We all know that we should eat well, but what is “eating well” exactly? Thankfully, this isn’t like other topics where people get very philosophical about it!
Most experts agree that your diet can have a substantial effect on your overall health and wellness. So, how do you determine if someone’s eating style is healthy or not?
Here, we will talk about some of the basics: fruits, vegetables, protein, carbs, and fat.
Making sure each of these macronutrients (food sources of energy) makes up at least 10% of your daily intake is an excellent way to start. By doing so, you are meeting your body’s nutritional needs and giving it the necessary fuel it requires to function properly.
By having enough nutrients in your system, you can help prevent disease and strengthen your immune system.
You need water
We all know that we should never be without water because it is essential for life, but what many do not realize is how much water they actually have in their body. Most people assume that since they drink two glasses of water per day then they are drinking enough water, but no one ever tells you how much water your body needs!
The average person needs at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, most people do not meet this requirement due to poor thirst control or lack of knowledge about how much water they need.
Drinking too little water can result in dehydration which leads to headaches, lightheadedness, fatigue, and even death. Drinking too much water can also cause health problems such as stomach ulcers or vomiting. By knowing how much water you need, you will be more conscious of your fluid intake and avoid these risks.
Something important to remember is that although it is recommended to consume eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, some individuals may feel thirsty even when they have had adequate amounts of water. This could be caused by something else you are eating or drinking. Make sure to check out your skin to see if it looks dry or flaky like hay, and test yourself by having a small amount of food – maybe a few bites of something sweet to see if you are hungry.
Another way to determine whether you are drinking enough liquid is to weigh yourself daily.
You need shelter
Surviving does not mean staying outside until you find a safe place to live or buying expensive equipment that will help only later when supplies of food run out.
Shelter is something we take for granted, but it can make all the difference between living and dying in an emergency.
If someone was trying hard to kill you, they would go after your shelter first. By this, I mean if there’s a house next door, they would try to break into yours rather than risk running into people inside or chasing you down in theirs.
Likewise, if a bear were to attack you, it would probably chase its prey away by eating everything in its path. So keep an eye on your neighbors and don’t run with your wallet or phone because maybe now they know where you keep your keys!
Drill some basic survival techniques
We have organized many different types of shelters over the years depending on what environment we lived in. With technology being more advanced these days, you can easily learn how to build or improve upon those structures.
By knowing how to do this, you will be able to either use them effectively during an outbreak or even just as a way to protect yourself from unexpected disasters. These include protecting your home or workplace self-defense skills, knowing how to shoot using various guns, and knowing first aid.
You need sleep
We often take our daily lives for granted, but your survival depends on how well you manage your sleep. Sleeping six to eight hours per night is an ideal amount of sleep for most people.
Too little sleep can impair your cognition (the way you process information), increase stress levels, and decrease blood glucose or sugar levels. All of these affect what you eat and contribute to weight gain.
You also use about one-third of your body’s total supply of oxygen while sleeping, which helps keep your muscles healthy. If you don’t get enough, you may develop chronic health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
In very severe cases, lack of sleep can be deadly. People who go without sleep for more than 48 hours almost always suffer from symptoms including hallucinations and cognitive impairment.
Fortunately, research shows that sleep hygiene — ways to improve your sleep quality — is effective in helping anyone achieve their goal of seven to nine good nights of sleep a week. These include avoiding alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and foods that contain carbs or fat just two hours before bedtime, limiting screen time right up until bedtime, and establishing a sleep schedule.
If needed, try going to bed at around the same time every day and wake up at the same time every morning to see if it helps.
Things You Need to Survive in the Wild
Surviving in the wilderness is a lot more complicated than going without food or water for a few hours. Fortunately, there are some basic needs we all have that help ensure our survival in the wild.
Many of us take these for granted, but they make the difference between living or dying in unfamiliar territory. Luckily, knowing what these basics are can save your life!
The five main components of human survival include: air, water, shelter, nutrition and communication. All of these essentials work together to keep us alive, and figuring out which ones we have and how much of each one we have is important.
Air is probably the most obvious requirement. We must breathe oxygen to live, so making sure we know how to do this is crucial. Also known as breathing, this is something everyone has, even if they don’t use it every day.
Knowing how to identify fresh air sources such as running streams or caves is very helpful when exploring the wilderness. Having adequate breathable air is only half of a successful breathing session, though- being able to control how much you consume is just as important.
Water is another key component to life. Being aware of how much we have is an essential part of staying hydrated.
WATER PURIFYING
Having enough water is one of the most important things for your survival in an emergency or natural disaster. Unfortunately, many people do not have access to adequate amounts of water due to lack of resources or availability.
In some cases, there may be running water, but it is either unsafe to drink or doesn’t contain enough nutrients to help restore your body’s balance. In these situations, boiling the water is your best bet since it removes chemical components such as sodium and chloride.
You can also purchase purified bottled water which has added chemicals to make it more palatable. Either one will help meet your basic needs!
Another way to get extra hydration is to simply suck fresh water out of plants and fruits. Plants take up large quantities of liquid so if possible, try to consume those products. Some of the better known plant sources of fluid include cucumbers, tomatoes, and oranges.
Thirsty? Check our list of easy ways to enjoy 10 delicious new drinking recipes.
If you don’t like eating plants, then at least go outside and look into the sky. Rain contains almost half its weight in moisture so flushing all that water down your throat would probably satisfy your thirst.
One small problem though, rain usually comes with lightning which could hurt or even kill you. So staying indoors where you can protect yourself from lightning strikes is your best option until this storm passes.
MAN NEEDS FIRE
We often take fire for granted, but just because we can go through our lives without seeing or experiencing a large scale disaster doesn’t mean that we aren’t in danger of being burned out by it.
In an era where technology is constantly advancing at lightning speed, there’s always something new coming around the bend. People have become increasingly dependent upon these advances so much so that when something goes down, they’re totally out of luck.
We live in what some would describe as a “fire sale” economy. A lot of people are rushing into debt to buy everything from TVs to houses, which only adds more fuel to the flames since now there’s even MORE stuff burning up.
Fire has played a significant role in human history, both negatively and positively. Negatively, it can be deadly, but also created many of our most important treasures such as stone and pottery. Positively, it helps us produce energy and grow food, two essential components to living.
So whether it’s due to natural disasters or over-consumerism, we should try to appreciate the beauty and power of nature’s fires.
SMALL BUT MIGHTY TOOLS
Having the right tools for your survival can make a huge difference in your daily life. These days, with technology advancing at a lightning speed, having the appropriate equipment is more important than ever.
If you’re reading this article, then you already know that surviving a disaster doesn’t just mean being prepared to eat and drink for three months, it includes knowing how to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Having the proper gear can help you feel some sort of control during an emergency or crisis situation, giving you the chance to assess what needs to be done next. It also helps you focus on something other than trying to stay alive.
A little extra money can go a long way when it comes to buying necessary survival supplies. There are many online resources where you can find low cost (or even free) items. You don’t necessarily have to spend a large amount of money either; sometimes those one-off products are the most valuable ones.
SHELTER BUILDING SKILLS
Surviving doesn’t mean staying in bed all day while eating nothing but soup. It means living life to the fullest, even when there is no full time job or income.
Survival includes learning how to shelter-in-place for up to a week at a time, knowing what foods are edible and how to prepare them, and understanding basic first aid.
These skills can help you be more self reliant, which is an important survival tip. Even if you don’t feel like leaving your house, these practices will give you some extra strength.