By Kellene Bishop

Can you imagine walking along the shores of a fresh water lake, seeing some fossilized algae and saying to yourself, “Hmmmm. I think I’m going to try and eat this?”  Or worse, how about someone who notices that this fossilized algae kills insects and then decides to eat it?  Crazy, huh?  I don’t know how things like Diatomaceous Earth ever get discovered, but I sure am glad they do.

Diatomaceous Earth--a microscopic view. photo c/o www.holocaust-history.org

With Diatomaceous earth, you have one of the most wonderful natural remedies for removing all kinds of toxins in your body AND a highly effective remedy at eliminating pesky bugs from your home, garden, and stored grains.  Allow me to take you into the world of Diatomaceous earth today.

For starters, let’s talk about the vital benefits that Diatomaceous earth has on your body. Personally, I drink about 2 teaspoons of it daily in my water bottle.  (I follow that with 2 teaspoons of Redmond Clay in the next water bottle I fill, but that’s another story.) Why? Because like everyone else who is reading this, I have parasites, tapeworms, bacteria, viruses, and toxins in my body.  Diatomaceous earth is HIGHLY effective at completely removing them from your body.  Since we accumulate these kinds of undesirables in our body every day, I’ve incorporated daily doses of DE in my water every day in order to win the long term battle. If you refuse to take DE regularly, at least give small amounts to your pets and cattle every day. I give my small dogs ½ teaspoon daily for maintenance, and a bit more if they ever get an ear infection or are throwing up. They readily eat it and in fact, when I started them on it, it caused one of the dogs to stop getting into the soil of my plants.

Parasites, tape worm, and weevils--oh my! photo c/o historyfilms.net

How do we get parasites, tape worms, e-coli, etc? Kind of a yucky topic, but let’s put our iron stomachs in for a moment and learn a little bit.  First of all, you can easily get parasites/worms from the foods you eat. For example, if you eat wheat or other whole grains, you are consuming weevils.  It doesn’t matter how often that wheat was cleaned or how much you paid for it, you’ve got weevils. If you consume regular commercial red meat you also have parasites, and most likely some e-coli in your body as well. There are internal and external parasites associated with cattle.  If you eat pork, regardless of how long you cook it, you definitely have parasites and bacteria in your body. The fat in the  pork is made up primarily of the toxins and waste that the pig eats. It’s just a fact of life, folks. Lungworms, which are rampant in the intestines of cattle, cause viral and bacterial pneumonia.  Sushi also houses parasites, salmonella, and a myriad of other bacteria.  The raw fish is the least of my worries.

Dogs, Cats, and most pets carry parasites, which can be transferred to humans. photo c/o www.javno.com

Secondly, if you have pets such as dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, etc. you have parasites as well—that is if you ever pet them, let them sit on you, lick your face, etc. Parasites from pets particularly dwell in your intestines leaching the nutrition that you had otherwise intended for your own body. It is virtually impossible to have pets and not have parasites as a result—unless you use DE in your body and in there’s another story. (I’ll get to that later.)  In fact, just  one kind of internal round worm known as Toxocara, has infected 14 percent of our population according to the CDC. Toxocara comes specifically from dogs and cats. Toxocara is particularly predatory among children. This doesn’t mean that 14 percent of the population has pets. It means that there are sufficient  number of pets in our surroundings. Even those without pets are exposed to parasites that originate from them. Toxocara is easily accessible simply by playing in a sandbox or a playground of dirt or mulch.

Soil is another source of such body invaders. If we work with it in our gardening, we’re going to get it in our bodies.  Hanging out at a farm which uses pesticides and herbicides also brings unwanted toxins in our body.

Giardia and other water-born parasites photo c/o physorg.com

Unfortunately, water, whether it’s treated by the city or not, is one of the biggest culprits of introducing unwanted bacteria and viruses into our bodies.  In a disaster scenario in which we would have to forage for water, we are likely to consume even more. This is another reason why I’m grateful for the existence of Diatomaceous earth.  Not only can I use it to filter any questionable water, but even if I use other methods, I can also consume the DE regularly to help counteract anything I may have missed in my water filtration or cooking.  DE is a very effective water filter!  All you need to do is take a bucket and drape a tight-knitted cloth on top of the bucket, then a cup or two of DE on top of the fabric in a small mound. Slowly pour the questionable water through the DE into the bucket. Not only will you have drinkable water, but you will also have mineral and vitamin enriched water. This is why I often refer to preparedness as a source of peace in my life as opposed to panic. I can’t help but look at DE and say to myself, “Wow, Heavenly Father. You’re just full of nice little miracles all over the place.” I mean really, a substance that kills unwanted bugs of all kinds, but is good for humans and cattle! Cool!

So, what are the consequences of parasites and other like critters in your body? Blindness, obesity, anemia, frequent headaches, weakened immune system, irregular bowel movements, depression, stunted growth, autism, and even death  (although the benefits are so vast and innumerable that it requires a whole “nother article). That’s just what can happen to humans. Imagine what is taking place inside the animals we love or are trying to raise.  The great thing, though, is that de-worming doesn’t need to be an unpleasant one-time event that you hope you’re doing often enough. Keep your body optimal by paying attention to extracting toxins from your body every day by incorporating DE in your daily regime. After watching a medical video about what parasites can do in my body after only 72 hours, I’m definitely converted to the every day approach. Ugh!  Besides, wouldn’t you rather use an organic method of de-worming you and your pets/cattle etc. instead of nasty chemicals?! I know I would. When I teach about water consumption, I teach that adding flavoring to your water changes the chemical make-up and causes the body to have to work harder to process the water into a distilled state so that it can use it. However, when you’re adding the DE, all you’re adding is organic vitamins and minerals that your body will readily assimilate and not have to work hard to extract from the water.  If you must, you can consume the DE in juice or something else like that, but I have found that I seriously don’t notice the taste in the water at all.  Besides, is there anything that can taste bad enough to prevent me from trying to fight THIS? (yuck alert!)

Colonoscopy Demonstrating a Moving Worm

or THIS?!

2008-11-22 – BBC News – Worm removed from woman’s brain

Bacteria can thwarted by minerals and diatomaceous earth. photo c/o www.hubtesting.net

Let’s leave the parasites alone for just a moment. One of the other assets to DE is that is also absorbs bacteria AND viruses.  Bacteria and viruses are essentially the tiniest of little critters. They are no match for DE’s effectiveness.  The fact that you have something that will absorb and get rid of both in your body is great. Even modern medicine isn’t effective at fighting viruses. One of the reasons why bacteria is no match for DE is because of the vast amount of minerals found in DE. Bacteria simply can NOT survive amidst minerals. (This is why I love using mineral make-up. It doesn’t go bad because of bacteria, because the bacteria can’t survive in minerals. Thus I may pay a bit more for my make-up initially but it lasts me a lot longer.) So the more that minerals make up your organs and blood, the less of a happy home it is for the bad guys trying to infect you.

How can DE kills bugs but not people? It’s all about the water content. Suppose that you needed to thicken 5 gallons of a very brothy soup. You wouldn’t expect to accomplish this using only a ¼ teaspoon of corn starch would you? (For those of you who really don’t know you way around the kitchen, the answer is NO WAY! hee hee) So the benefit in using DE  has to do with the overwhelming amount of water content we have in our bodies as opposed to insects. Insects have very little moisture (contrary to what you may believe when you step on a cockroach), whereas our bodies are made up mostly of water.  This is also why DE doesn’t absorb all of the water that it inevitably grows near.  DE has also been used to help clean up toxins and oil spills.

So, what kind of DE do you need to obtain and where can you get it?  Well, that is the most important question.  You must use only FOOD GRADE DE.  If the manufacturer or seller of the product cannot tell you it’s food grade unequivocally, do not purchase it. For the longest time there were only two kinds of DE, pool grade and food grade. However, in an attempt to avoid paying the FDA the necessary fees to call DE “food grade” some manufacturers have started labeling their DE as “filter grade.”  Again, I implore you to accept no substitutes for FOOD grade DE. While you can do just about everything you want with the other forms of DE such as killing insects, detracting flies, using it in your garden etc. you should not consume any DE that isn’t food grade.  The reason is how it is processed. Just like grains intended for animals should not be consumed by humans due to the regulations that permit chemical additives in order to get more out of the product per package, so too should we humans not consume DE that isn’t labeled as food grade.

diatomaceous earth perma guard food grade

You can purchase food grade DE at most health food stores. However, I found that it’s pretty pricey that route. I prefer to get it in larger quantities and save a boat load of money.  I do know that Five Star Preparedness offers DE in two different formats. They offer it in 5 and 10 pound increments that’s simply “food grade” DE. However, for those who want to be extra sure in their internal consumption, they also offer it in as “fossilized phytoplankton powder” (FPP) format.  This is in a 10 ounce jar that runs about $18.00. But I wouldn’t recommend you wasting your money on it since it’s the exact same thing that you can get in the 10 and 20 pound increments,  just with a more friendly “food” label for those who need that kind of reassurance, because for only $25 you can get the 10 pounds (that’s what I use daily). Both are food-grade.  And please don’t buy into the whopper of a lie of a company telling you that the FDA won’t “let” them label their DE food grade. The FDA is all too happy to allow someone to label something food-grade so long as that company pays for the licensing and testing to do so.

I wish that we didn’t need something like DE as a result of our surroundings. But this is just how things are, folks. If it’s there, we get to inhale it, absorb it, or eat it. But I’m sure grateful that there’s a very economical solution out in the world. To see more on what DE can do for the world around you, check out the previous article I wrote about it here Diatomaceous Earth.

Remember, being physically prepared for the future also means being as healthy as you can now. So, let’s have a little DE sprinkled in our life. Cheers.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

Independence photo c/o www.textually.org

There were two news pieces this week that reiterated the need for independence from the vulnerabilities that we willingly attach ourselves to.  Keep in mind that to me, preparedness has a great deal to do with independence. Independence from what Wall Street does. Independence from the mistakes of the food manufacturers. Independence from being subjected to a “trend” in medicine that’s short-lived.  I firmly believe that the more independent I am, exclusive of influences that I have no power to check and double check, the healthier, safer, and more peaceful I will be.

For example, article one.

Rulings Restrict Clean Water Act, Foiling E.P.A.

This article demonstrates to me that in spite of laws which are supposed to protect our drinking water supply, the EPA is finding that they are unable to enforce The Clean Water Act in over 50% of their current load of violations.  Fifty percent! And this is just one of the violations that have reached their attention.  And yet they are powerless with all of their money and political connections to ensure that our water sources are not polluted.  To make matters worse, I read recently of a report card of 100 city sewer treatment systems.  70% of those inspected had a problem that needed to be rectified.  What this says to me folks is that we don’t need a war, a severe act of nature, or a financial collapse to give us pause to take preparedness actions now.  We rely on water too heavily for it to be solely in the hands of others.  Again, I beat the drum of independence.

The next article was just posted yesterday.

Ingredient used in many processed foods recalled

Your Preparedness Pantry--a safe bet during food recalls

It revealed that a key manufacturer of a particular flavoring for processed foods was found to have salmonella in their factory. This flavoring, hydrolized vegetable protein, is found in nearly every processed food in our nation.  As a result, millions of pieces of food will have to be recalled. When I read this article, I couldn’t help but think “thank goodness that I have so many food supplies in my household that aren’t reliant upon the honesty and good work ethic of a factory in Las Vegas.” (When you put it that way, it’s kind of ironic, don’t you think?) For example, the freeze-dried foods which I have and use everyday, they are free from such flavorings.  The rice, wheat, grains, sprouts, and canned meats are free from exposure to such foods. Even my Shirley J products which I specifically use instead of mainstream processed foods are free from this particular manufactures dereliction of duties. It’s kind of a coincidence that just last night I taught a class on making bread, sprouting, and wheat meat. I have to say, once again, that the wheat meat was AWESOME. (In fact, I think it turned out better than ever—it’s about time after trying over 60 different recipes, methods, etc.) Anyway, so I thought it was interesting that the same day that this big deal piece of news breaks, I find myself consuming superior quality nutrition–effortlessly–and enjoying it too.  Once again, preparedness sure has a heck of lot to do with independence, folks.

I’m concerned that it seems like so many people feel like the admonition for preparedness is strictly about being prepared for an Armageddon-like scenario. In fact, if we aren’t better prepared for an interruption in our food supplies, the decline of the value of our currency, or how to easily make some of our own food, we  simply won’t be around to worry about “the big one” anyway.

I think that we will all agree that peace of mind is necessary every day of our lives. Preparedness is what ushers that peace in. Independence over factors that most people feel they have no control over is one of the best prescriptions I can think of for the peace.  I’ll beat that drum as long as I’m able. I hope that soon more of you, as well as my friends and loved ones, can “get jiggy” with that particular beat. *grin*.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

Do you have enough toilet paper in your storage? photo c/o scrapetv.com/

Yesterday I came across an “emergency preparedness blog” that was alarmingly incorrect. It was a basic topic, but it was addressed in a very misguided manner. The author wrote about what she plans to use in an emergency for her toilet hygiene—rags instead of toilet paper. So as not to risk educating anyone incorrectly, rather than providing a link to the article I will instead provide a few summations of the article which she posted on this national “preppers” site.

First of all, she was a big advocate of NOT using toilet paper during an occasion in which you had to rely on an outhouse, a hole in the ground, or some other such scenario. She labeled such a premise as useless, expensive, and unrealistic.  Instead she offered up a suggestion of using old rags and then storing the “used rages” in a lidded bucket filled with borax, bleach, water and laundry detergent.  She believes that such an option is “more eco-friendly” than toilet paper is.

While I read the article, I could sense the enthusiasm that this person had for sharing her knowledge with the rest of the world. I believe she was also trying to make the alternative solution as easy as possible for others. I certainly don’t believe that she was attempting to mislead anyone. However, I physically cringed while I was reading it, realizing that she was setting up herself and anyone else who bought into her instructions, for a major sanitation problem—even a deadly one.

To understand why planning on using a rag as opposed to TP or another like product, I think I should first point out a few things about feces and urine that some folks may not realize. First of all, sewer treatment employees receive HAZARD PAY because of the danger of their work. In fact, sewer treatment employees receive more “disaster prevention training” annually than police officers do to improve their firearm skills.  In other words, working with urine and feces is not a task to be taken lightly. The hazard in working with sewage isn’t just about the chemicals used to treat the sewers, but it’s also about working with the unavoidable—the waste itself.

Sanitation...a necessary preparedenss topic! photo c/o www.corecentre.co.in/

Urine contains compounded amounts of toxins, nitrogen, nitrates, and ammonia. As such, it is NOT recommended that it is simply thrown out somewhere uncontained or unprotected.  For those of you who are considering having two containers for solid and liquid waste in a worst case scenario, I beg you to rethink that plan. Solid matter actually needs the liquid to help it break down. Plus, it’s simply not realistic from a physiological standpoint to perfectly separate the two while someone is heeding a call from Mother Nature.  Separating the two compounds will only create more problems which I don’t have room to address in this post.

As urine and feces sit—especially in a heated environment—it develops deadly pathogens, dangerous combinations of microbes, bacteria, and viruses—including the well-known e-coli.  This compound attracts flies which feed on it and then spread it from one location to another. The point being that handling such a compound in any way is not a wise decision.  Staying away from it and disposing of it in all cases is critical.

Ye Old Outhouse photo c/o www.thegreenestdollar.com

Let’s also understand that a scenario that’s accompanied by the symptom of limited access toilet comforts that we’re presently used to is indicative of a serious scenario. Think about what would have to take place in order for a rationing of toilet paper to take place. (Other than the toilet paper shortage caused in 1973 by Johnny Carson jokingly telling his audience that there was a TP shortage. As a result, he actually CAUSED a shortage because millions of people cleaned off the shelves of TP that night. *grin*) Perhaps a natural disaster, a financial collapse, or act of war would cause such consequences.  Any of these scenarios would mean that we could no longer take our present state of sanitation for granted. 

One of most important aspects of establishing a society is to provide a community with reliable sanitation solutions. The reason is because poor sanitation can literally kill an entire community within a 50 meter radius in as little as 30 days. Bacteria, disease, and viruses are no respecter of persons, borders, or bank accounts.  Thus preventing the spread of such must be diligently practiced at the root of its origins. If sanitation is not practiced with the utmost of our capabilities during everyday or dire circumstances, then disease and death will speedily run rampant.  Remember disease is not easily curtailed to a specific environment. Disease is no respecter of persons, boundaries, or social positions Keep in mind that due to our easy methods of travel, disease can spread faster than it ever has in history.  That’s a significant statement considering that the Spanish Flu spread to over one-third of the earth in a matter of only three months—this prior to the availability of speedy international travel.

Anyone want a corn husk? Anyone? photo c/o thefuntimesguide.com

Preparing for alternative sanitation solutions can be practical, comfortable, and realistic.  The use of toilet paper should not be viewed as a luxury that can be easily dismissed.  While we should be aware of alternative options such as corn husks, phone book pages, or newspapers, it’s important that we recognize the need to provide us with a safe distance, minimal exposure, and safe disposal of our hazardous waste. Seaweed is also a good alternative as it’s got healing properties with it as well. The fact of the matter is ALL of these aforementioned alternative options are much safer options for you versus you planning on using rags and cleaning them as you go.

To be blunt, planning on using cloth or rags is not an ideal “plan B.” Just by nature of the rag method you are more prone to come into contact with the fecal matter. The longer it “hangs around,” being stored in buckets, being washed, etc, the more likely that contact is.  Additionally, the rag method requires storage of the fecal covered rags until you wash them. The storage—especially with any heat involved, will compound the hazardous toxins as the bucket of used rags sit. Something else I think we underestimate is that smells, especially unpleasant ones, strongly affect our morale. Unpleasant smells are not simply an affront on the senses. They are also an inhalation of dangerous microbes and airborne bacteria. If you’re storing the used rags, the smell lingers throughout your entire living environment. Instead it should be burned or broken down with something like Chemisan. It would definitely stink (excuse the pun) if you couldn’t enjoy the smells of sautéed garlic and onion because the wafting aroma of the outhouse overpowered it.

Use Thieves essential oil, or other essential oils instead of chemicals. photo c/o www.ylessentialoils.com

Lastly, in order to use rags for this particular hygiene care, most believe they need to use heavy chemicals such as borax or chlorine—neither of which are eco-friendly.  Where can you safely dispose of those chemicals?? If you absolutely HAVE to use rags, consider instead using essential oils to clean the rags with such as lavender, Thieves, and tea tree oil.  Exposing yourself to potential contact with fecal matter is such a bad idea, that even the reusable toilet wipe companies don’t recommend their product for use for anything else except straight urine. Additionally, it requires much more physical energy and water to take care of than does TP. You can never underestimate the importance of conserving physical energy and maintaining as much “normalcy” as possible during a crisis scenario.

On the other side of the debate, toilet paper can easily be broken down or safely disposed of.  It can easily be burned or buried. My favorite method of breaking down fecal matter and TP is the use of Chemisan. Chemisan eliminates a great deal of the smell, deadly pathogens and breaks it down completely in as little as two weeks leaving behind the equivalent of a soil.

Portable toilets use Chemisan photo c/o www.fivestarpreparedness.com

Contrary to some opinions, toilet paper does not have to be expensive.  For over a year now, thanks to coupons, I have put my mandatory price point on toilet paper at 25 cents a roll.  I don’t pay any more than that, ever.  But when I get it at that price, I do purchase as much as my budget that week will permit me.  I also use that same strategy on anything else I purchase and bring into my home. I set a price point and stick to it. This means that I don’t have to choose BETWEEN having wheat or toilet paper. I get to have what I and my loved ones need for every anticipated event. Planning well everyday means that you don’t have to choose between one vital necessity and another. Knowing you have all of the bases covered means more mental strength for you to deal with the other aspects of a survival scenario which may test you.

Also as an alternative view of the blog I’m referencing, toilet paper is a multi-purpose product. It’s often used by cost conscious individuals in lieu of facial tissue. It’s also used by some as a source of cooking fuel (along with isopropyl alcohol)—a waste to me considering so many other cooking alternatives, but to each his own. And hey, TP has even been used by the US. Military as camouflage during the Gulf War!

The comfort factor of toilet paper should not be underestimated either.  Promoting familiarity during a crisis scenario is as important as your medical supplies. This is why a survey two years ago revealed that over half of all of the respondents said that they would choose food first, then water, and then toilet paper as their supplies on a deserted island. In other words, it’s more important to peoples psyche and comfort than perhaps this author realized. I suspect more people didn’t mention toilet paper simply because it was off their radar. Perhaps a gorgeous companion and their favorite rock band made the list instead. When there is any kind of an “ick” factor involved, it’s much harder to expect persons to change their habits, even in a survival scenario. Trying to do so will inevitably bring about stress. If you’re using moss and leaves right now everyday, then you won’t have any problem with those items in the future—unless you don’t stock up. Otherwise, having what you’re familiar with for such an inevitable part of life is critical to your mental health.

Bottom line, in the event of true emergency scenario, having ample toilet paper will NOT be the least of your concerns. It falls in line with the Physical and Medical aspects of preparedness which puts it in the position of priority number 3 and 4 out of the Ten Areas of Preparedness.  So, watch for the sales, know how much your family uses in a week, and plan accordingly.

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If you would like to host a preparedness party for your business, community, or church group, please contact Vicky at vicky@preparednesspro.com 

For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

Bribes Let Tomato Vendor Sell Tainted Food photo c/o nytimes.com

When I read articles like these, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/business/25tomatoes.html?em I am reminded exactly why it is that I believe in having a well-stocked pantry that has long shelf-life.  I am also reminded as to why I do not invest heavily in canned goods if I can get away with it. That doesn’t mean that I don’t indulge in canned goods. They certainly have their place, but I definitely have reliable, clean, and safe substitutes on hand specifically to guard myself from the corruption, greed, deviant ethics, and just plain incompetence that plagues our food industry.   It doesn’t take a famine or heavy rains to give us cause to be more independent in our own food supplies.  There is plenty of cause every single day.

A statistic recently caught my eye on a health food site claiming that in the last 2 years there have been more food recalls than in the last 15 years put together? After watching movies such as “King Corn”, “Super-Size Me” and “Food Inc.”, I feel sufficiently informed to the point that I know that there are ample reasons for me to take my food and nutrition matters into my own hands.  As I shared in a previous article, the USDA, FDA, and grocery store names (i.e. “Whole Foods”) simply can’t be trusted to sustain a healthy life for my family.

Don’t get me wrong. I have my Dr. Pepper/Krispy Kreme kind of days.  As indicated by my physique. I’m not the epitome of a health food junkie. (Oh how I wish it were true, though—working on it.) But I do definitely rely more heavily on alternatives to so-called fresh produce, “Grade A” meat, and questionable processed foods. What are they?  

Top of my list is WHEAT.  I use it in my breads, rolls, cookies, and I use it as a meat alternative. (See articles with “wheat meat” information by searching “wheat meat” in our search bar) Does anyone remember the scandal of when Home Pride Bread had used saw dust to sprinkle the top of their bread with to make it look more “whole grain?” Or how about the recall of pet food that was poisoned?  How about the shortage of rice? Remember when spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and beef were recalled as the result of e-coli poisoning?  Well, fortunately, wheat isn’t yet processed that questionably. I can replace a lot of vegetables with wheat by sprouting it. I can make a delicious meat substitute. And I can have safe and wholesome bread as well.  Even better, I get to store the wheat with diatomaceous earth that takes care of any weevil problem but is actually GOOD for me.  What a miraculous bargain there, eh?

Freeze-Dried produce ends up being cheaper than fresh!

Next, I’m a big fan of freeze-dried produce.  Notice I said PRODUCE, not entrees.  The produce HAS to be clean in order for it to vaporize properly. If it still has the pesticides, herbicides, etc. in it, then it won’t take the correct form during the freeze-drying process.  (This is yet another reason why I like to double check the color, shape, and integrity of my freeze-dried produce before I invest heavily in it.) The good news is though, when I find a good freeze-dried product, I’m in heaven. No slicing, dicing, cleaning, picking, wasting, or bruising. I just pick up the handful and throw it in my soup. Or sometimes I cover it with water to reconstitute it and then use the now flavored water in some kind of delicious dish in addition to the fruit or vegetable. In fact, the other night I reconstituted some pineapple for a Polynesian Chicken dish. Instead of reconstituting it in water, I did so in chicken broth because the regular recipe I was adapting called for chicken broth in addition to the pineapple. So hey, why not multipurpose that broth? I do the same when I’m reconstituting fruit for a fruit mousse or Jell-O salad. Instead of just using plain old water, I use the water from the reconstituted fruit.  It adds an additional depth of flavor that way. While you can’t label freeze-dried foods as “organic” per se, they certainly are clean and safe and MUCH less expensive than mysteriously labeled “organic” foods are today.

Heirloom seeds are critical to my well-being in my opinion as well.  I’m not a master gardener yet by any stretch of the imagination. But I am working on it simply so that I can have more independence from the mistakes of others.  I don’t want DNA manipulated, chemical treated seeds. I want the good old fashioned kind that yield great foods that I can grow again and again and again.

Shirley J products add variety to your preparedness pantry

If I can find a dry equivalent to a food product and have it taste great too, then I’m all over it. For example, it’s no secret that I’m in love with the Shirley J Universal Sauce? Why? Because I don’t have to use butter or milk to make a perfect roux or béchamel sauce. I also don’t have to expose myself to added MSG or hydrogenated oils that are so abundant in cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soups that I used to use regularly, and it’s absolutely idiot-proof to make. I even buck the instructions and use hot broths to mix it up and it thickens in seconds. None of this babysitting and stirring stuff for me.  Thanks to the lack of the oils, it won’t go rancid on me. It’s got a shelf-life of 20-30 years so long as I store it in a cool, dry place. I can make a large batch ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator and it still won’t separate or turn into anything other than perfect and creamy when I cook it.  Dry products usually cost MUCH less than the canned food and they store longer and take up less space. I love the tomato powder I get. I can make ketchup, tomato paste, and tomato sauce out of it, or use it to add just a hint of tomato flavor to a soup or sauce.  There are quite a few perfect dry products on the market that are great for everyday use AND have a long shelf-life. (Shirley J products in general, powdered lemon and lime juice, powdered milk, etc.)

Essential oils and other homeopathic remedies are a must photo c/o herbmentor.com

Next, I take wellness and sick care into my own hands as much as possible as well.  Even if it isn’t tainted, a great deal of acetaminophen or aspirin can kill a person or at least tax their liver substantially. So, in the spirit of independence from the manufacturing dead beats, I have pursued the learning of essential oils, herbs, vitamins, and other “good for you” concoctions. Rather than just have them for “emergencies” I use them now so that I can peacefully rely on them in a pinch. (This is yet another reason why I vehemently do not believe in “emergency” preparedness.)

Remember, to me preparedness is all about being independent of vulnerabilities. When stories like I’ve shared with you above make it into the mainstream media, I know that they are just the tip of the iceberg. So I stay vigilant in protecting myself and my loved ones and I sure hope you do too.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

Fear? Stress? Breathe. photo c/o clanmonroe.com

Fact: Most people, when exposed to a threatening, frightful scenario, will inhale and then hold it.

Have you ever heard some sudden disturbing news?  What do you hear next? Inward gasps, right? 

Take target shooting for example. As a firearm instructor, you can imagine that I’m quite familiar with what a person does with their body when they are getting ready to shoot their firearm. They inhale, tense up their entire body, and then pull the trigger.  As a result, they are missing their shot. A good bow hunter will tell you that you don’t want the bow to be too taut, right? In contrast, what I teach people is that when they bring the firearm up and in focus, they need to breathe in, and when they are ready to shoot they need to breathe out and THEN roll the finger on the trigger—not jerk or pull it. It’s amazing how much better folks shoot when they breathe.

Let all of your air OUT before pulling the trigger. photo c/o tampabay.com

When all of your muscles have been used to breathe in, the muscles are taut. Taut muscles fight with the mind against and our muscles, thus affecting our aim and our physical responses. When you breathe out the muscles are relaxed and you have no muscles fighting your aim.  Every good shooter knows the value of breathing as much as every good chef knows the value of quality knives.

Many police officers nationwide are taught a specific breathing technique for when they are involved in an emotionally climatic scenario.  The use of such a technique has saved countless lives and prevented double the amount of injuries.

When you watch a martial arts expert break through bricks or wood, you will notice that they breathe out first.  This actually gives them the maximum amount of strength and proper aim.

The delivery of oxygen to the brain reduces response time in a fight or flight scenario photo c/o spacesuityoga.wordpress.com

The lack of breathing temporarily suspends many needed brain cells.  However, the delivery of oxygen to the brain relaxes and energizes the brain cells—especially those that would normally cause us to freeze or flee—even if that may not be the safest response to a crisis.

As I will discuss in greater detail tomorrow, your brain actually defaults to the subconscious operation. Unfortunately, if the subconscious hasn’t had a great deal of repetitive training to deal with this particular encounter, it will default to some very unproductive, and even dangerous responses.

For example, if you’ve been educated in the U.S. you’ve no doubt had to experience the earthquake drill of crouching under a desk. As a result, if you feel any shaking going on around you, your subconscious will tell you to hurry and get under a table or into an entry way during an earthquake. Why? Because this is the only training that your subconscious mind has to work with. However, I’m going to tell you that that is the WORST thing you should do in the event of an earthquake.  You are more likely to be crushed under a piece of furniture or a fallen entry way. Instead you should crouch just to the side of a heavy table or your bed.  It is there where you are more likely to find a space that is not affected by falling roofs, etc. You will also more likely have access to oxygen (To give yourself a better picture of this, notice where you dog goes when they crawl under the covers with you. They have space just to the side of your body).

Contrary to popular training, hiding under a table isn't the safest option during an earthquake photo c/o time.com

Ok. Now that I’ve told you this, even if you wholeheartedly believe it, you will need to access this knowledge when the shaking begins.  However, because you will inevitably breathe in and panic, you will dramatically slow your brain’s response time. So, what do you need to do? You need to teach yourself to breathe.  Ideally, you will breathe in four counts, hold it four counts (in order to get the oxygen permeated through the brain cells), and then breathe out four counts. Just that one breathing process is what your brain needs to disengage the automatic response and engage the logical, more desired response. The breathing connects your conscious mind and overrides the subconscious that may be taking over.

This is the first step at handling panic. Tomorrow I will share with you the next one. Until then, breathe in four counts, hold it; and then breathe out four counts. Nice and slow. Do it again when your child comes home with a poor report card or when you burn dinner or even when your computer crashes.

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Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop

by Kellene Bishop

Salt, the base of society

Dare we ignore something that so valuable it even overshadows the Texas oil industry?  Throughout the world’s history salt has been taxed exorbitantly, wars have been fought for control of salt, and it has been used as a medium of exchange EQUAL to gold. In fact, in desert areas all over the world, the people are well aware of it lifesaving value.  In such environments, wars are likely to break out over salt mining rights just as easily as gold or oil.

Throughout history a civilization was considered as good as dead if it did not have sufficient salt for curing and preserving of meats. Having access to a good salt lick was also critical to attract sufficient game for hunting. Salt is also critical for treating leather, stabilizing dyes, and to mine silver. (Boy does that put salt in its proper place of pecking order or what?)  In fact, salt mining is the backbone of several of the long roads we now have in our country. Yet in the American culture, we’ve missed a bit of education when it comes to embracing salt for our commerce and our bodies. 

In order for your body to prevent dehydration it NEEDS salt. In fact, most persons should consume a ½ teaspoon of salt per day in order to maintain bodily functions.  When the body becomes dehydrated and thus increases that amount of water it needs to hold in reserves, it can only do so IF salt is available. During dehydration, the body seeks salt which is why you may get strong cravings for salt foods. Salt is also critical to the proper operation of our blood, nerves, muscles, digestive, and our lymphatic systems.

Water, salt and potassium together regulate the water content of the body. The salt and potassium are required in order to hold the water in the cells. It also balances the amount of water that’s held outside of the cells as well.  The problem though is that our diet contains plenty of potassium resources, but not salt. Thus it needs to be added into our diet.  And may I also suggest not adding in anything that’s labeled as “salt.” There is a big difference between the highly processed stuff, and real sea salt.

When determining what kind of salt to have in your pantry I wholeheartedly recommend getting a non-processed sea salt. Regular table salt has been stripped of all of its valuable minerals which then get sold off for profit. But those minerals are a great resource for the body. Sea salt that has been processed does not contain enough iodine to maintain healthy levels for the thyroid functions. A quality sea salt will have about 50 different minerals in it including iodine. (I religiously store the brand RealSalt as it’s the only sea salt that I’ve found that is actually mined from a sea bed and is Kosher certified. I might as well cover all of my bases, right?  While you can cut corners at a feed store, you won’t get ALL that you need which comes from the RealSalt, including the iodine, and the lack of additives.)

A stark white salt like most of us are accustomed to seeing is such because it has undergone a bleaching process. It also gets “refined” and I don’t mean that in a good way. It’s mixed with some anti-caking agents and with some iodine added back in—no where near what it originally contained, but at least now they can label the salt as containing iodine, right?  Whereas beautifully raw sea salt will have flecks of color in it as a result of the minerals that are still present. Additionally, you don’t have to use as much sea salt to satisfy your cravings and body functions as you would need to use of the processed stuff. I’m also a big fan of not spending hard-earned money on real food only to season it with processed garbage. 

In an emergency, salt can be used to stave off an asthma attack. Drink a glass of water and then put a pinch of salt on the tongue.  It can be as effective as an inhaler but without any toxic side affects. A bit of salt on the tongue can also help stop persistent dry coughs.

Salt is also a strong anti-stress element for the body—yet another reason why folks crave salty foods when they are stressed.

An excess of acidity in the brain is blamed for bringing on Alzheimer’s disease.  Maintaining a balance of quality salt in your diet will definitely help.

Balance your body's melatonin and seratonin levels photo c/o www.dietsinreview.com/.../

Were you aware that Lithium is a salt substitute that is used to treat depression and emotional disorders?  A balanced diet with appropriate salt can prevent one from needing such chemical intervention.  Salt is also critical to the production of appropriate levels of serotonin and melatonin levels in the brain. Water and salt together are critical for a healthy “coping mechanism” and sleep patterns.

Salt is also vital to balancing sugar levels in the body. So consider being conscientious of its use now as well as if you are a person battling diabetes.

Some folks mistakenly believe that salt creates water retention.  Here are the facts. While extra salt in our body will retain extra water in the tissues, it only does so when there is insufficient hydration in the body. In other words, regular water intake balances all fluid retention in your body. Thus enabling any excess salt in your body will be passed in your urine.

I find it kind of amazing personally to note that our bodies need two different kinds of water–salted and unsalted water in order to be properly balanced. Isn’t it neat to notice that the earth has these two kinds of water sources as well?

The body needs unsalted and salted water

If you’re going to plan on having a reserve of salt to get you through a year, you will want a minimum of 5 pounds of salt, per person and that’s simply for consumption. That does not include pickling, preserving, cooking, etc.  In fact, I just increased my salt reserves recently after watching a fish be cooked in a salt dome. The fish turned out super tender and was flavored beautifully, not salty.  I just had to try it. Although it required about 3 cups of salt, it is well worth the cooking technique. Salt has also been a proven asset for a wide variety of medical care, curing of meats, sanitation, and as a vital asset to any community. All told, I would actually recommend more like 25 pounds of quality salt, per person, per year. The nice thing is salt has got a very, very long shelf life. And if you purchase it with the minerals intact then you won’t need to worry about bacteria developing since bacteria cannot survive among minerals.

I encourage you all to be mindful of this overlooked commodity. Remember, I earnestly place salt as one of the vital four items you must have in your pantry—wheat, powdered milk, honey, and SALT.  It’s not just for food, it’s for survival.

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by Kellene Bishop

I’ve decided to be very forthright and open in today’s article in hopes that it truly does help someone else.  I often hear people say “I don’t know how you do all that you do.”  I smile and thank them for their gracious compliment, but the truth of it is, I do what I do while challenging a significant obstacle—depression.

Depression can take hold of anyone. photo c/o hopeworkscommunity.wordpress.com

I realize that in this kind of forum I’m only going to be able to scratch the surface on this topic, but I firmly believe that it has not been appropriately addressed in real-life terms and is especially absent topic in the arena of preparedness.

First of all, allow me to dispel some myths of depression.  Depression isn’t a mood, it’s a disease. It’s a break down in the chemical functions of the body that impair communications from the brain to the rest of the body.  The impairment of proper brain charges and chemicals is much like someone having low blood sugar, or high insulin levels, a heart murmur, or a person in need of blood thinners, etc.  In other words, it’s about a deficiency in the body.

Depression isn’t about “woe is me, I want to end my life,” although many forms of depression can get that serious.  There are many levels of depression. Some levels of depression are the lowest of the low and considered “manic.” Other forms manifest themselves when a person eats poorly or doesn’t get enough rest.  Still other forms manifest themselves on a low level throughout a person’s life or on a higher level when a great deal of decision making is thrust upon them. (it feels more like an anxiety though, at that point rather than what some people would associate with “depression.”) Feeling grief or unresponsive due to a severe tragedy in a person’s life isn’t depression. It’s responding naturally to life. Although some people do have a physiological change in their chemical make up in response to such an instance and succumb to depression as a result.  It’s actually very similar to someone being injured in a car accident. Instead, a person’s heart, brain, chemical balance, etc. is injured in a collision with grief.

The grief process can be exacerbated by depression photo c/o www.theocentric.com

Contrary to assumptions, depression isn’t always about a feeling of low or sadness. Sometimes it’s feeling a serious lack of energy to do anything proactive. Sometimes the chemical imbalance demands a great deal of sleep. Depression isn’t something that a person can just “snap out of.”  You can no easier get a person to “snap out of depression” than you can get a paralyzed person to get up out of their wheelchair and walk as the result of a superhuman will.  Some who struggle with depression appear to the outsiders to be wallowing in their victimization status or their “Eeyore moods.”  What many folks don’t realize is that the depressed person literally can’t see it.  Getting them to “snap out of it” when they are in that state is like trying to get a blind person to see clearly. The vision of a seriously depressed person is physiologically skewed and does not represent full faculties. A person suffering from serious depression simply does not see the world as it really is.  They have chemical blinders, much like a person whose mental capacity is altered by drugs.

Another misconception that I really wish people understood for their own benefit is that depression is NOT triggered by the actions of someone else or a particular experience. Too many folks take blame upon themselves for the heavy level of depression experienced by a loved one in their life. While a great deal of stress or a mean hearted act of someone else may not be helpful to someone who struggles with depression, it’s never solely responsible for the depression. Think about it.  Any person who doesn’t deal with depression is affected by stresses of the day, right?  But what happens in response to life, with a person who has depression, is based primarily to how the body responds to the instance—chemicals and electrical charges and all.  Sometimes the chemical and brain signals are insufficient to appropriately deal with a situation. But just because someone has depression doesn’t give an edict of authority to the rest of the world to change and accommodate the person who struggles with depression either.  Just because I may struggle with depression doesn’t give me the right to alter someone else’s behavior.  To put it another way, my car running out of gas on the way to your house isn’t about you living 500 miles away. It’s about how much gas I have in my car. I have a girlfriend who is married to a man who struggles with depression. She can love him, she can be accommodating to a point. But that doesn’t mean that she is to allow his disability to define her worth and virtue as a wife. In other words, when dealing with a person who has depression, it really is NOT you, it’s them.

Compassion and understand is imperative for those living with depression photo c/o brucefong.wordpress.com

So, if you or a loved one struggle with depression, what can be done so that the disease itself doesn’t preclude you from surviving everyday now as well as serious trials in the future?  The answer is specific to a person with depression at any level, but it also has some commonalities with someone who suffers from diabetes or hear or kidney problems. There is only so much you can do to be prepared. But there are a whole LOT of “so much you can do” actions to take.  And then simply let what will be, be from there.

First of all, the key to surviving depression is accepting it.  It’s real. It’s not going to just go away, and person who has depression MUST deal with it as such. When it comes to depression, I feel like dealing with it is just as serious as dealing with a firearm. I use a firearm regularly, but I have the ultimate of respect for its power. I instinctively keep my finger off of the trigger unless I’m in a safe environment or a necessary environment to use it. The same bodes true with depression. I do NOT mess around with it. I don’t treat it as an inconvenient gnat. I’m not casual with it.  I take care of it head on just like I would if I had diabetes. . What I mean by that is one of the most dangerous things people can do is to ignore their depression.  Such persons must be spoken to when they are not suffering a bout of depression and be brought to realize that this can be a killer disease. Worse, it can not only kill someone physically, but it can zap the life, confidence, and worth out of all of those around you that you love.  That’s the worst kind of death, in my opinion.  Professional assistance should be sought out for ANY level of depression. It may not be at a level which requires medication. But it should be watched just as aggressively as a cancerous lump.

Visit with your doctor about any depression symptoms you may have photo c/o www3.whig.com

Secondly, do everything NATURALLY to help battle the depression as possible. This is where I really get to apply some control over this disability and so can many others. As I’ve often said, Preparedness isn’t about being ready for an emergency. It’s about being independent from your vulnerabilities and conquering them. Even those with a physical limitation can do a great deal to be independent in spite of that challenge. When it comes to depression, taking proactive steps to conquer it has a compounded positive impact because not only do I benefit from the independence and peace that such actions take, I also benefit physically in my minimizing the effect of the disease.  Just as many paraplegics refuse to be a burden on those around them, persons who struggle with depression will also benefit substantially from taking on this responsibility as well.

Every time I drink water, for example, I know that I’m taking my depression head on.  Every time I make a healthier food choice or avoid harmful foods I am taking charge of my depression and how it affects those I love.  Every time I work out, I am showing the depression who’s really the boss. *grin* Every time I push myself towards a proactive work I’m “pushing past the pain” so to speak, much like physical therapy.

(As a side note, proper water hydration, excellent nutrition, and physical activity are ALL significant aids in battling depression but they do need to be consistent.)

Excercise and staying hydrated are a must in battling depression photo c/o skynewswire.com

Next, I treat depression with respect.  When I feel it coming on significantly, I do not ignore it. I let my husband know, “hey, it’s coming on and I’m going to just go lie down.”  He’s been educated enough to know that it isn’t about him or what he did or didn’t do. He knows it just comes about sometimes.  Sometimes it’s more like this kind of conversation: “Honey, I’ve got a bout of depression coming on and I still have this to do to get ready for a class. Can you help me?”  It’s no different in my household than if I were to say “Hey, Honey. I just threw my back out; can you lift this for me?”  I don’t hide it from my husband.  But I don’t worry him excessively because he knows that I treat it head on and listen to what’s going on in my body and pay attention. Doing this actually gives me ability many times to censor myself or my actions in the event that I do feel a bout coming on.  It’s almost like a head game. I can realize that I’m about to respond one way to a scenario, recognize it as being driven by my disability, and instead proactively choose to deal with the scenario by my own agency and not that of my disability. It’s because of this that I sometimes jokingly refer to my depression as that stupid hump on my back that gets in my way sometimes.  “It’s alive!,” I sometimes kid, pointing to the imaginary hump on my back, when I realize that I just did something depression driven. While I respect depression, I refuse to be overcome by it, or be less than I’m created to be as a result of it.  I know an 89 year old man that still gets on his stationary bike at 4:00 a.m. to work out. I know amazing Special Olympics children who thrive beyond many non-impaired persons of privilege. I know mothers who went through horrible abuse at the hands of their husbands and who still set the example for me as the epitome of motherhood.  And so when it comes to depression, I’ve taken on the attitude of “there are no victims, only volunteers.”  It’s not always the magic fairy dust that works, but it puts me in an independent state in spite of the obstacle, and that’s what preparedness is all about.

Give all your pains, frustrations, griefs, worries, and despair over to Christ and He will give you peace.

Lastly, I firmly believe in the power of the Atonement for healing all of our ailments. I know that He suffered not just for our sins, but our pains, griefs, and illnesses as well. Thus I am certain that if I will “wrestle with the Spirit” on a consistent basis that I too will have claim on the efficacy of His atonement to heal what I cannot with all of my best intentions.  I know that the Balm of Gilead is real.  I cannot expect to do 5,000 sit-ups in one day to get a 6-pack of abs.  The price has to be paid over time for such a result, with consistent behavior. This is yet another reason why I’m certain that spiritual preparedness is the number one priority of preparedness. Everything else we may work on can be at the mercy of our effectiveness in that one aspect. Regular fervent prayer, meditation, scripture study—and ensuring that my other activities don’t negate the affect of these actions—is just as important to my depression management as is the medical and nutritional aspects.

And that, my friends, is how I recommend overcoming ANY physical impairment in favor of preparedness today and in the future.

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Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop

by Kellene Bishop

In the last two segments in this series on Food, I’ve attempted to address our vulnerable reliance on our world’s food supply. When there is a shortage, we pay for it dearly. When a great deal of products are reliant upon one particular crop, we give away much of our freedom as well.  When the core of our habits for feeding and enjoying are based on a particular product, we are also subjected to the price demands which come with such dependence.  I’m sure that many of you remember how difficult it was to adjust our monthly budgets to meet the drastic increase in fuel prices.  Not long after that shock, over 70% of all credit card holders had their minimum payments on their credit cards increase substantially.  Thus far I’ve addressed the availability and the cost of our foods due to our system at present and how our preparedness efforts can counteract such unpleasant realities.  Today, I believe I’m addressing an even more important aspect of food though—it’s compromised nutrition.

Is the nutritional content in our foods what it used to be? photo c/o www.chinadaily.com

I think we’d all like to believe that if we have a clump of broccoli on our plates, that it’s good for us.  We’d also like to assume that if we have a fresh piece of tuna seared to perfection, that it too is beneficial to our body, right?  Unfortunately, in the name of control, technological advances, bigger crop yields, and down right greed, the nutritional content of our food is not all it’s cracked up to be in our minds.

I don’t know if many of my readers will remember this, but there was a time in which the FDA actually said that one cigarette a day was good for you. In fact, they even went so far as to have two DOCTORS make this statement for all of the media to see.  (See “The World Without Cancer” by G. Edward Griffin) Eventually they lowered their tone a bit and simply claimed that cigarettes were not harmful. Regardless of how their tone changed, keep in mind that all along the way, the USDA and the FDA stood by their approval of the use of cigarettes. After all, it was an ideal money maker for all involved.

Unfortunately, it’s true what they say about history repeating itself. Sure there are different characters, altered acts, and varied dollar amounts, but it all boils down to the same plot. Group A (the instigators) has a product that they want to promote in order to save more money, make more money, and produce more product. Group B (the backers) approves the idea. Group C (the cautious) rebel against the idea due to valid concerns. Then Group A and B  hire the sharp legal minds of Group D to keep Group C out of the picture so that they everyone in Group A, B, and D can make money by selling their wares to Group E. (That’s E, for Everyone else.)  Ok. So what realistic A,B, & D showdowns do we have going on right now?

(First of all, here’s a disclaimer.  I do not write this article as an attack on farmers.  It is my opinion that farmers as a whole are the recipients of this corporate shakedown. I do wish, however, that farmers of courage and intelligence could stand united and put a stop to all of this, much like the courageous David against Goliath…)

Poultry Farms photo c/o whyfiles.org

Ammonia is now added to your poultry and beef in order to help kill the e-coli virus. Wait. How do they get e-coli?  Well, they are raised knee-deep in their own feces, in darkened facilities (to promote docility).  Instead of being raised on the fruits of God’s green earth and sunshine, they are raised on massive amounts of nutritionally deficit fillers in order to substantially increase their yield. Specifically when it comes to chickens, this method enables the industry to grow a chicken twice as big in half of the time! The average chicken farmer spends roughly 20% of their budget on the anti-bacterial ingredients that they feed their chickens! Yup. Kind of freakish, if you ask me. I’ll spare you the details of the consequences of such a Frankensteinian method.  Unfortunately, the filler feed and “housing” conditions cause severe health problems for the flocks and herds which then resorts to the industry regularly injecting their herds with antibiotics.  Did you know that the average person eats 200 pounds of meat per year?!  That’s an awful lot of hormones and antibiotics that we’re putting into our bodies!

During the documentary, “Food Inc.” one of the chicken farmers was interviewed while cleaning his chickens out in an open field. He claims that the USDA attempted to put a halt to his method of cleaning his chickens “out in the open like that” because it was “unsanitary.”  Unsanitary, huh? Yet hormones, antibiotics, ammonia, and feces are perfectly acceptable, eh?  In addition, the farmer states that the way he won his case in this matter was to have his chickens tested by an independent laboratory. Comparing his whole chicken to a standard industrialized chicken from the grocery store, the test concluded that his chicken had only 133 CFU whereas the industrialized chicken had a whomping 3,600 CFU—and THAT was after several chlorine baths! (CFU denotes the count of colonies of microscopic bacteria—“colony forming unit”)

E-coli photo c/o homepage.usask.ca

So, question for ya. Do you think that ammonia kills nutrients as well? Ok. That’s your protein source.  Let’s look at your produce.As you know, the bacteria salmonella has been found in tomatoes, peppers, spinach, and lettuce as of late. Why? Well, here’s one reason.  In part, it’s because salmonella is readily found in animal related food products.  When it comes to animal related foods, 4 companies control over 80% of the processing market.  Currently only a small handful of companies actually handle the majority of ALL of our food system. So, if only one company decides to cut corners and not treat the foods being imported from Thailand, India, China, or Egypt and you’ve got a salmonella outbreak in your dog food, Black Angus beef, peanut butter, Little Debbie Snack Cakes, and your table black pepper.  Supposedly, the only CHEAP way to take care of salmonella or other like bacteria is through an irradiation process.  Yes, it’s a form of radiation, much like that used to kill cancer cells. As you know radiation kills ALL of the good and the bad bacteria.  (Not only does irradiation compromise the nutritional content of your foods, but it’s also used on pharmaceutical products. As such, it’s blamed for compromising the effectiveness of many pharmaceutical supplies.)  Yup, Folks. We’ve got nutritional compromise at its best.   On top of that you have pesticides, depleted nutritional content of the soil, and the mandatory use of genetically modified seeds (Note: Monsanto currently OWNS over 90% of all of the soybean seeds used in our crops and actively seeks to SUE/punish the last holdouts for “patent infringement” – in many instances crippling the hold-out heroes by depleting their entire financial worth in the process—(Do an internet search on “Monsanto vs. farmers”)  Here’s another awful truth.  Unless you are a highly vigilant consumer, you eat genetically modified food everyday.  Over 70-75% of all processed foods on our shelves have GMO content. http://www.thetruthaboutgmos.com/index.html (For those of you who aren’t aware of the consequences of GMO foods, check out this medical study http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm)

Salmonella photo c/o www.salmonellablog.com

Ok. So should we stop buying our produce from manufacturers, and pay the much higher prices for cleaner food? Ouch. Thanks to hyper-inflation, deep recession, fuel increase, I don’t think that my budget can handle much of that. So what about growing my own produce?  Well, that’s great, although there is a fly in that ointment as well. Monsanto has already obtained some legal standing to make it a criminal act to save your seeds so that you can reuse them for chemical and genetic-free food—instead of constantly buying hybrid seeds—this coming from the primary provider of hybrid seeds in the world! http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875 Yes. The plot thickens.  As you can see, our daily nutrition intake is unwittingly being determined in the board rooms, not at our dinner tables or even the doctor’s offices.

Unfortunately, addressing it all is making this article WAY too long for one day. So tune in tomorrow for the rest of this piece.  Sorry to leave you hanging in an agitated state.  Allow me to tell you that I do have some sound solutions for you that play a roll in your food preparedness efforts and they are easily done.  It’s a matter of being aware.

Till then…

Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop.

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Make sure you are getting the nutrients your body needs at all times! photo c/o www.myhealthvilla.com/

Well, folks. I guess I get to be today’s object lesson in taking care of yourself with what’s on the shelf, no transportation, and no medical assistance. I managed to get sick somehow, in spite of being extra mindful of germs and such. (Although I have had this same lady coming to all of my classes and she hacks a lung all during the class! Ugh)  Anyway, no article for you today. I’ll be using my planned “quarantine care” of 1,000 mg. of chewable Vitamin C, , 20,000 IU’s of Vitamin D3,–as per many studies I’ve read–diffusing Thieves essential oil in my room (Old fashioned candle version), spraying Thieves under my tongue, mixing up some nutritional Reliv drinks, and drinking plenty of filtered water. A hot shower and a box of Mrs. Grass Chicken Noodle Soup sounds pretty good right now too.  So, we’ll see if home health care can kick a fever, chills,  and persistent dry coughing through diligent homeopathic remedies.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop.

by Kellene Bishop

You might be surprised to learn what is made from corn. photo c/o www.faqs.org/

Did you know that batteries, diapers, cheese, peanut butter, Coco-cola, Motrin, vanilla extract, baking powder, white vinegar, saccharin, Sweet and Low, charcoal, a slew of household cleaners, drinking alcohol, condiments, toothpaste, dental floss, toilet paper, iodide salt, finger paint, crayons,  and margarine all have corn products in them? This list is in addition to the obvious corn products that you are already no doubt familiar with.  Corn is in a slew of food additives as well such as maltodextrin, pumaric acid, di-glycerides, Ethel acetate, xanathan gum, semolina, absorbic acid, gluten, citrus cloud emulsion, saccharin, calcium stearate, xylitol, and sorbitol as well as a litany of other “ides, ites, and tols.”  Did you also know that fish, meat, poultry, and pork usually contain corn and have been fed the cheap food of corn? In fact, it’s nearly impossible for anyone to completely avoid contact with CORN nowadays!  Corn starch is dusted on your frozen vegetables, corn wax is coated on your fresh vegetables, fish is washed in a corn-derived citric acid, and even when you make that homemade bread from scratch, you’ve still got corn because the baking yeasts often feed on corn based ethanol.  (As a bigger eye opener, you may want to view the movie “King Corn” or enjoy blogs authored by Chris Ellis)

So, OK. Our life is permeated with corn. It’s come to be such thanks to the fact that corn has historically been a cheap commodity. But what happens when corn stops becoming cheap but we find ourselves in a society that’s wholly dependent on corn?  You see, the price of your diapers are what they are today based in part on the easy and cheap access to corn. What happens when the price of corn goes way up or corn becomes hard to come by?

Corn crops: 2009. Too wet to plant until late in the season. Too wet to properly fertilize to get a greater yield. Too wet to harvest. Harvested corn repeatedly tested as too wet for dietary corn and storage. And finally there’s also the demand to meet the standard ethanol productions. While drying portions of the crop is possible, it’s also very costly. Corn is typically sold at 10-15% moisture. However this year some of the largest corn growing areas are harvesting it at an average of 22% moisture.  (Remember, the more moisture, the more expense to either dry it, or the faster it will go rancid, thus causing a loss of product.  Ironically, there have also been some spotty bouts of shortages on propane which is necessary for the drying process.  Hmmm…(*note to me, get more propane tanks filled.*) All of this following a 2008 growing season that experienced dramatic rise and drops in harvest prices and expensive fuel prices making harvesting nearly 12% more expensive than previous years. In the first week of January, USDA estimated that 29% of the Midwestern corn crops were STILL in the fields. That is the demise of our nation’s corn crops this year resulting in anticipated high prices with high demand. http://www.commodityonline.com/crops-weather/IowaIllinois-corn-harvests-extend-to-December-2009-12-03-23491-3-1.html The domino effect continues as late corn and soybean harvests delay winter planting as well.

Have your food pantry stocked and ready to go!

So, how does all of this translate into for your preparedness efforts?  Understand how your food production is reliant on a system as equally tenable as a tightrope act. Pay attention to how the key players are affected so that you can strategically acquire necessary goods before the price hikes come into affect.  Attempt to eliminate any food scenarios in which you’re wholly reliant on what is given to you as opposed to what you really want for your family. Become as self-reliant for your nutrition and medical needs as possible. It’s primarily a matter of education and planning.

In parting, I just had another thought.  What if 90% of our corn crop were infiltrated solely with genetically modified seed like the soy crops have been? Hmm…

Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop.

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