Hi Everyone! Kristina here, and today I am going to be sharing with you how I am personally preparing for a potential food shortage and also my best healthy tips for a sustainable plant-based lifestyle. There has been so much that has happened in the past few years, locally and globally, with lockdowns, climate crisis, and more. No one really knows what to expect or what will happen. It is best to be prepared no matter what. 

I’ve had so many requests for this information, so I am hoping that you will find this article to be helpful in some way. My intention is to encourage you and inspire you to take charge of your health, to become more sustainable, and to think one step ahead. Even if you’re not worried about a food shortage, winter is coming up, and ALL of the tips, suggestions, and items on my list will be useful to you.

I want to take a moment to really focus on and discuss the importance of SUSTAINABILITY. I’m sure you’ve heard the word be thrown around a lot, but do you actually know what it means and why it’s important? 

Sustainability is the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. It’s also the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. I’ve spent the last year doing my best to become as sustainable as possible, not just by growing my own food, but living off of well-water, purchasing re-usable items, and even supporting more sustainable and organic clothing. Living on an island has forced me to learn how to become way more resourceful because I don’t have access to as many places or things as I would if I lived on the mainland. There’s no Amazon Prime over here. 

I’ve discovered SO much, and I’ll tell you...THIS IS WHERE IT IS AT, even if it’s more challenging at first. There is a way for all of us to incorporate more sustainability into our lives so that if a shortage actually does happen, you’ll already be prepared and there will be much less inconvenience to your life. There is no need to fear - simply PREPARE!

I’ve spoken with a few people, and I’ve also watched and seen preparation lists from others out there, and the one thing I noticed that most don’t tend to focus on the consumption of FRESH FOODS. Just because something like this might happen doesn’t mean you can’t eat fresh foods or that you’ll be stuck consuming canned goods for a period of time. Something different I will be sharing with you in this article is my take on how you can still consume plenty of fresh and healthy foods, even during a food shortage. 

I’ve seen the WORST ads out there selling ridiculous “astronaut foods” in air-suctioned bags that will last a million years, or even just cooked and frozen dried burgers and pizzas. As tempting as that might sound to some of you, those options aren’t good for your health long-term. These companies are trying to make money off of you instead of educating or empowering you to be healthy, more sustainable, and to even have a more positive impact on the planet.

I’ve put together a list of 11 important items or suggestions for you.

I leave it up to you to purchase enough for a 6-month to a year supply…or however much you or your family needs.

You do want to make sure you’re purchasing enough food to provide sufficient calories if an emergency or food shortage occurs.

So let’s jump in…

Power

The first thing that people tend to do in any modern emergency moment is grab their phones, send an SOS, call for help, call loved ones, etc. We live in such a technology-driven society now, that having ACCESS to your phone, laptop, or other communication device is pretty much essential. If you don’t have power, it means you will lose access to these devices at some point. 

One of the best investments I’ve recently made is getting the Ideal Living Portable Solar Panel and Power Station. The power station provides you with a dependable source of power no matter where you are or the situation.  It’s charged through the solar panel, and it has multiple different outlet sources and built-in voltage. Not only is it mobile, but also it’s lightweight, water resistant, and high capacity of 100W to charge multiple devices at one time. You can connect your phone, laptop, water filtration system, GPS systems, tablets, and more to it. If you’re stuck in an emergency situation, you need one of these with you at your side. Not only will it allow you to keep your devices charged and in communication, but also it provides you with fresh, filtered water. That’s a game changer.

I’ve reached out to Ideal Living, and they’ve been so kind as to offer my community here up to $100 off not only this solar panel and power station, but also their water filtration system! How incredible is that?! $100 off both is MAJOR, and I’m so thankful to them! There’s no code, you just need to make sure you use the specific link that is in the description of this video or you won’t see the discount. I’ve added it below for you, all I’ll also be sure to pin it in the comments. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, adventurer, or someone who wants to prepare for the unexpected, this will be one of the best investments you’ve ever made. You’ll feel much safer having one of these in your home or car with you. I highly recommend getting one.

Fresh Foods

1. In addition to power, my number ONE is fresh foods. I know most people wouldn’t start with this item, but I’m going to because I think it’s important. Now is the time to start learning. 

1. The first and easiest thing you can learn to do is grow your own sprouts at home. No soil or sun needed. It’s so easy to do, and it’s inexpensive! You can grow cups and cups of sprouts for less than $1 a day. Sprouts are loaded with minerals, amino acids, and more! I have a video on how to grow your own sprouts at home. I’ve linked it below. You can easily stock up on sprouting seeds that will last you for a year or even two. I use the organic and non-GMO seeds from True Leaf Market, they are the best, and they even have their own seed survival kit you can get with seeds to last you a year. I’ve linked that here for you: How to Sprout EASILY for 25 Cents a Day! 🌱Jar Growing Method for Beginners...

1. My second suggestion for consuming fresh foods sustainably is to grow your own microgreens!! You can grow your own microgreens on trays around your house and eat fresh salads daily! The seeds are so cheap! You can eat cups of microgreens for about a dollar a day. I also did a recent video on how to grow your own microgreens on your countertops, and I’ll link it below. Please check out the seeds from True Leaf Market. Stock up and thank me later. How to Grow Microgreens EASILY for 49¢ a Day! A Complete Guide for Beginners 🌱 Organic & Non-GMO

1. My third suggestion for growing your own food is to grow your own garden. This is my third suggestion because I know that not everyone is in a situation where they are able to have a garden right now. BUT, it can be easy to do if you grow in bins on your porch, beds in your front yard, or in pots on your windowsill. Now is the time to start if you’re able! This is my garden (link below). It took me 6 months to design and build my garden, and since then the garden has been incredibly abundant.  I use the seeds from True Leaf Market. I am basically eating more than 50% of my diet straight from my own garden. You can do that too! How cool is that?! How We Built Our Garden in Hawaii from Beginning to End 🌶️🌱Organic, Sustainable & Non-GMO

1. Lastly, in regards to FRESH FOOD, and this is SO IMPORTANT - find your local farmers and SUPPORT them! You can still incorporate fresh fruits and veggies into your daily routine! This is how generations before us made it through difficult times. So if you’re growing your own sprouts or microgreens or veggies in your garden, you can still get more variety through other local or organic farmers.

Dry Foods

1. Dry foods encompass so many different things, and for someone like me, these staples are essential to provide variety, calories, flavor, enjoyability, and more. In my dry foods category I have:

1. Nuts and seeds - I use nuts and seeds to make my salad dressings every night and also other healthy snacks. They are loaded with good fats and heavy in calories to help sustain you. I have purchased a ton of nuts and seeds in bulk from Terrasoul. Their prices are great. I’ve also heard that Essential Organics is great, and those are linked below for you.

1. Dried fruits (such as dates)

1. Nut butters

1. Flax crackers

1. Raw granolas or cereals

1. Kelp Noodles! These can last for at least 6 months in your fridge or cooler, and you can make noodles with them.

1. Cacao beans or pods to make desserts (antioxidants).

1. For those who are plant-based or cooked food vegans, stocking up on beans, pasta, rice, potatoes will be a huge part of this category and important for you.

Frozen Foods - Get a garage freezer and store with extra fruits

1. Bananas, berries, all frozen fruits you can find, dates, etc. Make sure you have a good long-lasting blender like a Vitamix for blending. Mine is linked below.

1. Make your own nut/seed protein bars and freeze them.

1. I have at least 60 pounds of ripe bananas peeled and frozen in my freezer right now. Bananas are inexpensive and one of the easiest fruits to freeze to make smoothies and more.

1. Water is probably the most important thing on my list here, because you cannot survive without water. I recommend collecting, separating, and storing water for drinking vs. also other uses. You can anticipate that there will be a shortage of water if there’s a shortage of food. For those of us who grew up in the southern states, it’s just like during hurricanes or hurricane season. You can assume that any remaining water from county pumps might get contaminated. So...let’s first talk about drinking water...here’s how I’m preparing:

1. Water Well - my property currently is running on it’s own water well. I do not source my water from the county. I think it’s very important to not be on county water if you can. If you are, you need a GOOD filter, and you need to start filling up 5 gallon jugs to have as a safety net.

1. AquaTru Water Filter - Removes 99.9% of all contaminants from your water. It can literally turn coca cola back into water. You need something like this! Aqua Tru has been so gracious enough to provide us with a 50% OFF link for you. It’s below in the links as well. I would buy your own 5 gallon jugs (I will be doing that) and fill them up! Goal: have at least 15 gallons stored for emergency use.

1. Get your own rain barrel.

1. As for water that you’ll need for other day to day things, I recommend getting big barrels and having the excess water there for emergency use. If worst comes into fruition you can always filter that water and use it for drinking or other purposes. Water for drinking, then water for other necessities. 

1. Find local streams or fresh water sources where you can load up on water easily.

1. Don’t forget water for your pets!

Supplements

1. Green superfoods

1. Sunwarrior protein with 19 amino acids

1. Vitamins and minerals (not synthetic, make sure they’re made from whole foods)

Liquids

1. Nama juicer - use your nuts and seeds to make fresh nut milks

1. You can even use your sprouts to make fresh milks

Dehydrated Foods

1. Purchase an abundance of your favorite fruits and dehydrate them for later use. You can make your own sundried tomatoes, dehydrated banana snacks, dehydrated pineapples and so much more. The dehydrator I use is Excalibur.

Fermented Foods (Canned Goods or Canning)

1. It is so easy to ferment your foods, and they will last up to a year! See the cabbage, beet, and carrot slaw I made with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Great probiotics and natural cultures form from these fermented foods that help with digestion. (LINK??)

1. You can also get into canning. I am not a fan of canning, but if you like the idea of canning, go for it!

1. Stock up on the easy things like herbs and spices that will help you mix up your foods from time to time so that you can keep your palate excited. 

Pet Foods (Dog, Cat, Birds, etc.)

1. We can’t forget about our furry friends!
2. Make sure to get bins for large amount of dried pet foods, or stock up on ingredients for fresh food, or stock up on canned food for them.
3. Make sure there is also enough water allocated for them in your water storage 
4. Any other necessities for them need to be accounted for as well - stock up!

Energy & Basic Necessities (Generator / Sun Panels / Lights)

1. Fire & Warmth (lighters, matches, heaters, blankets, fans, etc.)

1. Lighting (lamps, flashlights, candles, lanterns)

1. Hygiene Products (wet wipes, rags, skin care products, soap)

1. Buckets & Storage Bins (for EVERYTHING)

1. Handy Tools (hammer, shovel, pocket knife, machete for coconuts, tape, rope, whatever you think you might need)

1. Mental Health Support (books, games, puzzles, movies, my videos, etc.)

1. Important Documents (have your most important papers, deeds, titles, passport, insurance, identification, birth certificates, maps, valuable family memorabilia tucked away safely. I would even make copies and scan it all onto a backup hard drive. Call me crazy, but one can never be too prepared. It might help you get organized as well.

1. Emergency Finances!

1. Community for Support - Discuss ways to stay in contact with family and friends and simply talk about how you can support one another if something like this does happen. It doesn’t have to be everyone around you, maybe just your family or friends closest to you.

BONUS: Fitness Equipment!

I don’t know about you, but I am a better person when I am moving my body and physically active. I love doing yoga, I love doing HIIT workouts, and mentally it is just so much better for me to keep up with my fitness routine. I know this isn’t a necessity for a food shortage, but I wanted to include it here because it’s important, so get yourself a yoga mat, some weights, some fitness equipment - something to have around the house in case you are home for a while. You can create your own fitness routine and it is so good for your mental health as well.

I hope that you have liked this article on how I am preparing for a food shortage, and I hope this list is helpful for you, even if you are just pursuing a plant-based lifestyle or getting ready for winter.

ESSENTIAL LINKS:

SOLAR PANEL & POWER STATION: Get nearly $100 off this set for emergencies to power your phone, laptop, tablet, and even make filtered water here!

BEST JUICER: 🌱 Nama: Get 10% off by using the code: JUICELIFE at checkout here: https://bit.ly/namaj2

BEST PLANT-BASED & RAW VEGAN PROTEIN & MULTI-SUPPLEMENTS:

🌱 Sunwarrior: Get 30% off Protein, Supplements, and Magnesium: https://bit.ly/sunwarriorhealthbundle or use the code: FULLYRAW for 15% off individual items

BEST BLENDER:

In addition to the Vitamix, I also have the Nama C2 Juicer + Blender. You can get $80 off using the code: FULLYRAW55 here.

🍊 The blender I have is the Vitamix Ascent 3500 blender: https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8479771-13531953

🫐 Accessories for the Ascent Series blender: https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-8479771-14398918

🥭 The NEW Vitamix ONE blender: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8479771-14535391

🥝 Get $100 OFF the V1200 Reconditioned Vitamix blender here: https://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8479771-13851331

HIGHEST-QUALITY INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPLEMENTS:

🍒 Cymbiotika’s premium supplements that specialize in Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, silver, and more: https://bit.ly/cymbiotikakristina (use code: FULLYRAW15 for discount)

HIGHEST-QUALITY INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPLEMENTS & BUNDLE CLEANSES:

🌱 Global Healing Center Raw Vegan Supplements: https://go.globalhealingcenter.com/LPx9JY

🌱 Best Iron Bundle Supplement: https://bit.ly/womensironbundle

🌱 Parasite Cleanse & Harmful Organism Cleanse Kit: https://go.globalhealingcenter.com/vnZnmL

🌱 Immune Boost Bundle: https://go.globalhealingcenter.com/Ry6yEv

🌱 Candida and Fungal Cleanse: https://go.globalhealingcenter.com/OR9PXn

WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM:

💧 Get $150 off an AquaTru Water Purification System: https://bit.ly/fullyrawaquatru

BEST PORTABLE AIR PURIFICATION SYSTEM:

💧 Get 50% off the Air Doctor Purifier Here: https://bit.ly/airdoctorhome

BEST ORGANIC TEA & PLANT-REMEDIES FROM KAUAI:

🍊 Kauai Farmacy plant-medicine remedies grown here in Hawaii: https://bit.ly/kauaifarmacy (use code: FULLYRAW for discount)

BEST ORGANIC & NON-GMO GARDENING SEEDS:

True Leaf Market sells high-quality gardening seeds, sprouting seeds, and microgreens seeds: http://bit.ly/trueleafgardenseeds

🌱 Microgreens Beginner's Growing Kit: https://bit.ly/microgreenbeginnerskit

🌱 Soil Microgreens Beginner's Kit: https://bit.ly/soilmicrogreenskit

🌱 How to grow sprouts for 25 cents a day video: https://youtu.be/qynti1u9ywE

🌱 Sprouting Seeds I LOVE (12 lb. Bulk Set): https://bit.ly/trueleafsprouts

🌱 Easy Sprouting Starter Kit (Jars Included): https://bit.ly/sproutingstarterkit

🌱 More Sprouting Jars: https://amzn.to/37vEqvQ

VEGAN FOOD FOR ANIMALS:

VDog Vegan Pet Food: https://amzn.to/3sAmpGZ

 BATHROOM RESOURCES:

Squatty Potty: https://amzn.to/3mlYK

BEST SOURCE FOR ORGANIC NUTS AND SEEDS IN BULK:

Terrasoul Superfoods: Organic, Raw, High-Quality, and Non-GMO Verified. Terrasoul also has 

Cashews in bulk: https://amzn.to/3gkS6za

Sweet cacao nibs in bulk: https://amzn.to/3sxgVNm

Pecans in bulk: https://amzn.to/3y84XuJ

Walnuts in bulk: https://amzn.to/3glUWUz

Mushroom Reishi Superfood Powder: https://amzn.to/3sHz1Mx

Mushroom Ashwaganda Superfood Powder: https://amzn.to/2WlD3yh

Hormone Balancing Maca Powder: https://amzn.to/3sFTQrV 

(Their products are currently LESS expensive on Amazon, and you can find ALL their bulk products in their Amazon store from these links! I get most of my nuts and seeds in bulk from here! Amazing deals! All organic and raw!)

DELICIOUS RAW VEGAN CRACKERS:

Livin’ Spoonful Sprouted Crackers: https://livinspoonful.com/

Flackers: https://amzn.to/3D8soYo

RAW, ORGANIC, NON-GMO & WILDCRAFTED SEA MOSS GEL ON AMAZON:

Herbal Vinyards Sea Moss Gel: https://amzn.to/3j4sAzZ

Herbal Vintards Sea Moss Raw: https://amzn.to/3AWeIxS

BEST RAW VEGAN TAHINI ON AMAZON:

Gopal’s Raw Sprouted & Activated Tahini: https://amzn.to/2XK3caF

YUMMY RAW VEGAN GRANOLA & CEREAL ON AMAZON:

Living Intentions Blueberry Sprouted Granola Cereal: https://amzn.to/3B2v2gr

Living Intentions Raspberry Sprouted Granola Cereal: https://amzn.to/37ZWOh8

Living Intentions Cacao Sprouted Granola Cereal: https://amzn.to/3ml57wz

Living Intentions Banana Hemp Sprouted Granola Cereal: https://amzn.to/2Wake12

Go Raw Raisin Granola: https://amzn.to/3y5UfVt

Go Raw Apple Cinnamon Granola: https://amzn.to/3z9nHv2

RAW VEGAN COCONUT WRAPS ON AMAZON:

https://amzn.to/382b2OM

BEST RAW OLIVES:

Olivico Dehydrated Olives: http://www.olivico.com/ingles/_dehydrated/deshidratada.html

Sunfood Black Olives: https://amzn.to/3j6KGBG

BEST ESSENTIAL OILS:

I use and love Doterra, but I am not active as a distributor or member. I use it for the monthly order and discounts and only share my code when someone asks for it. I’ve been on the monthly auto-ship order for years because I use the oils daily and diffuse them in my home. Feel free to sign-up under me if you’d like, but please know I’m not active nor do I participate in MLM marketing. Code: 303308

RAW VEGAN RECIPES VIA THE FULLYRAW APP:

450+ Raw Vegan Recipes on my App!! Everything from juices, smoothies, salads, meals, dressings, sauces, soups, desserts, and more!

🍒 Download my FullyRaw recipe app on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fullyraw-by-kristina/id1351412313?mt=8

🍓 Download my recipe app on Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.frm.fullyraw

BEST HOME SAUNA:

Clearlight saunas has different sizes for every home. It’s infrared made of cedar and ultra-light therapy. If you're interested in a Clear-light Sauna, please email [email protected] and let them know Kristina sent you. It's an infrared sauna with full-spectrum light therapy...and it's amazing!

📚 Buy my published book: http://www.tinyurl.com/fullyrawbook

🛍️ Check out my online store: https://www.fullyraw.com/shop

☀️ My website & online programs here: http://fullyraw.com/