If you are going to hit the roads this winter, make sure you let family and friends know where, and which route you are going to take, and be sure to have a plan (and supplies) just in case you get stranded.
If you have travel planned, at a minimum, it’s a good idea to have some or all of the following items in your car.
To Survive. The phrase could be taken literally – that is, to stay alive. The words, ‘to survive’, could also be interpreted less literally – more like staying healthy or healthier than otherwise.
In the context of survivalpreparedness, some will describe this notion to its very basic core – like the ability to survive in the wilderness without any modern help whatsoever, you are on your own, life and death circumstances, black and white. Others will describe survival preparedness more-or-less in the context of living within today’s modern society parameters, and utilizing the modern tools available today in order to prepare or be prepared for various problems that may occur tomorrow.
What I’m trying to convey is that there are some ‘survival preparedness’ folks that are more hard-core than others and I’ve noticed that the movement has been coined with two labels in an apparent attempt to delineate their core values. I’m not so sure that I agree with labels and definitions, knowing that there are all sorts of ‘shades of gray’, but having said that, the two labels are Survivalists and Preppers.
Survivalists are the hard core while the Preppers are the soft core. Again, I do not agree with the labeling here, but the fact is that it exists.
The Prepper is thought of as someone who is fully functioning within the system of modern society, preparing for minor disruptions that may come their way, while the Survivalist is considered to be on the edge, perhaps already hunkered down in their bunker or survival retreat – ready forArmageddon.
As in all walks of life, there are truly the extremes, and lots of in-between. When it comes to survival preparedness, I believe that the spectrum is all pretty much OK, so long as it’s within the law of the land.
Since there are so very many different types of people, personalities, skills, and interests, there will likewise be a multitude of variety when it comes to how one prepares, and what they are preparing for. People will interpret risks differently from one another and people will be in varying vicinities of the risk themselves. Some face much higher risk than others based on their geographical location, their occupation, their own current financial and preparedness situation, etc.
Personally, I think that it’s great how more and more ordinary folks are waking up and realizing that things are not all Rosy out there and that there are very real risks facing us all as the world’s economic systems are teetering on the brink of failure while the rumor of wars fill the air.
There will always be ‘newbies’ to survival preparedness and there will always be veterans of the same. There’s room for everyone.
Just remember this… by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
It’s one of the top concerns of people everywhere — how do we grow our own food for superior nutrition and food sovereignty? How do we store anemergency food supply that can get us through a crisis when conventional food deliveries to grocery stores may be cut off?
One of the most powerful answers to all this is sprouting, and sprouting is no more complicated than having a ready supply ofsprouting seeds, then adding water and sprouting your own living nutrition for mere pennies a serving.
Three big reasons why people sprout
People sprout for three primary reasons:
Reason #1) Vegans and vegetarians sprout seeds to eat high-protein living foods which make up the bulk of their diets.
Reason #2) Surthrivalists sprout seeds to grow their own emergency foods indoors, using no soils and having a compact food storage benefit (seeds are really tiny, but they sprout into larger foods).
Reason #3) Smart consumers sprout seeds in order to save money on their grocery bill, as sprouted seeds provide high-density nutrition at a fraction of the cost of traditional superfoods.
Sprouting, in other words, is one of the few strategies used by vegans, vegetarians, survivalists, practical household moms and everybody else who wants to grow their own powerful nutrition for pennies a serving.
It’s almost a form of “micro-gardening” because you’re practicing small-scale agriculture right on your kitchen counter. Kinda fun, actually…
Why sprouts can keep you alive (and more…)
Sometimes people joke about those who eat a lot of sprouts (“It’s rabbit food!”), but the science behind sprouting is no joke. Scientifically speaking:
• Sprouts synthesize their own natural VITAMINS.
• Sprouts are high in blood-cleansing CHLOROPHYLL.
• When grown in the right water, sprouts absorb numerous MINERALS and convert them into organic, bioavailable forms for safe human consumption.
• Sprouts are LIVING food that provide enzymes and other supportive benefits to human health.
• Sprouts are HIGH PROTEIN foods that can also help maintain or even build muscle mass.
• Some types of sprouts contain ANTI-CANCER nutrients such as I3C, which are widely documented and also common in cruciferous vegetables.
The bottom line is that sprouts can give you living vitamins from plants — and this is something you can enjoy on a daily basis or during a food crisis, if that’s what you reserve it for.
How to sprout for (almost) FREE
I wouldn’t want to live on sprouts alone, but neither would I want to live without them! For me, they are part of my daily diet of superfood smoothies (avocado chocolate smoothies, for example), quinoa lentil soups and occasional sources of high-quality free-range meats (I’ve been eating more quality meats since working on a ranch in Texas).
Sprouting can be as easy as placing seeds in a nut milk bag (or a sprouting bag) and soaking them every few hours to maintain their moisture. This approach, of course, requires a lot of attention to keep the seeds moist but not overly moist to the point where they start to grow mold. But it’s the most affordable way to start sprouting.
For those who want to automate countertop sprouting, there are a couple of machines on the market that maintain the proper sprout moisture for you. I’ve tried three sprouting devices over the last few years, and the best overall device that I found is called the EasyGreen Sprouter.
It’s a countertop unit that helps you growfive trays of sprouts (and you can put a different sprouting seed in each tray) simply, affordably and reliably. In essence, it controls the moisture for you and “waters” your sprouts on a repeating timer while maintaining the right humidity.
Using this machine on my countertop (you need to use it next to a sink because it has a small drain tube), I’ve been able to grow masses of sprouts for just pennies a serving: Broccoli sprouts (yeow!), mung bean sprouts (like in Chinese food), wheat grass sprouts (for juicing!), and my favorite, alfalfa sprouts. You can also grow radish sprouts, which are rather intense in their flavor but also contain strong medicine.
The EasyGreen Sprouter EQMV
The EQMV is the newest model of the EasyGreen Sprouter, which has become a mainstay among healthy living advocates. It comes with:
• The EasyGreen MikroFarm sprouting machine (18″ x 24″ x 7.5″)
• Mist generator
• Activation timer (for controlling the misting frequency)
• 5 Food-grade growing trays
• Owner’s manual CD
This is the unit I own and use (I plan to shoot a video about it soon, like my recent video on cactus fruit juicing.) It allows you to germinate, grow and harvest large quantities of sprouts in mere days, for just pennies a serving.
It sits on your kitchen counter and uses water and electricity. That’s it. And the water used to grow your sprouts is never recirculated back into your sprouts, meaning your sprouts are grown in FRESH water only (the used water drains into your sink). You can also add minerals to your sprout water if you wish for them to update additional minerals and transform them into plant-based organic minerals. This is, by far, the healthiest and most natural way to intake minerals — get them from plants!
The EasyGreen Sprouter is also stackable, so you can double or triple your sprout production in the same counter space.
We’ve got the EasyGreen Sprouter on sale right now at the NaturalNews Store, where it’s being offered at 10% off the normal price for a limited time. This is a great value on a solid countertop device that can significantly enhance your ability to grow nutrition and grow your own emergency food.
Starting with nothing but seeds and water, you can have edible sprouts in 2-3 days, followed by a much larger harvest in 4-5 days, and you can rotate your trays to continually produce fresh sprouts each day thereafter. You can also produce extra sprouts then refrigerate them while you grow more! So you can “pre-sprout” a larger quantity.
If you’re in Canada, call 888-772-6001 to find out where you can buy it in-country.
Sprouting hints and tips
It’s better to sprout in a cooler area because a cooler room inhibits any possibility of mold growth. You don’t want refrigeration temperatures, of course, but more like something in the high 60′s or low 70′s (F).
By the way, I’ve personally grown teff sprouts, then dried them in a countertop food drying machine after pouring applesauce over the top of the sprouts. This makes a crunchy apple sprout bar that’s an amazingemergency food. Yep, you can “play” with all this and create your own amazing sprouted foods or dried superfoods by using nothing more than a sprouting machine and a food dryer (like the Excalibur units).
In fact, I’m so excited about this that I recently purchased a Cabela’s food dehydrator to begin large-scale stored food production. Hopefully I’ll bring you some video reports on that in the weeks ahead!
When you get a sprouter, remember to stock up on spouting seeds. These are easy to store (refrigerate them if you have the space), and they provide what seems like a massive amount of sprouts from a relatively tiny amount of sprouting seeds. The effect is quite astonishing. And, believe me, for all you survivalists out there (like me), sprouts are far more nutritious than MREs!
I personally enjoy teff sprouts and alfalfa sprouts the most. For me, radish sprouts and broccoli sprouts are way too intense and sharp in their taste. I would only use them sparingly. Mung bean sprouts are great for stir-fry dishes, but of course at that point they are no longer raw and living.
Dr. Gabriel Cousens likes to sprout sunflower seeds at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona. I’ve toured their facility and they have a fairly large sunflower seed sprouting operation (way beyond the scope of this single machine), but if you just want to sprout sunflower seeds for personal use or family use, this machine is absolutely perfect.
Oh, by the way, you can also sprout chia seeds in this machine, although I haven’t experimented with that very much yet.
Enjoy your sprouts! And remember, if you want to save 10% on the EasyGreen Sprouting machine, get it on sale at the NaturalNews Store...
America’s most convenient appliance –microwave ovens are an absolute necessity in today’s fast-paced world.Microwaves are currently present in at least 90% of homes in America. They offer a simple and extremely rapid way to cook or reheat food or liquids.
The majority of people use this kitchen appliance without question and think they are no more than a simple alternative to conventional ovens for when they don’t feel like cooking or need food fast.
However you may want to think twice before using your microwave, as it could be one of the worst things YOU do to your food.
The way in which microwaves work and affect health
In short, microwave ovens are kitchen appliances which are used to cook or reheat food. They do this by emitting microwaves.
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation and are on the low energy end of the energy spectrum, second to radio waves. Microwaves are generated by something called a magnetron – something found within every microwave oven.
Magnetrons produce an electromagnetic field with a microwave frequency of approximate 2,450 megaHertz (MGz), which is the equivalent to 2.4 gigaHertz (GHz). Microwaves produced within the microwave oven cause dialectric heating – they bounce around the inside of the oven and are absorbed by whatever you put in it.
In order for something to heat in a microwave oven, water must be present within the substance. If water is not present, heating will not occur and it would remain cool. The reason for this is that water molecules within the food vibrate at an incredible speed, creating molecular friction which is responsible for the heating of the food. The structure of the water molecules are torn apart and vigorously deformed. This is much different than any other method of cooking, as other methods such as convection ovens heat up food by transferring heat convectionally from the outside inward.
Hans Hertel, a Swiss scientist, states:
There are no atoms, molecules or cells of any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive power for any extended period of time, not even in the low energy range of milliwatts… This is how microwave cooking heat is generated – friction from this violence in water molecules. Structures of molecules are torn apart, molecules are forcefully deformed (called structural isomerism) and thus become impaired in quality.
You might wonder why when you take food out of the microwave it is unevenly heated. Food is often heated unevenly because microwaves work with whatever water molecules are present, and since not all areas of food contain the same amount of water, heating becomes uneven.
While microwave cooking does begin within the molecules where water is present, they don’t actually cook from “the inside out” like many people believe. They actually start with the outer layers, and the inner layers are mostly heated and cooked simply by transference of heat from the outer layers. This is why oftentimes you’ll find that the outside of the food is extremely hot while the inside seems to have been absent during your re-heating or cooking.
The Radiation Effects of Microwaves and Other Forms of Non-Ionizing Radiation
Microwaves are in fact radiation. They are classified as non-ionizing radiation – radiation which can change the position of atoms but is not strong enough to alter their structure, composition, or properties. Even though non-ionizing radiation is not strong enough to alter the structure of atoms, it is still able to cause physical alterations. A clear example of how non-ionizing radiation can harm you is the damage caused to your skin and eyes caused by the sun. When you use microwave cooking, you are exposing yourself to microwave radiation.
Other forms of ionizing radiation are visible light, ultraviolet and infrared waves, and waves emitted from televisions, cell phones, and electric blankets.
Today we live in a technologically advanced world. We could label the time we live in as the “technology age” as well as the “radiation age”. We are currently bombarded with radiation from almost everything around us: radio towers, televisions, cell phones, microwave ovens, computers, satellites, broadcast antennas, and so much more. Unfortunately, radiation doesn’t go away over time, in fact, it just accumulates.
Although we’ve conducted study after study concluding that no amount of radiation is safe, we don’t really know what all of this means in the long term. But here is what we do know:
When any radiation waves resonate with a body part, the biological effect is intensified. For example, microwave frequencies are very similar to the frequencies of your brain. The effects microwaves have on your brain are greater than those same waves on any other part of the body.
Although studies are done to view the effects of radiation, most of these studies are done for short exposure periods at higher intensities. There is an immense shortage of studies using long exposure periods with low-level radiation. More research simply needs to be done.
Radiation accumulates over time and never goes away.
Due to the amount of radiation everyone is exposed to every day, it is difficult to conduct studies using control groups. Radiation can’t really be controlled anymore due to the unavoidable invasion.
We simply don’t know the long-term effects of microwave radiation, so why risk it by watching your food cook in your microwave day after day and night after night.
Who shouldn’t use microwave ovens and why?
No one should be using microwave ovens. This is especially true for babies, children, if you are pregnant, already suffer from illness & disease, or are already bombarded with more radiation than the average person.
Why?
You may suffer from “Microwave Sickness”
Tissues directly exposed to microwaves are subject to the same deformities molecules go through, and this can in turn cause you to experience “microwave sickness”. Remember, it isn’t just microwave ovens which emit this kind of radiation. Cell phone towers also emit this type of radiation.
People may experience any or all of the following after being exposed to high levels of microwave radiation.
Impaired cognition
Nausea
Vision problems
Depression and irritability
Weakened immune system
Headaches
Dizziness
Insomnia and/or sleep disturbances
Frequent urination and extreme thirst
Robert O. Becker, author of The Body Electric, stated the following on page 314 in his book:
It’s [Microwave sickness] first signs are low blood pressure and slow pulse. The later and most common manifestations are chronic excitation of the sympathetic nervous system [stress syndrome] and high blood pressure.
This phase also often includes headache, dizziness, eye pain, sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, stomach pain, nervous tension, inability to concentrate, hair loss, plus an increased incidence of appendicitis, cataracts, reproductive problems, and cancer. The chronic symptoms are eventually succeeded by crisis of adrenal exhaustion and ischemic heart disease [the blockage of coronary arteries and heart attacks].
In another book entitled Health Effects of Microwave Radiation, author Dr. Lita Lee also expressed his concern over the use of microwaves. Dr. Lee observed that the symptoms listed above could be caused by certain observations shown below.
Lymphatic disorders were observed, leading to decreased ability to prevent certain types of cancers
An elevated rate of cancer cell formation was observed in the blood
Increased rates of stomach and intestinal cancers were observed
Higher rates of digestive disorders and gradual breakdown of the systems of elimination were observed
Life Energy is Depleted
Foods which haven’t been processed or cooked and are naturally occurring contain life energy which is transmitted from the sun. Biophotons are the smallest physical unit of light which are stored in all life forms. They contain bio-information and are partially responsible the feelings you get which signify well-being and vitality. Foods like naturally grown vegetables and especially sun-ripened fruits are the main source for these biophotons to humans.
Microwaving food, in effect, potentially destroys and depletes the life energy, rendering the food completely dead and lifeless. In addition, the food’s nutritional value is lost and it becomes nearly useless in terms of providing any real health benefit.
Fact: Russians Banned the Microwave Oven After Extensive Studies
Microwaves were first invented by the Nazis in order to provide a method of cooking for their troops duringWorld War II. Seeing as though these microwave ovens have been experimental and new, the US War Department was assigned to research these new devices shortly after the war.
Turns out, the U.S. didn’t really perform the extensive research necessary for the new invention. Instead, the Russians decided to tackle the issue with extreme force.
Intrigued by this new device, the Russians conducted in-depth research to discover the biological effects they might possess. The results were staggering enough to lead to a ban of the new device in the Soviet Union. The ban, however, was later lifted during Perestroika, the political movement responsible for the restructuring of the Soviet Union.
The findings include:
Carcinogenic substances were formed from the microwaving of nearly all foods tested
Microwaving milk and grains resulted in carcinogenic substances being formed through the conversion of amino acids
Microwaving prepared meats caused cancer-causing agents such as d-Nitrosodienthanolamines to form
Microwaving fruits as a method of thawing resulted in the conversion of glucoside and galactoside fractions into carcinogenic substances
Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked, or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens
Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables
Structural degradation leading to decreased food value was found to be 60 to 90 percent overall for all foods tested, with significant decreases in bioavailability of B complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, essential minerals, and lipotropics
Twenty years of the Russian research led to the international warning about the damaging biological andenvironmental effects microwaves possess. The warning also included other similar frequency electronic devices such as cell phones.
Say Goodbye to Your Foods Nutritional Value
Although there hasn’t been as many studies on microwaves as say, the importance of various vitamins and minerals, all of the studies generally agree on one thing: nutritional value is significantly reduced if you microwave food. You’d think that studying microwaves would be at the top of the list, given their place in our society, but evidently their role is not significant enough for more thorough testing.
Note that most of these studies have been done prior to 2000. This may be due to the shift of focus from microwaves to a more prevalent threat to humanity: the intense electromagnetic chaos from electromagnetic devices such as cell phones, computers, and advanced technology. Here are some studies illustrating the detrimental effects of microwaves and microwave cooking.
This study found that broccoli when microwaved with a little bit of water loses up to 97% of its beneficial antioxidants. Steamed broccoli only lost 11% or less. Some amounts of phenolic compounds and glucosinolates were also lost. The study was published in the November 2003 issue of The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Vitamin C in asparagus spears was lost during a 1999 Scandinavian study.
One study found 60 seconds of microwaving garlic depleted the food of it’s allinase, garlic’s primary cancer-fighting ingredient.
Just 6 minutes of microwave heating turned 30-40 percent of the B12 in milk into a dead form, which was found in a Japanese study by Watanabe.
An Australian study recently conducted showed that microwaves cause a higher degree of “protein unfolding” than conventional heating.
A 1992 study found that breast milk lost lysozyme activity, antibodies, and became a more suitable environment for the potential growth of pathogenic bacteria after being microwaved.
Microwaving Food Leads to a Negative Impact on Human Physiology & the Heart
Hans Hertel, a Swiss food scientist, initiated the first tests on microwaved food and microwave cooking to determine how microwaves affect human physiology and the blood. After studying these effects, Hertel concluded that microwaving food leads to food degeneration. These degenerative changes in nutrients caused changes in blood which could cause health problems.
Health issues which could be caused are:
Elevated cholesterol levels
A plummet in leukocytes (white blood cells), which could suggest poisoning
Decreased red blood cell levels
Production of radiolytic compounds
Decreased hemoglobin levels, which might indiciate anemia
Another study found that microwave frequency radiation affects the heart at non-thermal levels – levels which are well below federal safety guidelines. To examine these effects, the study used a 2.4GHz radiation frequency, which is the same frequency emitted by microwave ovens as well as wifi routers.
There is even evidence that this same frequency can cause elevated blood sugar levels in certain people. This points to the possibility that there may be a type 3 diabetes generated by dirty electricity. Here is a video below making a presentation support this. You may find the video “slow”, but it’s well worth 7 minutes of your time.
, and/or LED lantern
(LED’s last longer)
last longer)
, in case you loose power
, and a percolator
(for you coffee drinkers)
that are rated for cold weather
to stay up to date on any warnings or advisories
The majority of people use this kitchen appliance without question and think they are no more than a simple alternative to conventional ovens for when they don’t feel like cooking or need food fast.
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