Some misconceptions being put out on the tube about nutrition

[bilmac]

First let me state my qualifications, years ago I taught survival to my National Guard unit. I can't remember how I gained the knowledge to do that, but the guard thought I knew enough then to be an instructor. Then after that I was privileged to attend the Air Force arctic survival training in Alaska. That was an excellent course.

What bothers me about the string of Alaskan survival reality shows on the tube lately is that they are misrepresenting the importance of protein in the cold weather survival diet. I suppose all the hunting scenes is nice drama, but protein in the diet is hard to digest and then the amount of energy expended hunting makes the whole process probably a net loss. It takes almost as much energy to break protein down as is gained. They say that you can starve to death eating rabbits if you eat only the lean meat. What they don't say on these shows is that the folks are being sustained on something besides what they kill. Every once in awhile it slips out though. What is needed to provide the energy to survive the cold is carbohydrates, sugar, fat, starch. Eskimos and native indians survive because they use the fat . Even northern fish are heavy in oil. Rabbits are full of fat around the internal organs, but we normally throw that away.

There is much more to say on the subject, but maybe we can get some folks that know more about it than me will share some of the typing burden here.

[Dances with Geoducks]

Cracked wheat can be bought cheap. $15-20 per 25lb bag.
I keep 4 of these in 5gal buckets.
This will counter the effects of eating lots of lean wild meat.

[nodlenor]

Everyone should be aware that there is a lot of misinformation on the internet. Anything put out over the internet should be double checked with a reliable source before it is believed. That includes things on this forum.

[teamnelson]

I've been through the Marine Corps Arctic survival & operations training in the Sierra Nevadas, and then helped teach some reservists in Norway ... I went in fit & buff, and still lost 20lbs in a couple months. Granted we were in tents, cooking and heating with whisper lights, and either snowshoeing or skiing everywhere carrying gear. We were issued 4000 calorie arctic MREs (white wrapper - my favorites) plus two hot meals per day, and everyone lost weight. Then we went to Norway, above the arctic circle, and slowed down a bit but ate norwegian food. Couple things I learned about eating in a cold environment:
- eat constantly. like a stove, you have to keep feeding the flame if you can. Keeps your metabolism going all the time, which keeps you warm. I kept packets of raw (unsalted and unflavored) mixed nuts in my pockets.
- eat fat. norwegian food was fatty; game meats were stewed with the fat, and the fish were fatty.
- eat all the animal you can ... meat not necessarily first. Organs are best, richest in nutrients.

[Almtnman]

A great survival food can consist of a jar of peanut butter (protein) and a small jar of brown sugar to digest the protein of the peanut butter. Some of the trappers in Alaska uses those two items in their survival packs.

[teamnelson]

A great survival food can consist of a jar of peanut butter (protein) and a small jar of brown sugar to digest the protein of the peanut butter. Some of the trappers in Alaska uses those two items in their survival packs.

That's cool, I'll start packing that. How does the brown sugar help the protein digest?

[Hooker]

I remember read bits and pieces out of arctic explorers journals.
These guys were eating up to  two 1/4 pounds sticks of butter with every meal.
Everything they ate was starchy sweet with a high fat content.
That must be why Granny made sure we had a good healthy daily dose of Cod Liver Oil in the winter. ( well either that or she was sadistic yuck )

Pat

[Swampman]

Deer have a lot of fat around their organs too.  I've rendered it many times.

[Almtnman]

A great survival food can consist of a jar of peanut butter (protein) and a small jar of brown sugar to digest the protein of the peanut butter. Some of the trappers in Alaska uses those two items in their survival packs.

That's cool, I'll start packing that. How does the brown sugar help the protein digest?

TN, I got that from some tips from Alaskan trappers that have been trapping in Alaska for 30 to 40 years. It was in the Feb issue of Field & Stream with a story of a trapper there, title of story "The Ultimate Survivor". A good read about survival especially really cold temps and several good tips of what to have in your survival kit. One tip was from a trapper that carried a roll of Duct tape as his only medical item and cut his T shirt up for when he needed a bandage.

BTW, the tip on fatty foods tip was keep peanut butter and brown sugar. You get protein and fat from the peanut butter and the sugar is a source of carbs and helps digest the fat. That tip was from a trapper who had been at it for 36 years and his longest stretch without visiting town was 3 years.

[bilmac]

I've become quite fond lately of Wal-Marts  Mountain Trail Mix. Peanuts almonds cashews raisins and M&Ms. Almost indestructible, and I think it has all the stuff to keep a person going for a long time. Maybe a modern form of pemmican. I keep a bag in the pick up and don't worry about where I will be at lunchtime anymore.

[Almtnman]

bilmac, there lies the problem with your trail mix, it's a food that you want to eat even at lunch time. Here's the reason the Alaskan trapper gave for the peanut butter and brown sugar. "Your survival food should provide lots of calories and be something you won't be tempted to eat just because you're a little hungry."

So you see that trail mix is tempting you to eat it at lunchtime. 

[teamnelson]

Almtnman, there's some wisdom there. My wife packed me about 10# of homemade trail mix for a trip to upper Norway, and I had it half eaten before the bird landed.  My rationale at the time was that the best place to carry food is in you ... but I sure wished I hadn't a couple gazillion miles later on snowshoes.

[Almtnman]

TN, that wasn't my wisdom but it came from a trapper of 36 years in the bush. I like to carry a couple of Snicker candy bars with me when I hunt. I notice that it doesn't take long to dig down into my little hunting bag and pull one out and eat it although I'm not really hungry. It's just in there and the thought of the taste of it gets it used up early on. 

[243dave]

Its all about calories.  You can get them thru carbs, proteins and fats.  The thing is, 1 gram of fat has 9 calories while 1 gram of carbs and proteins only have 4 calories each.  Fat has more than twice the calories as carbs and proteins, so if you have a choice during lean or harsh times a fat rich diet is the best.  The numbers I quoted are not made up, they can be checked in most nutrition books and any chemistry book. The thing is you got to know where and how to get fat.     Dave