Lord help us if this is the quality of stuff the folks are buyingSurvive bird flu with Kiwi ingenuity
02 May 2006
A new book on how to survive bird flu and other disasters has become a surprise bestseller. Kelly Andrew talks to author Bronwen King about the importance of preperation and getting back to basics.
Many New Zealanders have lost their hunter-gatherer survival skills in an age of convenience food and busy working lives.
It could take the disaster of an influenza pandemic to teach us the value of knowing how to prepare and cook nutritious food from scratch, when supermarkets, takeaways and cafes are not an option.
Survive Bird Flu and Other Disasters, by Christchurch public health nutritionist Bronwen King, is designed to help Kiwis rediscover their 'camp mother' or DIY spirit.
The idea for it came at a dinner with friends. They were discussing how they could cope with being 'holed up' at home during a flu pandemic. The host produced a jar of 15-year-old lentils and asked if they were safe to use and what she could do with them.
"We were talking about how we've lost the self-sufficient skills that New Zealanders have been famous for, the Kiwi ingenuity, the ability to survive when times are tough," King says.
Her background ? a nutrition degree, teaching and chefing qualifications, and a career in public health ? put her in an ideal position to write a book that would help people reclaim those skills.
She says news reports about a deadly strain of influenza can make people feel helpless and worried.
One way to deal with this concern is to take action, get prepared, and then get on with normal life.
Her how-to guide covers basic skills such as building and cooking over a fire, techniques for sterilising water, caring for sick family members, and advice on buying enough food and supplies to last two weeks:surrender: :surrender: :surrender: :surrender: :surrender: .
It also includes an extensive collection of recipes using non-perishable food, from apple and sultana pinwheel pudding to lentil bolognese.
It's a practical, no-nonsense manual that never resorts to scare tactics, and since February 27 it has sold 6000 copies. A third print run of about 3000 is under way by publisher Hazard Press and most copies are already pre-ordered, mainly by companies such as Solid Energy, who are providing the book to their staff.
There are fears the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain affecting birds in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe could trigger a global influenza pandemic if it mutates into a form that spreads easily between people.
The Health Ministry has quoted estimates that such a pandemic could kill 33,000 New Zealanders. If the outbreak is as severe as feared, hospitals and the wider health system will not be able to cope with the number of patients and many will have to fend for themselves at home.
King believes New Zealanders are less prepared for a pandemic now than in 1918, when the 'Spanish flu' killed 8000 people in two months.
"They had pantries full of preserved foods, they had vege gardens, and kept chooks. They knew how to kill a chook and pluck it.
"We don't know how to do those things any more, we hardly know how to build a fire or how to cope in a power cut. These are very good skills to preserve."
Though the Health Ministry has sent information brochures urging people to store water, medicine, and extra food in case they are forced to fend for themselves at home during a pandemic, she says more detailed information is needed.
"They need a lot more information than just to buy some canned food. People who are used to living on takeaways and convenience food need to know what kind of things to buy and how much. If you're not used to buying food for a week, it's quite difficult to do that."
What kind of face masks to buy for treating sick people and how to take them off in a way that prevents reinfection is covered in the book.
"From a Government perspective, they're worried about things like closing airports and burying bodies rather than the fine detail of things. This book is really commonsense advice," King says.
Her job at Community and Public Health is based on educating people to eat healthily, and it is something she feels passionately about.
She has a vegetable garden, stews apples, collects walnuts and makes preserves. "I like hunting and gathering, which we don't do so much these days. I hate wasting food. I like cooking from scratch."
A former science teacher, King hosts a healthy eating cooking show on regional television channel CTV. She has lived in Christchurch for the past seven years after spending more than 20 years in Australia. She grew up one of six children whose mother always had a well-stocked pantry.
King, who has two adult children, says she still has enough to feed an army in her kitchen and is well prepared if she had to be self-sufficient for a few weeks.
She would like to see a renaissance of traditional cooking, where time is taken to prepare a meal, enjoy the ingredients and share it with family and friends.
"I think the food industry which produces all these convenience foods doesn't want us to cook; they want us to feel busy and rely on these products. There has been a constant message that cooking is a chore, something that's an add-on to life rather than an essential component of life."
Having a healthy diet is one way for people to boost their chances of surviving a disaster, she says.
Asked to judge the likelihood of a pandemic, she says it is crystal ball-gazing. "But what we know is there have been pandemics around every 30 years for a long time; there have been 10 in the last 300 years.
"We know that the influenza virus is a very unstable virus that changes and mutates. Every so often you get a strain which humans are not used to that has pretty deadly consequences."
Though there are other threats that are likely to strike New Zealand, such as earthquake and flooding, King sees pandemic flu as a pressing concern, despite extensive planning by the Government.
Pandemic flu is a good focus for preparation because if it does strike, there's no one to help us. With an earthquake, it's localised and while it may be devastating, help sooner or later comes from outside. With a pandemic, if the whole world is affected, there's no help coming from outside and it's each person for themselves.
"That certainly would be the motivation for me to get prepared for this, more than I probably would for an earthquake or flood."
King is now working on a cook book for people wanting to lose weight or manage type 2 diabetes.
So far, sales of her Survive Bird Flu book are just covering costs, but she hopes it will be a long-term success ? and that those who buy it will never seriously have to use it.
Survival tips:
In a power cut turn off and up-plug appliances such as heaters and cooking equipment that could cause a fire if the power comes back on unexpectedly.
Ensure people with sore throats gargle regularly with salt water.
For baking, if you do not have eggs, use one teaspoon of cornflour or custard powder mixed with a quarter of a cup of water for egg egg.
Dry hands thoroughly after washing, wet hands spread germs easily.
Methyalated spirits and salty water are effective disinfectants to spray or wipe surfaces.
The average person needs about four to five litres of water per day - 70 litres for a two-week period.
Survive bird flu and other disasters by Bronwen King is out now through Hazard Press for $14.99 RRP.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3654087a7144,00.html
02 May 2006
A new book on how to survive bird flu and other disasters has become a surprise bestseller. Kelly Andrew talks to author Bronwen King about the importance of preperation and getting back to basics.
Many New Zealanders have lost their hunter-gatherer survival skills in an age of convenience food and busy working lives.
It could take the disaster of an influenza pandemic to teach us the value of knowing how to prepare and cook nutritious food from scratch, when supermarkets, takeaways and cafes are not an option.
Survive Bird Flu and Other Disasters, by Christchurch public health nutritionist Bronwen King, is designed to help Kiwis rediscover their 'camp mother' or DIY spirit.
The idea for it came at a dinner with friends. They were discussing how they could cope with being 'holed up' at home during a flu pandemic. The host produced a jar of 15-year-old lentils and asked if they were safe to use and what she could do with them.
"We were talking about how we've lost the self-sufficient skills that New Zealanders have been famous for, the Kiwi ingenuity, the ability to survive when times are tough," King says.
Her background ? a nutrition degree, teaching and chefing qualifications, and a career in public health ? put her in an ideal position to write a book that would help people reclaim those skills.
She says news reports about a deadly strain of influenza can make people feel helpless and worried.
One way to deal with this concern is to take action, get prepared, and then get on with normal life.
Her how-to guide covers basic skills such as building and cooking over a fire, techniques for sterilising water, caring for sick family members, and advice on buying enough food and supplies to last two weeks:surrender: :surrender: :surrender: :surrender: :surrender: .
It also includes an extensive collection of recipes using non-perishable food, from apple and sultana pinwheel pudding to lentil bolognese.
It's a practical, no-nonsense manual that never resorts to scare tactics, and since February 27 it has sold 6000 copies. A third print run of about 3000 is under way by publisher Hazard Press and most copies are already pre-ordered, mainly by companies such as Solid Energy, who are providing the book to their staff.
There are fears the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain affecting birds in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe could trigger a global influenza pandemic if it mutates into a form that spreads easily between people.
The Health Ministry has quoted estimates that such a pandemic could kill 33,000 New Zealanders. If the outbreak is as severe as feared, hospitals and the wider health system will not be able to cope with the number of patients and many will have to fend for themselves at home.
King believes New Zealanders are less prepared for a pandemic now than in 1918, when the 'Spanish flu' killed 8000 people in two months.
"They had pantries full of preserved foods, they had vege gardens, and kept chooks. They knew how to kill a chook and pluck it.
"We don't know how to do those things any more, we hardly know how to build a fire or how to cope in a power cut. These are very good skills to preserve."
Though the Health Ministry has sent information brochures urging people to store water, medicine, and extra food in case they are forced to fend for themselves at home during a pandemic, she says more detailed information is needed.
"They need a lot more information than just to buy some canned food. People who are used to living on takeaways and convenience food need to know what kind of things to buy and how much. If you're not used to buying food for a week, it's quite difficult to do that."
What kind of face masks to buy for treating sick people and how to take them off in a way that prevents reinfection is covered in the book.
"From a Government perspective, they're worried about things like closing airports and burying bodies rather than the fine detail of things. This book is really commonsense advice," King says.
Her job at Community and Public Health is based on educating people to eat healthily, and it is something she feels passionately about.
She has a vegetable garden, stews apples, collects walnuts and makes preserves. "I like hunting and gathering, which we don't do so much these days. I hate wasting food. I like cooking from scratch."
A former science teacher, King hosts a healthy eating cooking show on regional television channel CTV. She has lived in Christchurch for the past seven years after spending more than 20 years in Australia. She grew up one of six children whose mother always had a well-stocked pantry.
King, who has two adult children, says she still has enough to feed an army in her kitchen and is well prepared if she had to be self-sufficient for a few weeks.
She would like to see a renaissance of traditional cooking, where time is taken to prepare a meal, enjoy the ingredients and share it with family and friends.
"I think the food industry which produces all these convenience foods doesn't want us to cook; they want us to feel busy and rely on these products. There has been a constant message that cooking is a chore, something that's an add-on to life rather than an essential component of life."
Having a healthy diet is one way for people to boost their chances of surviving a disaster, she says.
Asked to judge the likelihood of a pandemic, she says it is crystal ball-gazing. "But what we know is there have been pandemics around every 30 years for a long time; there have been 10 in the last 300 years.
"We know that the influenza virus is a very unstable virus that changes and mutates. Every so often you get a strain which humans are not used to that has pretty deadly consequences."
Though there are other threats that are likely to strike New Zealand, such as earthquake and flooding, King sees pandemic flu as a pressing concern, despite extensive planning by the Government.
Pandemic flu is a good focus for preparation because if it does strike, there's no one to help us. With an earthquake, it's localised and while it may be devastating, help sooner or later comes from outside. With a pandemic, if the whole world is affected, there's no help coming from outside and it's each person for themselves.
"That certainly would be the motivation for me to get prepared for this, more than I probably would for an earthquake or flood."
King is now working on a cook book for people wanting to lose weight or manage type 2 diabetes.
So far, sales of her Survive Bird Flu book are just covering costs, but she hopes it will be a long-term success ? and that those who buy it will never seriously have to use it.
Survival tips:
In a power cut turn off and up-plug appliances such as heaters and cooking equipment that could cause a fire if the power comes back on unexpectedly.
Ensure people with sore throats gargle regularly with salt water.
For baking, if you do not have eggs, use one teaspoon of cornflour or custard powder mixed with a quarter of a cup of water for egg egg.
Dry hands thoroughly after washing, wet hands spread germs easily.
Methyalated spirits and salty water are effective disinfectants to spray or wipe surfaces.
The average person needs about four to five litres of water per day - 70 litres for a two-week period.
Survive bird flu and other disasters by Bronwen King is out now through Hazard Press for $14.99 RRP.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3654087a7144,00.html
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