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I will Survive – When Civilisation Collapses, will you be Ready?

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AFTER “the Crunch”—the total collapse of the global economy—trade seized up, the power grid shut down and paper money became worthless. Riots gutted city centres. Looters picked them clean. Americans went back to growing their own food and bartering with their neighbours. Those who had failed to stockpile beans and bullets were soon hungry and defenceless. The “Great Die-Off” hit Florida especially hard. Millions of suntanned retirees died of starvation or chronic diseases after the government stopped paying for their pensions and pills.

Jake and Janelle Altmiller survived. They were practical people, who knew how to clean a rifle and install solar panels on the roof. But even for them, life was stressful. Janelle’s sister Rhiannon was working as a missionary in the Philippines, which was being invaded by Islamist radicals from Indonesia. Neither telephones nor the internet worked properly any more. How could Janelle find out whether her sister was alive? And how would any of them survive in a world that was falling apart?

At first I was afraid
Readers have always enjoyed scaring themselves with post-apocalyptic yarns, from Mary Shelley’s “The Last Man” to Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road”. What makes “Expatriates: a Novel of the Coming Global Collapse” different is that its author is not just telling a story. James Wesley, Rawles (he insists on the comma, for some reason) thinks modern society really is likely to collapse. He wants readers to take his novels seriously, and to be prepared.
No one knows how many survivalists (also known as “preppers”) there are in America. Mr Rawles claims that his “SurvivalBlog”, which offers practical tips for remaining alive after The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) has 320,000 readers a week. The American Preppers Network, an umbrella group for those who see storm clouds everywhere, claims 52,000 members; it is anyone’s guess what fraction of the total that represents. The movement is decentralised and full of people who value their privacy. “You don’t want to be known as the guy who has 3-4 years’ supply of food in the basement. Because one day you could see it confiscated by the government or stolen by neighbours like hungry locusts,” says Mr Rawles. “In the event of a disaster, I don’t want to wake up and see my yard full of teepees and yurts.”
If your neighbour is a prepper, therefore, you may not know it. Yet the stereotypical image of a survivalist as a loner in combat fatigues who hunkers down in a remote bunker is plainly inaccurate. Some do indeed live in rural cabins, but most have jobs, which means many live in cities or suburbs. Survivalists—a group that is at once characteristically American yet marginal and unloved—are much more diverse than you might imagine.

Being prepared always is a perfect move towards living an enjoyable life. You need to prepare for both success and failure simultaneously. Being alert could save the lifestyle of your friends, relatively and more importantly your valuable life. Bad things that are anticipated to occur needs to be prepared for perfectly because they are inescapable, such as, global warming. So if you are looking for a perfect guide that will explain to you how to outlive catastrophes of all kinds, then never overlook “The Lost Ways”. It is the best program for you. Is this book a scam? No. the truth is that this program is 100% genuine and results are guaranteed. It has been tested in many countries and many customers have given positive reviews about it. What are you waiting for then? Get your copy today and see your dreams turning into realities. Moreover, there is a 100% money back guarantee. You have no chance to lose. Your investment is save and productive.

I was petrified
Jason Charles, an affable African-American fireman in New York, leads a group of avid preppers who meet at weekends to practise survival skills and debate impending threats: as well as being more varied, survivalists are much more sociable than they are thought to be. Mr Charles started reading SurvivalBlog several years ago and quickly realised that “these guys don’t live in New York.” For example, Mr Rawles has a ranch; Mr Charles lives in a flat in Harlem. That rules out self-sufficiency: where would he plant corn or raise pigs?
A few weeks before the first Ebola victim in America died, Mr Charles and two dozen others met in a room above a church to discuss how to prepare for an epidemic. Mr Charles has done his homework: he talks of different strains of Ebola, of transmission modes and fatality rates. He takes it for granted that no one in the room trusts the media or the government to be of much help. He warns people to prepare for the worst. If Ebola hits New York, “at some point you’re going to want to bug in [ie, take refuge in your apartment] or bug out [ie, flee].” Practically everyone in the audience has ideas and questions. If millions of New Yorkers are dying of Ebola and you need to escape from the city, don’t go to Harriman State Park. “Every hiker and their mother will be there.” Better to have a bug-out truck packed, fuelled and ready, so you can drive to a pre-prepared refuge in the countryside.
If you have nowhere to go, you should stay at home. And if so, you’ll need food, water, duct tape, garbage bags and sand (for using as a makeshift toilet). Have a blackout at night, so you don’t give your position away to prowling looters. Get plenty of entertainment—“I guarantee you’ll be bored out of your mind,” says Mr Charles. If a friend comes round, put him in your quarantine room. (Don’t seal if off completely or he’ll find it hard to breathe.)
Gruesome practicalities are confronted frankly. If you need to dispose of a corpse, for example, put plastic sheeting on the bed, wrap the body up, seal it with duct tape, and, if you have nowhere to bury it, leave it on the kerb with the deceased’s name and date of birth written on the bag. (Not his social-security number; that would allow someone to steal the dead man’s identity.)
Mr Charles’s group talks a lot about equipment. Should you buy a solar panel that straps to your back so you can charge your phone as you flee the city? Or a “waterbob”: a plastic bag that sits in your bath and can store 100 gallons of water? Should the group club together to buy gas masks more cheaply?

But I grew strong
Preppers love this sort of debate. Mr Rawles’s blog carries endless discussions of the merits of different ham radios or types of body armour, and the best way to build a safe room or smoke a fish over an open fire. It runs ads from GunMagWarehouse.com (“the largest selection of in-stock magazines anywhere”) and from SafeCastle.com (“Get ready seriously with a steel-plate Safecastle shelter”). His novels carry nearly as much advice as his instruction manuals, and similar disclaimers, such as: “some of the devices …described in this novel are possibly illegal in some jurisdictions.”
Many American cities have strict gun-control laws, which is frustrating. And urban preppers face other difficulties. “You have to adapt,” says Mr Charles. In the corners and cupboards of his apartment he has stacked tins of beans and sausages, bags of sugar, rice and ramen noodles and a variety of useful equipment. He has a tank of drinking water in the corridor, a first-aid kit, a portable stove and a crossbow he has not yet got round to assembling. He has more food in a storage unit nearby, and an inflatable raft in case he needs to escape across the river when the bridges are blocked or burning. His “bug-out bag” is always ready.
Mr Charles has written a short fold-out guide of his own: “Emergency Bag Essentials: Everything You Need to Bug Out”. His publishers had one complaint—the bag was too heavy. Mr Charles does not think it was, but this is perhaps because he is, even by the standards of iron-pumping firemen, enormous. Your correspondent tried to help him move a rucksack to his car. It felt like there was a piano inside. It turned out to be full of wet sandbags, which Mr Charles likes to carry up and down stairs.
Survivalism has a long history in America. The early settlers were survivalists, though they did not use the term. They built their own houses, grew their own food and filled their stores with whatever supplies they could, knowing that failure to do so might be fatal. The pioneers who trekked out West in the 19th century expected to meet hardship and danger. Those who went well armed and well prepared were more likely to survive.
Survivalists today draw inspiration from the pioneers. They look at modern civilisation, in all its opulence, and see a house of cards. Many have a puritan streak: letting other people grow your food and chop down trees for you is somehow unmanly. Ours is “a pampered, prissified society that doesn’t know how to revert to third-world living standards,” laments Mr Rawles.
There is a religious tinge to prepping, too. Americans are more religious than people in other rich countries. Roughly four in ten expect Jesus to return by 2050, and although the Book of Revelation is hardly crystal clear about the details, many think the Second Coming will be preceded by a “Great Tribulation” involving earthquakes, floods, famine, the rise of the Antichrist and the death of most of humanity. Tim LaHaye’s “Left Behind” series of novels about the “End Times” has sold 65m copies. Preachers at the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, argue that Barack Obama is the Antichrist, implying that the end is very nigh indeed.
If civilisation collapses, Mr Rawles will be ready. He lives at an undisclosed location somewhere in the “American Redoubt”—a name he coined for an area that includes Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and parts of neighbouring Oregon and Washington state. He argues that this temperate, sparsely populated region will be the safest refuge when order breaks down. He divides his time between preparing for the apocalypse and advising others on how to do the same. Besides his fiction and his blogging, he writes instruction manuals (such as “How to Survive The End Of The World As We Know It”) and offers one-to-one consulting. For security reasons Mr Rawles refuses to be interviewed face to face, but he is friendly and articulate on the telephone.

And I learned how to get along
The reasons survivalists give for thinking civilisation might be about to end have changed over time. Mr Rawles remembers nearly all of them. He grew up in California in the 1960s. His father worked at what is now the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a nuclear-research facility. He mixed with the children of nuclear bomb-makers. His neighbours were acutely aware of the threat of nuclear war; many built fallout shelters. “I suppose it was inevitable that I would start to think [about] preparedness,” muses Mr Rawles. As a teenager, he packed himself a “bug-out bag”. “I thought I would disappear into the woods with a backpack and a pistol,” he says. “That’s not realistic, but at least I had a plan.”
As an adult Mr Rawles joined the Army Reserve, where he worked as an intelligence officer during the cold war. As he sifted information, he reached some alarming conclusions. Poor societies are fragile, but if the electricity fails, they carry on much as before, he observed. Rich societies, by contrast, are unprepared to function without grid power. “If the power went out for a week, people would be at each other’s throats,” he predicts. Without electricity homes in the north would turn into freezers; those in the south would turn into “sweaty saunas”.
America has grown too dependent not only on technology but also on long, complex supply chains, many of which stretch “beyond our own borders”, Mr Rawles notes darkly. To keep inventories low and cut costs, companies have come to rely on “just-in-time” delivery. If a disaster were to disrupt all this, people could quickly find themselves without diabetes drugs, oxygen for respirators and spare parts for more or less everything.
So how might TEOTWAWKI come about? The biggest threat, says Mr Rawles, is a huge solar flare. The last big one, in 1859, known as the “Carrington Event”, disabled telegraph lines. A similar disaster today would “fry the circuitry” of electronic devices and take out the power grid “from end to end”. It would take years to reactivate. Perhaps 60% of the American population could die, predicts Mr Rawles. And that is only one terrifying possibility. The others listed in “How to Survive The End Of The World As We Know It” include: hyperinflationary depression, deflationary depression, biological terrorism, nuclear war, an oil embargo, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and an asteroid strike.
Even this list is not exhaustive. Survivalists often listen to the news and extrapolate. When the shooting of a black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked riots this year, many decided to buy another gun, in case the lawlessness spread. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and looters ran wild for a couple of days in 2005, many concluded that Western civilisation was a veneer that might suddenly give way to chaos.

Did you think I’d lay down and die?



Many survivalists are conservatives, but some are environmentalists, convinced the planet can only take so much abuse before it becomes uninhabitable
Survivalists vary politically—just as they are dispersed geographically—and their views colour their apocalyptic imaginings. Many are conservatives, worried about crime, terrorism and hyperinflation and sure that the state cannot be relied upon to protect ordinary citizens. But a fair number are environmentalists, convinced that the planet can only take so much abuse before it becomes uninhabitable. The movement is broad enough to encompass anyone who suspects that disaster is looming, for any reason. It used to be mostly “Bible-believing Christian conservatives”, says Mr Rawles, “But now we have a lot of alfalfa-munching Birkenstock-wearing leftists.” He adds: “The more the better.”
What really differentiates survivalists from each other is not why they prepare, but how thoroughly. Urbanites who fill a cupboard with military rations are at one end of the spectrum. Mr Rawles is at the other. He thought hard about where to build his retreat. He found somewhere isolated, with a good supply of fresh water and in a state with permissive gun laws. It is 25 minutes to the nearest small town, and two hours to the nearest place with good shopping. He is surrounded by forest: “You can saddle up a horse, ride for miles and see no one.” He raises livestock, including Tibetan yaks. His children are home-schooled. He has solar panels for when the power fails, and three years’ supply of food in his stores. The average American family has only three days’ worth, he says, barely masking his scorn. He is also well armed.
When civilisation collapses, he predicts, the world will go back to barter. Buy silver, he advises; gold is too valuable for small transactions. And buy lots of different kinds of ammunition to barter with, because the guy you want to buy petrol or poultry from may not use the same calibre of gun as you do.
One of the most common problems that preppers face is “resistance in their own family”, says Mr Rawles. Many “have a spouse who is dubious, or at best puts up with preparedness as a hobby”. On this, he and Mr Charles in New York concur. When he first starting prepping, Mr Charles blew a load of money on long-lasting ready meals “and got yelled at” by his wife. If the balloon goes up, however, she and the children would bug out with him. So would the dog, which would carry its food and collapsible bowl in its own strap-on doggy-bug-out-bag.



Oh no, not I
Some Americans find survivalists sinister. After Adam Lanza shot 26 people in a school in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, the media made much of the fact that his mother was a gun-stockpiling prepper. Yet there is no evidence that preppers in general are more dangerous than their compatriots. On the contrary, when natural disasters strike, it is useful to have neighbours who know how to stormproof a house and have bandages to spare. Tom Martin of the American Preppers Network, a trucker who delivered aid to victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas, was amazed to see people who were not poor lining up for bottled water. “Why weren’t they prepared? Don’t they realise there are 30 gallons in their hot water tank?”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency urges everyone to have a disaster-preparedness kit containing enough food, water and other supplies to last 72 hours. This is sensible advice, and preppers have a point when they mock those who ignore it.
However, stockpiling several years of supplies is expensive, and to avoid wasting it you will have to eat a lot of tinned ravioli. Time spent building a looter-proof bunker or learning how to grind your own flour is time not spent reading Shakespeare or playing tennis. If you enjoy grinding flour more than playing tennis, fine. If practising survival skills in the woods thrills you, go ahead. But if not, you might weigh the opportunity costs of prepping against the likelihood of apocalypse.
An asteroid could of course strike the Earth and kill everyone. And a terrorist might let off a dirty bomb in a big city. But the idea that modern society is just one shock away from collapse seems far-fetched. The financial crash of 2008 was catastrophic, but it led neither to starvation nor bloodshed. Ebola has ravaged parts of west Africa, but rich countries seem quite capable of containing it. Even a tsunami followed by a nuclear meltdown in Japan, awful though it was, did not cause the global economy to buckle.
Civilisation is robust because it depends first and foremost on what is in people’s heads. That is why Japan and Germany were able to rebuild so quickly after the second world war, even though their cities had been reduced to ashes. It is why New York recovered swiftly after the attacks of September 11th 2001. It is why New Orleans today is perfectly safe (and rather wonderful) to visit.
Still, if the optimists (such as your correspondent) are wrong, the preppers will have the last laugh. But “laugh” is perhaps not the right word. “In a post-collapse society,” says Mr Rawles, “I won’t know what’s going on beyond my own line of sight on my ranch.” The fear, uncertainty and doubt will be overwhelming.
SOURCE : economist.com

17 Natural Antibiotics Our Grandparents Used Instead Of Pills

For hundreds of years, maybe even longer, our grannies and grandfathers relied on simple household items to heal. For that purpose, they picked different natural antibiotics, which they mostly found in home, gardens or meadows and woods nearby.
Much of this came out of necessity. Rather than using an antibacterial facial scrub, our Nanas massaged honey deep into their pores. By using proven old home remedies, we can treat and cure various health problems and do a lot for our health avoiding unpleasant medications side effects, too.
Some of these remedies even date back thousands of years, as far back as the tribes of Central and South America. Now, perhaps with the advent of slow-living, these products are slipping back into style. Many appreciate the remedies for their simplicity, price, or their low-impact on the earth. Rather than spend $8 on sea salt spray, you can simple mix some salt with water and spritz it into your hair. You save money as well as a package.
In honor of our ancestors, we’ve gathered some of our favorite time-honored traditions. These timeless products have earned a permanent place in our pantries.
Garlic
Raw garlic when crushed or chewed contains a compound called allicin – which has similar properties to penicillin.
This superfood member of the onion family is antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, and antioxidant (mopping up free radicals that have been proven to cause cancer).
For more than seven millennia, it has been used internally and externally to treat mild illness to serious diseases.
Everything from inflammation to colds to serious infections is minimized and/or obliterated with the addition of garlic and for those who don’t enjoy the taste, there are supplements as well. Check into “aged” garlic supplements for the best results.
Garlic is not only potent, it contains a host of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that are beneficial to total body wellness. Not to mention the cost is pennies in comparison to doctor visits and prescriptions!
Unlike chemical antibiotics that kill millions of friendly bacteria your body needs, its only goal is bacteria and microorganisms. Garlic also encourages and increases the level of healthy bacteria. It is a powerful antifungal agent and destroys any antigen, pathogen, and harmful disease-causing microorganisms.

Garlic packs a punch with phytochemicals and healing sulfur components. These sulfur compounds even chelate toxic heavy metals (like lead & cadmium), binding with them for excretion out of the body.

It has antibacterial, anti-fungal, and even antiviral qualities.

It promotes the growth of healthy intestinal microflora by acting as a prebiotic (food for probiotics).

Garlic helps keep fats from oxidizing.

Garlic acts as a strong antioxidant and guards against DNA damage.

It protects against radiation & sunlight damage.

Garlic fights worms and parasites.

It benefits digestion, which is good for the whole body.

It contains many nutrients such as vitamins (C, B1, B2, B3), minerals (calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, and phytochemicals (Allicin, beta-carotene, beta-sitosterol, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, diallyl-disulfide, ferulic acid, geraniol, kaempferol, linalool, oleanolic acid, p-coumaric acid, phloroglucinol, phytic acid, quercetin, rutin, s-allyl-cysteine, saponin, sinapic acid, & stigmasterol).

Honey
Herbalists consider honey as one of the best natural antibiotics. It also contains antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. A 2014 study presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society found that honey has the ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance to it.
Ancient Romans used honey on the battlefield to treat wounds and prevent infection.
Civilizations all over the world continue to consider honey one of the best natural antibiotics, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatories, and antiseptics known to man after thousands of years.
Its unique combination of hydrogen peroxide, acidity, osmotic effect, high sugar concentration and polyphenols help kill bacterial cells. To get the antibiotic benefit of honey, always use raw, organic honey.
Olive leaf extract
This substance has been used for a number of centuries to battle bacterial infections and is now currently being used as well to fight MRSA infections in some European hospitals. It provides immune system support while fighting antibiotic-resistant infections. Olive leaf extract also has anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, it exhibits free-radical scavenging abilities.

You can make olive leaf extract for external use at home. Put a handful of finely chopped fresh olive leaves into a glass jar with a lid. Pour vodka over the leaves until they are completely covered. Close the lid and keep the jar in a dark place for 4 to 5 weeks. Using a cheesecloth, strain the liquid into another glass jar and your homemade olive leaf extract is ready to use.

Another option is to take olive leaf extract in supplement form. 250 to 500 mg capsules twice daily is the standard dosage. However, consult a doctor before taking the supplement.

Turmeric
This herb has been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for many thousands of years to treat a wide range of infections. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities have been known to be highly effective in the treatment of bacterial infections. The antimicrobial activity of curcumin against helicobacter pylori showed positive results. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric.

Mix 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder and 5 to 6 tablespoons of honey. Store it in an airtight jar. Have ½ teaspoon of this mixture twice daily.

You can also take turmeric supplements of 400 to 600 mg, twice daily. However, consult your doctor first.

Echinacea
With similar effects to garlic, it was traditionally used to treat open wounds, as well as blood poisoning, diphtheria and other bacteria-related illnesses. Echinacea is well tolerated and able to stimulate the immune system by naturally boosting infection fighters in your blood stream. Native to North America, Echinacea has been used for centuries in tribal medicine to treat pain and sickness.
Unlike garlic, this antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral solution is generally used at the first signs of illness and should not be taken for more than ten days. It is available in liquid and capsule form.
Echinacea is also used against many other infections including the urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, genital herpes, bloodstream infections (septicemia), gum disease, tonsillitis, streptococcus infections, syphilis, typhoid, malaria, and diphtheria.
Cayenne peppers
Cayenne peppers are the most powerful circulation stimulators. They just send their antibiotic properties to fight the disease where it is mostly needed.
Onion
Onion is garlic’s closest relative and it has a similar but milder action. Together they create a strong fighting duo.
Raw apple cider vinegar
The far-reaching benefits of daily doses of apple cider vinegar (ACV) include antibiotic and antiseptic properties, naturally alkalizing your system, and can aid you in everything from managing your weight to lowering cholesterol and your risk of cancer.
A chemical-free astringent, ACV can be used topically to disinfect and sterilize.
Oregano oil
Oil of oregano is considered anti-microbial, antibacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-viral, and anti-fungal.
It can be used internally and externally in the treatment of wounds, respiratory problems, digestive upset, and even the common cold.

For treating foot or nail infections, add a few teaspoons of oregano oil to a tub filled with warm water. Soak your feet in it for a few minutes daily for a week.

For sinus and other upper respiratory infections, put a few drops of the oil of oregano in a pot of boiling water and inhale the steam. Do this once daily until you get rid of the infection.

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BACK TO BASICS: HOW TO MAKE AND PRESERVE LARD
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Colloidal Silver
While colloidal silver is highly antibiotic in nature, I suggest only using it for external uses such as gargling, ear infections like swimmers’ ear and skin.  The reason is that ingestion of colloidal silver does damage the delicate gut microbiome by killing beneficial bacteria though not as extensively as drug based antibiotics. If you need the assistance of natural antibiotics to consume internally, choose another one on this list, not colloidal silver.
Grapefriut seed extract(GSE)
Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) effective against more than 800 forms of viruses and bacteria, more than a hundred strains of fungus, and many parasites.
High in many antioxidants, GSE boosts immunity, alkalizes the body naturally, and aids in digestion by improving your beneficial gut flora.
Ginger
Ginger’s natural antibiotic property helps prevent and treat many health problems caused by bacteria. Fresh ginger has an antibiotic effect against food-borne pathogens like salmonella. It also has an antibacterial effect on respiratory and periodontal infections.
So, if you are going to eat something that has the potential for food borne illness such as sushi or raw oysters, always best to eat some fresh ginger (raw and pickled is most potent) too in order to make use of its natural antibiotic properties.

Ginger tea is a great preventive measure against bacterial infections. To make the tea, grate 1 inch of fresh ginger and boil it in about 1½ cups of water for 10 minutes. Strain, add honey and lemon juice for taste and drink it.

Also, include dry or fresh ginger in your cooking. You can also take ginger capsules, after consulting your doctor.

Manuca Honey
What would this list of natural antibiotics be without raw honey which has been used as an infection fighter since ancient times?  Of all the raw honey on the planet, Manuka honey from New Zealand is the best when it comes to resolving infections. An enzyme found in honey releases hydrogen peroxide. This process helps your body fight infection and prevents the growth of bacteria. Soothing to the digestive system, honey removes toxins from the blood and helps your liver operate more efficiently.

A great boost to the immune system, consider combining honey with cinnamon to strengthen your white blood cells! Raw, organic honey is the best option since most pasteurization methods kills the antioxidant effects.
Cabbage
What many people don’t realize is how much vitamin C is found in cabbage. One cup provides 75% of what you need every day.
Naturally antibacterial, eating shredded raw cabbage in your salad, as a side dish in the form of slaw, or drinking fresh cabbage juice (with honey added to sweeten) is an excellent way to improve digestion, prevent disease, and even manage your weight!
Extra virgin coconut oil
There is not enough that can be said for the benefits of coconut oil. It has naturally occurring anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties and is packed with antioxidants you can’t find anywhere else in nature.
Use it to boost your immune system, balance thyroid, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and even improve brain function. Safe to use internally and externally, coconut oil is one of the most versatile and unique gifts from Mother Nature.
Goldenseal
Goldenseal’s natural antibiotic property works well for both topical and internal bacterial infections. Goldenseal contains a compound called berberine that helps kill many types of bacteria that cause many health problems.
Berberine also activates white blood cells, making them better at fighting infection and strengthening the immune system.

For internal use, prepare a cup of herbal tea by steeping 1 teaspoon of goldenseal powder in 1 cup of hot water. Strain and drink it while it is still warm. Drink this tea once daily.

For external use, prepare a mixture with 1 teaspoon of goldenseal powder and the oil of a few vitamin E capsules. Apply it to the affected area 3 times a day.

Note: Do not take this herb internally for more than a few weeks at a time.
Indian lilac or neem
Neem, also known as Indian lilac, is another natural antibiotic. In addition, due to its antibacterial nature, neem keeps different types of oral problems like cavities, plaque, gingivitis and other gum diseases at bay.

To prevent skin infections, use cosmetics and skin care products that have neem as one of the main ingredients.

Take neem tablets to help remove accumulated toxins in the body and any parasitic organisms. Consult your doctor for the correct dosage.

History has shown us many times that it can all fly away in a split of a second. The biggest misstep that you can take now is to think that this can never happen in America or to you! Call me old fashioned; I don’t care…but I completely believe in America and what our ancestors stood for. They all had a part in turning this land into one of the most powerful countries in the world. Believe it or not, our ancestors skills are all covered in American blood. Saving our forefathers ways starts with people like you and me actually relearning these old skills and putting them to use to live better lives through good times and bad. Our answers on these lost skills comes straight from the source, from old forgotten classic books written by past generations, and from first hand witness accounts from the past few hundred years. Aside from a precious few who have gone out of their way to learn basic survival skills, most of us today would be utterly hopeless if we were plopped in the middle of a forest or jungle and suddenly forced to fend for ourselves using only the resources around us. Our grandfathers lived more simply than most people today are willing to live and that is why they survived with no grocery store, no cars, no electricity, no running water and no pharmacy. Just like our forefathers used to do, The Lost Ways Book  teaches you how you can survive in the worst-case scenario with the minimum resources available. It comes as a step-by-step guide accompanied by pictures and teaches you how to use basic knowledge to stay alive even in the worse case scenarios.

Stay safe,
James
http://www.bioprepper.com/2016/09/19/17-natural-antibiotics-grandparents-used-instead-pills/

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If SHTF These 17 Items Will Be Worth Their Weight In Gold

Your list can be short and sweet at first, but once you really get into things, you’ll see just how enormous a list of gear to stockpile can really get. Every once in a while, it’s good to go back to the basics: to make sure that out of all those things you’ve already stockpiled, you’ve got enough of the stuff that you’ll really miss the most. Here’s 16 items that instantly make the cut.

If SHTF These 17 Items Will Be Worth Their Weight In Gold
Baking Soda
I think the best barter item and SHTF item is Baking Soda. Period. From cooking, cleaning, hygiene and everything in between (damn heartburn). I dare anyone to think of a better item to have for the price to stock per pound and the varieties of uses, over 100. If baking soda is kept well sealed in an air- and moisture-proof container, its storage life is indefinite. If kept in the cardboard box it usually comes in, it will keep for about eighteen months. What else for the price is just as good?

Bleach
Need a quick way to disinfect water so you can safely drink?What happens if your septic tank overflows and you’re left with contaminated waste everywhere? One simple and effective way to fix both these problems is by using bleach. It’s as cheap and easy as a cleaning agent gets. Once you’re out of bleach, you’ll definitely notice. Get your hands on as much as possible while you still can. One caveat to the Bleach: store bought liquid bleach (Clorox or Purex) begins to degrade the moment it is manufactured. I’ve seen lots of different expiration dates, but they all run from 6 months to 2 years. I have stocked up on Calcium Hypochlorite. You can either find it on the net or buy CH at the pool store. Just make sure it does not have algaecides or clarifiers in it which are said to make you sick. It comes in a powdered form which you mix as needed (1 tsp to 2 gallons of water to make the solution). This solution will then degrade just like bleach, but if you have the powder, you can keep making it for years. There is a learning curve, so do your research on the net first. The ratio is 1:100 (such as 16 oz of solution to 12.5 gallons of water to be disinfected) which is slightly different than the household bleach numbers. One bag will purify 10,000 gallons so the directions are important –a little goes a long way. Keep the bag cool and dry and it has a forever shelf life, not like commercial bleach.
Lighters and Matches
Really and truly, you cannot have enough of these lying around. Sure you can make fire without them, but it’s hard: really hard. Unless you have apt practice in the fire-making field, stock up on these as much as possible. They’re so inexpensive you might as well. Spare wicks and flints for your gas-fueled lighters wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Painkillers
Now, I know what you’re thinking. A bit of pain here and there is the last thing you’ll worry about when the SHTF. Maybe when it comes to a little pain, yes, that’s true, but what happens when you get a cavity and that tooth absolutely has to come out?
Get some reasonably strong over-the-counter pain meds, and make sure you have enough to last you if the SHTF. Though painkillers have expiration dates, they don’t really expire. They get weaker instead, so don’t be afraid to stockpile pain meds just because of the expiration date. Try to mix and match since many painkillers like Ibuprofen (Advil) and Acetominophen (Tylenol) have different uses, and can even be take simultaneously. Stronger pain killers like Codeine will become useful too, as medicine will run out pronto, and there’s no real SHTF substitute for the strong painkillers without going for more risky natural opiates. It’s also beneficial to keep quite a few of these in a bug out bag if you happen to have one.

Alcohol
There are many reasons why alcohol is an excellent resource. The top two are obvious: its physical impact on us when we consume it, and its ability to disinfect wounds. Whether you’re personally into drinking alcohol or not, you’re going to regret not having enough alcohol when the SHTF. After all, think of all the people who would be willing to trade almost anything for a bottle of their favorite whisky. Or you can stockpile a simple still (or the components to assemble one), as this will make your alcohol for drinking, cleaning, medical use, etc. (don’t forget to learn how to make the corn mash itself, or to have extra parts put back)
How to Make Alcohol at Home

Screws, Nails and Building Materials
You’re definitely not going to regret having stocked up on hardware materials post-collapse. In fact, you’ll probably wish you’d stocked up on more. Nails and screws are essential hardware materials. They go fast and are a giant pain to make from scratch. Make sure you have enough lying around while you still can.I am going to go the other way; bolts, washers, brads, oil, grease and here’s an interesting one, an assortment of springs. Do you have any idea how difficult making a simple coil spring is? Fabricating metal, steel aluminum, corrugated tin, sheet steel, channel, square/round tubing, angle, flat, mig welding wire, rod. Retain “any” usable metal remnants, all of them no matter how small. You can always get rid of them later, just imagine when you need one and there is no place to get one, now! You will make due if there is no other alternative, just have a place to start and have something to start with other than a want and an idea. For the more advanced, get a vertical mill (glorified drill press) and the tools that goes with it. I have a feeling in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere, when you can’t buy a new one you will want to repair the old one. If you have nothing else, a mill will always do. Tire repairing materials, patches, plugs, valve stems. Tools to break down tires. Just a bead breaker and a set of spoons. I didn’t say it would be easy but it’s better than nothing. Another one, alternatives to power tools. Just the simple drilling of a hole will be a task without that cordless DeWalt. I can’t stress tools enough; they can make your tasks easier and will in all likelihood make you a small living. Oils are another thing I am big on. Machines don’t run well with no oil. “Any” oil will due. It might not be the fancy multi-grade, high viscosity, wizbang stuff we are use to but there again, it’s better than nothing. Try to make a can of it!
Tools
Saw blades, hatchets, axe heads, hammer heads, hand drills – many of this tools being available from auctions, garage sales, etc. Without tools you won’t be able to build or fix anything or you’ll have to improvise. Having more than one of this tools will be a big advantage as they make great barter items.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are hard to stock up on unless you have a very understanding doctor. Fortunately, there are sources for antibiotics you can take advantage of now and stock up before the hospitals are overflowing with people.
17 NATURAL ANTIBIOTICS OUR GRANDPARENTS USED INSTEAD OF PILLS
20 LOST RECIPES FROM THE PIONEERS: WHAT THEY COOKED IN THEIR JOURNEY WESTWARD
POTTED MEAT: A LOST SKILL OF LONG TERM MEAT STORAGE
OLD FASHIONED PRESERVING-GRANDPA’S RECIPE FOR CURED SMOKED HAM
HOW TO MAKE GUNPOWDER THE OLD FASHIONED WAY

Blankets
Everyone needs a warm place to sleep. A good blanket is like a good coat. We’ve all planned for clothes (I hope), but when’s the last time you heard someone brag about having a couple of good wool blankets put back? I’ve got two good wool blankets. I paid $40 each for them. Let the power go out, in November, and you not have one. I don’t know how much you’re willing to pay for them, but I know what you’re going to trade me for them, if you don’t want to freeze at night. I won’t trade both at all, but I’ll be looking for what would be several thousand dollars worth of trade for the one I can ‘spare’.
Water containers
Seems simple now, but if things go wrong, one of the hardest things to usually find is a good canteen or water jug. Put enough back for yourself, but put more back for trade. The harder to break, the better. I’ve got a dozen military 1-qt canteens laying around here than there, in a pinch, I have 2-3 I’ll use, but the rest can be had – for a price.
How Long Can You Store Water In Plastic Containers?
Survival information
Survival information is valuable, and in a time when it is desperately needed, being able to have a few copies of condensed information on-hand and barter-ready will be very valuable, indeed. Type up and print a dozen copies of general information that others may not readily have. It may help you too. When fear and panic takes over all the info you learned will vanish from your head. Having the info printed will be helpful.

Ammo
This one’s obvious. Even if you’ve got the guns to hunt or protect yourself and your family with, you can’t without ammo. You’ll probably need more than you expect, so really, you can never have too much ammunition. It would be best to have the means to make your ammo so stockpiling on everything you need to make ammo would be your best choice.
Along the same lines, it’s also beneficial to stockpile arrowheads and bow strings. Just remember that in a SHTF situation, you probably don’t want to advertise your position and the fact you have guns.
How Much Ammo do I Need for SHTF?
Candles
In the coming winter months, if you get hit by a major ice storm and the light go out, candles will make the difference between having to spend the night in the dark or not. Light gives us a comfort feeling. In case you run out of candles here’s a great alternative. Boiling soup bones to get the fat out of the marrow, then rendering it will make a decent lamp fuel. Keep the wick trimmed low enough to keep it from getting smoky. Make sure that, if the lamp spills, the spill is confined and maintain the ability to smother the whole thing with something that isn’t going to catch fire.
5 Make-Shift Urban Survival Lights When the Electricity Goes Down
Batteries
Even more useful than the candles are the flashlights. So, having a good stock of batteries will be of great help. An excellent prep would be to have some extra rechargeable batteries with a solar charger for when the light stay out for a long period of time.
How to Store Batteries for Emergency Use
Soap
Along the lines of disinfecting, you’re going to really regret not having enough soap post-crisis. Without basic sanitation, you’re going to get sick fast, and ill is something you definitely don’t want to be when medicine is in short supply and you need as much energy and strength as you can possibly have. The best tip you could possibly have in terms of soap shopping for post-crisis scenarios: try to stock up on soap that’s anti-bacterial.
Alternatives for soap
Again, you’ll be using that fat from the soup bones. Learn to do this as a skill. Even if you don’t apply this for a number of years, you’ll still know how to do it. The lye that is used in the process can be obtained from ash or you can buy THAT by the pound at the hardware store in the plumbing aisle.
Even if somebody doesn’t drink, they might want to be clean once in a while. Make more soap than you’re ever going to need so you can trade it. Even if some dude would trade his left hand for a bottle of his favorite hooch, his wife would probably trade both of her husband’s hands for him to take a bath once in a while.
Don’t get Crystal Drano. It contains other ingredients that are not good in soap. You want 100% potassium hydroxide (otherwise known as lye). There are many good how-to books on soap making and general day-to-day life, but doing it all yourself. I like the one that was written by Carla Emery (ISBN 0-912365-95-1). It primarily addresses modern day homesteading, but what’s going to happen when the SHTF? Modern day homesteading.
Tampons & pads
They’re essential to a good survival pack, and not just for the obvious reason! They indispensable for bandages, good for emergency water filtering, and can be used as tinder to start a good fire. They’re also better than a lot of other methods for stopping a nosebleed that won’t quit.
Multivitamins
One thing that stood out to me is multivitamins. Regardless of what happens, you can’t always ensure you are getting what you need, and if living off the land is your last recourse or you are surviving off whatever you could salt or smoke in fall for winter you will run short of your bodies need.
Final word:
History has shown us many times that it can all fly away in a split of a second. The biggest misstep that you can take now is to think that this can never happen in America or to you! Call me old fashioned; I don’t care…but I completely believe in America and what our ancestors stood for. They all had a part in turning this land into one of the most powerful countries in the world. Many died and suffered before a creative mind found an ingenious solution to maybe a century old problem. Believe it or not, our ancestors skills are all covered in American blood. This is why these must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same for our children and our children’s children. Our ancestors laid the bricks and built the world’s strongest foundation…that we are about to -irreversibly forget! I don’t want to see our forefathers’ knowledge disappear into the darkness of time…and if you care for your family…and what America stands for…then neither should you!