Home Packing a Survival Bag: Food and Drink
In my Survival Bag, I have already packed
1. my emergency foil blanket, plus silk sheet-bag and a sleeping bag.
2. a mosquito head net and a tube of aloe vera
3. my clothing
3. my clothing
Today I will pack Food and Drink containers
These are the foods that I would choose - each person would choose differently!
*2 empty 1L plastic bottles
(to be filled with water if my emergency bag is about to be used)
*6 Table sp chia seeds in a container
*6 Table sp fenugreek seeds in a container
*gauze(e.g. handkerchief) & rubber band for seed sprouting (seeds can be soaked/sprouted in one of the 1L drinking bottles or chia seeds can simply be made into chia water 1 tablesp chia seeds per 1 litre water, soaked overnight and drunk through the day)
*100 gm dark chocolate x2
*2 cups instant oats and salt
(oats can simply be soaked overnight and eaten without cooking if necessary)
*nuts
*cranberries in self-sealing packet
*125g tin John West mackerel
*130 g tin John West no drain tuna chunks
The following article from http://www.chia4life.com.au/chia/athletes/
will show readers why I have chosen chia as an emergency ration.
Garden plus Sprouting Seeds
Do click on the following video on sprouting seeds!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoaIpZZfcFc
Today I will:
1. Rinse 1/2 cup fenugreek seeds which I bought at Meleny IGA;
2. Place them in a jar, cover with cool boiled water, then cover the jar with cheesecloth secured with a rubber band;
3. Leave the jar overnight.
Tomorrow, I will:
*Tip the jar upside down to empty the water, while leaving the cheesecloth secured;
*Rinse the seeds well by filling jar with water and emptying the water;
*Tilt the jar facing downwards on the kitchen drainer so that excess water drains;
*Rinse the seeds/sprouts with water twice a day, putting the jar back on the drainer at an angle.
When the sprouts are grown sufficiently, I will rinse them again and store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and eat them within 3 days to receive their nourishing content.
(to be filled with water if my emergency bag is about to be used)
*6 Table sp chia seeds in a container
*6 Table sp fenugreek seeds in a container
*gauze(e.g. handkerchief) & rubber band for seed sprouting (seeds can be soaked/sprouted in one of the 1L drinking bottles or chia seeds can simply be made into chia water 1 tablesp chia seeds per 1 litre water, soaked overnight and drunk through the day)
*100 gm dark chocolate x2
*2 cups instant oats and salt
(oats can simply be soaked overnight and eaten without cooking if necessary)
*nuts
*cranberries in self-sealing packet
*125g tin John West mackerel
*130 g tin John West no drain tuna chunks
The following article from http://www.chia4life.com.au/chia/athletes/
will show readers why I have chosen chia as an emergency ration.
Implementing chia seeds in your diet everyday and drinking chia water during competition will give you a noticeable edge in your performance. Not only will you notice that you have more energy during competition you will notice that afterward you’re no where near as tired as you were before using chia. This noticeable difference is found in all sports but more so in sports where you’re pushing your body to the brink.
By starting your day with a glass of chia seeds mixed in water you prepare the body for what’s to come and by using chia seeds in water during you continue to feed the body what it needs to keep going. Chia’s ability to hold water will keep you hydrated and retain electrolytes in body fluids longer especially during exertion more so than water or sports drinks and its all done 100% naturally.
Whether you’re a weekend or pro cyclist, runner, triathlete or you’re playing football, cricket or golf you’ll notice the difference of adding chia to your diet. Chia seeds are 100% natural and contain the highest known plant source of Omega-3, with more than 20% protein (providing all the essential amino acids), 600 mg calcium, 320 mg magnesium, 750 mg phosphorous and 670 mg potassium in only 100 grams of chia seed.
In 1998, Cirildo Chacarito, a 52 year old Tarahumara Indian from the Copper Canyon region of Mexico, won a 200 mile run in California sponsored by a major athletic shoe company. He beat a field of hundreds of competitors who had more than a half-hour head start.
The amazing thing about this is Cirildo competed against some of the world’s best young endurance runners. He didn’t have the fancy running equipment and hi-tech training that the others had; he didn’t even train for the event himself. He arrived in a native home-made pair of sandals. What did Cirildo do that the pros didn’t do? He ate chia before and during the race. Something his ancestors have been doing for centuries. They knew that eating chia seeds gave them the energy and endurance to keep going without feeling tired.
How does chia do what it does? Today we know some of the reasons why it works. Chia seeds absorb around 9 times their weight in water. This forms a gel around each seed that causes a slow release of carbohydrates as well as slow conversion of carbohydrates into sugar for energy.
Chia seeds are very rich in essential fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 and supply many of the raw materials for forming the walls of cells, making the cells soft and pliable. This makes it easy for oxygen and nutrients to supply energy to the body and assists exit of carbon dioxide and wastes.
Chia seeds also contain protein, essential amino acids, fibre, calcium and other major minerals that are important to athletes where super energy and endurance is needed for competitive events.
All of the feedback we’ve received from athletes has been great! Here are some of the things we have been hearing:
Gold Coast Marathon runner: "I used the chia in a back pack, but it was really weird. I had my glass in the morning about 45 minutes before the start like you suggested. Then when I was running I was taking small sips every couple of kms - at least I thought I was. I was never hungry at any stage or felt flat. At about 40 km one of my girlfriends grabbed the camelback from me and when I got home I was surprised that it was still about 3/4 full! I couldn't believe it. Here we are three days later and I don't feel too bad, having a very easy week, as you can imagine. Compared to some of the other people, I seem to be ahead in the recovery ."
Garden plus Sprouting Seeds
Do click on the following video on sprouting seeds!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoaIpZZfcFc
Today I will:
1. Rinse 1/2 cup fenugreek seeds which I bought at Meleny IGA;
2. Place them in a jar, cover with cool boiled water, then cover the jar with cheesecloth secured with a rubber band;
3. Leave the jar overnight.
Tomorrow, I will:
*Tip the jar upside down to empty the water, while leaving the cheesecloth secured;
*Rinse the seeds well by filling jar with water and emptying the water;
*Tilt the jar facing downwards on the kitchen drainer so that excess water drains;
*Rinse the seeds/sprouts with water twice a day, putting the jar back on the drainer at an angle.
When the sprouts are grown sufficiently, I will rinse them again and store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and eat them within 3 days to receive their nourishing content.
Isabel Shippard, who lives on her herb farm in Nambour, a little distance from our home on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, encourages us to grow, to harvest and to store seeds for SPROUTING -
or to purchase our seeds in bulk and then store them for sprouting.
Sprouts are an amazing source of protein, energy and vitality.
No other plant source supplies us with so much life force as there is in sprouts!
Seed are packed with concentrated nutrients, and when sprouted release enzymes, vitamins and minerals for the explosion of growth and energy, which we can eat at peak of vitality.
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/about-isabells-sprout-book.html
If purchased in bulk and stored for sprouting, seeds must be regularly used and replaced to ensure seed will always be viable for sprouting… rice bean – 25% protein (seeds can be viable 10 years), chia - 30% protein, pigeon pea - 25% protein, amaranth (viable 4-5 yrs), chickpea, lentils, fenugreek, peas (viable 2-3 yr), corn and other grains (viable 2-5 yr), buckwheat, sunflower (viable 3-5 yr), brassicas (viable 2-4 yr), pepitas, sesame, alfalfa, mung beans, adzuki beans, broad beans and many other kinds of beans (viable 2-5 yr)…
Why sprout?
Many people find they cannot tolerate grains, seeds, nuts and legumes, or products such as breads, cakes or bean dishes made from them. Do you suffer from indigestion, flatulence, heaviness and other maladies after eating them?
Grains/seeds and legumes/beans contain enzyme inhibitors, which keep them dormant until they are soaked and start to sprout. They also contain phytic acid (an organic acid in which phosphorous is bound) in the outer layer or bran, and a variety of toxins to protect them from being eaten by mammals, including humans. These enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid and other toxins make dry grains, seeds and legumes indigestible. Phytic acid also reacts with many essential minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc, and stops their absorption in your intestines.
Early humans did not evolve with grains or legumes as part of their diet. It is only in the last 10,000 years since the advent of agriculture, that humans have started to eat them. I emphasise in Grow Youthful that grains and legumes are a new food and that the human body has not fully adapted to digesting them. No other primate eats them.
Soaking neutralises the enzyme inhibitors present in dry grains, seeds and legumes, and starts the production of numerous beneficial enzymes. As they soak, the enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms break down and neutralise the phytic acid. As little as seven hours soaking in water removes most of the phytic acid. Soaking, fermenting and sprouting also breaks down gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins into simpler components that are more easily absorbed. However, not all toxins are removed, with wheat and some legumes (see below) being the worst affected.
A diet with grains or legumes that have not been sprouted or soaked can lead to serious mineral deficiencies, bone loss, and digestive problems such as reflux, bloating, food allergies, irritable bowel and other forms of weak digestion.
Breads and other products made from flour that has not been risen or soaked for at least seven hours have a similar effect. Most commercial breads, pastries, biscuits etc are made from un-soaked flour.
Commercially baked bread made from milled dry grains and fast acting yeast is prepared and baked in less than a few hours. Nolactobacilli are involved, only one strain of yeast is used, and the conditions are not suitable for neutralising enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid. These breads are hard to digest.
Sprouts. The toxins in many legumes do not appear in their sprouts. Sprouts are a living, enzyme-rich food, natural and low in calories. Their vitamin A content will usually double, various B group vitamins will be 5 - 10 times higher, and vitamin C will increase by a similar order. Their protein content becomes easily digestible, and rich new nutrients such as enzymes and phytochemicals are created. They contain significant amounts of bio-available calcium, iron and zinc.
When a dormant seed sprouts, its starch is converted into simple sugars, and long chain proteins are split into smaller, easily-digestible molecules. Sprouted beans and seeds are like a pre-digested food.
What you can sprout
Most seeds sprout easily, as do many legumes. Nuts are more difficult to sprout.
Fresh, alive seeds in good condition sprout the best. If a seed will not sprout, this is an indication that it is "dead" and the enzymes in it have been destroyed. It may be old, rancid, cooked, irradiated, sprayed or physically broken or damaged.
My best sprouting results have been with garbanzo beans (chickpeas), wheat and rye berries, sunflower seeds and mung beans. This may be a reflection of the local conditions and suppliers.
You should treat raw legumes with caution. Chickpeas (also known as Garbanzo beans) are the most digestible of the beans. When sprouted with 1-2 cm tails, most of their enzyme inhibitors are inactivated. This is why they are the most widely used raw bean in several traditional cuisines, particularly around the Mediterranean as a base for humus. However, I personally would never eat raw beans (raw sprouts are OK).
Mung beans make an excellent sprout, used widely in Chinese cooking. However, they primarily use the sprouts and not the beans, and the sprouts are often stir-fried.
Soy and kidney bean sprouts are toxic and should be avoided. Sprouted lentils, black eyed beans, partridge peas, peanuts and vetch retain phytates which cause poor digestion and gas.
Alfalfa sprouts are mildly toxic - do not eat them every day, and avoid them if you are a cancer patient, have a weak immune system or suffer from inflammation.
Most raw sprouts contain hemagglutinins, which inhibit the absorption of proteins and fats. The worst are soybeans and kidney beans, followed by Pinto, Navy, Black eye, Lima, Black beans, Aduki (Adzuki) beans, lentils and peas. Hemagglutinins are destroyed by cooking.
Some people are more sensitive to raw sprouted legumes, and need to cook them. This is no reason to avoid the nutritious and enzyme-rich sprouts of other seeds.
How to sprout
First, pick through and discard any broken, mouldy, discoloured or disfigured seeds. In particular, try to remove black, dark brown or green coloured mouldy seeds. They can contain harmful toxins that you would want to avoid, whether you are sprouting or cooking them.
Next, soak them. To sprout a grain, seed or bean, first wash them and then soak them in cool to tepid, filtered or spring water. Soaking time varies between 4 and 12 hours, depending on the size and hardness of the seed. Large hard beans such as garbanzo beans need 12 hours, whereas small soft seeds like buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa and many vegetable seeds only need 4 hours. Rinse them and change the water every couple of hours while they soak.
Successful sprouting depends on a number of factors including:
- The freshness of the seeds and how "alive" they are. Many seeds, especially if they have been imported, have been irradiated. Others are just old.
- Whether the seeds are broken, discoloured or chemically treated.
- The water's pH, mineral and salt content.
- The water's temperature. Cold climate grains such as oats can even be sprouted in your refrigerator.
Keep them damp. After the initial soaking, keep the seeds damp. I put them in a large sieve, and rinse them under the tap a couple of times a day. You can also put them in a jar, with a piece of material over the top, tied on with a string or rubber band. The seeds need to be kept damp and aired, but not wet, otherwise there is a chance of mould or spoiling. Some seeds, such as sunflower, start to sprout in a few hours. Others take more than a day. Within 2-5 days bigger seeds, nuts and beans are ready. They are ready when the root (not the shoot, which is longer) is the length of the seed.
I have had sprouts starting in 8 hours using top quality sunflower seeds. At the other extreme, large cannelloni beans can take two or more days to begin.
Keep your sprouting seeds and grains out of full sunlight. Natural light is OK, but full sunlight will encourage leafing.
Using sprouts
Try keeping two containers of sprouts in your fridge, especially in the summer. Sprouts are the base for all sorts of delectable pates and raw food recipes, and provide a colourful and living addition to any dish - particularly salads.
Use a variety of different sprouts such as alfalfa, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), lentils, mung beans, peas and sunflowers. Keep changing which beans you use, so that your body is not exposed to using the same sprout for days or weeks at a time.
Keep a written note on which you find digest the best, or which have any side-effects. Try lightly cooking the less-digestible raw sprouts in stir-fry's; the light cooking makes them much more digestible.
Sprouts have the greatest nutrient activity of all raw foods because in effect, sprouts are still in the process of growing and therefore at the peak of their Life Force. Sprouts can be called a 'super food' as they contain enormous levels of proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, chlorophyll pigments and enzymes.
Scientific studies have shown that the nutrient content in sprouted food can rise from 50-2000 per cent! A study conducted at the Yale University found for example that B vitamins increase in sprouts by as much as 2000 per cent! A research at the University of Pennsylvania reported that the general average vitamin increase in sprouts lays at around 500 per cent. The body also absorbs nutrients more easily from sprouts and they are easily digested. So sprout as much as you like and eat as many sprouts as you can. Add sprouts into juices and salads. Sprouting is easy and cheap and will help to maintain your perfect health along with fresh fruits and vegetables!
How to sprout easily at home
All you need is a large empty jam jar, a piece of cheesecloth, rubber band, fresh water and some dried seeds or beans. Alternatively you can purchase a sprouting tray kit in a Garden Center or Health Food store. Sprouting kits cost approximately $30 Australian and are a little bit easier to use, especially if you are sprouting lots of sprouts at the same time.If you are using a sprouting tray system follow the instructions that come along with the kit.
Some sprouts are tastier and easier to digest if the hulls are removed. When you rinse lentil or mung bean sprouts for example for the last time put them into a large bowl. Then run water over them squeezing the sprouts to remove the hulls. Soaking the sprouts in warm water for a while also helps to remove unwanted hulls.
Some Examples:
Seed: adzuki beans
Soaking Time (hrs): 4-5
Sprouting Time (days): 3-5
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 2-3 cups
Seed: alfalfa
Soaking Time (hrs): 4-6
Sprouting Time (days): 3-5
Quantity: 3 tbsp.
Yield: 3 cups
Seed: barley
Soaking Time (hrs): 8-10
Sprouting Time (days): 3-4
Quantity: _ cu
Yield: 1 cup
Seed: most beans
Soaking Time (hrs): 8-10
Sprouting Time (days): 3-5
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 3-4 cups
Seed: buckwheat
Soaking Time (hrs): 4-6
Sprouting Time (days): 2-3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 2-4 cups
Seed: chickpeas
Soaking Time (hrs): 10-12
Sprouting Time (days): 3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 3 cups
Seed: corn
Soaking Time (hrs): 8-10
Sprouting Time (days): 2-3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 2 cups
Seed: green peas
Soaking Time (hrs): 10-12
Sprouting Time (days): 3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 2 cups
Seed: lentils
Soaking Time (hrs): 6-8
Sprouting Time (days): 3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 3-4 cups
Seed: millet
Soaking Time (hrs): 6-8
Sprouting Time (days): 3-4
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 1 _ cups
Seed: mung beans
Soaking Time (hrs): 8-10
Sprouting Time (days): 3-5
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 3-4 cups
Seed: most nuts *
Soaking Time (hrs): 8-12
Sprouting Time (days): 3-5
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 1 _ cups
Seed: onion
Soaking Time (hrs): 4-6
Sprouting Time (days): 2-3
Quantity: 1 tbsp.
Yield: 1 cup
Seed: pumpkinseeds
Soaking Time (hrs): 6-8
Sprouting Time (days): 3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 1 _ cups
Seed: quinoa
Soaking Time (hrs): 4-6
Sprouting Time (days): 2-3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 2 _ cups
Seed: rice
Soaking Time (hrs): 8-10
Sprouting Time (days): 3-4
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 1 _ cups
Seed: rye
Soaking Time (hrs): 8-10
Sprouting Time (days): 3-4
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 2 _ cups
Seed: sesame seeds
Soaking Time (hrs): 4-6
Sprouting Time (days): 3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 1 _ cups
Seed: sunflower seeds
Soaking Time (hrs): 6-8
Sprouting Time (days): 1-3
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 1 _ cups
Seed: soybeans
Soaking Time (hrs): 10-12
Sprouting Time (days): 4-6
Quantity: 1 cup
Yield: 2 _ cups
* To sprout nuts you should soak them over night in water before you sprout them as any other seed. Nuts only sprout if they have definitely not been heated, they have to be raw to be successful.
May we appreciate the health benefits from eating sprouts
from Robyn
painting of robin by Brenda, my mum.