Survival

Survival is the first tier in Maslow’s hierarchy, subsequently it is the most basic and most important aspect of our lives, including air, water, food, and shelter, and can also extend to sleep, and sex. The hierarchy here has been reinterpreted the purified way.

Survival in the modern world has changed significantly, our basic needs can be met in so many ways and can go far beyond basic. With an unlimited amount of contradictive information, which ones promote health and which ones promote “dis”ease?

We have access to many options, but simplicity is the answer.

This is a list of ways to purify your most basic needs. You pick and choose which ones are right for you. You’ll know when it’s right when you feel good doing it and it aligns with your goals, values and priorities.

Even though survival is the most basic tier, it’s all too easy to get distracted from what really matters. Fancy marketing, and an unlimited number of products can throw even the most focused off track.

clean air

Many people live in toxic environments and don’t even think about the quality of air they are breathing.

Your quality of life and comfort rise as you take care of the fundamental areas of life.

Look for
  • Oxygen Producing Plants
  • Air Filters
  • Diffusers/Humidifiers
  • Essential Oils in/on Wood, Cotton Balls; in Diffusers, Humidifiers, Spray Bottles etc.
  • Himalayan Salt Lamps
Avoid
  • Any and all synthetic, or proclaimed “natural” fragrances, perfumes, or air fresheners with no real ingredients listed.
Problem
Read
Question
  • Am I using any products that contribute to poor air quality? Am I putting chemicals into the air I breath?
  • How can I reduce the amount of chemicals I use?
  • Am I doing anything to purify the air I am breathing?
  • Am I dusting, vacuuming, and cracking windows regularly?

pure water

Is the water you are drinking filled with chemicals too? If you drink tap or bottled water, the answer is probably yes.

Again your quality of life and comfort rise as you take care of these fundamental areas of life.

Look for
  • Fresh; Mountain, Well, Creek, etc.
  • Reverse Osmosis;
    • fill up BPA-free jugs at grocery store
    • Portable on counter filtration system
    • Filter, tank, and separate faucet installed underneath sink.
    • Whole house filtration
  • Distilled; use only on occasion.
  • BPA-free 5 gallon and/or 1 gallon jugs.
  • Glass water bottles or mason jars to bring with you. If afraid you’ll drop it, some glass water bottles have rubber protectors to avoid breaking.
Avoid
  • Tap water from treatment facilities.
  • Bottled water or any water stored in plastic containers with BPA.
Problem
  • According to the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality…

    “The cancer risk to people who drink chlorinated water is 93 percent higher than those who don’t” Read More…

  • BPA acts like a hormone and can disrupt a healthy hormone balance
  • BPA can also effect the brain, heart and has been even been linked to cancer.
Read
Question
  • Is my water as pure as it could be?
  • Do I drink enough water?
  • What kind of filtration system would work best for me?

Nutritious Food

As with all areas of survival, we are flooded with products, but the real question again is which ones promote health and which ones promote dis”ease”?

There are many articles out there that contradict one another, so it’s difficult to find out what’s good for us by reading articles. We have to experiment, whatever makes you feel your best is what you need to be consuming. To find out what works best for you, try new things, keep a food journal, and work through the food workbook to get a clearer picture.

Question
  • Does the food I eat contain chemicals or genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
  • Do I mostly eat processed food or unprocessed food?
  • Do I eat foods with a lot of vitamins and minerals?
  • Does the food I eat make me feel mostly comfortable or uncomfortable?
  • Do I eat the right foods at the wrong time?
  • Am I making good/excellent food combining choices?


Gathering

When making your meal plan, make sure you are getting in all your nutrients, a good way to tell is if you eat a variety of colors, and a variety of different foods and their variations.

If you want the most nutrients and flavor in your produce, head to your local organic farm stands, the ones with dirt still on the potatoes, beets and carrots with their leafy greens still on top.

Heirloom vegetables are also good to look for, they are all uniquely beautiful, maybe even a few insect bites here and there, certainly not perfect but incredibly flavorful.

Find A Farmer’s Market Near Me
Question
  • Is my food the freshest and purest it can be?
  • Is it in season?
  • Can I get it local?
  • Am I getting a range of nutrients? Do I eat a variety of colors?
  • Am I trying new things, or habitually buying the same thing every week?
  • What should I look, feel and smell for to know I’m getting the best crop?
Question the people who grow your food
  • Are you organic?
  • Do you use synthetic fertilizer?
  • Do you use harmful chemicals?
  • What type of water do you use to water your crops?

Prepping

If you want to make healthy eating a habit you have got to learn to master food prep. Luckily it’s an easy task.

Action
  • Schedule a day in your calendar to prep food for the week ahead.
  • Sharpen your knives.
  • Practice cutting fruits and veggies, use different techniques until you find your favorite. The more you observe and practice the better you’ll get and the easier the process will become.
  • Learn how to cut specifically for each type of cooking style.
Practice Basic Knife Skills
  • Roughly chop
  • Dice
  • Mince
  • Shred
  • Slice
  • Process/Blend/Puree

Cooking

The hard part is planning your meal plan, budgeting,  making a list and getting everything rounded up; cooking is the fun part!

It’s important to try different cooking methods to find your favorites, then experiment with flavors by adding different herbs and spices.

Once you find recipes and cooking methods that you love, add them to your meal plans.

Cooking Methods
  • Bake
  • Sautee
  • Steam
  • Boil
  • Blanch
  • Dehydrate
  • Ferment/Culture/Pickle
  • Stew/Slow Cook
  • Refrigerate
  • Pan-fry (limit fried foods)
Avoid

To retain maximum nutrients and flavor avoid these cooking methods as much as possible.

  • Microwaving
  • Deep Frying
  • Over-Cooking
Question
  • What is my favorite cooking method?
    • What is the most flavorful?
    • What is the best texture?
    • What is the easiest?
    • What is the quickest?


Storage

Learning different storage methods and applying them to the proper foods will help eliminate food waste. It will also insure your produce stays fresh until your ready to eat it.

Storage Methods
  • Air-Tight Glass Containers
  • Reusable Veggie Bags
  • Paper Bags
  • Fermenting
  • Canning
  • Freezing (last resort)

 

Finding Balance

There are many different ways people find balance in their eating habits. It’s important to find what perspectives, or ways of thinking, help you maintain balance.

Food Combinations

A common imbalance is poor food combinations. Many of our favorite cultural dishes contain poor food combinations which can cause a whole host of problems. They say health starts in the gut, if you keep consuming poor food combination, things get backed up. When things get backed up bacteria can fester causing symptoms of “dis”ease.

Try to make at least 80% of your food choices excellent or good food combinations.

Alkaline vs. Acidic

The charts that are associated with the alkaline diet provide a wonderful reference to foods we should be eating more of and foods we should be eating less of.

They say the optimal balance is 80% alkaline and 20% acidic for optimal health. The science however doesn’t provide much understanding as you are not actually changing the ph of your body.

The main takeaway is that it gives structure and balance to help you make better food choices.

Read this for more info: The Alkaline Diet – An Evidence-Based Review

Question
  • How do I find balance?
  • What food combination mistakes am I making too often, and are they causing me discomfort?
  • Am I feeding false or emotional hunger?

Comfortable Shelter

The key to making good habits stick is staying organized and keeping up on mundane life maintenance tasks.

A clear and comfortable space promotes a clear and comfortable mind.

Organizing

Organizing what you have in your physical space can make life easier. You’ll know where everything is, each part of your house will feel sacred and cherished if you put a little love into it.

Your home is where you go to rest, recharge, take care of your basic needs and personal creative projects. If your space is constantly cluttered it will not be an enjoyable space to create and may cause added stress to your life.

As humans we appreciate a certain level of aesthetic beauty, this creates a warm enjoyable feeling.

Cleaning

Having a habitual cleaning schedule is also a must for a happy healthy home.

Actions
  1. Remove chemicals and replace them with natural alternatives.
  2. Make a cleaning schedule, or follow ones already made.
The Best Basic Cleaning Materials
  • Baking Soda
  • Distilled White Vinegar
  • Citrus Fruits
  • Plant Oils; canola almond, olive, coconut, etc.