Survival For Me & Survival For Us

In many parts of the world there are already food shortages and we do not know what lies ahead. You might want to bulk-buy and store seeds, peas, lentils, grains and nuts, all sprouting quality of course. Then you can have living food during a crisis.

Increasing numbers of people have serious health issues such as cancer, diabetes and obesity at younger ages. They doubt their chances of a normal lifespan in which they have the strength and vitality to carry out plans for making contributions to life with their families and on a bigger scale.

All this can feel scary and deeply unsettling. How can little “me” make a difference to “us” as a human race and to our fellow species of life? Like you, I do not have all the answers, and, probably like you, I have been thinking about this for a long time.

I have come to the conclusion that what I do for my personal survival, how I help those close to me and how I affect life on a bigger scale are so interrelated that they amount to practically the same thing. What I can do for myself will help others and what I do for others will help me.

Here are three examples:

Recycling plastics, cans and paper gives me a good feeling because I know it is important to us.

Eating healthy raw vegan food gives me the strength and vitality to spread cheerfulness and to make unique contributions to “us” through my work and personal life.

Staying abreast of world issues enables me to use my vote wisely and to be one of a growing number of people willing to make a stand for the environment and human rights. That gives me a feeling of power that strengthens my self-esteem.

Try sorting out “me” and “us” in those examples. There is little point because life is so interconnected.

Wild Foraged Foods

It is also wise to get to know the wild plant foods in your area so that you can forage to augment what you have or, at worst, stave off starvation.

When I was training to be a Health Educator at Hippocrates Wellness, I asked a lecturer whether, in hard times, I could juice wild grass or even the back lawn (if unsprayed). The answer was yes. It might not taste so great or be quite as beneficial as traditionally juiced grasses and greens, but it would provide some nourishment. I have a hand juicer for power outages.

Dandelion greens for salad and stinging nettles are excellent nourishing foods. Save money by putting plenty of young stinging nettles in your green juice.

You could try other wild greens instead of the nettles.

Get a good wild food identification book and go on food foraging walks with an expert, but note these crucial rules for eating wild food raw:

Do not let these safety criteria put you off! Wild food draws up so much nutrition from soil undamaged by agriculture that it is well worth eating at any time, and you will be gaining knowledge that may be of great value to you and others.

It is important to share what you learn with your friends and family in a constructive way. Enlist support from peers and online forums and meetup groups and ask people to hold you accountable.

If anything I have written helps you to be more powerful in your life in positive ways, and more ready to survive tough times, it will have been worth juicing the greens and munching the salad that fueled the writing of this article.?

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