The Benefits Of Chewing Gum In A Survival Situation

Chewing gum/bubble gum is a pop-culture element so rooted into modern society that it’s impossible for our generations (the gum-chewing, bubble-blowing generations) to envision it otherwise. As kids, we used to go for the sweet flavored types, the ones that came into a multitude of colors or flavors. As adults, if we lost our sweet tooth along the way, we changed directions when it comes to chewing gum. We mostly go for the minty ones, which are great for oral hygiene. No matter your age or social status, for some reason or another, at some point in space and time, you’ll find yourself the benefits of chewing gum.

You might think that the product in question is a characteristic of modern 20^th and 21^st century society, but that’s far from truth. The “ancestor” of chewing gum originated in antiquity, and it can’t be attributed to a single civilization. The Greeks were chewing on mastic tree sap, the Egyptians had a mixture of sap and spices (cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh etc.) and the Mayans and Aztecs chewed Sapodilla tree sap. The habit of chewing gum (or its various alternatives) stood the test of time because, apart from flavor and texture, chewing has its benefits.

Enhances Memory Capacity And Overall Concentration

It has been demonstrated that chewing gum can do wonders for both the memory and the ability to concentrate. There are caffeine-based chewing gums that are best suited for the job, but any sort of gum will do well too. An NBC report has shown that chewing is in direct correlation with memory enhancement and improved test scores, due to the increase of physiological activities like blood flow, blood pressure, and heart rate. The increase of blood flow in the brain means higher oxygenation, which makes for better brain functions. Because chewing increases mental alertness is also highly recommended for kids with learning problems or mental disabilities. Mental alertness is always beneficial, especially in a survival situation where you’ll need to be aware of everything that goes on around you, to make fast decisions and act quickly as your survival depends on every step you take.

Relieves Stress And Boosts Morale

According to his scientific study, chewing gum is a very powerful nerve tonic because it helps calm down the nerves and alleviates negative moods. It’s exactly for this reason why chewing gum is included and distributed amongst the soldiers that find themselves in a war zone. Chewing gum helps reduces the levels of cortisol, which is a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland as a response to high levels of stress or too low levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Increased levels of cortisol can be beneficial on short-term periods, but on longer periods of time they can be detrimental to cognitive functions and can even lower the immune system recovery. Because chewing gum contains small amounts of sugar, it can also serve as a small reserve of energy. Having a pack of your favourite gum on you will not only supply you with that tiny bit of energy, but it can also increase your morale and distress your jaw muscles and lower anxiety. So leave some room in your survival kit for a couple of packs of gum.

Suppresses Hunger, Thirst And Aids Digestion

The military (and trained combatants in general) use chewing gum as a means of suppressing hunger when the opportunity of eating is not available. The same principle can easily be applied in a survival situation, especially if SHTF and you find yourself a bit short on food supplies. The Zoft Gum is a very potent appetite suppressant and you can get 5 packs for about $10. Believe it or not, not only is there a gum to fight of hunger, but there’s also one that can quench thirst. The Quench Gum was primarily made for athletes in order to keep them hydrated as much as possible during periods of physical effort. It’s packed with 5mg of potassium (K) and electrolytes. The Quench Gum is available on the market in costs about $9 – $10. Chewing gum can be very supportive when it comes to digestion. Chewing constantly will increase the levels of saliva, which in turn will boost the quantity of digestive acids in the stomach. This is achieved with the aid of xylitol, which is found in most chewing gums.

Chewing Gum Based Life Hacks

Apart from chewing, there are a lot of other unorthodox uses for gum.

1. Bait – surprisingly, you can use chewing gum as fish bait, just chew it a little and place it on the hook; it’s very efficient for catfish and it can also lure crabs if you place it on the crab line!

2. Radiator patch – this is a good temporary solution for a leaky radiator; it may hold long enough for you to reach a mechanic.

3. “Magnet” – it can be very useful if you’re trying to retrieve small objects from a nearly unreachable place; just place some gum on the end of a stick or a piece of string and you’ll be able to recover that lost ring or keys in no time.

4. Window fixer – if you have a loose window pane, don’t worry too much about it; get a stick of ordinary chewing gum, chew on it a little and simply place it as putty.

5. Repel bugs – extra minty gum will repeal mealworms and other bugs from getting into your flower; of course, provided you previously placed a small piece of gum in there first

You’ve probably been chewing gum for some years now, without knowing the benefits that ordinary chewing gum had to offer. Now you know, as the wonders of chewing gum are irrefutable. No matter who you are or where you’re at, always have a pack of gum on you; you can never tell how and when it will save the day.

MFSP

The Untold Truths About Vaccines And Why Pharmaceutical Companies Can’t Be Trusted

Vaccination has become a real issue lately, not only in the US but worldwide. The controversy is far from being over, as people seem to be separated into two sides when it comes to vaccination: those who approve of vaccines and those who oppose them. As a parent, choosing a side is a great responsibility, because, in this clash, only one side can be ultimately right. And the overall wellbeing of your children will depend on your choice. The first advocates for vaccination you’ll come across will be your local pediatrician, but don’t let yourself persuaded that easily. He’ll have nothing else in mind than your kid’s health, no doubt about that, but keep in mind that he’s the result of a medical system that has proven to be flawed before. And more so, the vaccination standards and regulations are all directed by the AMA (the American Medical Association). The obvious question is whose best interest does the AMA hold: that of our children or that of the pharmaceutical corporations (whose only purpose is financial profit)?

Shocking Facts About Vaccination That You Should Know

Throughout modern history, there have been several issues with many vaccines on the market. Those who claim otherwise are simply ignorant or ill-intentioned. RotaShield (the Rotavirus vaccine) falls into this category. It was removed from the market in late 1999 when it was demonstrated that there are links between bowel malfunction (obstruction, chaotic bowel twisting) and the vaccine itself. It was a great deal at the time, and the case is real as you clearly see for yourself here. The vaccine that followed (RotaTeq) was supposedly the new and improved version of the RotaShield vaccine. Although it doesn’t appear to be as destructive as its predecessor, it too seems to be causing bowel afflictions; you might find it hard to believe, but RotaTeq is still available on the market. Another famous and controversial case of vaccine malfunction has been recorded in February 2002, when GlaxoSmithKline (a preventive vaccine for Lyme Disease) has been withdrawn from the market. The manufacturer claimed poor sales, but the truth of the matter was that compelling evidence pointed out that the vaccine itself was responsible for worse cases of arthritis than the disease itself. You can read all about the untold truths about vaccines in this full report here.

In 2011, the I.O.M. (the Institute of Medicine), has submitted a report for further proof that certain vaccines can cause undeniable side effects. Their studies have shown that the Chickenpox Vaccine can afflict children with immunodeficiency (but not only) with hepatitis, meningitis, encephalitis or pneumonia. The Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine favors encephalitis, febrile seizures and Arthralgia (Short-term joint pain) in women and children. The HPV vaccine seems to be the cause of anaphylaxis in yeast-sensitive females and as overall side-effects, all vaccines can cause syncopes (fainting) or arm inflammation.

Dangerous Chemicals And Compounds Found In Vaccines

When it comes to purchasing processed food or sodas or whatever else intended for human consumption, the first thing you should do is to not focus the price of the product, but in the ingredients section. A vaccine is no different. You should be very aware before administering such a drug to your child. Most vaccines (if not all) that are on the market contain many substances and chemicals that can be extremely harmful to a human being. These potentially harmful components and their terrible side-effects are not given the proper attention and respect, mainly because of the marketing policies that the pharmaceutical moguls impose. Here’s a list of some commonly found chemicals in vaccines:

• Formaldehyde is a carcinogenic fluid (used primarily in embalming corpses) that can cause respiratory distress, liver damage, reproductive deformation, gastrointestinal problems and various forms of cancer. Another flaw of this chemical is that it can neutralize the virus in the vaccine, which will make the vaccine completely useless.

• Thimerosal is basically mercury. Every vaccine contains about 25 mcg of Thimerosal, and according to the EPA, the safe limit for humans is about 5 mcg. It’s very neurotoxic and it’s been linked to autism.

• Aluminum phosphate it’s dangerous because it reacts to mercury and it increases its toxicity. Considering that every vaccine already contains about 25 mcg of mercury, the recommended dosage is exceeded from the go.

• Sodium chloride inhibits growth, prevents normal muscle contraction and affects the circulatory system.

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) when injected, it becomes chemical unstable and turns into a neurotoxin; it’s been linked to brain damage in children and CNS (central nervous system) disorders.

• Phenoxyethanol can disrupt the central nervous system and can gravely affect the liver or kidneys.

• Glycerin is known for causing gastrointestinal damage, lung damage, liver and kidney shutdown.

• Bovine cow serum causes chest pain, low blood pressure, lupus, arthritis and can damage connective tissue.

These are only some of the most damaging chemicals used in a vaccine. The list is much longer, be sure of that.

So before considering vaccination (for yourself or your family), do some research first. Listen to both sides and make up your mind whether the shot is worth it or not. At the end of the day, the damage caused by the “cure” can be far greater than that of the affliction you’re trying to prevent. Stay safe, stay informed and don’t be fooled by advertisements.

Hay Bale Gardening: How To Grow Your Own Veggies Without Fertilizer And Weed-Free

Hay Bale Gardening: How To Grow Your Own Veggies Without Fertilizer And Weed-Free. Photo – Wikipedia – lic. under CC 2.0

I’ve been really into gardening lately, trying to find the best techniques and methods for growing fruit or veggies with as little effort or resources as possible. One method that really caught my attention was the straw bale method, a method that is based on planting into straw bales rather than in the ground. You prepare the bales thoroughly and that’s pretty much it. It’s cheap, requires very little care as the method is not pretentious at all and another bonus is that the plants are raised above ground level, which puts them out of the reach of various critters that could take a liking in whatever it is you planted. And not only that, picking the plants will from the straw bales, will be a lot easier than picking them from the ground. The seemed perfect, but only until I stumbled across the alternative: the HAY bale gardening method, which made the straw bale method seem less appealing all of a sudden.

Hay Bale Gardening vs. Straw Bale Gardening

For those of you who have very little to do with gardening, there is a major difference between the two. Straw bales are usually comprised of cereal crops stalks (corn, wheat, oat, rye, barley etc.). It’s mostly used for bedding livestock, and apart from carbon, it has no real nutritional value. It’s not inefficient as a surface for growing plants, but it will require regular watering and fertilizers to get the job done. Hay, on the other hand, it’s nothing but rich grasses that are mainly a source of rich and nutritious food for cattle during cold periods (winter time), when the fields are empty. They are filled with nutrients and minerals like nitrogen, potassium, phosphates etc. that vegetables require to grow. It’s exactly this natural cocktail of minerals and nutrients that require no additional fertilizing methods when it comes to hay bale gardening. Hay also holds water more efficiently than straw due to its density and chemical structure. So a hay bale garden requires watering once a day, whereas a straw bale garden will require watering 3 times a day.

Getting Started

The first thing you’ll need to start your very own hay bale garden is getting your hands on hay bales. If you have nobody to turn to in your vicinity that could sell or give you the hay bales, you can always go on the internet and find farmers that have hay bales for sale. Once they’re delivered to you, pick a spot to your liking (preferably in your garden) and set them as you see fit. Next, you’ll need to prepare the hay bales for the planting process. What’ll you’ll need is some 42-0-0 or even better, some nitrogen. You’ll treat the bales with nitrogen for 5 days; the nitrogen will break down bacteria, fungi, and insects into nutritious compost that will serve as “fuel” for your growing plants. If you’re not that keen on spending money on nitrogen or fertilizers, you can just pee on the hay bales for the 5-day period; pee is rich in nitrogen and it’ll get the job done just as efficiently. However, the daily dose of pee a person produces will not be enough for this endeavor, so I suggest you start saving your pee in bottles or containers.

The preparation of the bales will be done over a period of 10 days total before planting. In the uneven days, the bales will be treated with half-a-cup of nitrogen and sprayed with water. During the even days of the 10 day period, the bales will be watered only.

During this process, the temperature inside the hay bales will rise dramatically, most likely to 120°F – 140°F. Although is very unlikely that the bales will simply catch fire, the risk still exists. So water the bales regularly I order to avoid any unwanted incidents. When the “ordeal” is over, the temperature will subside, from how to warm. Once this happens, you can start planting your vegetables. Just add regular seeds, water the hay garden once a day and you’ll be able to pick the fruits of your labor in no time.

Accurate temperature readings using a professional thermometer

Professional Tips

1. The bales should be tightly bound if you want them to hold. Synthetic twine works great and holds the hay bales together just fine during the growing season.

2. A single bale of hay will hold about two tomato plants, two pumpkin hill, 3 cauliflower plants or 3 broccoli plants; plants cover the same amount of space in the bales as they do in the ground.

3. Growing tall plants (sunflower, corn etc.) is not advised, as hay bales do not offer such plants the support they need. If you won’t provide these types of plants with a stacking system, they’ll most probably fall over.

4. You shouldn’t water the bales more than two times a day. There is no danger of drowning the plants because the water will evaporate quickly; the hay bales will not get drenched like soil would.

This method is very interesting and it seems to give great results even for the rookies. You don’t need much to get started. Just a minimum investment and the willpower to get things done. If you’re looking for a cheap and fast alternative to gardening, look no further: hay bale gardening is the way.

By My Family Survival Plan