Men can have all the rabbit they want and still die from Rabbit Starvation aka protein poisoning. Very few people know about the dangers of protein poisoning, but it’s a real wilderness survival fear. Ask any bodybuilder how much protein is to much? They’ll likely say you can never get to much protein, but that’s simply not true. In fact this has long been a problem for indigenous tribes in the far north.
What is Rabbit Starvation?
Rabbit starvation is caused by a diet that is almost exclusively lean meat. Rabbit is a prime example of a food that has almost no fat. Eating only protein will lead to protein poisoning which results in upset stomach and severe diarrhea. To make matters worse people who feel like they’re starving eat more and more lean meat making matters worse. Rabbits are easy to hunt and often makeup a large part of any foraging lifestyle. Luckily protein poisoning is easy to fix if you spot it. The diarrhea and upset stomach will only get worse if fat isn’t added to your diet. Death usually follows in a few days if fat isn’t added. You might actually be better off drinking only water and living without food for a while if rabbit is your only option.
Who Suffers From Protein Poisoning
Protein poisoning really isn’t a concern for people following a traditional diet. So if it doesn’t happen in modern societies who does it affect? Historically it affected indigenous tribes throughout North America. When they had no other form of food they relied primarily on rabbit. They got extremely sick without their usual food source of beaver, moose and fish. Within about a week they would start to feel diarrhea headaches and general discomfort. They could eat rabbit until there stomachs stick out and still die of starvation. Native tribes new the risk and did anything in there power to supplement fat.
So why should you worry about rabbit starvation when we have supermarkets and easy access to food? You really shouldn’t worry unless you spend any time out in the wilderness. You never know when an emergency will strike out in the wild. It seems like every couple weeks you hear about some poor hiker getting lost in the wilderness. While eating only protein might not bother you in the short term after a week or two the diarrhea will catch up with you. Not only will you be starving the diarrhea will most likely cause dehydration.
Prevent Protein Poisoning by Adding Fat to Your Diet
So why is fat so important for wilderness survival? All your life you’ve been told that protein is crucial to building muscle and growing strong. It just goes to show you that too much of a good thing can be bad. It’s almost unbelievable that eating lean flesh without substantial fat can kill you. During US military survival training they teach recruits that rabbit actually takes more vitamins to digest than you can bring in. Survival instructors around the word echo the belief that you shouldn’t eat rabbit if it’s the only thing you can find.
Where We Find Fat?
In modern times we take in more fat than most of us actually need. If your waist size is a little on the large size you probably take in fat from a ton of unrecognized sources. You get fat from things like butter, margarine, lard, mayonnaise, dairy, dressings, bacon, cheese and the list goes on. Yet history tells us of men with lots of wilderness experience who have given up their excess fat in exchange for inferior lean meats. It might have seemed like a more appetizing treat, but it was often their last fatal error. Thankfully throughout the years we’ve learned better and shouldn’t follow in their footsteps.
Finding Fat in The Wild
When out in the wild you’ll need to find fat any way you can. It’s really not difficult to find fat if you know where to look. Most people will survive without eating for a few weeks. You’ll always be able to edible berries and mushrooms, but don’t test your luck if you don’t already have experience foraging. With so many poisonous varieties you’ll most likely end up sick. Instead opt for worms, grubs and nuts to tied you over. You can always find some type of food around a water source. Not only can small creeks provide fish and minnows, they’ll also provide crayfish which are a tasty treat.
Don’t Rely on Hunting
Unless your Rambo it’s going to be extremely difficult to learn how to hunt. You can attempt to build some type of snare, but you’re probably better off foraging.