For any prepper, the simplest and most secure possibility for diet in a SHTF situation is a MRE, or Meals, Able to Eat.
However have you ever ever puzzled what the consequences in your physique can be for those who ate solely MREs for 30 days? I did. So, I did it.
This text is all about that have the place I share with you the ins and outs, or the wrestle with the outs if you understand what I imply.
Why Do This?
For any prepper, analysis and planning is of utmost significance. The very last thing you need is to be pressured to determine one thing out throughout a SHTF situation when correct analysis and preparation beforehand may imply the distinction between life and demise.
And very similar to lots of you, my storage is full of MREs I’ve stockpiled in preparation. So, I assumed why not experiment now so I understand how higher to arrange for that situation when it will get right here?
The Analysis
I didn’t wish to go into this experiment blind. In spite of everything, the navy has been forcing troopers to stay off these items for many years. Because the MREs I’ve are the identical because the navy makes use of, I began there.
Associated: Food Prepping Skills I Learned in the Military
MREs include, on common, 1300 energy per meal. That, in itself, isn’t dangerous. Nevertheless, there are additionally about 170 grams of carbs, 45 grams of protein, and 50 grams of fats. This made two issues sure for me; One, I would want to drink a ton of water, and two, I would want to up my exercise degree.
The Starting
Earlier than I get into my very own expertise, I do wish to add that not everybody can have the identical expertise as I did.
Present well being and exercise ranges will play a significant position in how your physique responds to persistently consuming MREs. Additionally, the navy doesn’t suggest going extra the 21 days on nothing however MREs. I used to be going 30.
I discovered early on the opposite acronym for MRE, meals refusing to exit. I pleasure myself on the regularity of my bowels. When consuming nothing however MREs, even after doubling my water consumption, I hardly ever had a bowel motion that first week. It obtained to the purpose the place I used to be in ache and contemplated giving up the experiment. Earlier than I did that, I made a decision to do extra analysis.
I discovered two issues I used to be doing mistaken; Though I had doubled my water consumption, I nonetheless wasn’t consuming sufficient, and I wasn’t spreading it out over the day. With that in thoughts, I used to be decided to complete the experiment.
It took a few days however as soon as I used to be getting enough water all through the day, I did begin to have just a little little bit of regularity. (The advice I discovered was that it is best to drink half of your physique weight in ounces. So, for a 200-pound individual, that will be 100 ounces of water.)
Bubble Intestine
Constipation wasn’t the one aspect impact, particularly early on. Going into that second week, I used to be extraordinarily bloated on a regular basis. I anticipated this to a level as a result of quantity of sodium most MREs have, however nothing may have ready me for this. The issue was this made doing any kind of bodily exercise extraordinarily uncomfortable.
That is the place I have to admit I’ll have stepped outdoors the bounds of my very own experiment. I ended up taking some Beano. You already know these commercials, proper? “Take Beano and there’ll beano fuel.” I took some and fortunately it helped, some.
The issue is you might not at all times have entry to medication in a real SHTF situation, however I can assure you Beano has discovered its means into my bug-out bag. You may learn here what different medicines you positively must stockpile earlier than an emergency state of affairs, when entry to medical care will probably be scarce.
Comfort
This was probably the a part of the experiment I used to be trying ahead to essentially the most; not having to fret about deciding what to prepare dinner.
Then there’s the concept of not having to wash the kitchen and all that entails. I realized, although, that even comfort has its worth.
There’s an episode of the Andy Griffith Present the place Andy is invited to eat dinner at three or 4 totally different houses in a single evening. Relatively than offend anybody, he determined to eat at every dinner. Nevertheless, every residence was consuming spaghetti. By the point he obtained to the final dinner, simply trying on the spaghetti made him wish to vomit.
The draw back to my MRE provide is that I didn’t have a lot selection. This was one thing I hadn’t considered when constructing my MRE provide. I simply figured diet was crucial factor, so I wished to make certain I had meals storage. By the point the fourth week rolled round, I used to be eager to vomit simply occupied with consuming that MRE hen alfredo.
⇒ If You Have a Food Stockpile You Need to Learn This
What I began doing was mixing and matching MRE meals. I quickly discovered which gadgets I preferred essentially the most and easily ate these, no matter what number of opened MREs I had. Now, I understand in a SHTF situation, this isn’t superb. However now that I do know that selection is vital, I can alter and make my provide higher in preparation.
Ending the Experiment
To be trustworthy, as I went into the fourth week and the ultimate stretch of my 30-day MRE eating regimen, I felt comparatively good. I wasn’t as common as earlier than, however I felt higher than the primary week.
When day 30 got here, although, I used to be ecstatic. I had been craving a cheeseburger and fries for the final ten days.
So, on day 31 I fulfilled my craving. And I remorse it.
Once I say I obtained sick I imply fluid popping out of each ends, hugging the bathroom type of sick, and I didn’t perceive it in any respect. What I discovered was why the navy limits MRE consumption to 21 days.
To attain the lengthy shelf life MREs are most well-known for, the meals utilized in them is cooked extra totally than a traditional meal can be, and preservatives are added to stop micro organism from rising contained in the pouches.
These preservatives, although, additionally kill the great micro organism your intestine produces. Whereas it doesn’t kill it off fully, what occurs is whenever you return to regular meals after extended utilization of MREs, your intestine doesn’t have sufficient of those good micro organism constructed up and also you get sick.
The teachings I realized from my expertise will probably be invaluable to me when the SHTF situations occur.
Due to my experiment, I now have fiber dietary supplements and different nutritional vitamins to make sure I’m getting the right stability of diet. And, in fact, the Beano. I’ve additionally began stocking quite a lot of MREs to keep away from the chance of burnout.
What I’ve additionally come to understand is that ought to the SHTF situation last more than a couple of days, I’m making discovering another meals provide a prime precedence.
I’ve began researching methods to protect my very own meals by way of dehydration and canning. Maybe you may study from my experiment, too, and higher put together your self and your loved ones.
For these trying to make sure their meals provide in any state of affairs, I extremely suggest testing The Lost Superfoods. This complete information offers invaluable info on over 126 survival meals that may be preserved and saved with out refrigeration for years.
It’s an amazing useful resource that will help you construct a stockpile of nutritious, long-lasting meals, providing you with peace of thoughts when SHTF. Put together now and guarantee your loved ones’s sustenance it doesn’t matter what occurs.
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