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Americans are Preparing at Unprecedented Levels

Author: Mac Slavo- April 27th, 2011
16 Comments



Do you have enough larder to feed your family and some friends if grocery stores ran out of food? How about several assault rifles and a few thousand rounds of ammo? Solar panels, a water filter, medical kits, bug-out bags, fire starters, tents, sleeping bags, some junk silver and reserve gasoline?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

It’s becoming apparent to many Americans that depending on our local, state and federal governments in the event of an emergency, catastrophic societal collapse or widespread disaster will not be sufficient to meet the needs of your family. Residents in Colorado (and likely the other 49 states) are stockpiling in droves and preparing to live off the grid if it comes to that:

Four families in Yoder are building a sand bunker and stockpiling ammunition and weapons.
A Black Forest resident has erected a geodesic dome on her 5-acre spread to grow vegetables, keeps horses for emergency transportation, in case she can’t get gasoline for her car, and plans to acquire chickens and goats as food sources.
A husband and wife who have a cabin on 100 acres of secluded land in Park County have weaned their property from the electric grid, acquired a three-year food supply and taken other measures to become self-sufficient.
While there’s little threat of the earthquake and tsumani that rocked Japan last month in landlocked Colorado, other epic crises on the home front are possible: A flood or fire. A terrorist attack. A nuclear weapons launch. World War III. Or an apocalyptic-type scenario.
An increasing number of people say they are getting ready.
“More people are getting into the survivalist mode. I’ve been in business 30 years, and I’ve never sold so many assault rifles as now. The last year was the best we’ve ever had,” said Mel Bernstein, a Class III weapons dealer and owner of Dragon Man’s shooting range east of Colorado Springs.
Israeli gas masks, helmets and sand bags also have been selling well, he said.
“People are putting stuff away in case something big happens,” he said. “I think it’s superstition, but it’s been good for business.”
Interest in the survivalist movement has been heightened, many say, by global turmoil.
The ongoing strife in the Middle East, the lingering possibility that the Obama administration will enact stricter gun laws and the sustained economic downturn, coupled with political unrest in Libya and Japan’s nuclear catastrophe, have made people uneasy.
In addition, doomsday prophesies by Nostradamus and the Mayans pinpointing 2012 are distressing for some. There’s also a group of Christians who say they’ve determined that the end of the world will begin on May 21.
“People are afraid, and they want to be able to protect their families,” Bernstein said.
Y2K — the dawning of the third millennium — brought forth a fury of survivalist instincts, as many believed the nation’s network of electric connections and computer systems would crash.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, raised concern among even the complacent.
But this time in history feels more urgent, say those who identify themselves as “preppers” — people preparing to have all they need to sustain a catastrophe.
“There’s a distinct possibility that some other country could wipe out our electronics and computers, and the U.S. infrastructure is not ready — it would take six months to rebuild a transformer,” said Bob, a retired engineer who said he designed airplanes, power plants and aqueducts for the government.
He asked that his last name not be used because he shares a philosophy common among preppers: the desire for anonymity. Not everyone understands why they’re doing what they’re doing, Bob said, and there’s the possibility of others looting their stockpiles.
“Preppers will give someone a pound of rice and a bowl of soup, but we’ll defend ourselves against people who are going to take everything we have,” he said. “We’re doing this to make sure that we can live the way we’ve been living and we’re not going to be out there scrounging or stealing food from others.”

There are any number of scenarios, both natural and man-made, that could lead to what preppers refer to as TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World as We Know It), be it an electro magnetic pulse attack, a US dollar hyperinflation, economic collapse, an earthquake along the New Madrid Fault Line, Yellow Stone’s super volcano, or the purported Mayan end of days.
While some may be more likely to occur than others, and some are improbable outliers, the fact that the possibilities exist, and that there are a whole host of reasons why life as we have come to know it could be halted from one day to the next, makes preparedness that much more reasonable.
We’ve seen how governments respond to disasters. Recent history in the modern age suggests that there is simply no way to meet the needs of millions of people if a far-from-equilibrium situation were to arise.
Americans spend thousands of dollars per year on insurance for our homes, our cars, our health, our lives, and even our mortgages.
Is it really so crazy to insure ourselves from unforeseen black swans by stockpiling some food, water, supplies and a means to protect them?
The US government is spending billions of dollars to prepare for unlikely events like war, catastrophic collapse of society, and even asteroids – maybe you should consider a little end-of-the-world insurance as well.
References: Colorado Springs Gazette, The Columbus Republic, Steve Quayle

http://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-pr...evels_04272011

Four Ways To Reduce Pain Naturally

April 26, 2011 by Dr. Mark Wiley



Each year there are more than 150 million Americans suffering from chronic pain. This pain is costing the country an estimated $100 billion a year, including $50 billion in lost work productivity and $3 billion in lost wages. I would like to share with you four ways that you can reduce your pain naturally. By incorporating some of these tips into your daily routine you can feel better physically, mentally and spiritually.

Exercise The Body

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for pain prevention and reduction. It encourages vigorous blood circulation, removes toxins, burns calories, stabilizes blood fats and sugars, improves strength and muscle tone, releases those feel-good hormones and keeps the mind alert.
Brisk walking is the best exercise for many chronic pain sufferers because the impact on the whole body is low. Once a new baseline is set, more vigorous exercises and activities can be enjoyed. Here’s why walking is so amazing:
Brisk walking is an aerobic activity, but since it is low-impact there is little wear-and-tear on the joints and little (if any) triggering of pain from the jarring action of the body as experienced in high-impact aerobic exercise or jogging. Although it is a simple activity, walking actually utilizes most of the muscles of the body to propel you forward and keep you on balance while increasing respiration, heart and lung function, blood and oxygen flow and the “burning off” of blood sugars and fats. It also helps in the removal of toxins and other wastes through sweat and improved elimination functions.
Related Article: How Walking Reduces Pain

Eat Pain-Relieving Foods

Food is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to controlling inflammation and pain. The typical American diet consists of too much fat, tons of sugar, loads of red meat and a frightening amount of processed foods. By switching to an anti-inflammatory diet consisting of healthy whole foods, you can actually decrease inflammation and ease the pain and discomfort associated with it.
Here are 8 categories of bad foods that should be avoided if you suffer pain or have inflammation: Animal milk products, hydrogenated oils, nitrates, processed sugars, night shade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, many species of hot and sweet peppers and eggplant are the most common), fast food, saturated fats and processed white flour foods.
A diet high in fiber and whole foods, low in preservatives and fat and infused with blood-invigorating aromatic spices can help reduce pain and inflammation. Here’s a list to get you started:

• Wild Salmon.

• Fresh whole fruits.

• Bright colored vegetables (except night shades).

• Green or white tea.

• Purified or distilled water.

• Olive oil.

• Lean poultry (skinless).

• Lean beef (fillets).

• Nuts, legumes and seeds.

• Dark green leafy vegetables.

• Organic oatmeal (regular, not instant).

• Aromatic spices (turmeric, ginger, cloves, garlic, onion, coriander, ground mustard seed, cayenne pepper).

Related Article: Study Shows Turmeric Reduces Inflammation

Get Adequate Sleep

Sleep is not only a fundamental human need, it is a necessity that no one who experiences aches or pains of any kind should ever take for granted. It is so important, in fact, that we naturally fall asleep when our body tells our brain that certain essential chemicals have been depleted and our muscles and ligaments are tired and in need of repair.
Here are some tips to get deeper sleep:

• Do not consume ANY sugar or caffeine after 6 p.m.

• Stop working at least two hours before bedtime.

• Turn off the computer and television at least one hour before bedtime.

• Make sure your sleeping quarters are as dark and silent as possible. Studies have shown that those in darker and quieter spaces tend to sleep through the night more deeply than others.

• Establish a sleep/wake schedule and stick to it.

• Make a set routine out of bedtime. Change into pajamas, brush your teeth, set out clothes for the morning, even jot down any last thoughts, but promise yourself to revisit them tomorrow, then turn off the light… breathe deeply, relax, sleep tight.

• If a racing mind is nagging, slow your breath and focus on the sensation of air as it passes through your nose. This will derail those busy thoughts to help you drift off.

Related Article: How Healthy Choices Promote Wellness

Reduce Your Stress

The negative and lasting side effects of stress are often manifested in the mind/body response. Since the mind controls and constructs perceptions and the emotions act and react toward threatening stimuli, the daily centering of mind and emotions is essential to prevention of psychosomatic illness.
Meditation is one way to do this. There are many benefits to the daily practice of meditation including improved concentration, enhanced focus, calmer emotions, inner fortitude, understanding of the self, objectivity, concentrated decision-making power and peace of mind.
Physiologically, you will experience a decrease in blood pressure, respiration and metabolism; the nervous systems calms; hormones and chemicals balance; and the body is allowed to return to its natural harmonious state of homeostasis. Talk about stress relief!
Here’s how to do it:

• Sit or lie down in any comfortable position that allows your spine to be straight and your head aligned with it.

• Close your eyes and take a few initial deep breaths to ease into the moment and begin to relax.

• Focus your attention on your breath as it passes into and out of the tip of your nose.

• As you inhale, merely OBSERVE, without mental comment, the sensation you feel as air passes the tip of your nose.

• As you exhale, merely OBSERVE, without mental comment, the sensation you feel as air passes the tip of your nose.

• When thoughts enter your mind, do not engage them, do not pass judgment on them. Merely ACKNOWLEDGE that they are there, and return to the task of observing the sensation of the breath on the tip of the nose.

Related Article: 10 Ways to Keep Stress from Killing You

Additional Thoughts

Developing and maintaining a positive mental attitude will go far in helping you reach your pain-free-living goals. Think from the end and believe you are already halfway along your pain-free experience, and you will more easily accomplish the day-to-day things necessary to do just that. Have confidence in what you are doing because you know it will help.
Every time you walk a mile, refuse a milkshake, sleep for an entire eight hours and breathe your stress away, you will know that you are making positive steps in your wellness life.

http://www.drmarkwiley.com/blog/4-wa...ain-naturally/

Cherries Found To Have Heart-Protecting Properties

April 26, 2011
by Personal Liberty News Desk



Three different studies examined the health benefits of cherries, and all came out with results which indicate that the fruits may be one of the best food choices when it comes to preventing diseases.

The University of Michigan, University of Arizona and Brunswick Laboratories all presented their findings on cherries at the Experimental Biology annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

One study found that drinking eight ounces of tart cherry juice had the ability to reduce inflammation in overweight or obese participants in just one month.

Another tested the antioxidant power of cherries in a powdered form. Researchers discovered that levels of inflammatory C reactive protein were reduced by up to 36 percent and cholesterol was decreased by 26 percent over a five-month period. These effects could help to reduce risks of atherosclerosis. Mice in this study were also able to avoid early death by 65 percent when they consumed the cherry powder.

The researchers noted that one cup of freeze-dried tart cherries has a wide array of antioxidants and phytochemicals that are likely to have caused the boost in health in study subjects.

http://www.personalliberty.com/news/che ... 800491616/

Lower Triglycerides With Exercise, Healthy Diet

April 27, 2011 by Personal Liberty News Desk


High blood levels of triglycerides have been associated with obesity, kidney disease, diabetes and high calorie consumption. So, it may come as no surprise that the healthy lifestyle choices that have been known to keep these conditions at bay can also help to lower triglycerides — otherwise known as fat found in the blood.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have conducted a study which suggests that lowering sugar intake, choosing mono- and polyunsaturated fats and limiting calorie and alcohol consumption in addition to getting more physical exercise may cut triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent.

“In contrast to cholesterol, where lifestyle measures are important but may not be the solution, high triglycerides are often quite responsive to lifestyle measures that include weight loss if overweight, changes in diet and regular physical activity,” said lead author Michael Miller, M.D.

Authors of the study recommended that individuals with triglyceride levels that are higher than 150 milligrams per deciliter get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to lower their blood fat.

http://www.personalliberty.com/news/...iet-800492465/