-Day Evolve Challenge Journal.” Contact Brandt by email at karol.brandt@scarletpearlcasino.com, Facebook/ The Struggle Is Real or Instagram at karolbrandtnola.