Column: What’s Inside My Lockdown Fridge

[Opinion column written by Agathe Holowatinc]

As we’ve just heard, the lockdown here in Bermuda has been extended two more weeks – so here we go!

My past few posts have focused on boosting your immunity, staying hydrated [with two homemade electrolyte drink recipes included], staying cool, calm and collected in these times and also on coming out stronger, smarter and more successful by lighting up your life during lockdown.

Today, a lighter post, but an impactful one nonetheless, I hope.

Today I’m sharing what’s in my lockdown fridge.

Yup, I’ve opened up my fridge to you and am sharing what it’s like inside the fridge of a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. I mean, if you want to know the recipe for super good physical health and a slim waistline, from someone who actually enjoys eating a large amount of delicious food every day, shouldn’t this be where you should start poking around? I would! Tony Robbins always says “success leaves clues.”

I didn’t prepare for this post by buying out the kale, grapefruit and almond butter at Lindos [lol]! If you know me then you know that this is really what my fridge looks like, and has looked like for as long as I can remember having a fridge of my own. Incidentally, my mom says that when I come to visit her in Vancouver, she heads to the farmers markets and immediately chooses the biggest shopping cart they have, hehe.

And hopefully, this is what you would want your Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach’s fridge to look like, right? I mean, if I was eating junk food all day long, chugging down beer and vodka alongside sugary – or even worse – diet – sodas, loading up on conventional dairy and brownies, while promoting healthy eating and a whole foods lifestyle – wouldn’t that set off alarm bells in you? It would in me, just saying.

So, I’m happy to share here, because it might be helpful to get a visual of which nutrient-dense foods people like me, who have spent countless hours soaking up nutrition education, eat on a daily basis.

Okay, here goes!

In my fridge, there are lots of immune boosting whole foods, which is what I love, and they’re so perfect for these times!

I recently put together a little list of foods that boost immune system function, so I’ll copy it here and indicate what is or isn’t in my fridge right now.

Top 10 List of Foods that Boost Immune System Function:

• Top of the list, stay hydrated with plenty of water and water-rich fruits and veggies like bell peppers and pineapple [check – I have loads of pineapple! And I drink a lot of water]

• Dark leafy greens like local kale [check – also there’s a pack of organic spinach, bunch of parsley and two heads of broccoli]

• Garlic [I’m sensitive to garlic, so it is not in my fridge]

• Ginger [check]

• Turmeric [check]

• Onions [check – April is Bermuda onions month too!]

• Oregano [check – organic oregano in my pantry]

• Organic Berries – frozen is okay [check]

• Vitamin C rich foods like grapefruit [check – and the organic lemon and lime juice I have]

• Probiotic rich sauerkraut [made in brine not vinegar] [check – in my pantry]

You can also see in the photo that I’m nuts about nut butters! These are plant proteins. I have a lot of almond butter and often have Tahini [okay, that is a seed butter but yeah, and it’s amazing for salad dressings intended for kale especially]. Udo’s Oil Omega 3-6-9 Blend is an absolute staple in my fridge and has been for a decade or longer. Grass-fed butter is something I enjoy too. I love my good fats!

Maple syrup, hemp hearts, mushrooms, liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar. In the meats section I have ground New Zealand lamb and a brand of grass-fed chicken thighs. I also have frozen and canned wild Alaskan salmon in my kitchen, and fatty sardines, which I love.

But the biggest deals for me are definitely greens and water. I have hundreds of delicious recipes for greens and veggies so I never get bored or feel like I need a cheat day of any sort! My food tastes good, period. Or I won’t eat it.

Greens are a big deal because they contain an abundance of phyto-nutrients and vitamins necessary for optimal health. However, they aren’t just healthy in an overall sense, they are powerful for the immune system specifically. Leafy greens like Swiss chard, kale, and spinach contain immune-boosting vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C.

Vitamin C, also known by some as the immunity vitamin, has powerful antioxidant properties and promotes cellular functions of the immune system, making it key to a strong and well-functioning immune system. Leafy greens also contain fibre, which is helpful for keeping the digestive system regular. A lot of toxins are eliminated through the digestive tract, so the more often you can eliminate toxins, the less work your immune system has to do!

And again, greens also contain important vitamins and minerals like immune-boosting folate and selenium, blood-building iron, and vitamin E. They optimize your cellular health.

The foods you choose to eat have a direct impact on your gene expression and your potential for a healthy, bright, vibrant life [look into Epigentics if you have some time, also briefly covered in my book]. To punctuate this fact, it has been said that if you want to have an extraordinary quality of life, you better have an extraordinary cell life.

So that’s why greens matter so much as to have a whole shelf reserved for them in my fridge [local and organic is best but whatever you can do is still something!].

Note, also, how the foods in my fridge mirror my recommendations from my book. On page 35, I provide a FUELLED Food Pyramid, copied below. This is a map for a fully healthy, vital, energized & slim body and excellent cellular health. And again, this was not done intentionally for this post – this is what my 5-year-old niece would say is “for real life!”

Here it is for you:

There you go! Now, what’s in your lockdown fridge? Share your photo with me by emailing me at coach@fuelledlife.com or by tagging @fuelledbermuda on your Instagram or Facebook!

Feel free to share this post with someone you care about!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

- Agathe Holowatinc is a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Co-Founder and Director at FUELLED Bermuda Ltd., published author, health food private chef and health industry entrepreneur. She is a passionate advocate of real food, holistic approaches to health and communicating big ideas in a simple way. Agathe truly believes that vibrant health is our birthright and that achieving optimal health is the best springboard for achieving all of our biggest dreams. Further, she believes that optimal nutrition is key to preventative health and reducing the likelihood of both minor health issues and chronic diseases.

FUELLED Bermuda Ltd. is devoted to helping people achieve optimal health and performance in all areas of their life by offering Certified Integrative Nutrition Coaching, healthy food cheffing services and cooking demonstrations, products, presentations, corporate lunch & learns, replenishing retreats, and information that assists them in renewing their outlook on food and health, revitalizing their energy, and transforming their life. www.fuelledlife.com, tel & WhatsApp: 532-0426

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