Rabbit Starvation

      These days, many folks are learning how to prepare for disasters. One of those things that you must have to survive is food. What I am about to tell you will probably surprise…even shock you.

 

       We are all aware that in times of plenty, a diverse diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and meat and legumes is optimal. And with the past several decades of health awareness and concerns over obesity, many of us have opted for healthier, leaner diets. This approach makes sense when we are able to refuel our bodies with a quick trip to the refrigerator or a run to the store. But, no matter how healthy we strive to be, the kicker is that our diets must also include fats. 60 Grams per day to be exact, and it isn’t an option if our plan is to stay healthy. This is the reason why food storage plans often suggest storing canned fish like tuna fish and sardines that are packed in oil rather than water.
      Likewise, items like peanut butter, mayonnaise, virgin olive oil, coconut oil, corn, whole grains, cheese, milk, eggs, chocolate, brown rice, nuts, and freeze-dried and canned meats (including beef, ham & chicken) are popular food items to include in a long-term food storage plan because they provide the necessary fats and calories we need to stay healthy. In the midst of a full-on crisis, it may be unrealistic to expect to be able to eat perfectly balanced meals, or the exact amount of protein, fruits and vegetables we would like to eat, but as preppers we can look down the road to anticipated problems and prepare for them. That’s why it’s important to prepare today for survival tomorrow, and food storage reserves should include fruits vegetables, fats and protein–including the fish and game we need. Having said that, there are many who also plan on harvesting game for food. Since rabbits are very common, it stands to reason that it will probably become the number one target for food. But rabbit meat is some of the leanest meat you can get. Rabbit eaters, if they have no fat from another source – beaver, moose, or fish – will develop diarrhea in about a week, with headache, lassitude, a vague discomfort. If there are enough rabbits, the people will eat till their stomachs are distended; but no matter how much they eat they feel unsatisfied.
      Luckily, there are several options to combat Rabbit Starvation…also called Protein Poisoning. Be sure to stock a selection of foods that will provide fats to your diet. When putting aside seed for gardening (we should all be doing this in case food storage runs out), make sure to include corn seed and whole grains that offer the fat we need in our diets. The Indians of the north hunted older reindeer bucks, because they carried an enormous slab of back fat that could weigh up to 50 pounds. They then made pemmican by mixing fat with meat in a proportion of one-to-one by volume. By caloric content, the pemmican amounted to 80% of mostly saturated fat calories to 20% protein calories. And don’t forget – among the northern Indians, cancer and heart disease were nonexistent. Anyone who is compelled to live for several weeks on little but lean meat will actually experience rabbit starvation.
      Without fat or carbohydrates, it will make no difference the quantity of meat ingested. You will be hungry after every meal and will lose strength or become ill. Here's the problem: the body can only supply roughly 1000 calories per day through a protein-only diet because the liver is only capable of producing 250 grams of glucose from protein, no matter how much protein you eat.  So, you will still feel hungry, and you'll eat more. Unfortunately, your liver will start struggling and failing to convert the ammonia into urea (not enough ATP) so the ammonia will reenter your blood stream.  This starts messing with your nervous system.  
      A lean meat diet, on the other hand cannot be tolerated; it leads to nausea in as little as three days, symptoms of starvation and ketosis in a week to ten days, severe debilitation in twelve days and possibly death in just a few weeks. A high-fat diet, however, is completely healthy for a lifetime. All of the hoopla that the media puts out about how a low carb diet is bad on the kidneys stems from the excess protein, not the high fat content. You cannot eat your fill of just lean proteins. You must add fat to keep you healthy.
      Also a higher fat content ensures weight loss too. And BTW, supposing you have nothing but rabbits on which to survive, you would do well to eat everything edible of the rabbit, not just the meat. Eat the liver, kidneys, the fat around the kidneys, and the brains. Crack the bones and eat the marrow. Singe off the fur and eat the skin as well. Don't let this gross you out – if you're alone and starved, you'll be grateful for the nourishment.  And while you’re at it, surely you should be able to find some fresh dandelions or edible greens to add to your fare.  By this method you should be able to eat somewhat more fat and carbs, and at least stave off the rabbit starvation for a considerable length of time. Feel free to leave comments and Please hit the “Like” button on this post.