Nine Herbs That Can Naturally Reduce Blood Pressure

One in three Americans have high blood pressure and in the event of a disaster, heart medication is likely to be scarce. That’s a problem, because during a disaster, your stress level will be much higher, making people dependent upon heart medication more susceptible to a heart attack. While you could and should stockpile prescription medications to the extent that you’re able, it’s always good to have a back up plan.

Here are nine herbs and plans that can naturally reduce blood pressure when your prescription stash is gone.  #WorldHeartDay

Source: Nine Herbs That Can Naturally Reduce Blood Pressure by Mark Taylor via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.

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Home Remedies for a Toothache – You’re Doing It Wrong

We’ve all had a toothache at one point or another, but it isn’t always easy to get into the dentist to get it taken care of. I wrote this post to help you in those times when it is impossible or impractical to get to a dentist. Hopefully, after reading these home remedies for toothaches, you’ll be armed with the knowledge to minimize your discomfort and speed up your healing.

What this post is not – this won’t be another tired laundry list of 21 home remedies for a toothache. Unfortunately, these shallow kinds of posts tell you what you could do, but not what you should do and in what order, what things you should do at the same time and which ones will effectively cancel each other out. Unlike other posts I’ve seen, the advice I’m going to give you is using common things you have around the house.

Curing a toothache at home requires a well-thought out plan of attack. It also helps for you to understand what mechanism the “remedy” is working on so that you can make substitutions in a pinch. Make sense? Before we get started, let’s get the disclaimer out of the way. I’m not a doctor or dentist. The advice in this article isn’t a substitute for professional medical care and you shouldn’t use it as a reason to avoid going to the dentist. It is only meant to help if you can’t get into the dentist right away.

First, let’s cover what happens when you have a toothache. A severe toothache is caused by an infection (almost always bacterial) of the gums and/or root(s) of a tooth. Side effects of the infection, besides pain, can include swelling and inflammation of the area. The swelling and inflammation are both the cause of the pain and your body’s natural response to try to fight the infection. As the tissue swells, it pinches nerves in the area, causing you to feel pain. One of the more challenging aspects of getting rid of a toothache is that most, if not all of the infection will be below the surface of the skin, making surface treatments relatively ineffective for killing the bacteria outright. Our goal here is to reduce the pain and help our own immune system to beat the infection.

Ways to help your body fight the infection

Change your eating habits while you have a toothache – sugar and foods containing a large amount of refined carbohydrates have an inflammatory effect on the body. This can weaken your immune system and make it harder for your body to naturally fight the infection. It can also make your toothache worse by increasing the inflammation in the infected area. Refrain from sugary food and drink as well as refined carbohydrates while you have a toothache.

Altering the pH – microbes actually have a fairly limited range of pH that they thrive in. Tipping the balance in either direction (more acidic or more basic) can make the environment less favorable for them and give your immune system a chance to get the upper hand on the toothache.

To alter the pH in your mouth, you can pour a glass of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and swish it around in your mouth for 30-60 seconds. After an hour passes, dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in eight ounces of water and do the same thing. Alternate like this during waking hours until the pain subsides.

Using anti-microbial foods

Several recommended toothache remedies have antimicrobial properties, but because the infection is below the skin surface, they won’t do a whole lot to cure the infection.

Just like the antibiotics that your doctor prescribes, there are several natural food items that have antimicrobial properties. The best toothache remedy that you may have seen is probably garlic. I’ve seen some posts recommend placing chopped garlic on the site of the toothache, but this is minimally effective for the reason that I just mentioned. A better way to enlist this bacteria fighting powerhouse is to create a cocktail of freshly chopped garlic, V-8 or tomato juice, the juice of a lemon, and a dash of cayenne pepper. I use this drink anytime I feel a cold coming on but it works on toothaches as well. In addition to the antimicrobial power of the garlic, the vitamin C in the tomato and lemon juice and the cayenne pepper provides a double boost to your immune system.

Drink this 3-4 times per day until you get rid of the toothache.

Reduce the pain and swelling

Because the pain of a toothache is caused by swelling, a quick way to reduce pain is to reduce swelling. An ice pack can be applied to the affected area to bring the swelling down. Try alternating with heat and cold. Alternately, swishing with salt water made from a teaspoon of table salt dissolved in eight ounces of water will also work.

If you have them available, some over-the-counter pain medications also work to reduce swelling/inflammation. These include aspirin and acetaminophen. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label. Any swelling reducing techniques can and should be used in conjunction with the other techniques recommended.

Some recommended treatments numb the nerves in the area, tricking your body into thinking that the pain is gone. Examples of this approach are applying a paste of salt and pepper or ground cloves to the area. This paste can be made by mixing a half-teaspoon of any food-grade oil with enough salt and pepper or ground cloves to form a thick paste. Then apply the paste to the affected area. Another technique to numb the area is dipping your finger in distilled alcohol such as whiskey, rum, vodka or bourbon and then rubbing it on the affected area. These numbing techniques can also be used in conjunction with the above approaches until the pain subsides.

Hopefully you can see how each of these home remedies work together to get rid of a toothache. Each works on a different mechanism of the infection and when taken together, create a very powerful and natural toothache remedy. Do you have a favorite home remedy for toothaches that I didn’t mention? Post it below in the comments!

Source: Home Remedies for a Toothache – You’re Doing It Wrong by Mark Taylor via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.

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Friday Freebies – Homesteading Edition – Free Prepper Resources To Grab

Based upon the positive response to last Friday’s post, I’ll be continuing to highlight some free resources for preppers that you may not have thought of. As always, remember the free kindle book promotions are only good for one to three days, so grab them for free while you can.

It’s hard to think of prepping without thinking about longer term self-reliance and being able to live a little bit like a pioneer. Here are some resources to get you started.

Free Homesteading Books

Gardening: BOX SET 6 IN 1 Discover The Complete Extensive Guide On The Best Gardening Techniques And Benefits #2 (Gardening, Vertical Gardening , Gardening For Beginners)

Here’s what you get:

*** BONUS! : FREE Natural Remedies Report Included !! ***

Gardening BOX SET 6 IN 1 is your Complete Extensive Guide On The Best Gardening Techniques And Benefits

BOOK #1 Have you ever wanted to try your hand at gardening? If so, then this is the book for you. Sometimes, when you don’t have a lot of space, it makes it difficult to find out how you can use your space wisely and the most efficiently.

BOOK #2 Decorating your yard and landscape is under wording, and will bring you pleasure for years and years afterward. Coming up with a design that makes you happy is a great way to make sure that you love your home and enjoy every minute to the fullest.

BOOK #3 This is a beginner’s guide to organic farming and how to go about it. Organic farming is simple, effective, and tasty as well. I wrote this book because I know that at first I was skeptical about it.

BOOK #4 Greenhouse gardening. Its type of gardening that you can do all year around, and it’s something that many are interested in. You need to have a lot of discipline in order to do this, but it’s possible.

BOOK #5 You can grow fruit indoors, but it’s a bit hard for some. However, this book will make that dream of being able to, a reality.

BOOK #6 This book will introduce the reader to the wonderful world of organic micro gardening, its benefits, and some of the practical and simple things that can be done to start a garden.

MINI FARMING + COMPANION GARDENING! 2 IN 1 BOOK BUNDLE: START YOUR OWN MINI FARM AND USE COMPANION PLANTS (Homesteader, Organic Gardening)

Book 1 offers a stepping stone into creating your own sustainable mini farm, showing you different options, and various methods to incorporate into your new lifestyle. Growing fruits and vegetables, raising chickens or quail and preserving the bounty you harvest are all covered in this book. It is easy to read, with links to further information and can be finished in one day’s commute into the city. Even if you have only a quarter acre of land to with which to work, you too can have all the benefits of a mini farm.

Book 2 does an excellent job of outlining the different organizational principles behind companion gardening. This particular aspect is helpful in illuminating how seasoned gardeners can modify their gardening techniques so as to improve their efficiency. The organizational principles behind companion gardening include intercropping, and sequential planting. Two simple principles that acknowledge the different properties of plants and their varied maturation processes.

Mason Jar Can and Preserve Box Set: Can and Preserve Your Food Plus a Few Recipes to Try (Homesteading & Off the Grid)

Easy Way to Can and Preserve: Simple Canning and Preserving Process for Your Food

Have you ever wondered how do the canned and preserved food you usually see or consume in the grocery stores get there? Have you ever thought of how to make one yourself? Here is how, inside this book, you will learn how to can and preserve your own food with the right instruction, successful methods and easily understood processes.

Mason Jar Meals: 15 Quick, Easy and Delicious Recipes for Meals and Desserts

We are all increasingly busy, and we have less and less time for preparing meals. We still want to eat healthy food that is also tasty, but given our schedules, there simply is no time, anymore. But what if I told you that there was a way to make meals feel fun and festive, while still being quick, easy, healthy and, of course, delicious?

The answer is Mason Jar Meals. Yes, you heard right, Mason jars. Maybe you’d never thought of trying it before or maybe you were just looking for good recipes. Either way, Mason jars are IN right now, and they have so many uses, you wouldn’t believe it. One of the best is to serve meals in them, which is something you can learn in this book.

This book was written for the people who lack the proper time to make regular home-cooked meals and need something quick, easy to make, accessible and portable, but still healthy, nutritious and tasty. The recipes featured in this book will cover all of those needs and more, as they include a variety (as many as 15!) of recipes for both meals and desserts. You no longer have to worry about what to pack for lunch!

Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Beekeeping: From Finding Bees to Harvesting Honey (Homesteading & Backyard Farming)

Have you ever seen a bee in action? It’s pretty amazing to watch and it’s something that you can actually be a part of. Keeping bees yourself can actually help you contribute to the world around you because of everything that bees do for the world. Even though bees can do a lot themselves they still need a bit of help with the way the world (and nature) is changing. If you raise bees it can also help you make a little extra money or pick up a hobby, whatever you’re interested in most.

So take a look at this book to find out more about beekeeping. It’s actually not as difficult as you might think. This book is going to talk about everything you need to find bees, raise them and take care of them throughout the time you want to work with them. You’ll also be able to learn more about making a little money with your bees.

Inside You Will Learn:

• How to Set Up Your Bee Hives
• What You Need to Keep Bees
• What Kind of Bees You Need
• How to Care for Your Bees
• What to Do With The Honey
• And Much More

You’ll be amazed just how much you can really do with bees and just how great they’re going to be. You just need to look at this book to find out what you really need to know and get the best for your bees.

JeBouffe Home Canning Step by Step Guide (second edition) Revised and Expanded

This guide is intended to provide you with the essential information to make your first small jars in a safe and enjoyable way. It will guide you through all stages from preparation to storage of your products.

You will discover the principles of conservation for different types of food, the benefits of home canning, the recommended methods as well as the ones to avoid.

Then you will learn the two proper methods of treatment: the boiling water bath and the pressure canning methods. You will find a list of essential equipment and the detailed steps for a successful canning experience.

Finally you will gain some hands on experience with our easy and delicious recipes.

Backyard Chickens for Beginners: Simple Guide to Choosing Coops, Raising and Feeding Your Chickens (Homesteading & Backyard Farming)

These days everyone want to control what they eat and one of the easiest is to grow your own chickens for meat and eggs. But outside of someone in 4H or Future Farmers of America, you probably have no clue how to do this.

In this book you will learn:

• How to plan out your site
• How to get a proper henhouse
• How to set up an area for the chickens to walk around
• How to keep these areas clean
• Why you need multiple chickens bought at the same time
• How to properly butcher a chicken
• Simple recipes for chicken

Chickens, Ducks and Turkeys: A Frugal and Natural Approach to Raising Poultry in Your Backyard (Backyard Farming & Homesteading)

Do you want access to your own guaranteed suply of farm fresh eggs? Perhaps you are looking for a supply of meat or an easy, friendly pet for your young children. Chickens and other poultry meet all these needs and more making them amongst the most versatile of all farmyard animals.

Because they are so self sufficient and need very little space to grow healthily many people, even in the city, are starting to keep chickens in their backyard.

Inside You Will Learn:

• Why poultry are the ideal pet for you;
• How to raise poultry in small spaces;
• How to choose a management method for your poultry;
• What equipment you need to keep your poultry;
• How to keep your poultry secure;
• How to choose the right breed for you;
• How to decide whether or not you need your own rooster;
• Whether to hatch your own or buy baby chicks;
• Coping when the babies get home;
• How to care for your flock as they grow;
• How to care for your poultry;
• How to collect and clean eggs;
• And much, much more

Beginning Homesteading: Your Path to a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle (Prepper’s Survival Gardening & Pantry Stockpile)

Homesteading is a lifestyle choice. It is where we look at ourselves and finally say “I am going to stand on my own two feet and live the life I choose to live.” In today’s modern society we rely on others way too much. We rely on people to give us food, shelter, jobs and everything else we feel that we are entitled to.

The problem with this way of thinking is that we have lost our way and as a result our society is in the trouble it is in today. We have sat back way too long waiting for others to solve our problems for us. Well the day has come for us to stand on our own two feet and take responsibility for our own actions. In this book you will learn what it is to be a homesteader. You will learn tips, tricks and techniques that you can use to become more self-reliant in your day to day activities.

At the end of this book you will have the foundation you need in order to take the next steps in order to become a homesteader or embrace the principals of the homesteader lifestyle.

Straw Bale Gardening: Simple Step by Step Guide to Successful Gardening without Any Digging (Backyard Farming and Homesteading)

If you are someone who loves to garden, who loves to be outside and enjoying the beautiful summer, and who loves to taste the fruits of their labor at the end of it all but you do not like all of the work and the back pain that comes with a traditional garden, straw bale gardening might be the best solution for you. It is easy and does not cause all of the strain that you are used to with gardening while still giving you amazing produce at the end of the season. Anyone can do it and it is so easy and great that once you give it a try, you will wonder how you didn’t do it years ago.

County Ag Extension Offices

If you’re new to farming/homesteading, you may not have thought about your county agricultural extension office. They provide a great resource to the beginning and seasoned farmer alike. Here’s a place where you can find your nearest extension office.  From instructional publications, short courses on all things agricultural, and having an expert on hand to answer questions, there’s lots of free info here. They can also be a great resource for low cost items too. Check them out.

Craigslist Free Items

I’m constantly amazed at what can be found for free on Craigslist. For the homesteader/prepper my quick perusal of the free section of my local Craigslist today returned several listings of dry firewood, fill dirt, mulch, large thick sheets of glass (greenhouse or cold-frame project?), ducks, lumber, a chicken coop, fencing, a camper shell, an irrigation system, plastic pots, and chicken wire. And that’s just on the first page of results.

Here’s a pro-tip. If you’re looking for something in particular, you can set up a Google Alert to notify you when it gets posted to Craigslist. Go to http://ift.tt/hspf9M. In the search box, type the item that you’re searching for along with the Google search operator “site:Craigslist.org” like this:

This search will send you an alert for every time a chicken coop is posted to craigslist.org. You can narrow the results by using only your local Craigslist subdomain, such as seattle.craigslist.org. If you live in an area that has several Craigslist versions nearby, you may want to create an alert for each city.

This works for any website, so if your city uses a public Facebook buy/sell/swap page or some other domain, just substitute the website after the “site:” search operator as needed.

Garage Sales – Late In The Day

This is one of my favorites and really a good tactic for getting lots of things for free or low cost. Wait until near the end of the advertised time for a garage sale. By this time, the sellers are worn out and ready to be rid of their stuff. Ask them if they’d be willing to give items away or offer them a discounted rate for multiple items. Sellers are ready to make deals toward the end of the day. This works for flea markets/swap meets too.

Hopefully, this has given you some great free resources to unleash your inner homesteader. Are there any of your favorite sources that I missed? Post them in the comments.

Source: Friday Freebies – Homesteading Edition – Free Prepper Resources To Grab by Mark Taylor via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.

from Ready Tribe » Mark Taylor http://ift.tt/1inqU27
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Building The Ultimate Get Home Bag – Get Home Bag Contents You Must Have

Do you need a get home bag? As preppers, we often think of preparing for bugging out. Luckily, there are a lot of resources out there on building a bug-out bag for when SHTF. You might think, “I’ve got my bug-out bag, I’m covered.” The only problem is that a well stocked bug-out bag is probably impractical to use as your get home bag since it is intended to get you through a longer time frame in a survival situation.

Just like the name implies, a Get Home Bag (GHB) is meant to see you through on your trip back home, most likely from work.  Because of this, it needs to be light and inconspicuous enough to blend in whether you’re driving a Hummer or sharing a bus seat. According to the Census Bureau, the average American spends 25 minutes per day commuting to work. That’s about one year of your life over the course of your career. Additionally, the average American spends 90,000 hours at work or another 10 years. Seems like a decent enough chunk of your life to be prepared for, doesn’t it?

Like many things in prepping, knowing where to start can be daunting. Luckily, TheUrbanPrepper has you covered. If you haven’t subscribed to his Youtube channel yet, it’s worth your time. In a very thorough two-part video series, The Urban Prepper walks you through his gear, including all of his get home bag contents. What I really like about his pack is how well organized it is and how well he economizes the available space.

Get Home Bag Video 1

Download the complete list of get home bag contents

Get Home Bag Contents

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet of items

Get Home Bag Video 2

Hopefully, these videos have given you the motivation to put together a GHB for yourself. It’s worth your time and effort to get your get home bag ready. Here are those lists one more time.

Download the complete list of get home bag contents

Get Home Bag Contents

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet of items

Source: Building The Ultimate Get Home Bag – Get Home Bag Contents You Must Have by Mark Taylor via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.

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Friday Freebies – Survival Edition – Free Prepper Resources To Grab

Let’s face it, most of us are stretched pretty thin financially and anything that can save some money while prepping is welcome news. So, in what I hope will become a regular contribution to ReadyTribe, here are your Friday Freebies for 9/11/15.

Survival e-books

Amazon allows authors to run free promotions for one to three days per month. These books are free today, so grab them while you can!

Survival Guide For Beginners

Super storm Sandy ripped up the eastern seaboard of the United States, leaving death and destruction in its path. While everyone knew the storm’s path, and when it would strike, people and the community as a whole were caught off guard by the devastation. Super storm sandy provides an example of why preparing for the worst-case scenario is the prudent path to take.

A Beginners Prepping Guide to Survive a Disaster in the Wilderness

If you have ever been interested in learning how to survive and test your mettle in the wild, than this eBook is for you. Learn how to master yourself and the environment around you by gaining new and crucial survival skills. Take your own in life in your own hands by discovering how to find food and water in the wild, make fires and shelter. This eBook even covers topics such as navigation in the wild and a basic overview of wound treatment and first aid. So if a disaster ever occurs you will be ready for it with the essential skills this eBook teaches you along with a survival kit that you will learn to prepare.

Furthermore this book also explores and investigates the human aspect of being a prepper – a person who looks ahead and stares disaster right in the face. Gain insight into the survival mindset which allows you to overcome life and death adversity. Learn how to manage your emotions, deal with your own problems and the importance of interpersonal skills. Also learn about the different types of disaster and how they are classified.
Whether your interest in survival is simply mere voyeurism, a hobby or a more fundamental desire to thrive in all situations, you are bound to learn a trick or two from this survival eBook.

THE ULTIMATE SURVIVAL GUIDE – How to Survive Anything, Anywhere, Anytime: A Beginner’s Guide to Survival: (Survival, Survival Guide, Survival Books, How to Survive)

Disasters strike anywhere, anytime. You can find a place away from active volcanoes so you won’t have to worry about eruptions and lava. You can stay away from coastlines to avoid flooding, tsunami, hurricanes and storm surges. Of course, you wouldn’t want to live on top of a fault for fear of earthquakes. Want a cabin in the woods? Think about forest fire. Terrorists? They’re practically everywhere biding their time before they unleash chaos. Anywhere you go, danger seems imminent, but that doesn’t mean you have to live in fear. You just need to be ready, to be prepared for anything.

DIY Survival Guide: The Best Tips and Strategies To Survive ANYWHERE (Survival Guide For Beginners, Surviving Natural Disasters)

One of the most important skills that a survivor must acquire is the ability to prioritize. To stay alive in a survival situation, the very basic needs of the human body must first be met. This includes water, food, and thermoregulation. This book will teach you how to meet all these needs even in the direst circumstances. Within these pages, you’ll find useful knowledge on where to obtain and how to purify water whether you’re in the dessert, in a frigid environment, or stranded at sea.

Through this book, you will learn how to distinguish edible plants from non-edible vegetation. More than that, this book will teach you how to prepare edible plant food in ways which will make them more palatable. When stranded in the wild, resourcefulness may mark the difference as to whether you survive or perish. This book will teach you how to make use of the things that are available around you whether it’s for making a fire, for catching dinner, or for treating an infected wound.
This book has been specifically written for beginners who are interested in acquiring the basic set of skills for surviving in a crisis situation from dry land to sea. This book consists of easy-to-follow step-by-step guides designed to benefit the outdoor newbie. If you are interested in the outdoors, if you travel a lot, or if you live in a disaster prone area, read on. Read this book because the knowledge that could save you may be resting within these pages. Read this book simply because your life and those of your loved ones’ are worth preserving.

Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook: The Ultimate Prepper’s Guide to Preparing Emergency First Aid and Survival Medicine for you and your Family

One of the most overlooked, yet vitally important, aspects of any survival situation is medical treatment. Following a catastrophic event, emergency medical responders will be overburdened (to say the least) and unable to respond to many calls for assistance as these departments struggle to categorize emergencies based on severity and a host of other factors that likely depend on the situation.

Even in less extreme cases, think about the last time you called 911 or had to go to the ER following an injury. How long did it take to receive treatment? Were you satisfied with the results of the medical care you paid for? And if you live in a rural area, an emergency medical response could take hours in the best of circumstances. Sprinkle in some bad weather or a regional catastrophe and the reality is that you may not receive the assistance you need in time.

It’s for this reason that understanding at least the basics of both emergency first aid and survival medicine are essential to any survival plan.

If you know of any free resources for the prepper community, please let me know and I’ll get them into the next update!

Source: Friday Freebies – Survival Edition – Free Prepper Resources To Grab by Mark Taylor via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.

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5 Reasons Why Cricket Flour Needs to Be Part of Your Prep

If you haven’t heard the buzz surrounding the latest entry into the competition for your protein purchasing dollar, cricket flour is for real and should definitely earn a place in your prepping stores.

What Is Cricket flour?

Cricket flour is made from, well… crickets. Ground up, dried crickets. According to CricketFlours.com, “Generally, the dried crickets are… ground using two different grinding or milling machines.  The first machine is set to a coarse grind.  Once the crickets have been placed in the first machine, the coarse cricket flour is then sifted to remove the lighter content which consists of legs, wings, etc. and is removed from the final cricket flour product.  Next, the remaining coarse cricket flour is placed in the second milling machine which is set to a fine grain size to produce a smooth and fine cricket flour.

Each company will use proprietary processes ranging from the cricket feed, the freezing processes, drying processes, and final grinding procedures as well.  However, most cricket flour production processes will follow this general framework.”

#1 Cricket Flour is Nutritious

According to a recently released UN report entitled Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security highlighted the health benefits of eating insects, citing their favorable nutrition profile with many high in protein, good fats, calcium, iron and zinc.

Here’s how cricket flour stacks up against some other common foods –

Cricket Flour Nutrition

#2 It Has a Long Shelf Life

At two years, cricket flour lasts twice as long as all purpose flour (12 months) and four times as long as whole wheat flour (6 months) and can be used as a partial substitute for them.

#3 It Has a Neutral Taste

Since it has a neutral flavor, it is an easy addition to many recipes that you already make.

#4 Cricket Flour is More Sustainable

If you’ve watched the latest season of wildfires and water shortages with concern, buying cricket flour is a way that you can invest in a protein source that has a much smaller environmental footprint.

Graphic: ExoProtein.com

#5 Everybody’s Doing It

Eating insects is something that 80% of the world routinely does on purpose. Actually, it’s estimated that humans inadvertently eat up to one pound of insects each year, mixed in with other foods. It’s really only North Americans and Europeans who turn their noses up to bugs. Besides, if the SHTF, having a comfort level with eating insects will make foraging for other insects easier if needed.

Where can I buy cricket flour?

Cricket flour isn’t widely available locally, but you can find it online.

Cricket flour protein bars anyone? if you’re having trouble imagining how to use cricket flour, a company called Exo has made it easy for you to try it in these tasty protein bars. Currently available in Cocoa Nut, Blueberry Vanilla, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Apple Cinnamon flavors.

Source: 5 Reasons Why Cricket Flour Needs to Be Part of Your Prep by Mark Taylor via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.

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Are You Fit Enough To Be Ready? Why You Need To Be Focusing On Functional Fitness

All of the preparations and stockpiling in the world won’t help you if, in the event of an emergency, you’re not physically able to meet the demands of the situation at hand. Imagine having to dig a family member out of a mudslide, stacking countless sandbags in advance of a flood, carrying a pack and a child while hiking away from an approaching fire…you get the picture. If you’re not functionally fit, you’re leaving a major hole in your preparations.

While functional fitness has become a bit of a buzzword in fitness circles, there hasn’t been enough focus in the readiness community on it. Simply put, functional fitness is a description for exercises and training that mimic potential real world situations where your strength and endurance are tested in ways that are different than most traditional gym workouts.

Jeff Kuhland writing for BreakingMuscle.com describes it this way, “It’s great to be gym fit, to be able to perform pull-ups, endless sit-ups, and deadlift 400 pounds. But what can you actually do with this fitness? Are you able to pick up a couch, run to catch a bus, climb on top of something, explore nature, or compete in a trail race? Better yet, can you drag a 100lb deer out of the wood for two miles over varied terrain?”

photo by Mike B.

If you think about most exercises performed in a gym, they are designed to work a muscle to failure in isolation. On one level, this makes sense because is the most efficient way to spur muscle growth. In fact, enlisting helper muscles in most lifts is called “cheating.” Here’s an example of an exercise that isolates the target muscle called a Preacher Curl, named after the bench that is used to stabilize the arms and isolate the biceps.

The problem is that in real world situations, you rarely perform a task that uses only a single muscle in isolation. The other problem is that when you train this way, you are likely neglecting the many stabilizer muscles that help carry the load and allow you to do lots of valuable things, like twisting your back after you lift that 50 pound bag of dog food onto your shoulder. This is one of the reasons that even though someone who outwardly appears strong, or fit, can be injured performing a seemingly mundane physical task.

One of the best things about getting started with functional fitness is that it requires little or no equipment and your body supplies all of the weight that you need. Greg Roskopf, a biomechanics consultant who has worked with professional athletes from Denver Broncos, the Denver Nuggets, and the Utah Jazz said in a recent interview with WebMD.com that, “Most people can’t even control their own body weight. They can’t do a one-legged squat without falling over.”

You’ll have trouble finding someone who has done a better job of mastering functional fitness than Al Kavadlo. Here’s a video from Al walking you through five essential body weight exercises that you should consider adding to your routine. The nice thing about this video is that after demonstrating the exercises, he shows you a modified starting exercise that you can use until you can build up to doing it with your full body weight.

If you start working on becoming functionally fit, you’ll be better prepared when an emergency comes along and you’ll be getting physically and emotionally healthier along the way. That’s a current payoff while preparing for the future – ReadyTribe style.

 

Source: Are You Fit Enough To Be Ready? Why You Need To Be Focusing On Functional Fitness by Mark Taylor via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.

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From Zero to Ready – A Twelve-Week Plan for Creating Your Own Emergency Supply Kit

Building Your Emergency Supply Kit Week-by-Week

So, maybe you’ve decided that you want to take some steps to be better prepared in the event of an emergency, but might be overwhelmed and aren’t sure where to start. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. By following this three-month plan, you’ll break the task of creating a killer emergency supply kit into bite-sized chunks that are both doable and won’t break your budget.

Each week of the plan has recommended things to buy and recommended things to do. Work your way down this list and share it with a family member or friend.

Week 1

To Buy

• 1 gallon water per person 1 x ___ = ____
• 1 small jar peanut butter 1 x ___ = ____
• 1 large can juice 1 x ___ = ____
• 1 can protein (e.g. meat or beans) 1 x ___ = ____
• Hand can opener
• 1 permanent marker
• 2 lighters

To Do

• Make a family emergency plan.
• Date each food item you purchase.

Week 2

To Buy

• Hammer, screwdriver, wrench, and crowbar
• Rope, duct tape, plumber’s tape, cords
• 2 crank or battery-powered flashlights
• 12 cans of Sterno or other cooking fuel

To Do

• Check house for hazards; secure loose and heavy objects (e.g. TV, shelves) or anything that may tip over during an earthquake.
• Locate gas and water shutoffs and your electrical panel. Make sure you know how to shut off all utilities, attach any necessary tools.

Week 3

To Buy

• 1 gallon water per person 1 x ___ = ____
• 1 can fruit 1 x ___ = ____
• 2 cans protein (e.g. meat or beans) 2 x ___ = ____
• Personal hygiene products

To Do

• Establish an out-of-state friend or family member to contact during an emergency.

Week 4

To Buy

• 1 gallon water per person 1 x ___ = ____
• 2 cans fruit and 2 cans vegetables 2 x ___ = ____ and 2 x ___ = ____
• 2 cans protein (e.g. meat or beans) 2 x ___ = ____
• 24 rolls of toilet paper
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, and / or denture care
• Any special foods (diabetic, etc.) _____________________

To Do

• Film or photograph the contents of your home for insurance purposes. Send the film to a family member or friend out of town.

Week 5

To Buy

• Aspirin or acetaminophen
• Hot and cold compresses
• Bandages, gauze, and first aid tape
• Hand and dish soap, hand sanitizer, etc.

To Do

• Check with your child’s school about their emergency and disaster plans.

Week 6

To Buy

• 1 gallon water per person 1 x ___ = ____
• 2 cans ready-to-eat soup 2 x ___ = ____
• 1 can fruit and 2 cans vegetables 1 x ___ = ____ and 2 x ___ = ____

To Do

• Have a home fire drill
• Take family pictures to put in emergency kit

Week 7

To Buy

• Scissors, tweezers, sewing kit
• Thermometer
• Medical device batteries (e.g hearing aids, etc.)
• Additional supply of medications (1-3 month)

To Do

• Put shoes and a flashlight under your bed so they are on-hand during an emergency

Week 8

To Buy

• Water purification (e.g., tablets, filters, bleach)
• Heavy-duty garbage bags
• Waterproof container for vital documents
• Portable radio with batteries

To Do

• As applicable, store a spare set of glasses or contacts and saline/disinfectant/storage solution; make a copy of any prescriptions.

Week 9

To Buy

• 1 large can juice 1 x ___ = ____
• 2 boxes of energy bars/snacks 2 x ___ = ____
• Plastic food bags and aluminum foil
• 3 rolls paper towels
• Paper plates, cups and utensils

To Do

• Back-up/copy important computer files, photographs, documents, etc. Send a copy to a family member or friend out-of-state.

Week 10

To Buy

• Diarrhea medicine, allergy medications
• Vitamins
• Latex gloves
• Rubbing alcohol

To Do

• Speak to neighbors to find out who may need help during an emergency, such as the elderly or disabled. Discuss who can help your children if an emergency occurs when you are not home (if applicable)
• Include extra clothes in your supply kit

Week 11

To Buy

• Fire extinguisher
• Pliers and work gloves
• Extra batteries for flashlight and radio
• Extra nails and screws
• Emergency blankets, rain protection

To Do

• Find out about your workplace’s emergency preparedness planning
• Include cash in the kit as you are able

Week 12

To Buy

• Dry cereal and crackers 2 x ___ = ____
• Quick snacks (e.g. raisins, etc.) 2 x ___ = ____
• Assorted plastic storage containers with lids
• Instant coffee, tea, drinks, etc. 5 x ___ = ____

To Do

• Have an earthquake or severe weather drill at home

Get a printable PDF version of this checklist

FromZerotoReady-ATwelve-WeekPlanforCreatingYourOwnEmergencySupplyKit

Special considerations

If you have pets, you’ll want to add food, water and supplies for them just as you would for any other family member. If you have children, having a special cache of games or toys that they don’t normally have access to will help alleviate the boredom and ease the natural fear they’ll have. If you have infants, be sure to stock up on diapers, bottles, medicines and other necessary supplies.

A good rule-of-thumb on rotation for food, water and medicines is six months. Write the date purchased on all perishable items and replenish as you use them. If you make a point to buy the foods that you and your family enjoy, it will be an easier task to complete the rotations on schedule and minimize waste.

 

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Source: From Zero to Ready – A Twelve-Week Plan for Creating Your Own Emergency Supply Kit by Mark Taylor via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.

from Ready Tribe » Mark Taylor http://ift.tt/1LVtJ7h
via ReadyTribe.com