Out of food? Go to Trader Joe’s! But what if there is not a Trader Joe’s? 7-11 will do, right? Who doesn’t like a Slurpee and beef jerky? No 7-11 you say? Yes, when disaster strikes, there might be a possibility that stores will not be of service and you will have to rely on Mother Nature to supply your food. After all, 7-11 or no, you still have to eat. It’s crucial that you avoid vitamin and nutrient deficiencies if you want to stay alive!
If you want to stay nourished, you know you should keep a nice survival food stash. It’s only one of the most discussed survival topics! Dried or canned meats, dried fruits, nuts, peanut butter, and canned vegetables are good examples of highly nutritious foods to keep around. In order to survive, keeping yourself nourished is absolutely essential, especially if you want to avoid deficiencies.
Depending on the vitamin or mineral, deficiencies can affect the body in many different ways. Everything from major illnesses or depression can be attributed to deficiencies, and can affect all parts of the body, so deficiencies are not something you can take lightly.
- Vitamin A deficiencies may include slow bone formation, night blindness, dry eyes which can lead to blindness, increased susceptibility to cold and virus infections, and frequent infections of the bladder or urinary tract.
- There are six different types of vitamin B: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12. Deficiency of any of these B vitamins can range from mild to severe symptoms like chronic fatigue, muscular weakness, or dry cracked skin to dementia and depression.
- Vitamin C deficiency symptoms include dry hair and skin, weakness, nosebleeds. Severe deficiency of vitamin C can lead to scurvy which rare but not impossible.
- A deficiency of Vitamin D can lead to irritability and depression, as well as bone and muscle problems including, but not limited to, rickets, osteoporosis, and skeletal deformities and retardation in young children. Vitamin D deficiencies can also increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Vitamin D is a critical vitamin found in many foods ranging from egg yolks, salmon and sweet potatoes, and has many healthy attributes ranging from mental clarity and focus to maintaining the proper amount of calcium in your blood.
Given that other vitamins and minerals perform essential functions in our bodies, deficiencies can cause major problems for our bodies if we don’t properly keep up with healthy food intake. Deficiencies can lower our chances of survival during a chaotic situation such as a major disaster. While the effects of vitamin deficiencies may take a while to appear, the effects tend to linger once they do.
Many crucial nutrients can be found in nature. The most essential nutrients are (in order of importance) protein, carbohydrates, fat, salt and potassium. Protein is most commonly found in meat and fish, but protein is also found in dairy and nuts. Carbohydrates are found in grains, fruits, and a lot of dairy products: dairy products actually contain more carbohydrates than protein. Fat, which is critical for energy and protecting the body from extreme temperatures, is found in many foods, but the most preferred portable sources of fat are peanut butter, canned fish (sardines in particular), nuts, and dried coconut, as well as many food bars. Salt and potassium, which regulate heart and muscle functions, are also found in many natural foods. Potassium is commonly found in fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, cantaloupe and broccoli, but is also found in yogurt and white beans. Salt is found naturally in meats and nuts, and most vegetables have at least some natural salts.
Disaster can strike when you least expect it, so it’s good to be prepared! Proper nourishment is very important in everyday life, but imagine if you had no other option butto stay properly nourished to stay alive. To survive in the wild with limited resources, keep the following in mind:
- Fish has a ton of survival nutrients, including many necessary vitamins and minerals (something many people aren’t aware of);
- Some sort of edible wild berries grow in most US states and are rich in vitamins, C, E and K;
- Meat is rich in protein fat, iron and minerals;
- Mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D;
- Many US states have watercress and asparagus, which are rich in vitamin C, B, Folate and a lot more;
- Dandelions make a good salad.
Get ready now by studying local edible plant live, make sure you have plenty of seeds to plant a garden and continue to grow your food stash. A fun fact before you go: most basic essential vitamins can be found in broccoli and Brussels sprouts!
To your survival,
Richard Marshall
