For the last fifteen years or so I've been thinking about and practicing native crafts, survival skills, hunting and foraging more and more.

I'm not entirely sure where the desire to do these things came from, I was a suburbanite as a kid, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that it's an innate desire to go back to something deeper.

It's like something primal calling me back to the harmony of nature and the old ways of living.

I don't think it would shock you learn that our modern lifestyle is pretty antithetical to the evolutionary process which got us to where we are today as a species.

Our foods are making us unhealthy, our lifestyles have become too sedentary, too comfortable, and the only thing keeping us alive is medication designed to ward off the inevitable phyiscal declines that come as a result.

This is particularly true in the US (although you can see it happening in other places as well) but if you spend time overseas, as we have, you will be shocked to see how fat and sickly nearly everyone is when you come back to the US.

We've lost the script on health, and it's well past time to take it back.

Especially if you are planning for emergencies, or being a provider / protector for your family, as we are always doing over here; then the most important plans you can make is to get your mind and body prepared to handle them.

We've found a key to part of the puzzle, a glaringly obvious omission to the modern commercial food industry: nutrition from organ meats.

Nose-To-Tail Nutrition

What's the difference between today's carnivores and our ancestors? Today the only parts we eat are the muscles of the animal, and nearly all of us disregard the rest.

That's a huge mistake. We're missing nearly all the vital nutritional benefits the rest of the animal offers. Not to mention, it's wasteful to disregard so much of the animals we eat.

Organs are especially rich in preformed vitamin A, vitamin B12, coenzyme Q10, bio-available heme iron, selenium and enzymes.

A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion of cooked beef liver provides *:

• Calories: 175
• Protein: 27 grams
• Vitamin B12: 1,386% of the RDI
• Copper: 730% of the RDI
• Vitamin A: 522% of the RDI
• Riboflavin: 201% of the RDI
• Niacin: 87% of the RDI
• Vitamin B6: 51% of the RDI
• Selenium: 47% of the RDI
• Zinc: 35% of the RDI
• Iron: 34% of the RDI

Benefits of Adding Organ Meats to Your Diet

From Healthline

Eating organ meats has several benefits:

• Excellent source of iron: Meat contains heme iron, which is highly bioavailable, so it’s better absorbed by the body than non-heme iron from plant foods (*, *).
• Keeps you fuller for longer: Many studies have shown that high-protein diets can reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness. They may also promote weight loss by increasing your metabolic rate (*, *, *).
• May help retain muscle mass: Organ meats are a source of high-quality protein, which is important for building and retaining muscle mass (*, *, *).
• Great source of choline: Organ meats are among the world’s best sources of choline, which is an essential nutrient for brain, muscle and liver health that many people don’t get enough of (*, *).
• Cheaper cuts and reduced waste: Organ meats are not a popular cut of meat, so you can often get them at a cheap price. Eating these parts of the animal also reduces food waste.

But most importantly it addresses the issue of our overall poor dietary choices of eating processed foods stripped of the necessary vitamins and minerals we require as humans to thrive.

Replace some of the muscle meat you eat with organ meat, and reduce the amount of sugar you eat.

General rules of thumb for sugar reduction: if its white, avoid it; i.e. bread, potato, pasta, sugar.

If it's in the middle of the supermarket, avoid it; shop along the walls where the vegetables, meats and dairy products are.

Eat Your Vitamins

The best way to get the maximum benefits listed above is to get it directly from the food you consume. Purchase organ meats or harvest your own, especially liver.

But if you don't have access to them, know where to get them or cook them, there is an alternative, you can take whole food supplements.

There are two companies that I really like, that make high-end freeze dried organ supplements: Ancestral Supplements and Heart & Soil. They both make a huge variety of products.

BTW If you buy anything with the links we provide on this page we get a small percentage of the sale. For more info click here.

If you can only get one, start with GRASS FED BEEF LIVER:

Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Liver

Typical Price: $38

(Desiccated Liver) — Natural Iron, Vitamin A, B12 for Energy (180 Capsules)

• MADE WITH HIGHER STANDARDS: Pasture raised in New Zealand & Australia, grass-fed and grass-finished, undefatted, hormone-free, pesticide-free, GMO-free. 100% ULTRA PURE means no fillers, no flow agents and no magnesium stearate. 100% FREEZE DRIED to optimally preserve heat sensitive nutrients, co-factors and biological activity.
• NUTRITIONALLY DENSE SUPER FOOD: High in preformed Vitamin A, B12 for energy, CoQ10, Choline, Folate, Hyaluronic Acid and Bio-Available Heme Iron. Provides all the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, K & E) in highly usable forms, and meaningful amounts of copper, zinc and chromium.
• NOURISH YOUR WAY TO HEALTH: For healthy teeth, gums, skin and hair. Supports energy, mood, metabolism and methylation. For strong joints, connective tissue and healthy collagen. Supports heart, brain and liver health. Supports a strong immune system and glutathione status (the body's master antioxidant).
• WHOLE FOOD SUPPLEMENT: Get the nourishment that only whole foods (and whole food supplements) can provide. Get all the co-factors, nutrient synergy and biological activity that makes liver so amazing for you. Paleo Friendly... Primal Friendly... Ketogenic Friendly... Supports high energy demands for an active lifestyle.

$38Amazon

If you've decided to jump in further, you can round out your supplementation with BEEF ORGANS and BONE MARROW.

Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Organs

Typical Price: $48

(Desiccated) — Liver, Heart, Kidney, Pancreas, Spleen (180 Capsules)

• GRASS FED LIVER (600MG) provides nature's most nutrient dense superfood. Liver is the only meaningful source of natural vitamin A (rich in heme iron and B12). Supports optimal liver health and energy demands.
• GRASS FED HEART (600MG) is the richest source of naturally occurring coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Supports optimal heart health, regulates blood pressure and is a nutritional powerhouse for mitochondria.
• GRASS FED KIDNEY (600MG) is a potent bio-available source of naturally occurring selenium and B12. Supports strong kidney health, aids in detoxification pathways and the antioxidant defense system, bolsters immunity.
• GRASS FED PANCREAS (600MG) provides nature's all natural source of enzymes. Supports a strong functioning pancreas, supports blood sugar signaling and contributes an abundance of key enzymes for optimal digestion, health and wellness. We are not what we eat... we are what we digest.
• GRASS FED SPLEEN (600MG) is nature's most concentrated source of heme iron. Supports a strong immune response and aids in the metabolic health of our blood cells... Well known for it's ability to build blood.

$48Amazon

Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Bone and Marrow

Typical Price: $52

Whole Bone Extract (Bone, Marrow, Cartilage, Collagen)

In the Chinese paradigm, bone marrow is considered the deepest tissue of the body and contains the essence of the being. Itʼs an interesting correlation to consider that modern science has shown that within bone marrow are high concentrations of stem cells, the very organizing influences, and genetic material, for the being. It is these essential nutrients that help our bodies continue to build healthy, vital constitutions and repair cellular damage * —

• Bone Matrix, Bone Marrow And Cartilage *
• Nutrients Exclusively Found And Expressed In Whole Bone Extract *
• High Concentrations Of Stem Cells And Base Cells *
• Collagen, Growth Factors And Fat Soluble Activators *
• Glycosaminoglycans Naturally Present in Bone Matrix *

NOTE: There are two types of bone marrow: red marrow (also known as myeloid tissue) and yellow marrow. Red blood cells, platelets and most white blood cells arise in red marrow; some white blood cells develop in yellow marrow.*

• Bone Health (think bones, marrow and teeth)... Based On "Like Supports Like" *
• Connective Tissue Health (think ligaments, tendons, cartilage, skin)...Based On "Like Supports Like" *
• Dental Health And Immune Health *
• Supports And Repairs Cellular Damage *

* The statements made above have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease.

$52Amazon

Conclusions

We've made the point before but it bears repeating, the most important preparation you can ever make is in your health and phyiscal and mental well-being.

There are many ways of doing this, but nutrition and exercise are critical. Lift weights, eat organ foods, spend quality non-screen time with your family and you will go a long way toward achieving this goal.