Hurricane Preparedness Week

You may not know this about me… but…

I live in Florida. And I love it. Except for the storms. 

That’s why this week is important to me. It’s Hurricane Preparedness Week.

Now, since I’ve lived here for a while… I’ve had a few close “run-ins” with storms. And let me tell you, these things are no laughing matter. You’ve got to be prepared. The most important being with food and water.

So let me share with you how I keep eating healthy in the event of a bad storm.

And yes… you should read this — even if you don’t live in the gulf.

(Remember Hurricane Sandy? It hit New Jersey and New York, and ended up affecting 22 other states.)

Get Started Now

As you can imagine, everyone and their brother will be stocking up once they hear a massive storm is coming. So start your food stockpile now. Not hours before the storm.

Watch It With the Cans

Look, there’s nothing wrong with kicking off your first food stockpile with canned foods. The problem is the salt. Canned food is infamous for being loaded with sodium. Which can cause health conditions like high blood pressure to get worse.

Meals-Ready-to-Eat

Here’s another one to watch out for. Now, these take on all sorts of forms, but what I’m talking about is the traditional “grip & rip” packs you see soldiers eating. Again, these are high in salt. And can cause folks constipation too.

Menu, Please

To help you stay fed… plan out a menu. Create at least 3 different meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And aim for 3 snacks too. The variety will keep you eating. Which will keep “fuel in your tank.” And during a bad storm, you’ll want that energy. Trust me. 

Water

During a storm… bottled water is your friend. Because you have no idea if the plumbing in your area has been affected. However, 1 trick I’ve used before — when I didn’t have bottled water — is to fill up your bathtub with water ahead of time. That way if the water gets shut off… you still have plenty of water to drink.

And Finally, Ditch the Junk

Leave the highly processed junk food & chips at the store. If you have health issues like diabetes, these “foods” will not help you. Living through a hurricane is stressful enough. Don’t inflame your body with sugary & fatty foods.

Now of course, if you find yourself with only a candy bar or an MRE to eat — eat it! It’s better than starving. But most forecasts are so accurate these days… that you should have enough time to plan and stock up. And protect your health while you’re at it.