A while back I was watching the WW2 in HD videos with my kids for our history lesson. Near the end they showed video of the Nazi concentration camps and one of the images that stood out to my kids was how emaciated the prisoners were and, to be honest, it’s always stood out in my mind as well.
After explaining how and why that happens to a person’s body I then threw in a brief statement about the reasons why we store food. I’m sure somewhere in there I “lost” my kids attention but I try to incorporate my philosophy on life–and prepping in this case–where I can.
One of the things I wanted to point out to them was that you really do NEED a certain amount of food–for calories, vitamins, minerals, etc–to stay fit and healthy and that, over time, a person could end up emaciated (along with a lot of other problems along the way) even though they may be consuming food but just not enough of it or even not enough of the right foods to get the vitamins and minerals one needs.
You and I both know this and I would imagine humans know it instinctively. My kids? Who knows what sinks in… but they can sure eat! Anyway, I started to think about what I would do if we had a truly lengthy SHTF scenario where food is seemingly unavailable, perhaps exacerbated by floods or droughts, infestations, over-hunting/trapping, or who knows what. The point is that food is very scarce and for years on end, not just months. Certainly, I don’t have enough stockpiled for that problem. Of course, one answer would be to stockpile more food while times are good but it’s not like I’m made of money or have unlimited space. 😉
Moreover, I see this as being a gradual problem, you know, one that sneaks up on you over time and you don’t realize it until it’s “too late.” Because, after all, you’re probably not going to assume that food will be scarce for years on end, right? Probably not. Most people just think that if they can get to the next growing season then they’ll be ok but there are problems with that philosophy to.
My point is this: once you get to a point where you (1) realize that things are going to go on for a lot longer than you’ve prepared for and (2) you don’t have many options for acquiring more food then there’s only one thing you can do… ration out what you have. I’m thinking of something like one big meal in the morning or late morning so that you have the energy and calories to get things done throughout the day and a smaller meal, maybe more like a snack, at night or before bed to keep the hunger pangs at bay. This could effectively cut food consumption by about half.
Obviously, this has many problems including for your stamina, health, morale, growing kids, and more. It’s NOT a good long term plan. But, it may be the only plan you’ve got. So, I got to thinking what if you purposely incorporated this strategy early on after a SHTF scenario such that (1) your food stores can be extended longer because you started earlier and (2) your body finds a new norm of sorts?
I know you can’t get around minimum calories requirement over the long haul but our bodies do tend to adjust our metabolism rates based on food intake and activity level. Again, I know this can’t be sustained forever and it’s not something I would want to do each and every day but maybe every other day or twice a week? I don’t honestly have a good answer here.
And, let’s face it, most of us could stand to lose a few pounds. Beyond that, you would also be cooking less thereby saving fuel resources, reducing OPSEC concerns from activities like cooking and sanitation, saving water by doing less dishes and who knows what else. Ok, maybe I’ve gone a bit too far with the potential benefits as to why this could be a useful idea. Ultimately, I think you should plan for three squares a day for as long as you can but also have a strategy in the back of your mind for if/when times get REALLY tough.
What do you think? Useful or not?
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