Category: Health and Fitness

TEOTWAWKI Preventive Medicine, by Dr. Bob

There have been many article about medical advice and certainly there is no shortage of information available in SurvivalBlog. But as a good old-fashioned country doctor I hope to give you some solid, comprehensive information that you can use now to prepare for WTSHTF.  There are some basic assumptions about TEOTWAWKI that most people have pondered.  Let’s go over the lists first.  It will be darker, colder, hotter, wetter, drier, and dirtier.  There will be less safety, less clean water, less food, more danger, more work, more exposure, and more pain.  Sounds like a bad camping trip. The difference is …


Raising a Healthy, Happy Infant in a Survival Situation, by Brittany B.

Humidifier – check. Electric fan – check. Lullaby CD – check. Nightlight – check. Final kisses and whispered prayers, and at last you’re ready to lay your tiny baby down to sleep. Modern convenience makes caring for a little one easy as pie and exhaustingly complicated at the same time. Our parents muse, “How did we ever get by without that nursing pillow/bottle warmer/Sippy cup tether?” Yet somehow, the human race got this far without all of today’s fancy gadgets designed to ease parents through the baby years, and we would be wise to consider how it used to be …


Two Letters Re: The Case For Silver Spoons

Hi Jim, I wholeheartedly agree with using silver spoons daily. At issue with the article is the fact that many people have misconceptions about colloidal silver including F.J.B.  It should not be consumed internally.  Gargling or swishing around the mouth is fine, as is using it in a nasal sprayer for the sinuses and nasal passages.  Swallowing colloidal silver, however, is not advised.  The problem is that the elemental silver reacts with the hydrochloric acid in the stomach to produce silver chloride which does not have any of the sought after properties the the metallic silver has.  It will however …


The Case For Silver Spoons, by F.J.B.

1

Most folks today would agree that we live in troubled times. At any moment, a single event could change the balance of our society for the worse, taking us back to what some might call the dark ages. Predicted solar flares, EMPs, earthquakes, or  even terrorist activity today could lead to a complete infrastructure failure that would affect every aspect of our future. During such a grim event, our personal health would be a great concern. Without refrigeration, many medicines would spoil. Without power, pharmaceutical plants shut down. The few hospitals that have back-up power will soon run out and …


Minerals, Nutrients and Essential Oils for Survival, by M.G.M.

As my husband excitedly plans how to care for our family if disaster strikes and  how to live on bare minimal amounts of food, I am preparing my heart for caring for my family during hard times.  I know that my job is maintaining the emotional presence of my family during the hard times that we may face. These are things that we can all inexpensively incorporate into our lives now and reap the benefits from.  I am also happy to tell you that these are things that you can use around your house every day, and will also bring …


No Cost and Low Cost Simple Beneficial Habits, by L.L.V.

There are some no nonsense, low-cost hands on things that we can do right now and daily to become more prepared in a slow and steady, simple manner. I recommend using Regularly Unavoidable Training Triggers (RUTTs). Getting in a RUTT could save your life. We all know people that are in a rut.  Some people like to smoke their cigarettes and some spend hours a day in front of the television.  Some people without even thinking about it pick up a little bit of candy or junk food when standing in line at the grocery store.  The truth is that …


Letter Re: Inexpensive Mailorder Eyeglasses

Letter Re: Inexpensive Mailorder Eyeglasses James, Just completed an order with Zenni Optical for a pair of “computer glasses” (as opposed to “reading glasses” for the tech age, I suppose) and I am very pleased.  For $11.90 with shipping and handling. I got a pair of glasses that I was able to customize for computer work.  You can hardly get a pair of generic Chinese-made readers from Wal-Mart anymore for that price.  I plan to make a bulk order of backup glasses for the family from them.  It took a while to get them, but it was within the timeframe …


Prepare While You Can, by W.L.

Many of our family and friends have teased us about my husband’s and my desire to live as independently and as far away from others as we possibly can. They have often scoffed at our (as one relative called it) “end of the world pantry”. These are of course the same family and friends that love to vacation at our place. The very same that called immediately after 9/11 and asked if the violence and terror reached near their homes could they come and stay with us. These same people have begun calling in the days since the massive earthquake …


Two Letters Re: Living Proof: It All Comes Down to Diet and Exercise

Sir, I have to agree with this article.  I first heard about the South Beach diet from a coworker who lost over 100 pound and kept it off for many years this way.  I’ve successfully used it myself, me, who thought I could never stick to a diet.  It was developed by a cardiologist with the goal being to provide his patients with a diet that would greatly lower their risk of stroke and heart attack and improve their cardiac and blood profiles.  My only caveat is I don’t agree with his recommended use of Splenda and NutraSweet.  Use all …


Living Proof: It All Comes Down to Diet and Exercise, by Midwest Hiker

I would guess that most SurvivalBlog readers would agree that the mind, including state of mind and skill set, is one’s most important asset during TEOTWAWKI. Additionally, I would argue that being physically fit runs a very close second place. I have always been a prepper to a certain degree; even before I had ever heard the term. However in the back of my mind I knew that my body would not make it far even if my family’s survival depended upon it. In addition to being pre-diabetic, I was taking medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I …


Vacation Survival Preparedness, by Brent A.

I’ve been a prepper for several years now.  Living in South Louisiana kind of forces one to be with the high probability of hurricanes.  I’ve taken it to the next level and want to be as prepared as possible not just during the summer months for hurricane season, but year round for the litany of other possible disasters whether they be natural or man-made.  With the help of this site and several others I thought I was well on my way to having things pretty well covered.  We have the house prepared for a temporary short term dislocation, and a …


The Psychology of TEOTWAWKI, by J.P.C.

Many are preparing with physical items for “The End”. This aspect is extremely important, but what good will it do you if you are mentally weak? In survival situations research has shown that on average the mental willingness to live equals roughly 50% of your survival chance. This is based upon the individual, whether already mentally weak or strong, the type of situation, and the duration of the situation that the individual is in. Some people are very wise, strong, prepared, or a combination of all, but will not make it passed the initial phase of a catastrophe due to …


Letter Re: Experiences in the Southeastern Ice Storms

Jim, I would like to add my two cents to the discussion of the Great Carolina Blizzard of ’11. I had some similar experiences to B.H.: Deep frustration over dead batteries in cars. I had two every day drivers that just would not start. While it was fairly cold for our area, I suspect that high humidity added to the cold had a draining effect on the batteries. In the future, I would think about a short start and warm up every 8 hours or so on vehicles that I knew were to be needed on short notice.  It took …


Letter Re: An Alabama Snowstorm

James Wesley: It is beginning to snow in Alabama.  In small towns all around, the grocery stores have been stripped down to the shelves.  People were buying food to cook in fear that they might not make it to the grocery stores when they need to.  Milk is all but gone.    I went to the grocery store Sunday morning to pick-up a few doughnuts for our Sunday school class.  I saw one of my wife’s friends on the junk food aisle.  She is a single mom of two.  She said, “I have $40 to buy groceries to get us …


Storing Fats and Oils, by Dave The R.N.

Fats are in important and often neglected part of the diet, especially when it comes to the typically carb-heavy foods typically stored.  Grains like wheat berries and rice along with beans are a cornerstone of any preppers dietary thrust. This provides an overabundance of carbohydrates and some proteins. And when it comes to animal-based protein, I often see information on how easy it is to raise rabbits for protein, and with good reason. They propagate quickly and are easy to butcher and don’t take up much space. The problem with rabbit is that it’s almost devoid of fat. In fact, …