How to Avoid Panic Attacks

Now that we are in December 2012, there is a lot of attention being given to the end of the Mayan calendar, 12/21/2012.  No one even knows if it's really the end, a new beginning, or "the end of the world as we know it" which just signifies a huge change from what it used to be.  Regardless of what it truly means, there are many shows currently running on television speculating about various disasters.  If you give in to all this wild speculation, you could whip yourself into a frenzy and get a panic attack.

I recommend reading Survival Doctor's latest article,

8 Natural Anxiety Relievers: Which Ones Really Work; Which One Can Be Deadly

If you suffer from panic attacks or anxiety, he has a great list of natural remedies and he includes possible risks as well.

Do yourself a favor and take deep breath, and a giant step away from your worries.

A New E-book for Preppers Who Are Watching Their Pennies

 

If you are a beginning prepper who is worried about how to come up with money to spend, this book is for you.

Bernie Carr, writer of Apartment Prepper, announced the release of her new e-book, “How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget.”  It is available now on Amazon.

According to the article, it is for Beginning Preppers who are interested in getting started, but don't have a huge budget to buy gear and supplies.


You do not need to own a Kindle to be able to read the book.  If you download the free Kindle app, you can read it on your computer.  The e-book is $2.99 on Amazon. 

EcoZoom Versa Stove

 

One of the issues about backup stoves including barbecue grills is fuel.  In an extended emergency, you can potentially run out of fuel such as charcoal briquets, propane or gas.  The Zoom Versa Stove is a nicely built stove that can use twigs, branches, pinecones, acorns, all very easy to find.

I enjoyed this field test of the EcoZoom Versa Stove by the Prepping Guys  http://www.preppingguys.com/

The stove worked very efficiently.  It's not a portable stove, and would be ideal for a shelter in place type situation.

A Good Addition to Food Storage

Food storage must include some fats and oils as they are essential to health.  You need fats and oils for making breads and other baked goods, to deep fry or stir fry foods.  Oil can even be used as a lighting source.  See this lamp made from vegetable oil. 

One issue with fats and oils is their short shelf life.  Oil can last about a year in storage.  After a while, oil becomes rancid and is no longer safe to consume.  I have olive and canola oils but I rotate them after a year.   Now I have learned extra virgin coconut oil has a two year shelf life.  That is even better.

Coconut oil also has a lot of health benefits: 

• anti-inflammatory
• anti-fungal
• anti-bacterial
• reduces fever

It can even aid weight loss.  See
Coconut Oil: A Nutrient Powerhouse and Metabolism Booster  an article from Natural Health Sherpa.




Part of being prepared is staying healthy, and coconut oil can help.  I am going to add coconut oil to my food storage.

Don't be Afraid to Try Powdered Milk

One of the items I had never tried before storing food is powdered milk.  I just was not sure how it was going to turn out.  I bought the smallest one I could find to first try it out.

I was running out of regular milk anyway, so I thought I'd give it a try.  The instructions say you need to first add warm water to the container, then add the milk.  You should not add milk to the water because it will clump up.  You definitely don't want clumps of powder in your milk.

How to mix powdered milk:

1.  Heat up two cups of water in the microwave for a minute.

2.  Add the warm water to 1 1/2 cups of room temperature water.

3.  Add 13 tablespoons of powdered milk.

4.  Shake up the container to mix well.  Make sure no dry powder is left.

I tasted the milk expecting it to taste bad.  I was surprised!  I actually tastes pretty good.  Chill it in the fridge and it tastes even better.  I also tried it with coffee and hot coco and you cannot tell the difference.  DH and the kids could not taste the difference either. 


I am going to keep using the powdered milk.  Try it out, you may be surprised too.  Powdered milk is good to have as part of your storage food pantry.

Inexpensive Ways to Start Prepping

In the aftermath of monster storm Sandy, many people are taking a fresh look at preparing for emergencies.  But it is not always easy to get started, especially if money is tight.  You can get started with a very limited budget.  The important thing is to just get started.

Here are some good articles to get you thinking:

18 Low Cost Ways to Start Prepping

Prepping Supplies for 99 Cents

Budget Prepping for a Buck

$5 a Week Shopping Challenge

These articles provide great ideas to get prepping supplies inexpensively.  And with all the uncertainties facing us today, we'd better get our emergency supplies in order.

New Book Out - Beyond Collapse

I heard about a new book about preparation and survival and it is available as a free download or paperback.  The author is kind enough to provide the free download here:

(Please note, the free version is not for commercial distribution but for personal use and can be distributed to friends and family.  I recommend you print it out for future use.)
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6e3oH1LuRvzeGZlTHRkeHZQSkk

You can find the paperback here:




http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Collapse-Joseph-Miller-Jr/dp/1480140805/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351565239&sr=8-1&keywords=Beyond+Collapse

This promises to be a good book to have.