Cool videos. I have a to find list. I like that sounds of that Ginger tea. It would be a great thing just to have on hand. Also going to look for the Nido at the Mexican grocer.
This is the particular brand that I swear by - Pocas. Nothing in it but ginger and honey. Period. Texans can get this at Fiesta grocery stores. Other folks may be able to get it at asian markets. Barring that it is available from Amazon: Pocas Premium Instant Ginger Tea with Honey (20 Bags): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food
I could do a world tour. Mexican grocers for Nido and the Asian market for Pocas. I do have a question or would like your thoughts. Salt intake- my husband has high blood pressure so I watch labels. Some say that in a crisis situation that you will be burning more calories etc.. Do you take any of that into consideration? Also, what would you figure the shelf life on the packs that were put together?
Absolutely. Under a crisis situation burning calories=sweat. Sweating = loss of electrolytes. Salt is an electrolyte. Gatorade was invented for athletes and one of the major ingredients is...salt. The other? Potassium. Our bodies rely on electrolytes, most significantly sodium and potassium, to carry the electrical impulses that control our bodily functions. In order for our bodies to function properly, it is important that the concentration of electrolytes in our bodies remain constant. A high concentration of electrolytes in our blood triggers our thirst mechanism, causing us to consume adequate amounts of water to return to the proper concentration of electrolytes. This is one of the reasons bars provide free salty snacks like pretzels and peanuts. The salt causes us to become thirsty and purchase more drinks. When we consume an adequate amount of water, our kidneys are able to keep the concentration of electrolytes in our blood constant by increasing or decreasing the amount of water we retain. The result of our retaining more or less water in our bloodstream can also affect our blood pressure. The water moves beyond our bloodstream, too. Through the process of osmosis, water flows from a lower salinity environment to a higher one in an attempt to balance the levels of salinity. After we consume large amounts of salt, it is the water moving from our bloodstream into our skin that gives us that "puffy" look and makes it hard to get our rings off. Then, when we consume lesser amounts of salt, the same process works in reverse to remove the excess water from our bodies. Also, your water intake needs to go up to compensate for loss of fluids through sweating to keep your interior electrolyte balance in check. Those things in consideration, you can tailor the contents of the meal packs for your husband: the rice, the chicken, and the tuna are low to almost no sodium, as are the instant mashed potatoes. You can avoid the heavy sodium items (some salt is absolutely unavoidable) and substitute anything with a lower salt content. The reason I like doing my meals this way is that ability to 100% control the items that go in. Another thing to consider is designing his meals after the DASH diet: As for bread and bread-like items - the 99cent Only store has a small loaf of melba toast - the individual pieces are 3.5" on a side and .25-.75" thick. You can take these exceptionally dry bread toast slices and vacuum seal a few slices before they are slid into the meal. Dried fruit can provide the fruit servings, and nuts are always a great choice. As for expiration dates on the meals - I always err on the side of caution. I examine every constituent item, and make note of their expiration date. I select the item with the shortest expiration date, note that on my "menu sheet" - minus 2 weeks and that is the date I set for the expiration of the meal. Please note that most canned goods and retort packed goods do not have an "expiration date" per se, they have a date placed on them by law. Most canned and retort pouched goods are nutritionally sound and still edible years after the "expiration dates" printed on them. On top of that I vacuum seal my meal bags, which helps in preserving the goods inside. One last major caveat - these meal packs are much like MREs as they not intended to be the only source of food for an extended period of time. these are intended for 3 days to 7 days of consumption as the sole source of nutrition/caloric intake. For someone camping, more than adequate. Bugging out, or getting through a major disaster, these should serve to get your through. Sorry about the long reply, I just want to be very clear.
