21 Days Eating ONLY What We Can Grow | The Movie

We spent 21 days eating only what we could grow on our self-sufficient property and this is the story about how it went.
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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane - the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let's get into it! Cheers, Mark :)

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Everyone, it was a late upload tonight/this morning CRIKEY time goes fast! Subscribe to kzbin.info for those recipes coming soon and more, cheers :)

[@heidirodriguez2166]

Done!

[@raydel5732]

@@T3lC0 you do not make salt. You mine it

[@jhamptonjr]

Yes! Those recipies you post are always delicious, and are usually something I'd never think of preparing! Congrats on making it to the finish line! Peace! ✌

[@simonepen6947]

Late??? I waited for hours, my husband was doing his nut! Great video and nice to see your lovely Mrs. V. thanks!!

[@fh-lk3fp]

11:24 Fortunatly you didn't eat the dog which could be meat from garden.

[@johnliberty3647]

The Steve Irwin of plants and homesteading

[@bumblebeetuna89]

Recycled joke

[@saturny2k383]

@@bumblebeetuna89 its not a joke, its the truth

[@DangerB0ne]

@@bumblebeetuna89 It's an upcycled joke

[@heywoodjabozoff9383]

don't go near any giant venus flytraps.

[@AdamHoooot]

Russel Crowe and Rebel Wilson is all I see.

[@rusty7009]

don't fear the camera Nina...you're a beautiful lady!

[@JoeSmoe1]

She was nervous at first, but she warmed up really well. They made it seem like shes terrible on camera and she was great and relatable

[@nickc5696]

@@frankbarnwell____ I've never heard anyone here in the States consider eggs dairy lol.

[@jenniferrivard4690]

She did great!

[@Stettafire]

@@nickc5696 We in the UK consider them dairy. You'll often find them lumbed with milk, butter, cream etc.

[@Stettafire]

@@frankbarnwell____ I don't think you are replying to OP in your comments. Maybe create a new comment instead of replying

[@mathieubelliveau3916]

I love how Nina is just as happy a person as you are. Thanks for bringing joy and sunshine from across the Pacific.

[@motherblue759]

My Dad told me, when planning a veggie garden. Count the people in the house, plus 2 more people, to cover family and friend outside your household, and 2 more people, for your best mates when times get hard. Pantry and barter.

[@luckystars1632]

@Mother Blue - That’s brilliant advice. Thank you Blue!

[@bryonbooth656]

No you just have to be good at what you do, any extra is a burden.....

[@Ravishrex1]

@@bryonbooth656 extra is always a gift if used correctly.

[@motherblue759]

@@bryonbooth656 My Dad was a child in the Great Depression, here in Australia, at a time when family meant your whole family not just the people under the same roof as you.

[@Seek_Him]

Very Nice

[@littletom1]

You can definitely see your physical difference Mark, looking good mate.

[@GFG2gifted]

Noticeably different. He's starting to look as healthy as his plants. 😅

[@laceysnursery5080]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKPEeZl6prqEi6c

[@heshamalfahad3533]

I wish someone looked at me the way Mark looks at his quails....

[@PolandDragon]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@sandy-rr1by]

watch what you wish for...the quail were a potential protein source!!! HAAAAA!!!!!

[@melodytenisch6232]

😂

[@krissifaith6709]

Hahahahaha

[@ikigai47]

I'm sure you can find someone to look at you like your life is expendable

[@Johnnyreengo]

Nina was a great addition to the video. She seems like such a pleasant person to be around, like yourself.

[@Cerce7]

this look so strange for modern society but this is exactly how my granparents lived in Italy during the second war and befoure.

[@pereximepere8439]

Some say we are at wwIII

[@fiachnaodonnell7895]

I reckon after 100 days (maybe longer) you'd start to really adapt to this type of lifestyle. Also as he was experimenting with the worst time of year, in a real situation he'd have probably stored up tons of potatoes/carbs over the year to last out that period

[@archieedwards3746]

Same bro

[@tinad8561]

My grandparents too. Everybody talks about British rationing, but wartime/post-war privation in Italy was also no joke.

[@victoriac1672]

She did wonderfully. I really liked hearing her input

[@cherieg-johns1650]

Same

[@donnamcdonald3709]

I hope Nina comes back! She enhances your show nicely. I was interested and eager to hear her perspective.

[@GaryMcKinnonUFO]

What a lovely woman :) That was strong of you both to be cooking standard meals for the boys while doing your experiment.

[@jaymidolan-mcgrath7559]

I would love to see an updated video of this doing it again with the preparation and forethought!

[@rakeemrobinson]

Yeah, me too.

[@robertkillgo5570]

Here here

[@karinepetitclerc123]

Yes that would be good

[@deniseacebo9679]

Yes please!

[@gwynnmiller428]

Yes, please!!

[@tammypurtee8770]

Your lady didn't need to feel nervous. She did quite well and looks lovely on camera.

[@gabbyrico4877]

She reminds me of Rebel Wilson

[@kingjames4886]

I found nothing remarkable about it... people should stop struggling to. just a woman on camera.

[@Berkeloid0]

@@kingjames4886 It's because Mark has said many times that Nina is uncomfortable in front of the camera, so everyone is trying to reassure her that she did a fine job and has nothing to worry about - they are not struggling to find something remarkable, they are trying to reassure a person that they did just fine, to make them feel comfortable about the experience.

[@bonnieskitchengarden]

I agree

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Tammy! :)

[@haroldgolden5437]

It strikes me that you are missing one key component; legumes. I think if you were to grow more beans, you could have a more complete diet. By the way, you look great - almost back to your "warrior" bod. And Nina should help and appear in more videos as she provides a nice balance.

[@brandongreene9615]

He did eat a bunch of legumes.. bananas! Lol

[@kdavis4910]

Very nice feedback

[@saylormoon6144]

Ya thats an interesting pt. I wonder if beans just arent as popular as here in U,S as there bc of the Hispanic influence. We had a lot of beans as kids and i still love them 1 of my fav foods next to rice. Esp since u guys have a dehydrator pintos red legumes themselves kindeys wud of been a really simply easy way to increase the proteins and the boredom since theres just so many ways to prepare the vast majority of beans

[@divinelight144]

Legumes in reality are not neccessary at all. For most people their digestion and hydrochloric acid is way too low to even be able to process them and that will just cause harm to your body because of this since they will rot in your gut. They have too much protein and processing protein and fats needs a really strong hydrochloric acid, which nowadays really no one has anymore. This is special information from medical medium books which i recommend everyone to read 🧡 theyre by Anthony William and i recommend you to start from the book 1 - secrets behind chronic and mystery illness and how to finally heal revised and expanded edition 🌿☀️🕊️✨ also, eating potatoes instead of Legumes is incredibly amazing 🧡 just keep the fats and oils out of them when you cook them, so your body can get the critical life saving glucose they have - fats block you from receiving it

[@14eilonwy]

I was thinking the same thing. I tried growing edamame (soy beans) one year, and they were super easy to grow! (I live in Seattle) I assume Mark and Nina grow peas, though they would have been out of season during this experiment, so I am curious if they have ever dried their pea harvest. I would love to see a video on that. Mushrooms contain mycoproteins, though it might be too dry where they are to grow them other than in an indoor hydroponic system. But yes, beans, and lentils, and peanuts!

[@RyanLuv9]

Nina did a wonderful job coming onscreen and we'd love to hear more from her various experiences with living off the garden! I love that you both did this experiment and it's very inspiring for me to to see ‚ and perhaps what me and mine will be able to be self sufficient in. 😀

[@domautard2030]

I am so attracted to the idea of becoming self sufficient, especially now where our lives are becoming difficult and restricted. We're losing our jobs and need to be self sufficient rather than being made to rely on big corporations to survive and work. So so happy to see how you've managed to be where you are today. Really proud of you both. May GOD BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY😇 Would love to visit one day . Is that possible?

[@louiedeasisparagas8122]

Greetings from Philippines! I agree with Mark and you .I started watching his video just a month ago . I have found it difficult to get a new job and so I use my time to help my father in having our own Self sufficient garden. It's hard work but I like the thought of being prepared for the worse. Inflammation causes prices of basic commodity to go up therefore it helps to have our own food in our garden. Pandemic 1 had taught me many things. And if there will be Pandemic two .I would like to be prepared ahead of time ..I'm sharing this idea to my friends as well.. GOD bless Mark and Nina and you as well ..

[@reikasun8463]

You should post some video show us how to store your food. That’s gonna be an interesting topic.

[@UltraViolet666]

Yes!

[@steven6918]

Yes please!

[@suegibson8914]

I watch a KZbin lovely couple Sarah & Kevin at Living Traditions Homestead, they have many many videos on preserving food, I highly recommend them.

[@jeffriffel4364]

PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU FERMENT TOMATOES PLEASE PLEASE.

[@michielvoetberg4634]

I'm growing my own tomatoes for the first time, I learned a lot and hope to grow more next year. So yeah, fermented tomatoes would be very interesting

[@zero0hex]

Just adding a reply to promote this comment!

[@NS-pf2zc]

The homesteading family has a video on it, if that is helpful.Just do a search on youtube with their name and Fermented tomatoes to hold you over until Mark can make one showing his technique! I've done it, and it deceptively easy! And delicious!

[@littledrabbitry9410]

Yes, would love to get your recipe Mark!

[@hlynnkeith9334]

Cherry tomato fermenting with basil kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJjRc6WAfLibjq8

[@retrobob3802]

I'm very late to the party in watching this. Fair play to you both for being under no pretences that this was hard, and good on ya Nina for coming on camera. I really enjoyed the debrief. Love the end!

[@gabrielkawa3477]

I really like how you didn't bullshit nor make it easy on yourself but did this in some of the most challenging of situations

[@chili.Hawaii]

She is adorable. How sweet. So far I am loving the video.

[@bonnieskitchengarden]

Yes i agree she should be on mre often

[@wanderingchook1193]

Nina is gorgeous. "Can i start again" lol

[@LitcheTheArsm]

I'd love to see an updated attempt soon! Someone commented about maybe growing more legumes to get a more wholesome harvest which i think would be incredible to flesh it out.

[@mistybirdbush]

Absolutely loved this! Especially as I am a homegrower where possible and a vegan. I love seeing what you do with your produce and how you prep to store it.

[@stevenecheverria5032]

That’s super interesting how it only took three days to see the symptoms fade ...this inspired me to try it myself

[@freeshrugs63]

I've detoxed off bread, sugar, dairy, meat a couple of times. The detox takes 2-3 days, but the boredom stage comes and goes. I lasted as long as 2 months both times, but the old habits crept back in. Oh, and it was cravings for my Diet Pepsi that killed it both times. (I'm American). Love all your videos.

[@terriesmith8219]

Sugar and carb is so addictive, very difficult to give up. Not sure if I could do it, so good on you and Nina for giving it up for 21 days.

[@kerspaprogbalceram3669]

Once you stop for a week or two it will become infinitely easier

[@fh-lk3fp]

It's like rehab. Sugar and carb are drugs, same action on the brain, much stronger than cocaïn.

[@Skorpychan]

Carbs and dairy combined is the worst, addiction-wise. Lockdown meant no cheesy chips for literal months until the biker cafes opened again.

[@xhivo97]

Oh man, I think I'm lucky since I don't like most sweet things. Sodas are waaay too sweet for my taste.

[@MeatGoblin88]

@@fh-lk3fp you're really stupid if you think sugar gives you more dopamine than cocaine. you sound like a 40 year old white woman that has never smoked weed before

[@graceandglamor]

Such a treat to get to see your wife on camera! What a cool experiment.

[@billym4430]

Watching from Wisconsin USA, you motivated me to start my own at home garden!

[@ihopeugrow]

11:11 Love how the dog came running in when she said chicken and steak! Lol

[@dirtisbetterthandiamonds]

Rabbits are the solution you're looking for! Quiet, healthy meats, can use manure directly into garden without having to compost, they eat whatever is foraged, the pelts have a ton of uses, etc. Looks like our Florida winter. We get to wear a sweater once or twice and then we just skip spring right back into summer lol. You look very healthy these days!

[@backyardrebel2149]

Rabbits are a great source of protein but they are so low in fat that you could starve to death if that's all you eat.

[@wildflower8425]

To cute to eat

[@michielvoetberg4634]

Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully Mark can consider this. But maybe regulations would make it too difficult for him. Or maybe Nina would protest because they are too cute

[@FirstDagger]

@@backyardrebel2149 ; Yes, also called Protein poisoning or Rabbit starvation.

[@backyardrebel2149]

@@wildflower8425 Cuteness is in the eye of the beholder. 😉😁

[@jodygrant1255]

This shows the world that when you plant what you eat, and eat what you've planted your body will naturally regulate you weight. It is healthier. Thank you for sharing....

[@walnutcoffee2529]

I just wanted to say thank you for all of the time and effort that you put into making these videos. There is just such a perfect balance of educational content and entertainment that constantly makes your videos worthwhile. So thank you for sharing your experience with me and countless others. I hope to become more self sufficient in time. Sincerly, a teenager with big dreams about a simple life.

[@maryelaine-blinstrubchambe6083]

Me too. Final got to start at 69, 4 years ago. Hope you get your dream sooner!

[@garyvee6023]

OK..., so take two. Redo the "experiment" in summer so you can prep in advance. That would be a good video comparison. Nice to see Nina's reaction aswell. Edit: Maybe with what you can swap/barter with others aswell.

[@Velkhana22]

Bartering is a *fantastic* idea! We didn't grow up eating just what we grew, we only had a small farm not enough for even two people, but we had a surplus of certain things like a kumquat tree that we couldn't do enough with. It's surprisingly easy to find people who have things they'll trade off for food they aren't growing.

[@raymondhead8522]

Hi Gary ;; THAT"S a great Idea . He is just the man to pull it off . With Nina by his side , He will not fail.. I predict a 125% success . OR MORE !!!!!!!!!!

[@greenecrayon]

I really like this idea

[@joeltm8697]

Oh my god Nina’s laugh is so contagious

[@cryptor3hab300]

You’re are known as a master gardener. Please, some of us need Nina more as the “typical” experience we can relate to.

[@lisawoods9391]

I tried fermented tomatoes this year for the first time. . I made them, and tried them. Was surprised at how well they tasted! I look at what you grow in the way of citrus, and I'm so jealous! lol Keep up with the vid's, I love watching you with all your amazing information!!

[@maryelaine-blinstrubchambe6083]

Me too! I'm in zone 5b, it will never happen. Lol.

[@Aklidien]

I know the 21-day challenge was a lot to handle, Mark, but thank you so much for doing it. I really enjoyed seeing the creative ways you put together dishes and handled your cravings. Also a VERY BIG THANK YOU to Nina! By golly, I know it's tough to get in front of a camera, but she gave some great insights! You two are such a lovely couple, and I'm grateful you both were open to facing this challenge together.

[@shantaranoyes9475]

It’s crazy I’ve been with self sufficient me for 2 years and you can really see the growth and quality in each video uploaded. It’s really great! Keep it up 👍🏽

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you for supporting my content for so long! The support from you and others like you have given me the inspiration and encouragement to keep going here on YT and try my best to improve. Cheers :)

[@darashadhar1063]

Tears in these eyes, but what a beautiful couple of human beings; honesty, insightful , realistic, future perspective, among others- Understanding, Relationship, nature considerate, and self-dignity among great many others.. Keep up the Good work Mark!! Goodness is in Communion with Goodness!

[@rayankrishneel96]

Yess💛💛💛

[@sharronpettis1486]

I love that he's speaking from personal experience not education from books!!

[@tylerjohnson6992]

Best after credits ever, and I only saw them because I wanted to watch ads so this guy gets paid

[@Selfsufficientme]

You're the best Tyler! Thank you :)

[@raymondhead8522]

I HOPE he gets paid a lot . He is worth it .

[@Echosinfireify]

Grow more legumes - beans are a great source of protein. Lentils make for a lot of good options, you can make Samosas, enchiladas, or add some savory protein to vegetables casseroles

[@michelepaccione8806]

Yup. I went vegetarian 30 years ago and then vegan. Beans, chickpeas, lentils, all the legumes are hearty, filling and a great source of protein. Use the corn to make tortillas and stuff them with beans, veggies, tomatoes. I love bean and corn salad in summer with bell pepper and onions.

[@joseywales7463]

If he grew enough lentils and beans he would never crave for carbs. But most grains and lentils require large area to farm enough. Apparently sorgum is a survival grain crop of choice.

[@andrewcavanagh3946]

Great tip. They're also great in stir fries and soups with vegetables. Also if you make a big stir fry you can keep the leftovers and eat them cold or heat them up later. Beans taste delicious cold as leftovers or reheated. Also from a health perspective when beans are cooked and cooled multiple times they have more resistant starch which helps feed bacteria in your gut that make short chain fatty acids.

[@andrewcavanagh3946]

@@joseywales7463 Growing beans in a home garden to feed yourself is quite practical. They take up much less space than growing grains and you can interplant with them, grow them up trees on fences, make them part of a sequence of plantings etc. They're also a much better source of protein than grains and healthier than grains too.

[@joseywales7463]

@@andrewcavanagh3946 I was aware of all that.

[@paulohenriqueoliveira9775]

Hey, Mark! Paulo from Brazil here. Just want you and Nina to know how inspiring both of you are. I've just found out what I want for my life and it is to grow my own good as you do. Very good channel, Very good videos. Congrats!

[@kaiteemitchell9453]

There are already food shortages on many items here. We stocked up on honey, syrup, salt, and many other needs that we would have a hard time living without

[@chrisdahl864]

" I didn't turn into a madman..." I thought that was the very definition of an Aussie.....lol!!

[@KatrinaGressett]

Have you thought about having some aquaponics where you raise some fish and use the fish waste as fertilizer?

[@Benjamin-wj4mf]

@Ordinary Sessel You can have up to 30cm of depth which is fine for aquaponics, also you can use an IBC with a sump pump. If all else fails how about an aquarium? Just connect a sump pump up and you're in business!

[@aussiegrows8096]

Ordinary Sessel confuses me why you need a fence around a pond but massive dams are ok

[@Berkeloid0]

You can have a good aquaponics setup in containers without a pond - look at the channel "Rob Bob's Aquaponics & Backyard Farm". He's in Ipswich, QLD and grows fish with no need for fences. In fact many commercial aquaponic farms seem to prefer large containers to ponds for the ease of separating fish by different ages and breeds, so a pond is probably less common for aquaponics.

[@KatrinaGressett]

All of the aquaponics setups I've seen (in Arizona in the States) start with a tank about the size of a large square Birdies garden bed filled with water and fish. Water then flows from that tank to hydroponics and then off to regular garden beds. I'm not an aquaponics expert by any stretch, but none of it involved having a pond.

[@NickCombs]

You can start small with a standard household aquarium.

[@nwedrikkozijn]

Great Video. We two pensioners stopped Wine & beer for 23 days before cracking. We gave up on brown bread within 13 days. We did another experiment, reduce consumption of everything 10% to 20%. We threw out 30 books, old sheets & pillow, old desk and broken electronincs, 30+ DVD's 20 CD's. What a relief!

[@adriannehuang6509]

“You are what you eat” - that’s absolutely true... this is such a inspirational experiment. Best wishes!

[@2005chrissie]

Everyone's a winner growing your own, your tips and tricks are gold and your our auzzie obie wan, thank you for everything

[@drowningmonday4374]

Haha!

[@laceysnursery5080]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKPEeZl6prqEi6c

[@BitcoinMap]

Sugar is the strongest drug I ever was addicted to!!!

[@kingjames4886]

@jack smith classified as a drug where? sugar fits every definition of a drug... so the dictionary at least.

[@Berkeloid0]

@Oshe Shango Doesn't matter about the calories, it's only called an addiction because it's so difficult remove it from your diet, even if you get the same caloric intake from something else. If you don't think it's an addiction, go for three weeks only eating natural sugars (fruit, honey, etc.) Avoid anything with sucrose in it (normal sugar, rice malt syrup, maple syrup, etc.) Unless you're one of the lucky few who can walk away from addictive substances, you'll find it extremely difficult, even if you keep up your calories from a non-sugar source.

[@6six9nine74]

@Zeljko Trifunovic helloo evryboddy

[@peep3616]

@Oshe Shango You do need sugar to survive and you're totally right that the fiber is needed along with the sugar! (as you get in fruits, etc). But its not necessarily only refined sugars that are bad for you, for example juicing removes all of the fiber from fruit and can be pretty bad for you if consumed consistently as well. Because sugar is a necessity for our diet - yet not something we would naturally have in abundance in the wild - sugar and sweeteners set off a "happy chemical" (dopamine) in our brain's reward system when consumed. This drives us to continue seeking out sugar. Unfortunately, its very difficult to keep this in check when we have unlimited access to all the sugar we could ever want..

[@mdoreneb5315]

Nice to hear the truth of a three-week experiment. Your wife is a pleasant person to listen to. Some of the dishes you showed pictures of, looked so good. Maybe once a week or month, have Nina show us how she makes use of the garden harvest. I know I am always looking for ideas of how to make the produce into a meal.

[@heatherwakem6559]

She is such a doll! Tell her we liked seeing more of her and give her our best!

[@franciegarneau1651]

Great show! Your living off your property for 21 days is amazing. To think that most people lived that way a few generations ago. Dried beans and corn make a complete protein, so maybe grow beans for drying. I grew and dried some and they were wonderful! A goat can provide milk to drink, make cheese and just be entertaining. Some ideas for the next time you want to go survival mode! LOL Thanks again for bringing back some pleasant memories of a more peaceful time.

[@janetsutherland7649]

Australia has a lot of regulations around the keeping of livestock. Goats really need to be part of a herd or at least a pair.

[@KeepGrowingWithMara]

Thank you for the honest experiment! Your wife is lovely and I hope she has more appearances in your videos!

[@timtamgar4844]

The steak feed at the end😂. The satire humor you previously suggested and then delivered. Nice job Mike. Love your content.

[@sasquatchdonut2674]

This is why it’s so important to have seasonings and spices. You don’t eat as much over time because you get bored of the reoccurring flavors.

[@ikigai47]

I once went 3 weeks only having soup due to TMJ (could barely open my mouth). I remember that first meal once it was over. Talk about a dopamine hit. Great seeing your better half! She was awesome!

[@PRDreams]

Hi Nina! Thanks for giving us your point of view. You have a beautiful smile and contagious laughter.

[@drealynne4256]

The whole point is Miss Nina gave it a hell of a go. Much further than I would make it that's for sure! This was such a cool experiment! Thank you both for sharing this with us.

[@kalanicooner6999]

I just love your show. We are in Florida in the USA. I love gardening as well and my yard is full of trees and vegetables. Keep up the good work.

[@whatsstefon]

Good on ya mate. I eat what I grow, and when I went vegan I lost 46kg. I haven’t had soft drinks and sugar in over ten years. It’s tough, but I learnt some great tricks to avoid becoming bored with what limitations you have. Once I overcame the carb trap, I found I felt great. Now when I have carbs, I feel like garbage.

[@whywhywhywhy7559]

Wow. Real goals, trying to achieve that, but I eat too much sugar in my diet it will be devastating for me

[@eva-louisekhalil9639]

Great to meet someone else who doesn’t touch that diabetes in a can. I haven’t touched it in around 20 years! Would love to be vegan since my joints aren’t great but don’t have the will power as I have to cook for five other people. Well done.

[@whatsstefon]

@@whywhywhywhy7559 it can be challenging. Start by looking at when you do eat and drink that contains sugar and just slowly ease off it. If you’re having 5 cans of soda a day, see if you can go with four each day for a week. Then three, and so on.

[@whatsstefon]

@@eva-louisekhalil9639 that’s amazing. Soft drinks are pretty bad. So good on you. Going vegan can be tricky when you have a household to feed. Maybe begin with one vegan dish a week. There are even some great “meat” alternatives. Like TVP - Textured Vegetable Protein. I use it instead of mince. To be honest, I’ve made spaghetti bolognese and friends have not been able to tell the difference. Same with taco filling. They’re shocked after I tell them they ate vegan. TVP is affordable, as opposed to a lot of the meat alternatives like stuff from Beyond, Plant Nation, and so on. So substituting can get expensive. Which is why things like faux burger patties and sausages are more like a treat. The Gardine brand “fish” is so “real” that my partner can’t tell the difference between that and a bag of fish and chips from the shop. A lot of people think vegan is just a plate of veggies. But there’s so much you can do with tofu, TVP, and Tempeh. Stir fries, curries, desserts, roasts, etc.

[@eva-louisekhalil9639]

@@whatsstefon we eat meat about 4 times a week currently. Gradually adding more vegetarian dishes to my repertoire. My kids LOVE my lentil burgers which I make from scratch!

[@lisasmith2065]

You could make some nut milk for your coffee. Start growing Some Stevia too . That would make your coffee so much better. My hats off to you . That's a very tough test

[@juneshannon8074]

Lisa Smith thanks for sharing your great suggestions with us Lisa. Ever thought of agave?

[@Aren-ai]

Lisa you're a genius for both of these suggestions! I made nut milk just recently for the first time and was amazed how good and easy it was, and you get a surprising amount from just a handful of nuts!

[@rough-hewnhomestead5737]

I LOVE this!! Have you read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"? Her family did a similar experiment for a year, allowing each person one sort of "cheat" food (one chose chocolate, one coffee, and one fruit from the market). That book made a huge impact on my view of food and was a catalyst pushing me toward homesteading in WV. Great video! God bless.

[@rough-hewnhomestead5737]

Ohhh and fermented tomatoes are YUM. Great salsa!

[@sandravissani4551]

Both of my parents were born into a homestead lifestyle. Very little sugar or meat in their diets yet they grew strong and healthy and lived long lives

[@MGM_Think]

I would suggest you look into planting palm trees in your property since you live in a hot area, dates are full of minerals and natural sugars and can be stored for years.

[@Berkeloid0]

FYI I bought some Medjool dates at the supermarket here in Australia (imported from the US) and after I ate them I chucked the seeds in the ground and they started to grow quite well, so it doesn't seem like it would be too much of a challenge to get some date palms going. They might not help you lose weight but let's not forget one of Mark's biggest complaints was the boredom from lack of variety, so the more things you can grow the better!

[@Therighteouswrong]

Should do a part 2 next year to see if you’ve improved. Good job, cheers! Edit: just saw the steak. Nice.

[@Selfsufficientme]

I bet we can improve Samuel! I'm not going through this again without better prep! Cheers :)

[@SoberOKMoments]

When I gave up coffee I had the worst headaches (3-4 days worth) of my life. When I gave up sugar it was like I had full blown flu. So bad I don't ever want to go back to using it casually. I do use it in some baking - but thoughtfully and sparingly. Good on you both for sharing your "experiment" information. Thank you. (p.s. - your wife is just lovely! You're a lucky man).

[@DebRoo11]

A friend's husband gave up coffee because he was having frequent headaches and was often swinging between jittery or anxious/very tired. He had terrible migraines for three days then felt better than he had in many years. He won't have more than a half cup a day now. He was really concerned he had a serious health issue, turns out it was all the coffee

[@servantofgod5642]

But do you have the place secure and appropriately armed against zombie attack? I was 80% completely self sufficient around the turn of the century and went from 120 kg to 80kg. I ate very little and smoked only what was grown. Man that was good grass.

[@downundervlogs]

I really enjoyed your journey and movie. Im sure if you had to do it again "in season" you would absolutely smash it in and be a breeze. Thanks for sharing your journey with us and Nina did a great job in her interview. Not sure why a few people gave you a thumbs down, but I give you both a huge thumbs up!!

[@ElderandOakFarm]

You have a crazy amount of self discipline! I wish I had that kind of self discipline! & to have to still cook for your children?!?!

[@razim.blakley5651]

Great dry run there as we call it on our neck of the woods in Texas, living self sufficient is the only way to go, Living on a small ranch it’s easier to be self sufficient but, we did it when we lived in the middle of the city! Some good pointers is to can food like your grandparents did, we can sauces, soups, jams, and beans which are high in fiber and protein. Nuts are huge help in crisis, have all sorts of nuts at hand, they all have different properties and benefits. We dehydrate tomatoes when they are in abundance and in season, we dehydrate them as sun-dried but in dehydrator which is clean and stress free. Certain thing will last forever such as honey, dry beans, flour, etc. You can also do beef, Turkey and chicken jerky that lasts a long time. Being prepared takes time and work, but once it’s done, you just replace what you consume and it’s a way of life.

[@IdealisticNyza]

Hi Mark, the video has 20k likes so absolutely not overrated! Thank you for sharing! My husband and I enjoy your videos a lot. We have just taken gardening on as a hobby. Right now we have cherry tomato plus capsicum seedlings growing ❤️. In the future we will be creating out raised beds but we’re taking it one step at the time. Thank you for inspiring us. Unfortunately we will not be able to send pictures but we might pop a message! Greetings from 🇨🇼 Curaçao (small island in the Caribbean Sea, part of the Dutch Kingdom)

[@blessed633]

The intro music is so calming. Thanks for the honesty in your results. the sting of reality vs my imagination can sometimes be discouraging. In this lifestyle there is no time for discouragement

[@cliffordunger1298]

Nina is a natural!👏 Good on you both, and a really interesting experiment 👍

[@anthonyelias8172]

Nina was absolutely the highlight of my day! She needs more camera time!

[@rabbitphobia]

I'd like to see a video on how you preserve your food.

[@DesolatorMagic]

I dunno why your wife doesn't like being on camera. She's really pretty! Btw I totally would have said fish are fair game. Same with shooting squirrels in the yard lol.

[@Emeraldwitch30]

I was thinking she reminded me of Rebal Wilson. Very beautiful.

[@greenbird777]

I didn't realize so many other people eat this way - it's really cool to see. For about four years, my son and I cooked Thanksgiving diner using only things we grew or gathered; the only things store bought were flour, sugar and butter. It made those Thanksgivings more special, meaningful and healthy. We ate this way most of the year because we were very, very poor, but honestly, we both prefer wild and/or home grown food.

[@julienhennequart33]

You need more legumes in your garden for the proteins

[@justme8108]

She's absolutely darling!

[@missstrawberryx]

The mostly plant based diet suits lots of people. The extra fibre that you keep keeps you full and helps digestion.

[@John-nr6gg]

@Self Sufficient Me Just saw this vid today, and I'd like to comment about your comment on coffee without sugar, being difficult to take. I know what you mean; when I used to drink instant coffee, it was the same for me. But then I started on espresso coffee, ground from arabica coffee beans, and I found that type of coffee has just enough sweetness in itself to make it taste good. Instant coffee is made from robusta beans that are grown at lower altitudes, is more plentiful, cheaper, but less sweet. I would not ever put sugar in my espresso coffee; it would ruin it. So, if you or anyone won't add sugar to anything, go for coffee beans, ground yourself, then brewed in your espresso machine at home. Espresso, of all the ways to make coffee, is the most effective at extracting the whole goodness of the bean. I thoroughly recommend it. It's my personal life secret, a large mug taken three times a day. It allows me to cope with anything!

[@thomasdesmond2248]

Nina don't worry we all love you guys. Just relax you're among friends. God bless

[@liafp1920]

“The human banana” 🤣🤣🤣🤣 you are special!!!! and also helped me with the planning of my raised bed.

[@revk8611]

Fabulous video. I am in Canada and live in the country. We have had some natural disasters where we lost power in the last couple of years in the winter for days to weeks in places. Prepping with my foods, preserves and frozen items, put us way ahead of others. We also had our firewood ready and could keep our house warm with a place to cook. We need to look after ourselves and the vulnerable people who can’t.

[@ebutifulgarden6807]

"The human banana" i like that phrase. My name is Ephraim i am from South Africa. I am doing gardening as well and you are my inspiration.

[@lilmak889]

Great job guys! Nina did great on camera!!!!!! :-D

[@loritanner4478]

I can everything. I buy different meats, when I find a great sale. Or marked down meats. I have right now in the pantry, tuna in 15 different flavors. I live on the southern oregon coast, so we can get fresh tuna to can. I also have Chicken, pork, turkey, beef, salmon, corned beef. Then I can all our soups. As I'm allergic to gluten and dairy. So buying soup is out. I have 14 kinds right now. I have carrots, green beans, french green beans, kale, chard, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes. Different sauces, bbq sauce, jams, i use to can corn, but I cant eat that anymore. And there is more but cant think of it right now. I also dry a bunch too. Plus our freezers are full. And I have my big garden going full blast now. Hope to get a big tomato harvest this summer. Have 130 plants with 33 varieties. Already pulled 60 pounds of potatoes out of 11 bins. Still have 16 more to go. I will be canning most of the potatoes that we are growing. We are also planting the bins again for a fall harvest. So yes, preserving food is the way to go. During this plandemic, my hubby has been laid off since april 2. So all that I have stored has come in really handy.

[@battleisreal6593]

A dehydrator might help with the freezer thing. What happens when there is no electricity?

[@chandrakaipa5197]

You know Mark world is going solar. That never runs out

[@mrcharrington1]

One year ago, I had an operation to remove a parathyroid gland For 4 months the only thing I could eat (tolerate) was eggs. I ate 14 scrambled eggs a day. Although I lost 50 lbs, the eggs kept me alive. I'm now organizing my back yard for a chicken coop and run. I'm a believer that eggs are a miracle food. Thanks for the great videos.

[@monkeyprince5480]

One of your best videos for homesteading 🍻

[@scottmcley5111]

A couple goats or some rabbits would be good additions. Also fishing and allowing yourself to trade for some of your Uncles honey would be beneficial. And painted lady runner beans!

[@knievelhotmail]

Is like to recommend to you looking into a pressure canner. It allows you to store your vegetables and meat without refrigeration so you can eat from your bountiful harvest throughout the year. They're truly tools of self sufficiency.

[@virginiaallisonpeck2517]

You can also can meat with a pressure cooker... I love mine...

[@KaribeCuebas]

Great video! I started a garden for the first time in March 2020 when the pandemic "scared" me. I live in a small apartment and have a small patio. I grew my salad mixes, tomatoes, many herbs, peppers, zucchini & squash. Frankly, I was impressed with myself and saved quite a bit of money once the garden started producing. Did not buy any veggies from the store--only ate my home grown veggies. Now, I'm all pumped up for my next summer garden. Your videos have been quite helpful with my process, thank you! By the way, Nina is a beautiful young lady and love her smile--tell her not to shy away.

[@essenceau]

I really enjoy the video and learnt a lot from your experiment. Thanks for putting your and wife's health through this ordeal for us. Keep up the good work buddy!!!

[@terriesmith8219]

Hahaha!! Love that minute after midnight meal!!!🤣😂😆 I would've done the same!

[@akersquarteracre8002]

Mark... have you considered growing Moringa? Seems it would have been great to have during your experiment. Great vid!

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Brett, I've been meaning to track down some moringa for ages - I thought I had some growing on our property as a self-seed but it turned out to be similar but not it. Yes I will have to grow some soon. Thanks for the reminder... Cheers :)

[@akersquarteracre8002]

@@Selfsufficientme Just started growing Moringa trees from seed a few months ago and have over 50 now. Got my seeds from Amazon, very inexpensive and you get a lot for your money (I bought a bag of 500). Been eating leaves raw and now dehydrating them for powder. Already experiencing noticable changes physically and mentally. I'm sold on the benefits and have only been eating it for a week or two. Good stuff!

[@akersquarteracre8002]

Florida zone 9B by the way... very sandy soil.

[@crazydaverocks]

Hey Mark. I've often wondered why you don't grow mushrooms under your house or in your shed. Easy to grow and a good source of protein, vitamins & minerals.

[@ehhh11]

This is where being a self sufficient hunter comes in very nicely, I have enough protein to last months for a family of 4. Supplement that with the garden and we could live comfortably but would lack much of the fruit production.

[@godsnotdead6973]

Great movie mate. What a fun and successful experiment. I can't wait to see how you implement what you learned during these 21 days. Nina is a lovely lady and you're lucky to have her!