Category: Health and Fitness

A Prepping Reality Check – Part 4, by Mama Bear

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article series.) Security/Defense There have been many articles on the blog about security and defense. Let me just throw out a few thoughts. What is the field of fire from each side of your grid-down retreat? Have you practiced with your family/group how to defend your retreat? Paintball is great for this. Have you thought about how far you are willing to go to defend your supplies, your home, your family? Have you thought about a procedure for admitting additional people to the retreat? Have you thought about which of your friends/family you …


Psychological and Physical Survival – Part 3, by K.B. MD

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) — Part 3 – Preventive Strategies Yesterday, in Part 2 we covered disaster’s effects such as depression, grief, and PTSD. Today in Part 3, we will focus on numerous preventive strategies. It is imperative to work proactively at protecting the psychological health of your entire group. This will require advance study and forethought for some unless you are blessed to have an individual in your group with medical and/or counseling experience to call upon. Nevertheless, it is crucial to think, read, and plan for psychological stress management as we do for other …


Psychological and Physical Survival – Part 1, by K.B. MD

The three parts of this article will describe: Part 1 – Stress- Types and Tips Part 2 – Disaster, Depression, Grief, and PTSD Part 3 – Preventive Strategies — Part 1: Everyone has experienced challenges in life such as illness, injury, bereavement, unemployment, financial loss, social dislocation, overwork, sleep deprivation, hunger, pain, cold, loss of power, civil unrest, etc. The chance of encountering some or all of the above skyrockets during times of prolonged disaster or TEOTWAWKI.  How will you or your loved ones, adults and children, fare during disasters? In reality, all of us will feel tremendous stress and …


Rule 1 for Survival: Fitness – Part 2, by John H.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) You are the expert on your body, and it is within your ability to train it effectively. Just like with anything, there are a million exercises you can do. Don’t worry! Here are some simple tips that will be helpful. Strength train 2 – 3 times per week. I like to include strength training on my cardio days, but with a break in-between. Mix it up. You can do back exercises on Day 1, shoulder and arm exercises on Day 2, and a combination on Day 3. Also, you can and should …


Rule 1 for Survival: Fitness – Part 1, by John H.

Introduction Rule #1 rule of any survival situation is physical fitness. True fitness provides you the ability to respond to any situation without failing. Based on our age, health situation, and more, physical fitness is different for each of us. It is not a win-lose situation. You do not have to choose between being either an extreme athlete or a couch potato. Everybody’s journey is different. However, the most important thing is that you always continue to work towards your goal, one step at a time. Any improvement is worth it. A Bit About Me In this post, we will …


Post-TEOTWAWKI Pest Control – Part 2, by J.S.R.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and Lyme disease are two bacterial tick-borne infections of particular concern. The ticks that transmit both of these diseases are found all over the United States. The CDC states that RMSF is most common in Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. After the three- to twelve-day incubation period, the early signs (days 1-4) of RMSF include a high fever, severe headache, gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, anorexia), and edema around the eyes and on the back of the hands. Two to five days after symptoms begin, the …


Post-TEOTWAWKI Pest Control – Part 1, by J.S.R.

Historically, guns and knives make barely a blip on the charts in their ability to kill when compared to mosquitoes, lice, and ticks. These killers trigger no motion sensors or metal detectors. They don’t need night vision goggles. They spare no one and are entirely indiscriminate in their attacks. It was true historically, and it is true now. It will continue to be true in the future. Focusing too much attention on Hollywood’s distracting scripts for doomsday scenarios where firearms do all the killing prevents people from preparing for the far more likely assassins that will find, wherever you bug …


A Healthy Infancy and Beyond, by O.R.

Author’s Introduction:  I have five years experience breastfeeding my two children. I am an accredited La Leche League Leader, which is a volunteer breastfeeding counselor who is active in providing breastfeeding support to families and communities, for three years. I am the chair of a local breastfeeding advocacy organization and have started an organization that encourages breastfeeding in marginalized populations. Additionally I have taken classes, attended conferences and am part of local breastfeeding coalitions. I recently sat for my board exam to become an IBCLC (Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and am currently awaiting my test results. — Our community …


The Pharmacy Around Us – Part 3, by Jen R.

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the three part series.) LOMATIUM Why you want it:  Lomatium is the go-to antiviral for influenza.  It’s much cheaper than Tamiflu, you don’t need a prescription, and it doesn’t have to be started within 24 hours to be effective.  During the Spanish flu, when it was used on patients thought to be lost causes, even these patients fully recovered. Lomatium is an herb that most people have never even heard of.  And yet, it’s something you really want to be able to identify and harvest if possible if you live west of the Mississippi, …


The Pharmacy Around Us – Part 2, by Jen R.

(Continued from Part 1.) BERBERINE Why you want it:  With actions similar to penicillin and amoxicillin, it is used for treating cholera, acute dysentery, diarrhea, E. coli, infected wounds, giardia, and yeast infections. While there are not as many uses for extracts from berberine plants as for juniper and Usnea, a berberine tincture is still very nice to have on hand in case of cholera or giardia.  The most common plants high in berberine content are Japanese barberry, Oregon grape, Nandina domestica, Hydrastis canadensis, and Phellodendron amurense (not to be confused with the common philodendron houseplant).  And you’ve probably got …


Southern California Prepper, by M.J.

I’ve been a longtime SurvivalBlog reader. I’m glad to say that I’ve learned a lot from reading the blog. Herewith are my two cents: I’m sick of city life. I’m sick of the endless traffic jams. I’m sick of the endless laws, rules, and political correctness. Yet I’m still here; I am not ready to move at this time. The main reason is getting more job experience. I’ve only been in the IT business for about a year and there is still much for me to learn. I’d like to learn more so that I can be more employable wherever …


Family Medical Preps – Part 2, by Doctor Dan

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Stockpile Medical Supplies: Basic Household First Aid Kits: These are essential for treating the very minor/nuisance injuries one encounters in their daily lives. This is not as comprehensive as any prepper should have on hand, but its low cost is a starter towards having some medical supplies on hand. Many of the items could prevent worse problems, such as Neosporin preventing a life-threatening infection in a TEOTWAWKI situation. (These kits can be obtained at virtually any retailer for under $20.) More Comprehensive First Aid Kits: Useful for someone with slightly more advanced …


Family Medical Preps – Part 1, by Doctor Dan

As Americans, we live in a time of relative peace and prosperity and are blessed to enjoy the most advanced healthcare system in history. Yet, as good as we have things now, we do not know what the future may bring. How can we find better health now, prepare for medical emergencies we may encounter in daily events, and also prepare for an uncertain future where medical resources may be limited or completely absent? The latter is commonly called a When The Schumer Hits The Fan (WTSHTF) scenario. Here are a few suggestions from a practicing physician: Preventative Health: Prevention …


Control Your Type 2 Diabetes or Die in TEOTWAWKI, by Scott M.

I am a family physician and I have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is where you initially have enough insulin produced by your body but are resistant to the insulin, i.e.:  you don’t have enough receptors for the insulin to plug into to act on the sugar/carbohydrates you ingest. As time goes on if you don’t manage your diabetes your body will stop producing insulin and you will need to be on insulin shots for the rest of your life. Type 1 diabetes is where you don’t produce any or very limited insulin and have to be on insulin for your lifetime. …


Guest Article: The Whispered Prepper Necessity: Feminine Hygiene, by Patrice Lewis

An unspoken but critical need for any prepper family with women is feminine hygiene. Sorry to bring up an awkward and indelicate subject, but every woman reading this is nodding her head in agreement. Phasing Out Disposable Products A number of years ago, our family started phasing out disposable products. We did this for a number of reasons, including environmental and financial; but the biggest reason was our interest in reducing waste. If the bleep ever hits the fan, waste disposal will be a huge issue. Better to tackle that aspect now rather than later. Washable Feminine Hygiene, A High …