Category: Health and Fitness

Three Letters Re: A Recent Experience On An Ultra-Low Calorie Diet

Hugh, I don’t think it was the calorie restriction which made him suffer those ill effects. I think it was the high soy content of the meals. Despite all the hype about how healthy soy is, the ugly truth is that soy is not that healthy. First, it is highly genetically modified, so it is nowhere near the original cultivated plant. Second, it is a false estrogen and plays havoc with one’s endocrine system. Even in a healthy person with no endocrine (thyroid) problems, that much soy can cause ill effects. I think it was the soy protein messing with …


Guest Article: A Recent Experience On An Ultra-Low Calorie Diet, by BadIdeaGuy

Caloric intake, in a post-SHTF, has been mentioned before, but I wanted to share a recent experience with a low-calorie disaster and what its implications are for challenging times that lie ahead. After some health concerns, my doctor asked if I’d like to try their physician-overseen weight loss program. I’m a 38 year old man, who is busy raising a family and performing in a career. I eat what I can when I can. The long workdays following by parental responsibilities have cut into my workout time, which results in my being fatigued, and have resulted in some poor dietary …


How To Be Fully Prepared By Taking Charge of Your Health, Our Story, by J.D.

We began our quest to take charge of our health just prior to the end of 2011. Here is our story! This article is for the purpose of sharing how two individuals (referred to as Person #1 and Person #2) with differing health issues took it upon themselves to learn about their health, deal with their issues, and get off many prescribed drugs. “One size does not fit all.” Eighty-seven percent of those who write the Clinical Guidelines that doctors follow have ties to the pharmaceutical industry! (UPDATE: 2014 an article just came out that states now that number is …


The Five Stages of Survival Grief, by Dr. Bob

(In writing this submission after quite a long hiatus, I am hoping to bring awareness to the issue and help people be better prepared. After having to go through this cycle of grief myself in regards to the State and their overreach in professional licensing and control of physicians, I have reached acceptance and have emerged willing to try once again to help others. Acceptance of the fact that ANY one of us can be hauled off by the State now for “infractions” is a tough thing, but as Doc’s wife says often: “It is only through faith in God …


Training for Survival, by Warm Winds

During a survival situation, being able to do a task with a good amount of stamina can get things done much faster. As an example, a recent survival blog entry was about how bikes are very valuable during survival. If one has no stamina, bikes can be pretty useless. Even if one has a limited amount of stamina, biking can be very exhausting and require a very long time to get from place to place. As a personal example, yesterday there was a big snowstorm where I live. My younger brothers and I decided to shovel snow for money. I …


Non-Internet Social Networking for TEOTWAWKI, by A.K. in Kansas

If you have finally decided to take the plunge and eliminate social networks from your life (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), the skills for maintaining interpersonal relationships should not be completely thrown by the wayside.  Over the course of the last five years our “group” has created a network of people that has proven to be very valuable.  One disclaimer that I must put forth is that the flippant nature of social networking on-line must be completely discounted as OPSEC is paramount.  I would never bring someone into my home to have contact with my family or include them in my preps …


A Beginner’s Guide to Essential Oils, by C.D.H.

I have recently been introduced to Essential Oils and I am by no means an expert, but I believe they definitely have a place in the prepper’s medical bag. They are a pure, all-natural alternative to many types of medications and ointments without the side effects of chemicals. Essential oils are extracted from certain varieties of trees, shrubs, herbs, and flowers. The oil is concentrated in different parts of the plant. The most common way of extracting oil is through steam distillation. It takes thousands of rose petals to make one small bottle of rose oil! Most essential oils are …


Preparing Your Body and Mind, by Michael P.

The Body There are two primary tools used to in every situation ever encountered; the mind and the body. Despite the body being such a crucial aspect of survivability, preparing the body for the unknown remains one of the least addressed topics in survival books and on-line forums. It is also one of the areas of survival that necessitates the most maintenance, and requires the most amount of dedication and consistency. Though most survival manuals fail to address the importance of preparing the body, the fact remains that there are no military units in the world that do not have …


The Bugs No One Talks About, by J.T.

Parasites effect a vast number of the world’s population, and they are seen as directly decreasing the productivity of people, and increasing the morbidity/mortality of affected persons.  I have witnessed numerous children afflicted with taeniasis (tapeworm), ascariasis (roundworm), and giardiasis while on a medical mission trip to a remote region in Peru.  The burden of parasitic infections in these children was immense and contributed to stunted growth, fatigue, and likely cognitive delays.  Though in North America we typically do not worry about parasitic diseases, this is only a recent phenomenon that has occurred in the past 60 to 80 years.  …


Letter Re: Gluten Free Foods at COSTCO

Dear Mr. Rawles, I follow you via RSS and have purchases your past archives from Amazon. Following the advice in your blog, I just got done on COSTCO.com purchasing some gluten free meal kits. I find it amazing they have these for people with food allergies and yet at rock bottom prices (even with the non-member surcharge.) I will sleep much better at night for my wife, 17 month old daughter and myself. God Bless you and thank you for your wealth of resources! Thanks! – Andy P. JWR Replies: As I highlighted in the Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness …


Letter Re: You’ll Need a Fine-Tooth Comb

Hello James, One item that is often overlooked in preparing for a collapse situation – where hair and beards can grow long and so can the interval between showers, is the humble nit and lice comb. So take a look at the Shantys nit and lice comb, and watch their video. (I have no connection whatsoever with this company)   Best Regards, – Andre D. JWR Replies: Reviewing the history of the 20th Century, one could summarize: “War is hell, but it is also lousy.” Whenever people live in close confines, the spread of lice increases dramatically. Just imagine your …


The Constipated Hordes at TEOTWAWKI: A Pharmacologic Strategy, by Anon, M.D.

In a situation that will be characterized by, among other things, gutted pharmacies and unmanned hospitals, the remaining population at TEOTWAWKI will be required to provide their own medical care and to meet their own pharmacologic needs.  While there have been numerous helpful articles outlining the importance of antibiotics in the context of TEOTWAWKI there has been very little addressing the importance of an overall pharmacologic strategy. Some of you—especially those who take daily prescription medication—have likely considered this problem before.  But perhaps you are young and healthy, unburdened by any medical diagnosis.  There should still be a pharmacologic component …


Letter Re: Faraday Caging a Bed?

Mr. Rawles, My child is sick. I need to build a Faraday cage to surround my child’s bed. We are in a second floor apartment. Can I use wood and chicken wire? To create a ground [for the cage], can I: Take an extension cord, tear out the double prong but leave the ground post, cut off the opposite end attach the wires to the wire cage. Would that work? Thank You, – M.R. JWR Replies: I will pray for you and your child. Faraday cages have no positive health effects for humans unless for some very unlikely reason that …


850 Miles in 27 Weeks: Experience With Long Distance Walking, by Erik M.

Do you plan to walk to your retreat?  Then read this first. For those who like me, are nearing or over 50 years old and out of shape after years of working a desk and who think that walking or biking to a retreat is an option for them, let me tell you about the last 27 weeks and the 850 miles I’ve covered by walking and biking. In doing so I’m hoping that I can convince you to start now rather then waiting for a situation that forces you to do so. After all, if my retreat were 260 …


Prepping For Seniors, by Retired Rev.

I became aware of the need for prepping too late to have the advantages associated with youth.  Seniors are already dealing with issues of declining physical prowess, declining health and a growing sense of mortality.  To add prepping to the list of concerns seemed more than a bit overwhelming but given the realities of our day, prepping slowly became an unavoidable necessity as I began to understand that the economic path on which our nation is traveling is clearly becoming unsustainable and is getting worse, not better. There was also the additional concern – shared by preppers of any age …