By: Alec Deacon / Source: Before It’s News

We’ve talked about a lot of multi-purpose and indispensable items for us, survivalists, from baking soda to lemons and olive oil. Here’s another one you might not have known to have some surprising benefits: coconut oil. In my opinion, it should be stored by every prepper out there. It has dozens of health and survival uses,and you wouldn’t want to be caught up without your coconut oil.

I’ve chosen to outline 7 of the many situations where you can use coconut oil for survival purposes. You should also read this book,The Coconut Oil Miracle, by Dr. Bruce Fife, to find everything about this product and why you should add it to your preparedness cache.

#1: Preventative treatment

Coconut oil has anti-fugal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-viral and lots of other medical properties and is great as an everyday treatment and preventive measure for bacterial infections, influenza, herpes, measles, skin problems and sunburns, parasites, and I could go on and on and on. I’ve used it at home as a moisturizer for my cracked skin or as an antibiotic emollient.

#2: Energy boost

For those moments when you need to walk for miles, be awake for hours, deal with fatigue, you can keep your energy levels up with coconut oil. 1 tsp in the morning will naturally boost your energy and will last all day. Coconut oil is mostly made of MCFA’s (medium chain fatty acids) used by our bodies as fuel to produce energy. It works great for fat burning too and is easily digested.

#3: Insect bite treatment

This is a really great use especially for when you need to bug out somewhere in the wild and you’ll need a treatment for bug bites and also to keep insects off. A mix of coconut oil and peppermint oil reduces the itch and has a soothing effect.

#4: Natural homemade soap

For your bath, face wash and even for your laundry (as a stain pre-treater) you can make your own coconut soap from ingredients such as almond, avocado, castor, lye, olive oils and coconut oil (to fatten the soap and give it shelf stability). Great cleansing and lathering properties and no irritations.

(Related: Tips On How To Survive A Disaster With Family Survival System)

Here are some simple recipes I picked up from Mommypotamus:

Lathering Skin Bar (20% superfat)

Note: Because this soap is highly superfatted it can create a very dense lather when rubbed directly on skin. For a light, bubbly effect I recommend lathering with a natural sponge.

33 oz coconut oil, 76 degree
4.83 ounces lye (NaOH)
12.54 oz water
5 – 1 ounce essential oils (optional)

Laundry Soap (1% superfat)

All amounts are by weight

33 oz coconut oil, 76 degree*
5.9 ounces lye (NaOH)**
12 oz water
5 – 1 ounce essential oils (optional)

#5: Personal hygiene

I am just amazed of the many uses coconut oil has for our personal care. You can use it as an aftershave or as a razor burn treatment, as deodorant (great even used alone but even more efficient in combination with baking soda), hair conditioner, hand cleaner (you can easily remove dirt, paint or wax with coconut oil), mouthwash, ear cleaner, massage oil, you name it…

It’s also way safer than everything you buy from the store, natural and nontoxic, to both humans and animals. And the best part is that a little goes a long way and you don’t need to use large quantities of coconut oil. Keep a small container in the bathroom for topical use, such as 16-ounce, and you’ll see just how long it will last.

#6: Stress relief

This amazing superfood can also help you lower your stress level. Apply it on your head and massage it softly, in a circular motion and you’ll simply feel its soothing effect and how it instantly helps relieving mental fatigue.

#7: Lamps and torches

Coconut oil is great to improvise torches and oil lamp fuel. It’s a cheaper and cleaner alternative to isopropyl alcohol mix (generally used for standard oil lamp fuel), burns without a smell or smoke and is safe to use. This can really come in handy in a survival situation.

Also, check out this chart outlining the recommended daily dosage of coconut oil, to know how it should be consumed. It’s important you know how it can affect you first so don’t go on eating and using lots of coconut oil before doing a little research first.

Keep as well in mind that there are different types of coconut oil and the one to choose is unrefined (meaning virgin coconut oil that comes from fresh coconuts) because it retains the most health-protecting nutritional values.

By: Myrko Thum / Source: Myrko Thum

“I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness.” ~Dalai Lama in The Art of Happiness

The quote of Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama makes clear the obvious: everybody on earth is seeking happiness. Is there anything more important than happiness to you?

What are we aiming for if we want to be successful, to be respected, to have the perfect mate, to get more money? Those “things” in themselves are not important to us. It is what we get from them. It’s the elemental need to feel good – to be happy.

The Dalai Lama talks a lot about happiness and how to achieve it. It’s always a real pleasure to hear his wisdom as well as his sharp mind speaking. In his book “The Art of Happiness he and co-author Howard Cutler are getting to the very heart of the matter.

His Guide to Happiness is of course influenced by Buddhism. But it really is not a religious approach but rather a very practical one: We can achieve happiness by developing our mind and applying it, in other words by personal development.

What Leads to Happiness?

Happiness is a state of mind. In Buddhism there are four factors of fulfillment :

1. Wealth
2. Worldly Satisfaction
3. Spirituality
4. Enlightenment

which lay on the path to happiness. I find it interesting that to the leader of Buddhism the first two “material” sources of happiness play an important role. You could insert synonyms like success and personal growth here. Of course there is also the influence of spirit, but the whole approach is also pretty compatible with psychology and science in general which makes it suitable for any person.

I want to make one point, that is clear to me today: the right to happiness and the ability to achieve it is within everybody. EVERYBODY. And this guide to happiness as described by the Dalai Lama in his book is the way that many other people walk to develop and free themselves towards a happy life.

On our pursuit of happiness we have to …

1. Train Your Mind

Happiness is a mental attitude, a state of mind and not primarily dependent on external conditions.

Now to the Dalai Lama the mind is not only the intellect. According to the Tibetan word “Sem” for mind (meaning more psyche or spirit) it includes intellect, feelings, the heart and the mind. Training an developing the mind starts with learning. And its aim is to set free the inner human potential that everybody has. So one could say it is the process of personal development.

Education and knowledge is a crucial part here. There is an interesting note by the Dalai Lama: knowledge is not primarily there to make us cleverer. The most important use of knowledge is to understand ourselves, to create a mental clearing and make changes from within or as he puts it: to develop a good heart.

2. Develop Calmness of Mind

By training the mind we can develop an inner discipline. That discipline makes a transformation of attitude, our outlook and approach to living possible. This training towards a calmness of mind is what Buddhists call “The Way” and it is the fundamental method of achieving happiness. The inner discipline means confronting our negative states of mind and transforming them into more positive states. The goal is to develop a calm or peaceful and stable state of mind, regardless of outer events.

A calm mind doesn’t mean to be passive; it is very sensitive and aware and it means to be in control and to respond to situations in the best way possible without the buildup of heavy negative emotions. A calm mind is a very developed mind and one that has strength and inner space to choose the right reaction.

(Related: The Gurus’s Manifestation Trick Revealed)

3. Build up Positive States

Obviously many negative thoughts and emotions have a destructive effect. Emotions like anger and hatred serve absolutely no purpose and are unnatural. Other people from the personal development area have also made this point, for instance Brian Tracy. If we think about it, do we really need negative emotions to choose a good action? Or is an action influenced by anger not very likely to cause more negativity?

According to the Dalai Lama all negative emotions are based on ignorance, which is the misconception of the true nature of reality. Therefore they have no basis in reality. On the other hand positive states have a solid basis; they are grounded in reality and are life-supporting.

The idea is to free ourselves from negativity. It works by developing and cultivating positive states and emotions and then living and acting from there. Positive states can act like an antidote to negativity. By coming from a state of joy, love or enthusiasm it is almost natural to neutralize anger, hatred or apathy. The goal then is to develop habits out of those positives states to make them our predominant state …

4. Cultivate Good Habits (and Eliminate Bad Ones)

If we really want to be happy we have to identify the factors that lead to happiness and then cultivate them into habits. On the other side we have to identify what leads to the opposite of happiness: suffering. Then we have to get rid of those destructive states and habits and replace them by the positive ones.

For instance the habit of overeating fast-food can be replaced by the habit of eating healthy food. The habit of chaotic organization can be replaced by weekly planning. The habit of watching TV can be replaced by exercising and so on. This is inner discipline at work. I think it is a source of real happiness and of inner satisfaction. The motivation to create good habits stays if we just see and experience the benefits and freedom they are giving us. If we keep bad habits then we consciously of unconsciously are ok with being unhappy.

5. Welcome Change

Life flows like a river. It is impermanent, all things are impermanent – it’s the nature of the world. Therefore life is changing continuously. So when we resist this change by clinging to something that is changing, we become attached. We can’t be happy because we resist the change, what is futile. Of course we can direct change up to a certain degree, but we can’t prevent it. The key is to get into the river of life and direct the course of positive change. Then the fear of change also vanishes.

To change to a happier state, learning is only the first step. Necessary follow-ups are conviction, determination, action and effort. A strong determination to change then enables action. The final effort is also critical. To start we need a strong willingness or wish to start. And we need to develop enthusiasm and a sense of urgency. Tools to get this are goal-setting, visualization and in general our imagination.

To overcome apathy and to generate enthusiasm it is very helpful to start on the physical level. In that way we can gain more energy first.

(Related: Discover The 5 Step Simple Process to Abundance)

6. Develop a Long-Term Perspective

To develop good habits and to build up positive states we need a certain inner self-discipline. If we are focused on short-term pleasures this is very difficult. If we evaluate the effects of short-term and long-term oriented behavior it becomes clear what is more helpful on the long run. So we need a wider perspective. This long-term perspective helps to build up happiness.

7. Know the Meaning of Suffering

Suffering is the opposite of happiness. We have to identify the causes (not only the symptoms) that lead to suffering and then eliminate them. If we suffer it’s not very pleasant of course, but nevertheless it might be a very valuable lesson. We seem to learn the most from our so-called failures. If life shows us that something is wrong – by suffering – we have that feedback which we need to trace back to its causes and transform those. There is no reason to give in, it is just valuable feedback that we needed to change.

 

By: Alex Pietrowiski / Source: Waking Times

Some will blame the doctors who are swift to prescribe pharmaceuticals; others will blame patients and their desire for a quick fix; perhaps some will think the over-use of antibiotics in factory farms and dairy products is mostly to blame. Likely, it is the combination of these three main factors that has led to another modern-day crisis: antibiotics are no longer effective.

A high-ranking official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared in an interview with PBS that the age of antibiotics has come to an end.

‘For a long time, there have been newspaper stories and covers of magazines that talked about “The end of antibiotics, question mark?”‘ said Dr. Arjun Srinivasan. ‘Well, now I would say you can change the title to “The end of antibiotics, period.”’

The rise of “super-bugs”, capable of fighting off antibiotics, has been on the healthcare industry’s radar for quite some time. Because of these antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it has become increasingly difficult to treat a variety of illnesses such as ear infections and strep throat with antibiotics, which often results in longer treatment while trying a variety of drugs until one actually works, or the body fights off the disease on its own. The problem becomes more profound when we consider potentially-deadly bacteria such as MRSA.

Dr. Srinivasan offered an example of this notion, citing the recent case of three Tampa Bay Buccaneers players who made headlines after reportedly contracting potentially deadly MRSA infections, which until recently were largely restricted to hospitals.

About 10 years ago, however, the CDC official began seeing outbreaks of different kinds of MRSA infections in schools and gyms.

‘In hospitals, when you see MRSA infections, you oftentimes see that in patients who have a catheter in their blood, and that creates an opportunity for MRSA to get into their bloodstream,’ he said.

‘In the community, it was causing a very different type of infection. It was causing a lot of very, very serious and painful infections of the skin, which was completely different from what we would see in health care.’

(Related: Discover A Natural And Nutritious Way To Cleanse Your Body With Total Wellness Cleanse Guide)

But before you get mad at the medical industry and your doctor, consider that the meat industry may be the bigger culprit. For example, the US meat producers’ overuse of antibiotics has become so widespread that about 29 million pounds of these drugs (or 80% of all antibiotics sold in the US) are used in industrial feedlots, with only 14% of these drugs being used for therapeutic purposes.

So how do we address this serious crisis, born out of irresponsibility, convenience and greed? Here is what Dr. Srinivasan has to say:

With bacteria constantly evolving and developing resistance to conventional antibiotics, doctors have been forced to ‘reach back into the archives’ and ‘dust off’ older, more dangerous cures like colistin.

‘It’s very toxic,’ said Srinivasan. ‘We don’t like to use it. It damages the kidneys. But we’re forced to use it in a lot of instances.’

Perhaps in life-and-death cases, you may feel that taking dangerous drugs is the only solution. But for diseases where your doctor suggests trying 2 or 3 different types of antibiotics to address a less-serious infection, a natural remedy may be a better solution. Garlic is one. It has been proven by scientists at Washington State University to be extremely effective in fighting disease-causing bacteria and increases the overall antioxidant levels of the body. (source) It is best if eaten raw – perhaps mix it up with some apple sauce to soften the taste – but it can also be purchased in liquid extract form.

Oregano oil, an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, is another common remedy to prevent and treat bacterial infections. It contains two active ingredients, thymol and carvacrol, that have shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria.

There are many benefits to taking natural antibiotics. For example, you won’t kill off all the good bacteria in your gut and you don’t have to worry about negative side-effects. Natural remedies can also be taken as a preventative measure, to protect and reinforce your body before infection strikes.

By: Stacy Conradt / Source: Mental Floss

This is going to be a very trying year for people with Triskaidekaphobia, also known as the fear of the number 13. While the superstitious folks afflicted with this problem can easily stay home on Friday the 13th, it’s going to be a lot harder to stay inside for another 362 days. Why is 13 considered unlucky, anyway? Here are 13 reasons.

1. There were 13 people at the Last Supper. It’s said that Judas Iscariot — the one who betrayed Jesus — was the 13th man to take his place at the table.

2. Similarly, there’s a Norse legend that has 12 gods sitting down to a banquet when the 13th (uninvited) god, Loki, shows up. Loki killed one of the other gods, which led to events that eventually resulted in Ragnarok — the death of a bunch of gods, a slew of natural disasters, and the eradication of everything on earth save for two human survivors. There’s a lot more to the story than that, but you get the general idea.

3. Let’s go back to Christianity for a moment. Many Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on Friday. Researchers, however, believe that it wasn’t a case of Friday the 13th lore – it was possibly something like Friday, April 3, 33 A.D. But that doesn’t mean the 13th is off the hook. Many Christians also believe that the Cain and Abel debacle took place on that date.

4. Traditionally, there used to be 13 steps leading up the gallows. There’s also a legend that a hangman’s noose traditionally contained 13 turns, but it’s actually more like eight.

5. Apollo 13 is the only unsuccessful moon mission (intended to get men on the moon, anyway) thus far.
An oxygen tank exploded and the survival of the astronauts on board was pretty touch-and-go for several days, but they did all come home safely in the end (but you already knew that).

6. There was a mass arrest and execution of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307.

7. According to Mr. Krabs on Spongebob Squarepants, there are 13 dirty words. Squidward must be a George Carlin fan, because he responded that he thought there were only seven. “Not if you’re a sailor,” Mr. Krabs replied.

8. Although a coven is now just considered to be any group of witches (or vampires, if you’re into a certain young adult series about sparkly supernaturals), it was once believed that a coven was made up of exactly 13 members.

9. There’s an old superstition that says if you have 13 letters in your name, you’re bound to have the devil’s luck. Silly, yes, but slightly more convincing when you consider that Charles Manson, Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all contain 13 letters (I know, I know, what about their middle names?).

10. Kids officially become teenagers at the age of 13, and we all know that’s a scary phase.

11. In numerology, the number 12 is considered to be the representation of perfection and completion. It stands to reason, then, that trying to improve upon perfection by adding a digit is a very bad idea indeed — your greed will be rewarded with bad luck.

12. In the late 1800s, there was a group called The Thirteen Club. Their purpose was to debunk the legend that seating 13 people at a table would result in the death of one of them in the year to follow. They met on the 13th of the month and had dinner 13 people to a table, and to make matters worse, they purposely spilled salt on the table without throwing it over their shoulders. The horror! They also fined members who showed up late — 13 cents, of course. Members of the club included five U.S. presidents: Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Chester A. Arthur. I’m not sure if it’s worth noting that two of these presidents were shot — one fatally, of course — but I’ll mention it anyway. And, if you’re keeping track, Chester A. Arthur only became president because he was vice when Garfield was assassinated.

13. Friday, October 13, 1972, was a bad day in the history of aviation. That’s the day that Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 infamously crashed in the Andes, killing 29 people. On the exact same day, 174 people were killed when a Soviet Aeroflot crashed in a lake about a kilometer from the runway.