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Discussion: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
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nativedweller |
Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 6 2011, 7:53 PM EDT
It occurred to me earlier in a post about Scurvy & where to find Vitamin C.Obviously having to eat what you can & sometimes not having food at all you will need your vitamins. I'm no nutritionist but I do like growing herbs & vegetables, in doing so I've learned what plants are ideal, tough & can survive in most weather conditions.. Obviously their uses will be involved. If you know anything & want to contribute please go ahead, likewise if I missed or have anything wrong. While I'll admit some of my info will probably come from Wiki & gardening websites it's probably a good idea to have a small knowledge base on here. One of my favorites is Chives - They grow almost anywhere, very hardy, require little water. Rich in Vitamins C & A, Iron & Calcium. They have a taste similar to onions or weak garlic. Being a Perennial they will reappear every year for a few years. Mine have lasted 6 years so far. This may not be useful while hoofing it away but should you need to return to an area you can be sure there's a good chance of there being something to help you survive. To take chives without damaging the plant just use some scissors to snip a quarter to a half off the top. It'll re grow fast enough, you can dry this easy, leave it out on paper in the light & will still contain it's properties. Not only will it help with health & obviously you can't live off this but it can make some boring tinned food more interesting. (Please note that massive overuse can cause digestive issues. Like anything too much of a good thing can be bad.) I hope this helps, more to come. Do you find this valuable? |
chitoryu12 |
1. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 6 2011, 10:15 PM EDT
I won't call myself an expert in food science, nutrition, or any of these fields. Though I do have some questions.How much nutrition would fruit and vegetables lose if dried? Do you find this valuable? |
OutlawJames |
2. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 6 2011, 11:17 PM EDT
"I won't call myself an expert in food science, nutrition, or any of these fields. Though I do have some questions.From everything I have read, dried or dehydrated fuits and veggies retain most if not all their vitamins. Do you find this valuable? |
byates |
3. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 6 2011, 11:39 PM EDT
For Vit C, make yourself some spruce, pine needle, or cedar tea. My choice is in that order with cedar a distant 3rd. Rose hips are another good source, but harder to find most places. For an all round good source of vitamins and minerals eat liver, well cooked preferably. Do you find this valuable? |
Sharpie41 |
4. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 12:09 AM EDT
| Post edited: Jul 7 2011, 12:17 AM EDT
Pine needles, they have 8x more Vit-C than oranges pound for poundOnly thing is, tastes like sh!t! Do you find this valuable? |
USNtwidget |
5. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 12:12 AM EDT
The above are all good suggestions. id like to think that during the panic that most people would overlook Vitamins as they raid pharmacies and super markets. so if you could find bottles of those Multivitamins that have everything and you only need one a day that'd be a huge helped. or just buy 10 bottles or so now and put them in your BOL.
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TurnAndBurn |
6. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 2:44 AM EDT
Fish are good for many fatty acids (omega-3) and many common plants contain various amounts of vitamins. Iodine can be found in kelp, cattails (the pond kind with the brown things on the end) are edible and often overlooked as not only a food source but a means to obtain vitamin A among other things. If you are fortunate enough to stumble across a health food store be sure to nab some body building powder and at least a couple solid multivitamins (go for the really good expensive ones, they are free after all). Dandelions are edible (both the leaves and the flowers although I personally would save the flowers for making brandy if the choice was mine) which also contain vitamin A, D and some others in trace amounts. Pine needles was mentioned above but juniper also contains vitamin C in much lower quantities for a flavor that is just as unpleasant. A solid field guide to wild edibles is a good thing thing to make room for in your kit, just be sure to get one that is actually for your area. Mushrooms are sometimes edible but typically provide almost no nutrition but can be added to stew for a bit of variety.
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btc48wpq |
7. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 3:15 AM EDT
Unfortunately, most food supplies post-zed would be unreliable, so it would be hard enough getting food, let alone nutritious and healthy food.The best way would be to have a large garden ready to grow food, and a large stockpile. People are going to stockpile bullets and basic food supplies, but I hope they don't forget their fruits and vegetables... On another note, where are people going to get dairy products? Do you find this valuable? |
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TurnAndBurn |
8. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 3:19 AM EDT
I cringe as I type this but there are powdered milks out there with very respectable shelf lives. These can be used in much the same way a 'fresh' milk although the taste is a far cry from it.
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btc48wpq |
9. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 3:24 AM EDT
"I cringe as I type this but there are powdered milks out there with very respectable shelf lives. These can be used in much the same way a 'fresh' milk although the taste is a far cry from it. "Fortunately, many Asian cultures don't consume that many dairy products, so maybe you wouldn't have to resort to powdered milk In addition, some cheeses can last pretty long Do you find this valuable? |
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nativedweller |
10. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 5:58 AM EDT
What bugs me is that people forget that for millions of years almost 4 million years 'people' have been doing this. Everyone will raid the local Tesco or Boots for drugs. When OK the free growing herbs & spices of the world may not have the almost instant properties of modern medicine it still works.if you have a garden full of herbs & regularly take some, dry them out, store them. You could have enough to last for months if not years. Dried herbs weigh nothing yet the properties are amazing. There isn't an antiseptic I think hmm that'd go nice on my steak, yet sprinkle some dried thyme, makes it tasty & good for your teeth. Do you find this valuable? |
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nativedweller |
11. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 6:37 AM EDT
One of the good ones that you can live on should you be able to find enough are Dandelion leaves. Yes they are weeds, which is a good thing, makes then tough & over millions of years they've managed to cover the globe. Dandelion leaves are extremely nutritious - Firstly they can be a good source of water being 85% They have the following vitamins - B1 B2 B3 B5 B6, C E & K. Also have the following minerals - Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium & Zinc. Also a good source of Carbs, sugar & fiber.. You could literally live off of this stuff, the root is also edible (see see wiki for preparation) so not only can it keep you alive, it tastes a little like lettuce & you will find this in the toughest of places. Easy to spot by the big yellow flower, or the white seed bobble on the head of the stem although by the time it's gone to seed the leaves may taste a little bitter. The roots never grow very deep maybe upto 6 inches. Do you find this valuable? |
nate121 |
12. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 10:10 AM EDT
| Post edited: Jul 7 2011, 10:15 AM EDT
Tea made from the needles of most cone bearing trees (white and red pine, cedar family, hemlock, spruce) contain plenty of vitamin c,http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/a-native-american-cure-for-scurvy/ animal blood can be used in cooking, it contains many vitamins as well as salt EDIT: hemlock the tree, not to be confused with water hemlock, which is poisonous Do you find this valuable? |
Markthegenius |
13. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 2:27 PM EDT
Personally, I don't see a problem with having a small stockpile of seeds. I have several, including: carrot, potato, different types of onion, rhubarb, cherry, apple, radish, lettuce and strawberry.I reckon they would be enough to stop any significant health problems from lack of nutrition, even if my current food supply had barely any vitamins. and Nate121 is correct, animal blood has a lot of vitamins in. It can be left to congeal and cooked. Milk also contains nearly everything, bar Vitamin C, which i think can be obtained from blood. There are tribes in africa which live almost solely off cow's blood and cow's milk @nativedweller, this spring i noticed a huge surge in the amount of dandelions. I'm not a botanist of plant enthusiast, it's just something I'm sure has changed a lot recently. I don't know if it comes in cycles, or the dandelion population is just soaring. Do you find this valuable? |
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TurnAndBurn |
14. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 4:05 PM EDT
Another unattractive animal product would be to eat the marrow out of their bones. Some survival types also say that stomach contents of certain animals can be edible but I would hesitate to try that out unless I was literally starving.
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nativedweller |
15. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 5:57 PM EDT
I've not noticed the dandelion population, I like the idea about animals blood, again a novice hunter like myself would have problems having a successful catch.. I can fish with nothing more than a stick a string & a few worms. It's just good to know that food is everywhere. This is something you could do now, find a few bug out locations, plant some fruits & edible plants that need little looking after but then nothing too big that the local council will dig up & bin it. At least you know that there is something there should you need to bolt. Do you find this valuable? |
timberrattler |
16. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 6:21 PM EDT
"I cringe as I type this but there are powdered milks out there with very respectable shelf lives. These can be used in much the same way a 'fresh' milk although the taste is a far cry from it. "http://www.diversifiedfoods.com/ShelfStableMilk.htm Shelf stable milk is an alternitive to powdered milk. It will last for several months and tastes the exact same as regular milk. Once its opened its just like regular milk and needs to be refridgerated. We keep a couple of gallons in our pantry just in case we get snowed in. When it nears experation date we usually buy two more gallons and use the older shelf stable milk up. Do you find this valuable? |
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nativedweller |
17. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 6:38 PM EDT
You can also get condensed milk in cans, obviously once opened it's gotta be used up.. Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. Thank you google.
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OutlawJames |
18. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 7 2011, 11:05 PM EDT
"One of the good ones that you can live on should you be able to find enough are Dandelion leaves. Yes they are weeds, which is a good thing, makes then tough & over millions of years they've managed to cover the globe.The flowers of the dandelion are edible before they blossom. Also if you dig up the roots and toast them and grind them, you can brew a coffee like drink from it. Do you find this valuable? |
Redrighthand |
19. RE: Where to get your vitamins when the crap hits the fan.
Jul 8 2011, 6:49 AM EDT
"You can also get condensed milk in cans, obviously once opened it's gotta be used up.. Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. Thank you google."Ahhh, sweetened condensed milk. Many happy memories of hiking through the bush as a teenager, happily sucking away at army surplus sweetened condensed milk tubes. Mmmm... @ btc48wpq: Erm, from cows? Seriously, already my cousin is making her first batch of camembert style cheese as we speak. Can't wait for it to cure. Milk came from her own Jersey. Do you find this valuable? |
