James,
Thank you for your excellent web site and the forethought that has gone into making it so successful. I wanted to make a brief comment on the “Adaptation to Cold Environments, by D.W.” piece which appeared 11/24/11. One of the best ways to maintain internal body heat is by increasing specific foods in one’s daily diet. During extreme cold conditions, there are few foods that improve thermoregulation better than fats — specifically, animal-based fats.
Fat is an easily digested, readily utilized metabolic heater that “stokes the furnace” to help maintain body temperatures during extreme cold conditions. Although our culture emphasizes reduced dietary fats, those recommendations arise out of current conditions where we are rarely exposed to true weather extremes (thanks to air conditioning and interior heating systems).
Fat can be obtained from fatty meats and fish, bacon grease, fish oils, and even from coconut oil — which is a superior source, by the way. Vegetable oils, in general, are also effective, but possibly less so; their molecular structures cause their fats to be utilized differently than animal fats. Although I have heard of individuals in the arctic drinking up to a cup of bacon grease (mixed with brown sugar) daily to help maintain body temperatures, each person’s needs will vary depending on size and energy expenditure — those who work outdoors in the cold will clearly require a higher daily ration. Use of fats during a SHTF situation will depend on how much one has stored, and what alternative types of body heating (clothing, heaters, etc) are available, as well.
Thanks again for an excellent and informative web site. – Anita E.