Well, times are certainly uncertain at the moment. Every day brings so many changes and ups and downs to our world as we know it. Life as we know it is completely shutting down. With recent talks a potential lockdown, things got a bit real. Wuhan was on lockdown for over 50 days. The Bay Area has been ordered to shelter in place and most cities are running only on essentials. The uncertainty is real.

Being on a medically restricted diet that is mostly composed of fresh whole foods, emergencies or disasters don’t really go hand and hand. I have been getting a lot of messages and emails about what kind of food I am stocking up on in case of a lockdown or emergency so I wanted to share with you what I did this past week.

As a celiac, I am already super limited on what I can actually eat on a daily basis. Throw a world disaster on top of that and things get a bit complicated. I can’t just go to the store and eat whatever is left or whatever brand is left. As it is, I find that about 30% of food labeled gluten-free gives me a gluten reaction and makes me sick for a week and severely weakens my immune system. During this time I need to be super careful about the foods I am putting in my body, so I definitely had to act early and be more prepared and cautious than the average American.

Living in LA, I already tend to have a 6-10 day food supply in case of an earthquake. The thought of a potential 4-6 week lockdown or longer really changes things though. In some ways, it’s easier because we would still have power and water and can cook, which in an Earthquake that is not really possible but at the same time 4-6 weeks is a long time! The uncertainty of how long groceries and produce might be available can definitely set off the panic buying button, but try not to go there and try not to hoard. There is a difference between being prepared and going crazy and hoarding.

My partner and I are both Virgos, natural planners and always prepared, this is what we do, so hoping our OCD on this week’s turn of events can help keep you well-fed and organized through all of this.

Remember not to hoard and get only what you really need! Make sure your community is taken care of, especially our older population which may also have dietary restrictions and do not feel safe going to a store right now.

If you are going to be home and not that active, the good news is you don’t need as many calories. This could also be a great time to experiment with intermittent fasting as well. It has a lot of health benefits and can help cut down your meals and calories each day.

My Strategy Going Into It Was This:

• Get as many meats/fish I can fit in my freezer
• Get produce and perishables now and eat those first, restock each week as you can
• Get shelf-stable pantry items to eat later
• Stock up on coffee if you are a caffeine drinker
• Get dairy-free milks or creamers that don’t need refrigeration
• Get nuts and dried fruits
• Keep healthy fats on hand. Ghee is shelf-stable and coconut oil and olive oil are healthy fats to cook with and supplement a less optimal diet with.
• If you have the room consider frozen veggies, but I am prioritizing meats over veggies
• Get a few comfort items. 4-6 weeks is a really long time for a potential lockdown so get a few treats that can brighten your spirits if this really does happen. I got a few bags of Skinny Dipped and Pili Nut chocolate bars. At the end of the day, chocolate makes everything better. I also got a few Smart Sweets as well since they are sugar-free and a tasty uplifting treat.

Thrive Market

Thrive Market is a great place to stock up on all sorts of pantry items that ship right to your door. You can filter by diet and chose paleo, Keto or gluten free and find lots of options to fit your needs and tastebuds. They have pretty prompt shipping to so you should get the package within a few days.

Items That I Ordered From Thrive Market:
Canned fish like Tuna, Salmon, Sardines
Canned chicken
Lotus Foods Gluten Free Ramen
Bone Broth that is shelf stable
Lundberg Rice
Beans
Gluten-Free Pasta
Gluten-Free Pasta Sauce
Nut Butters without Sugar
Paleo Granola and Gluten-Free Oatmeal
Grass-Fed Meat Snacks
Jarred or Canned Veggies like olives, artichoke hearts, heart of palm, tomatoes
Pouched Veggies
Pili Nuts
Plantain Chips
Primal Kitchen Mayo
Marinades, Sauces and Dressings
Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Olive Oil

Meats & Seafood

If you have a large freezer you can easily fit a 2-3 week supply of frozen meats and fish and thaw one each day to eat.

I ordered a big box from Butcher Box and did a mix of meats. Anything that is on the larger size, like a whole chicken I will eat first and leave the smaller items in the freezer as a way to mitigate the amount of space used up.

I also ordered a box of mixed wild seafood from Wild Alaskan Company which is awesome seafood. You can use code TRAILTOHEALTH for $15 off.

You can also check out US Wellness Meats and Vital Choice for additional seafood and meat options and see if there shipping is any faster right now.

Produce

Stock up on hearty produce like broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes and skip the leafy greens that go bad quickly unless you plan to eat them on the first day or so. Produce generally lasts only a week so try to stay on top of refilling produce until the very end. I also plan to keep getting my CSA box from Farm Fresh To You until they don’t deliver anymore. (use code TRAILTOHEALTH for 50% off your 1st box of produce).

Nuts & Dry Pantry Items

Nuts.com has an amazing selection of gluten-free items to choose from including nuts, dried and freeze-dried fruit, beans, grains and nut milks. Their shipping is also super fast and I recommend taking advantage of all the great items they have.

Pre-Made Meals

If you have the freezer space, consider ordering some pre-made meals from Paleo On The Go so that you have ready-made meals on hand. You can also look into Cali’flour Foods pre-made Cauliflower Pizzas to hold you over. (use code TRAILTOHEALTH for 10% off)

Amazon.com To The Rescue

Good old Amazon comes to the rescue in many cases. The efficiency of their Prime Shipping makes it fairly easy to get a lot of items last minute like Bulletproof Coffee, Nut Pods and other random pantry and household items. We also got some super back up Paleo camping food, you know just in case. Keep in mind, Prime is taking a little longer than usual, but items are arriving.

Order Groceries

You can still order groceries with services such as Instacart, but know that they are delivering about 3-5 days from today. Unless you book for a morning delivery slot, you may not have a lot of options when your shopper is shopping for you. It can be good for getting produce and perishable items each week to place an order a few days ahead of when you want it so it comes when you actually need to groceries.

Pets

Make sure not to forget about stocking up on pet food, supplies, treats and any medication your pet might need! I stocked up from Chewy and our dog food arrived in less than 3 days.

Medication & Personal Care Items

If you take any medications, over the counter or prescription make sure you have stocked up on those as well as any immune system supporting supplements.

Household Items

Make sure to stock up on some of your regular household products and cleaners. Please don’t run out to the store and buy 100 rolls of TP though. You can opt for a more natural cleaner like Branch Basics which you can continue to refill your bottles from a single concentrate that will last you much longer than just 1 bottle of cleaning solution. (Use code TRAILTOHEALTH for 15% off their starter kit).

Buy Direct From Small Brands

So many vendors are currently sold out of items that you can always try and order directly from brands and have them ship to you. I have a blog put together with all of my favorite pantry items and you can always use the Brands I Trust part of my website as a direct link to all my favorite brands and foods that I use on a daily basis. I ordered several items direct from the small brands themselves and most items arrived within a few days. This way you are supporting small businesses making it easy for us to eat safe food and you will probably get your items a lot faster!

Here is what I ordered with some discount codes for you to use too:
Kasadrinos Olive Oil (Code TRAILTOHEALTH gets you 10% off)
Primal Kitchen Mayo + Condiments (Code TRAILTOHEALTH gets you 10% off)
Vital Proteins Collagen (Code TRAILTOHEALTH gets you 10% off and order of $99+)
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Teas (Code TRAILTOHEALTH gets you 10% off)
Osso Good Bone Broth Soups (Code TRAILTOHEALTH gets you $10 off)
Smart Sweets (Code TRAILTOHEALTH gets you free shipping on $30 or more)
Skinny Dipped (Code THETRAILTOHEALTH gets you $15 off)
RBar (Code TRAILTOHEALTH gets you 15% off)
Pili Nuts (Code TRAILTOHEALTH gets you 10% off)
Maine Crisp Crackers

How To Stay Healthy

If you missed it, I wrote an entire blog post for other tips on how to stay healthy and what supplements I am taking to support my body during this time.

Just remember that this is not going to last forever and it will pass. Take this as a time to slow down, organize your house, work on a project you have been meaning to work on but never have time to do, spend quality time with those in your household and your pets and try to sleep and rest as much as possible. We also will still have Netflix and new shows. You can check out this article with 25 pandemic binge-worthy shows to check out!

What To Cook?

Most of us are probably not used to cooking all of our own meals so this is a great time to start to experiment in the kitchen with simple and nourishing recipes. I have a ton of recipes on my website already and am currently working on simple but nutritious recipes that I am coming up with the random things you can find in grocery stores that people apparently don’t like to eat. This is a great time to use your Instant Pot or cook meats in the oven to keep your house warm while you cook and cut down on your heating cost. It’s ok to modify recipes with what you have on hand. Get creative and try to keep it simple.

Book A Coaching Session

If you need some additional guidance and support during these awkward times I am available for virtual coaching sessions to help support you. We will make it through this together and come out stronger then we were before. Stay safe and stay healthy.