A federal appeals court ruled against the thousands of people who have experienced the life-saving effects of CBD oil by upholding the decision that the substance is a Schedule 1 drug.
The post Federal Court Proves Gov’t Loyalty to Big Pharma, Rules CBD Has No Medical Value appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
(INTELLIHUB) — After medical marijuana was approved in the state of Arkansas in early-2017 a judge struck down the idea of letting the businesses sell the plant which grows in the ground naturally.
Marijuana Business Daily reports:
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen last month ruled that the state’s licensing process for the cultivation facilities violated a 2016 voter-approved constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions.
“We are under an injunction that voids the method of cultivation scoring. Therefore, dispensary application review is on hold as we review the situation,” DFA spokesman Scott Hardin said in a statement.
To boot, the state made it a stiffer penalty for those who get caught with the plant who do not have a license for medical, making the entire process a sham to enslave and further criminalize.
The post Arkansas judge blocks medical marijuana dispensaries in the state appeared first on Intellihub.
Bill Gates predicted a "global pandemic" that could kill 30 million people in the span of 6 months in a speech promoting vaccines.
The post Bill Gates Warns of Doomsday ‘Global Pandemic’ That Could Kill 30 Million in Under a Year appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
This article was originally published by Adam Taggart at PeakProsperity.com
The United States has one of the highest rates in the world of prescription drug use, especially for the psychiatric and anti-anxiety drug classes:
The benefits of these drugs are marketed to us daily, but what about the downsides? What about the side effects? More importantly, do they even work? What does the data tell us?
To answer these questions, we talk this week with Robert Whitaker, an American Journalist and author who has won numerous awards as a journalist covering medicine and science. In 1998 he co-wrote a series on psychiatric research for the Boston Globe that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for public service. His first book, Mad in America, was named by Discover Magazine as one of the best science books of 2002 and his book Anatomy of an Epidemic won the 2010 investigative reporters and editor’s book award for best investigative journalism. He’s also the publisher of MadinAmerica.com.
The irony is this. Before you go on an antidepressant, you have no known serotonergic deficiency with that system. But, once you go on and you have this drug that perturbs normal activity, it actually drives the brain into the very sub-serotonergic state hypothesized to cause depression in the first place.
This problem is called ‘oppositional tolerance’ within research circles. It means that basically what every psychiatric drug ultimately does is drive your brain in the opposite direction of what the drug is trying to do.
For example, anti-psychotics block dopamine function, but they do that by blocking the receptors in the post-synaptic neurons. Which made researchers hypothesize that maybe schizophrenia and psychosis is due to too much dopamine. While they didn’t find that in a matter of course in those disorders, once you’re on this drug, it will actually increase the density of your dopamine receptors.
So, conceptually, here’s the thing. We’re told these drugs fix known chemical imbalances in the brain. What science tells us is that we don’t know the biology of these disorders, the drugs perturb normal activity, and at the end of the compensatory process the drugs have induced the very abnormalities hypothesized to cause these disorders in the first place. That’s the scientific story(…)
The drugs may have efficacy in clinical trials over the short term (meaning they beat placebo in those studies ), but the evidence is overwhelming that over the long term the medications of *whatever* class of drugs does is increase the risk that a person will become chronically ill, functionally impaired, and end up on disability (…)
When we talk about drugs that worsen outcomes over the long term we are saying in the aggregate. In other words, you look at the spectrum of outcomes in the medicated group and you compare that the spectrum of outcomes in the unmedicated group in every study you can find the spectrum of outcomes are better in the unmedicated group.
Humans have a resilience within them and psychiatric disorders so often can be episodic in nature. I mean, that’s the natural course for most depressive episodes and including the majority of the first psychotic episodes and obviously with anxiety and these sort of things. So, one of the reasons you see that drugs have worsening outcomes in the aggregate because actually there’s such good natural recovery rates. That’s what lost from this conversation is what the capacity is to recovery from a depressive episode and anxiety episode and even psychotic episodes without drugs and with other support
Click the play button below to listen to Chris’ interview with Robert Whitaker (45m:06s).
To read the video transcript, please click here
A report from Goldman Sachs openly admitted that curing patients is not a "sustainable business model" for drug companies.
The post Goldman Sachs Report Warns Pharma Companies That Curing Disease Is Bad For Business appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
The U.S. Army has admitted that it secretly conducted at least 239 germ warfare tests in locations across the country, targeting unsuspecting Americans.
The post Conspiracy Theory? US Army Has Admitted to Conducting 100s of Germ Warfare Tests On Americans appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
(The Real Agenda News) Science proves it: Living in large cities results in less healthy life.
Urban life is harmful to health, so how can we transfer this public health emergency to the citizenship and the decision-making process?
More than 100,000 scientific articles talk about air pollution and health, according to Pubmed, the largest database of biomedical publications.
The scientific evidence is clear: current urban life has serious negative impacts on our health. But the simple fact of living in a city should not imply these risks, especially because they are perfectly avoidable.
We have a double challenge ahead: to make this information understandable to public opinion, that is, for people on the street who are not scientists, and as the ultimate goal, to transfer it to political decision-making.
The company ISGlobal developed the interactive digital report The Cities We Want, which aims to summarize and adapt scientific information on urban life and health so that it is understandable to a general public.
Scientists and communicators have started working together to explain with simple words, videos and illustrations, the keys to build healthier and more sustainable cities.
During the preparation of the report, one of the key messages that we have heard the most from scientists is that it is a global public health emergency that can be addressed from today, because there are many measures available to design healthy cities. That is, the situation is very serious but there are solutions.
The cities we want are cities designed for people: spaces with good air quality, low noise levels and no heat islands. Urban environments with more green spaces that promote healthy levels of physical activity.
So here are 5 measures that cities can apply to put health at the center of priorities:
1. Reducing Air pollution from motorized traffic
Cities were built mainly around cars generate pollution and promote unhealthy lifestyles. In some cities private vehicles occupy between 65% and 70% of the city’s space.
The World Health Organization proposes a series of comprehensive solutions to recover public space for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to reduce levels of air pollution – a toxic air we breathe in 98% of cities in low-income countries, and in 56% of high-income countries.
2. Reducing noise caused by motorized traffic
Urban planning also plays an essential role in reducing noise levels. The populations most report noise pollution, create noise maps and carry out action plans to reduce noise in the most affected areas.
Some of the most frequent strategies are the use of sound-reducing pavement in the roadways, the limit of traffic volume, the reduction of speed limits or the promotion of silent zones and the creation of green spaces.
3. Increase Physical activity through active transport
Lack of physical activity is the fourth risk factor for global mortality and causes one in four cases of breast and colon cancers.
Active transport, or moving on foot or by bicycle on a daily basis is the most practical and sustainable way to increase physical activity.
A good public transport network makes it easier for citizens to walk and reduce the use of private vehicles. In addition, the availability of green spaces is important to perform physical activity safely.
These measures are collected in a study published in The Lancet, which analyzes physical activity in 14 large cities.
4. Reduce the infrastructure for motorized vehicles and increase green spaces
In the cities, the temperatures are usually higher than in the areas that surround them and the night temperature can reach up to 10 degrees more than in the surrounding area. This effect is known as “heat island”.
Islands of heat and high temperatures increase mortality, especially cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
For this reason, it is necessary that the urban design incorporates as a priority the prevention of the increase in temperatures.
The insulation of buildings can be improved to depend less on the use of air conditioning, to change urban materials for others that absorb less solar radiation, etc.
There are several mitigation plans, such as this guide from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
5. More natural spaces to increase access to nature
The city of the future must be a green city. Scientific studies associate green spaces – urban parks, gardens, tree-lined streets or forests, among others – to numerous health benefits, such as stress reduction, the fact of living longer or in a better state of general and mental health.
Nature must be part of the city. Beyond scattered points, the natural spaces must be a plot that communicates all the urban space and benefits all the citizens.
It is estimated that with better urban planning and transportation, cities could avoid 20% of premature deaths each year.
The post 5 Ways to Improve Urban Living and Reduce Premature Death appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
Tallahassee Police Department raided Deondre Francois" apartment, starting QB for FSU, all to bust him with a tiny bit of weed.
The post Police Go Undercover for Months, Spend Thousands to Bust FSU Quarterback with Tiny Bit of Weed appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
One of the most reviled companies in the United States recently gave Americans yet another reason to distrust their power: A recent Goldman Sachs report reveals the company questioning whether or not curing chronic illness is compatible with a sustainable business model.
In an internal report viewed by CNBC about the potential of the biotech industry and gene therapy titled “The Genome Revolution,” analysts asked: “Is curing patients a sustainable business model?”
“The potential to deliver ‘one shot cures’ is one of the most attractive aspects of gene therapy, genetically-engineered cell therapy and gene editing,” wrote analyst Salveen Richter. “However, such treatments offer a very different outlook with regard to recurring revenue versus chronic therapies,” analyst Richter wrote in the April 10 report.
“While this proposition carries tremendous value for patients and society, it could represent a challenge for genome medicine developers looking for sustained cash flow.“
Richter cited a Hepatitis C drug manufactured by Gilead Sciences that achieved a 90% cure rate. As CNBC noted:
“The company’s U.S. sales for these hepatitis C treatments peaked at $12.5 billion in 2015, but have been falling ever since. Goldman estimates the U.S. sales for these treatments will be less than $4 billion this year, according to a table in the report.”
In light of the reduced profits as a result of the success of the drug, Richter wrote:
“GILD is a case in point, where the success of its hepatitis C franchise has gradually exhausted the available pool of treatable patients. In the case of infectious diseases such as hepatitis C, curing existing patients also decreases the number of carriers able to transmit the virus to new patients, thus the incident pool also declines … Where an incident pool remains stable (eg, in cancer) the potential for a cure poses less risk to the sustainability of a franchise.”
Indeed, cancer is a highly profitable disease. In 2015, the world spent $107 billion on cancer drugs, and according to 2016 projections, that number was expected to grow to $150 by 2020. Further, Gilead Sciences, which Richter singled out as a company losing profits due to cures, was still the second-most profitable pharmaceutical/biotech company in the world in 2017, earning over $12 billion in net income.
Richter, who did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment, offered several ideas to cope with the ‘problem’ of healing patients. He suggested targeting large markets, such as those suffering from hemophilia, because “Hemophilia is a $9-10bn WW market (hemophilia A, B), growing at ~6-7% annually.” in addition, he advised clients to target disorders with high incidences, such as spinal dystrophy, as well as focus on “[c]onstant innovation and portfolio expansion.”
Additionally, Ars Technica reported, the analysis “hints that, as such cures come to fruition, they could open up more investment opportunities in treatments for ‘disease of aging.’”
Goldman Sachs confirmed the authenticity of the report to Ars Technica but declined to comment on its contents.
The post Goldman Sachs Analyst: Curing Patients Not a Sustainable Medical Business Model appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
A simple tablespoon daily of coconut oil could promote weight loss and improve cardiovascular health, reveals a new clinical study.
A new study titled, “A coconut extra virgin oil-rich diet increases HDL cholesterol and decreases waist circumference and body mass in coronary artery disease patients,” holds great promise in those suffering from overweight, obesity, and heightened cardiovascular disease risk, and against which pharmaceutical approaches often fail.
Coconut oil was once considered a “bad fat,” as it contains saturated fatty acids which conventional nutritionists did not distinguish from synthetically produced ones such as margarine. We know far better now, and increasingly, natural sources of saturated fats are gaining appreciation as not only “not-bad,” but actually beneficial, particularly for the brain. You can check out the first hand literature on coconut’s helath benefits on the GreenMedInfo.com database, or read our article, 13 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Coconut Oil.
The new study evaluated the health effects of a nutritional treatment with extra virgin coconut oil, focusing primarily on how it affects HDL cholesterol and a range of anthropmetric measurements (e.g. body weight, size, circumference).
The average age of the participants was 62.4 ± 7.7 years, with 70% of elderly individuals, and 63.2% of males. All of them were hypertensive and 94.5% had blood lipid profiles indicating “dyslipidemia” and on standard, cholesterol lowering drug treatment.
In the first phase, a three month period, 136 enrollees were put on a standardized diet. From the third month onward, the 116 who completed the first phase were place in two intervention groups: 22 remained on the diet, and 92 were put on the diet + 13 ml (.43 ounces) daily of extra virgin coconut oil, which is equivalent to about 14 grams, or about 1 Tablespoon (15 grams).
The results of the the three-month coconut oil intervention showed that relative to the standard diet, the coconut group saw a decrease in all six of the bodily parameters measured, including:
Weight: -.6 kilograms (1.322 pounds)
Body Mass Index: – .2 kg/m2
Waist Circumference: -2.1 cm
Neck Perimeter: -4 cm
Systolic Blood Pressure: -3.3 points
Diastolic Blood Pressure: -3.5 points
Additionally, the coconut oil intervention group saw a 3.1±7.4 mg/dL increase in HDL cholesterol.
The researchers concluded:
“Nonpharmacological interventions are essential for risk factor control in secondary prevention among patients with coronary disease. Our study showed that a diet rich in extra virgin coconut oil seems to favor the reduction of WC and the increase of HDL-C concentrations, aiding with secondary prevention for CAD patients.”
This study is far more powerful than may first meet the eye. For instance, at present, pharmaceutical interventions to raise HDL cholesterol lack solid scientific support. Only yesterday, I reported on a new JAMA review which revealed an astounding number of medical procedures have no benefit, even harm, wherein it was concluded that ,”In patients with low HDL-C levels who are treated with statins, there is no clinical benefit to HDL-C–targeted therapies.” Considering the fact that pharmaceutical interventions to lower HDL cholesterol have a wide range of serious side effects, the new finding that coconut oil may provide a natural alternative with side benefits, is all the more encouraging.
Additionally, midsection fat, also known as abdominal obesity, is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular events and cardiac mortality. In fact, a 2007 study published in the journal Circulation found that of three risk factors evaluated for heart attack, namely, abdominal obesity, abnormal lipids, and smoking, abdominal obesity was the most powerful: 48.5%, versus 40.8% for abnormal lipids, and 38.4% for smoking.
When one considers these two factors, any safe, diet-based lifestyle modification that can safely raise HDL-C cholesterol, and reduce midsection fat and related anthropometric parameters such as BMI and midsection circumference, is a home run.
This is, of course, not the first time we have reported on the powerful health benefits of coconut oil. In fact, it doesn’t take months, or even days, to observe positive changes in certain populations. We reported previously on what can only be described as an amazing study where just one dose of coconut oil derived medium chain triglycerides produced positive cognitive changes in Alzheimer’s patients in only 90 minutes. You can read about it in greater detail here: MCT Fats Found In Coconut Oil Boost Brain Function In Only One Dose.
For additional research on how to raise HDL cholesterol, take a look at our database on the topic here: Raise HDL Cholesterol Naturally. For reducing abdominal obesity, you can take a look at our database on the topic: Reduce Belly Fat (Abdominal Obesity).
© March 30, 2018 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.
The post Only 1 TBSP Of Coconut Oil Produces Powerful Health Changes, Study Confirms appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the next, and possibly the last, technology advancement being forced upon all third dimension and Planet Earth systems by controllers who, apparently, have been acolytes of such ‘upgrades’ to humankind in previously historically documented and undocumented periods—some of which have been written about in ancient documents. If one is familiar with Metaphysics, one probably knows what I’m referring to.
Humans have been evolving on Planet Earth via various ‘alliterations’ of the genus “Homo” possibly for hundreds of thousands of years to the point where, some control freaks like Adolph Hitler, have thought about improving upon the human race and creating a “master race” of beings that were ‘supernatural’ in intelligence and imbued with ‘designer’ aspects genetic controllers would engineer.
Such experiments supposedly were part and parcel of the downfall of negative energy usage and what has been referred to as the legendary accounts of the “Lost Continent of Atlantis.” Plato (c.429 – 347 BCE), the Greek philosopher, probably is the best-known source of the accepted legend(s) about Atlantis. However, if one studies the esoteric writings, one can get a different ‘reading’ on what went on, e.g., the spiritual warfare between the forces of good and evil, which was very prominent in Atlantean times; the special temples where human chimeras were treated, i.e., humans with hooves, dewclaws and other animal-like appendages were removed, as a result of genetic engineering efforts back then; and the ultimate achievement of their advanced civilization – lasers, which were used for various technologies, including climate ‘control’. However, it was the “fine-tuning of those lasers” that were lowered too close to the continent that actually broke – split – Atlantis apart and sank during three different episodes.
I relate the above, which some may consider ‘fairytales’, imaginative creative writing, or whatever, but if you have not had the opportunity to research and investigate the incredible happenings that occurred to humankind and Planet Earth for millennia in ancient writings, esoteric and religious belief systems—and which current-time controllers don’t want the average person to know about because that would create a totally different mindset—then you think all the ancient biblical, Egyptian, Sumerian, Hindu, and pre-Christian era information is fantasy, legend or hypotheses.
However, there are ancient artifacts still standing like the pyramids at Giza; Stonehenge; the ruins of Göbekli Tepe in modern-day Turkey, which dates back 12,000 years with an incredible history.
There is so much we really don’t know and should in order to advance our becoming humans with higher consciousness. Much of that is a result of determined efforts by controllers over time immemorial who kept undisclosed the realities and secrets of Nature, the natural world and how humans are an integral part of that Divine plan. However, that would not fit in with those who wanted to promote negative energies, e.g., wars, control and suppression mechanisms, including furtive technology, which was the downfall of Atlantis!
Having said the above, let’s fast forward to current technological times. These probably are the more advanced updates on the Atlantean efforts to restructure and ‘improve’ upon Nature, human DNA and human geoengineering since Adolph Hitler’s efforts.
Currently, there are numerous obvious and clandestine technologies, so one hardly knows where to begin. However, the most devastating are nuclear fission (weapons of mass destruction and nuclear energy/power); toxic vaccines and chemical pharmaceuticals, which are anathema to human physiology, but mandated by controllers apparently to restructure human DNA/RNA in an apparent push toward transhumanism and the ultimate technology—Artificial Intelligence—or there would not be those government mandates or laws regarding our health! Ever think of it that way?
If that were not the case, how come there’s such a push in every direction to accomplish mind control techniques (the ultimate prize) and a New World Order agenda of Artificial Intelligence? Hello, Sophia!
Sophia, a ‘Citizen’ of Saudi Arabia
However, there’s a new, 2018 video/film titled “Do You Trust This Computer,” dedicated to the memory of Stephen Hawking, which prompts more questions than answers.
Here is a link to that exceptional film, which ought to make you think about the unknown ramifications of AI. The last twenty minutes of the film reminds what needs to be addressed regarding AI before it’s too late.
Do You Trust This Computer
1 hour 18 minutes
http://doyoutrustthiscomputer.org/watch
Via Activist Post
The post Artificial Intelligence: Friend, foe or another biblical “tower of babel-like” event in-the-making? appeared first on Intellihub.
(TMU) — Are you or someone you know considering to attempt the Forbidden Fruit Challenge? If so, please don’t. The repercussions of swallowing Tide laundry detergent pods won’t only damage your reputation as a competent human being, it will likely hospitalize you. Such is exactly what happened to a young man named JR. The 17-year-old boy (whose […]
(TMU) — A new study, published in Clinical Psychological Science, has discovered a class of words that can accurately assess whether someone is suffering from depression. Utilizing a technologically advanced set of linguistics algorithms, computerized models cull through massive data banks of spoken or written text in minutes to determine if someone shows signs of being depressed. What […]
(AP) — A new report from the U.S. government is likely to create further debate regarding whether or not cellphones and other mobile devices pose a cancer risk to humans. According to a draft report from researchers the United States National Toxicology Program (NTP), male rats exposed to high levels of radiation similar to that emitted by […]
(ANTIMEDIA) — A small, experimental study from researchers at Imperial College-London suggests that in addition to helping treat depression, psychedelic mushrooms may actually reduce politically authoritarian leanings. Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, Head of Psychedelic Research at the Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, led a small investigation into the effects of mushrooms on seven individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). […]
(ANTIMEDIA) Stanford, CA — There may be fresh hope on the horizon in the battle against cancer, as researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a new treatment that has had remarkably positive results on mice. The treatment is a form of immunotherapy — using the body’s own defense system to fight off pathogens — and involves injecting […]
Wireless technology literally has overtaken our world! There are more cell phones than there are humans on Planet Earth! Humans are bombarded with quintillion more frequencies today than we were only ten years ago!
Humans are electromagnetic beings, a fact confirmed by many of modern medicine’s diagnostic tests. As such, more considerations must be given toward how electromagnetic frequencies, radio-frequencies and extremely low frequencies negatively interact with the human body, something microwave technology associations have no time for, especially the fact microwaves emit two types of bodily harm: heat (thermal) and non-thermal radiation waves.
Many people around the globe, who are informed about EMFs/RFs/ELFs, often experience adverse health effects attributed to AMI Smart Meters, Wi-Fi and other microwave-emitting appliances such as cell phones, iPhones, etc.
Then there are others who are taking on state public utility commissions in trying to persuade them to be open to non-microwave-industry, independent science, research and peer review reports indicating the harms being done to the human organism. The environment, too, is adversely affected as are wildlife, pollinating insects and plant life.
For those who want a “library” of factual wireless tech information, here is a pdf file “Wireless Technology The Worst Threat to our Health Personal Privacy Democracy and National Security in Canada’s Entire History” containing 283 PowerPoint frames with information you will have to look for far and wide to get.
Please feel free to share it with your state legislators, public utility commissions, utility companies, members of federal and state regulatory agencies, the Federal Communication Commission, members of Congress, and the press/media.
Via Activist Post
The post Wireless technology: understanding its effects appeared first on Intellihub.
This article was originally published by Selco at The Organic Prepper
Editor’s Note: Something difficult to plan for – or even wrap your brain around – is a world in which medical care is not available. Even though it’s outrageously expensive here in the United States, we can still access care. We may be in debt forever, but it exists.
So, what do you do in a world in which it no longer exists? A world in which there aren’t emergency rooms or doctor’s walk-in clinics? A world in which there aren’t any well-stocked pharmacies?
Today, Selco shares the brutal reality of SHTF medicine. ~Daisy
Organized (system) of professional medical help ceased to exist.
Hospitals, health centers, EMS, and everything similar was gone. The most advanced medical help that you could find in the hardest period was more or less primitive medical care that some military units had, such as medics and low-level trauma care. But this was not available to common folks.
People with medical knowledge became very important because of this fact, but even the most skilled people were often completely useless because all of the other help that the system offers you is simply non-existent.
One of my old colleagues told me story that could point out some things.
His friend called him to help him with his father, who had fallen from the roof. The man climbed on the roof to repair broken tiles, and he was there in the middle of the night (which was the safest way). He fell down, and his sons found him unconscious. They brought him in the house and called my ex-colleague, a nurse, for help.
When he arrived, he checked the old man, then called his sons in other room. He explained to them that their father was going to die very soon because most probably he had internal bleeding.
The sons were mad at him and they started to threaten him, asking him that he help the old man in any possible way.
My colleague told them that only way possible was to ask for help from the local paramilitary unit who had some medical stash, but even that was very questionable because man need specialized medical care, and at that moment that kind of care was not available in the whole city.
The sons took a trip that night to the headquarters of that unit, and guys there told them to visit the “hospital” which was situated in the basement of a destroyed apartment building.
They later told my colleague that the “hospital” actually was 3 basement rooms with oil lamps and a stench so bad that they both immediately vomited.
The “doctor” who listened to their story about the old man’s injuries asked the two of them ” Do you have weapons?” They answered “Yeah, sure”.
They were surprised, and started to yell at him, then “doctor” pulled a gun and said, “Get the f…. out of here or I’ll shoot both of you. Your old man is already dead”
They went home. Their old man was not yet dead but he died in the morning.
Some things can be taken care with basic knowledge and a little bit of inventiveness, for example, taking care of a broken rib or similar, but other conditions and traumas were simply too much to take care for most of the folks.
The point of this story is not to scare you. Maybe in your case, the whole situation is going to be much better. Maybe there is going to be some organization, some kind of bigger system when SHTF. I do not know.
Usually, a person who was ill was placed in a separate room and people did as best as they could to help him.
If we managed to get real medication we did that, if not we tried natural remedies.
Honey was one ingredient that was in most of the home remedies, or at least people stated that, pine needles were sometimes there, chamomile mixture, garlic…
Just like all other resources, they were there ( in very low amounts, of course) to take, steal, or barter.
Antibiotics were very valuable on the black market, and usually, you could dictate the price with if you owned any.
Antibiotics were used even with expired dates, and people did not care because sometimes it was the only medicine that you could find.
Natural remedies also jumped in, and yes people who had any knowledge about herbal remedies became important. Also, there were a lot of scams. For example, you heard that some man had a good herb mixture for asthma, and if that was your only choice, of course, you would try it.
A lot of people used that and scammed people with “homemade herb mixtures”.
Sometimes you could find a man who offered you 15 pills, not packaged, not in a box, just 15 pills, which he stated were antibiotics, and you really need them, so what could you do?
It was a full scale collapse. People were dying from a lot of things (even if we do not mention violent death). There were no doctors, no hospitals, no X rays no lab results.
One day you are good, next day you feel sick and you are vomiting, your skin is yellow, you have a fever…
And then a few days later, you are dead.
Maybe you died from food poisoning, maybe renal failure, maybe your blood sugar went down or up. Who knew?
Lot of ordinary folks did not know why someone died.
A lot of people with chronic illnesses died.The majority of them did not have a stash of medication needed for their condition, and when you add to that fact that overall life quality went down very sharply and very deeply, people who were chronically ill and needed medical attention had serious problems.
In some cases and for some illnesses, certain people managed to pull through with acquiring medication from the black market or using some substitutes like herbs. But for example, if you were an older man who lived with his older wife, and you had insulin-dependent diabetes, and you do not have friends or family to help, and you had no stash, your chances were really low.
Yes, but if we are talking about real mental illnesses, people who had serious mental problems that were under control by medication simply lost it without their meds and went completely “mad”.
You could see people hallucinating out in the street more often than in peacetime, or breaking down in their rooms. I knew cases when families locked in their loved one who had mental illness in a room, controlling him in that way because there was no other way.
A lot of those cases were connected to the people who were heavy drug users (addicts). When the SHTF some of them simply went “wild” or, even worse, some groups used those people for very dirty jobs in exchange for a drug supply. Bigger organized groups had more power and more connections, which meant they could find drugs even in those circumstances. This meant drug addicts were ready to do whatever they had to for them, and very violent things were usually what was needed for a gang to keep power. It is not too different from “peacetime” criminal organizations, but when the SHTF stakes are higher. Violence is much worse and much more frequent.
If we are talking about people who simply went crazy because the world as they knew it collapsed around them, then no, not really. Not too many people lost their minds because of the eruption of violence and collapse.
Of course there was increase in suicides and cases of people simply giving up because they thought it was not worth it to continue to live on that way, but not in numbers that people would imagine.
I think the instinct to fight for survival is stronger then we think.
People mostly pushed through, day by day. There was an increase in alcohol consumption or marijuana, sedatives were good thing to have or some herbal substitutes… but people pushed on.
When the SHTF, all aspects of life changed, and that included aspects of life that you did not even think about, simply because the system had always taken care of those aspects of life.
For example how much physical work you are doing today-if you are average citizen who work as an clerk somewhere, or truck driver, or housewife or whatever, you are used to some physical activity and certain food quality and quantity.
You are used to having an operating bathroom, and to being pretty warm in your home, etc.
When the SHTF, all that changed.
Food became different. The quality and quantity of it went down. Physical activities went up very sharply. Add to that fact that one day, it was stressful not to find your favorite yogurt in few stores. Then suddenly, the next day when the SHTF, the levels of stress were about seeing people shot for fun or asking yourself whether your kid was going to survive eating plants only.
All of that contributed to people getting sick simply because people were almost always exhausted.
If we are mentioning the most common illnesses, then those were gastrointestinal illnesses connected with bad food, bad water, and low hygiene (both personally and in the home).
Second to that, a lot of problems were connected with secondary complications of a minor injury.
For example, you might get some nasty cut while you were working in some abandoned storage, trying to scavenge some useful material.
That cut looked nasty, but basically it could be taken care with iodine, peroxide, sterile dressings and antibiotic treatment. But you did not had any of those so you bandaged it with a dirty bandana. Then, a day later you got a nasty infection which was a huge problem.
A small cut could kill you.
Homemade remedies were used a lot, again with varying levels of success. Home mixtures were used for cuts and infections, and of course, people searched for antibiotics.
If someone broke his arm, for example, you could try to find someone who had a clue about setting the bones, but you can still today find people with funny looking fingers, or bit twisted arm, or not so functioning leg, simply because they splinted it alone at home during that time without any real medical help.
We can be prepared to some extent, but it is more important to understand that very often ( in case of serious collapse) you can not do too much.
Much more important is to understand “from what end” you need to start your medical preparedness.
Most of the discussions about medical preparedness in prepping community today have few common characteristics. They are talking mainly about:
Those are only examples, or one analogy could be that medical preparedness experts teaching you how to suture wounds even if that wound can be taken care of with simple Steri strip (adhesive tape that gonna connect wound edges).
Nobody mentions the complications that can occur from the wound, prolonged care of an infected wound. This is the material and knowledge that you are gonna need.
One of the reasons is that it looks cool to suture a wound or to train how to use tourniquet untill help arrives in form of an ambulance or a helicopter. The other reason is that most of the trainings assume that help is 10 minutes or one hour away.
It may not be like that when real SHTF happens and it is completely different. Then, most probably nobody is going to arrive, and you’ll have to take care of everything.
You need to start with basics and go gradually to more complicated things.
Do not misunderstand me. I know how to suture, and I am combat medic and nurse, too, so I am not talking against that knowledge.
But before learning how to suture as a part of your medical preparedness you need to learn what to do with your waste when SHTF, how to build latrine, how much water you need, and ways to have it in order to keep a minimum of hygiene.
Before you buy 20 suturing kits you need to learn wound care in prolonged terms, including antibiotic treatment for that wound.
You need to know ways to keep yourself clean and protected in order to minimize the risk of getting injured or getting ill.
Another example would be that lot of people are fixated with buying antibiotics without real knowledge of how antibiotics work and the differences between groups of antibiotics.
Get gloves, face masks, working gloves, hand sanitizers, and alcohol pads. Then go with antibiotics and tourniquets.
It is about preparation and common sense. So if you have, for example, a person with high blood pressure problems in your family, you need to learn all you can about that condition including proper diet, natural remedies, what to do in a possible crisis, and you need to have serious stash of medications for that condition.
Just like with all other fields of prepping, here too, you need to think a bit outside of the box.
A lot of medical skills can be learned. Some of them are online, free to research and learn.
For example, sometimes it is simply not enough to give oral antibiotics, sometimes you’ll have to give it through an IV or intramuscular, or sometimes best choice is to rehydrate person through IV solutions.
Yes, it is probably illegal to do that if you are not a medical professional, but when the SHTF, that is gonna be not so important. On the other side, your skills are gonna be very important.
Learn skills no matter what system says about who can practice those skills. You are preparing for a time when system is gone so it makes sense.
About the Author
Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution. In his online works, he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today. He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations like Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months. Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world. Read more of Selco’s articles here: https://shtfschool.com/blog/ And take advantage of a deep and profound insight into his knowledge and advice by signing up for the outstanding and unrivaled online course. More details here: https://shtfschool.com/survival-boot-camp/
Please feel free to share any information from this article in part or in full, giving credit to the author and including a link to The Organic Prepper and the following bio.
Daisy Luther is the author of The Pantry Primer: A Prepper’s Guide To Whole Food on a Half Price Budget. Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca</e
Health and fitness are important parts of life, and are part of a mindset that I make sure is part of my day every day – even if that means just having an active rest day. I believe the body requires exercise every day. For a while I used to lift weights at a gym, but then that changed for me and I want to share some info about why I chose to leave that behind.
It’s not that there is anything wrong with lifting weights at the gym or at home, as there are multiple ways to “get results” in the fitness world. But I believe it comes down to enjoying something and asking what you want from your exercise. For me, right now, I use a combination of training styles, with calisthenics as the focus. With calisthenics (body-weight training) you can get all the same results as weight-lifting, become very strong, and build a truly firm foundation, while lowering your risk of injury significantly compared to weight-lifting.
I, along with many others, strongly believe that calisthenics is the future of fitness. It’s already taken off in some countries and is now showing its spark here in Western culture -and for good reason. Many people I talk to lately seems to be looking for something different, as if they are bored of the same old gym/weight routine just as I was. It also seems people want to have more fun when they work out.
Calisthenics is about functional strength, natural looking bodies, free workouts, creativity, self-mastery, and healthy routines. It is also something many people can do. I believe that in general we are moving in this direction because times change, our minds change, and things seem to be shifting towards a more natural way of being, which means getting out of repetitive cycles.
I worked out at the gym for years and was lifting heavy. Did it work? Absolutely, I got plenty of muscle and gained strength. Exercising was part of my routine in high school, as I was inspired by a kinesiology course I took where I learned all about the body, muscles, nutrition, and how to work out to get results.
But I noticed that I started to get tight, I wasn’t flexible, and it was easy, even with proper form, to irritate joints when lifting heavier weights. I didn’t feel my whole body was getting strong either, just in certain parts doing specific things. Plus, I didn’t like the gym and lifting weights – the vibe, the repetition, the lack of creativity, the people so focused on hyping themselves up, looking at themselves in the mirror all day – it simply wasn’t for me. My goals were never about impressing people with my body. I wanted to be healthy, have functional strength, enjoy movement, have healthy joints, build strong neurological connections to my body, and exercise in an environment I liked.
Functional strength is strength that you utilize in everyday tasks. It also goes along with a lot of natural body movements. What I noticed in my experience from weight lifting was that I could get stronger at certain exercises yet I didn’t notice much functional strength increases versus training calisthenics. This was further illustrated to me when I would train my back and shoulders like crazy with weights, yet could only do a small amount of pull-ups. Weight-lifting often trains very localized muscles, whereas with calisthenics it’s more of a full-body workout. This was probably one of the most noticeable differences for me, I was gaining strength throughout my whole body in areas that don’t get touched by weight-lifting. Plus, doing calisthenics and avoiding weights healed injuries that I had struggled with for years.
Coming from a point of having my back and core heavily injured, this was a huge transformation for me. The photo below is of me after only 3 months of calisthenics training. My form for this “human flag” is not perfect yet in this picture, but it’s not far off. Three months later (today), I can now hold that same move with straight arms and flatter legs.
Get inspiring tips and information about how I achieved this exercise and to get out of the gym and into nature! CLICK HERE
First off, don’t let anyone tell you what routine you should be doing or what workout methods are best. You have to do what’s right for you, and being aware of your options will empower you. If you don’t enjoy your workouts, then you will have a hard time with motivation and in general you will be forcing yourself to do something you don’t like. Find what works for you, calisthenics is only one option out of many.
For me, getting out of the gym and into outdoor calisthenic workouts made me LOVE my workouts. Compared to when I used to lift weights, I’ve never felt this good. I’m stronger and more flexible than I have ever been. My mind and body connection is through the roof and even though my goals are health related, the appearance of my body is the same as when I used to lift heavy, except now my muscles are longer and my body isn’t puffy and bloated. I also don’t need to go through bulk up phases and then slim down phases because my nutrition choice is a sustainable lifestyle versus being strictly fast-goal oriented.
Currently I do a mix of calisthenics and yoga. I add in sports and active rest time on days where I don’t work out. Don’t be afraid to use multiple workout methods and switch things up. It seems we often get afraid that as soon as we stop working out we’ll deflate. If that’s happening to you, you’re probably not building sustainable muscle.
Focusing totally on body image is a mindset I truly believe Western culture struggles with greatly; we are obsessed with physical results and short-term results. We’ll do anything to be a “hunk,” even if it’s not healthy for us. When you take the ego away and go for what’s a true healthy choice for you – for mind, spirit, and body – your choices and goals become very different, and your results do too.
So is calisthenics for you? You answer that question yourself. What appeals to you? What do you want your lifestyle to look like? What do you like doing when you work out? You have to enjoy it! There’s no wrong answer.
If you want to be a body builder, and have that huge body, maybe compete in competitions, or be a power lifter (a couple reps of a ton of weight), then you will need to lift weights simply because you have to stress your body to incredible levels to get those results. You also have to eat in a specific manner to get those results and to be honest, much of the diet advice you get from these types of athletes is not all that healthy for you long-term.
If you are looking for a lot of functional strength, solid bone, and ligament health, good cardiovascular fitness, or a toned, muscular looking body, calisthenics will give you all of that.
One myth you hear a lot is that you can’t build muscle mass or get good results with calisthenics, but this isn’t true at all. You will gain a lot of strength and size, and be in great shape just as anyone working out at a gym does. There are easy exercises and tough exercises, and many of weight lifters have trouble performing some of them. Your body is your weight, so it’s not like you are not lifting weight, there’s just no added weight. You’d be surprised how hard many of these exercises are and how well they work any other body part, without an increased risk of hurting yourself.
Raw unedited images of Frank Medrano, Adam Raw & Hit Richards. Built through calisthenics only.
This guy pretty much sums it up well and he’s been through a ton of different techniques. He explains why, in his opinion, he feels bodyweight/calisthenics is best. He does still lift weight as he believes in multiple types of training, but he covers some great points.
I’m simply trying to lead us to realize that it’s about kicking the ego out of your health and make it about a lifestyle choices and health. You can play in whatever realm you like, there’s no need to judge either, but keep yourself honest and in check with what you are doing and why. You have options. Choose what’s fun and engaging for you!
The post Why I Stopped Lifting Weights At The Gym And Do This Instead (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
This report was originally published by J. G. Martinez D. at The Organic Prepper
Dear fellows, I want to tell a little story of this last week.
My son had a rash in his little armpits and other parts. So his mom took him to the doctor, within walking distance from our subdivision (our SUV is still busted). After the subsequent blood test (according to my wife it was a real spectacle. He is a strong kid and a task force between my wife, the doctor and a nurse was needed to get the blood sample…well at least we know he is able to defend himself.) The lab result (freaking expensive because the reactants are scarce) was salmonella.
I started to worry a lot, as it is logical. That was Thursday. I got immediately into fast-forward mode, and found the money, while I was extremely concerned about the availability of the needed antibiotics. My wife woke up early, and with a neighbor in his car went with the kiddo to the pharmacy. After visiting two pharmacies with negative results, they headed up to a state-owned pharmacy next to the state hospital, controlled by Cubans or party members, who betray the hospital personnel that dares to report malnutrition deaths or similar events. This is happening.
She was finally able to find the medicines on Saturday morning, at a really inflated price, but the neighbor works for an official government, with a flash of his badge she could buy them without the employees giving it a second look.
I emailed a copy of the doctor’s report to Daisy, so she can confirm my history for those who feel the need to do so.
To me, this was a major achievement under the actual circumstances. I used some of the money from your donations, to exchange it for the needed Bolivares to buy the medications, but the important thing to note here is that they were found. And that is not easy in this country.
Forgotten diseases are returning
Recent reports from these last few days have been, for someone who understands the importance of the endemic diseases that had been under control, spreading quickly.
I am talking about serious stuff: Tuberculosis, Diptheria, Leishmaniasis. There have been adults and children who died because of these things. The diseases themselves, under normal conditions can be healed. But without the appropriate medications and proper nutrition, they become deadly.
Leishmaniasis
One of the worst endemic diseases that has been reported (this information arrived via social networking from confirmed, known sources) is Leishmaniasis. This is a parasite to which you should pay a lot of attention. With the lack of proper balanced feeding, a person’s natural defenses get lower, and it is much easier for them to get sick.
Traditionally there were programs all over the country to fumigate and keep the vectors under control. However, the last fumigation was a long time ago and this allowed the vectors to spread themselves again, reaching densely populated areas, and now without any modern medication to contain it.
Rodents, canines, are affected too. The main transmission vector is the mosquito, and their first manifestation is a skin lesion in the place of the bite. There are several forms of the disease, and most of them are deadly. This is a disease associated with the malnourishment, population displacement, poor living conditions, weak immune systems, and a general lack of resources. This is the exact scenario we have been living through and the description of an SHTF situation. It affects the liver and has permanent consequences if not treated properly.
Ehrlichiosis
Another disease we have present in our area is the Ehrlichiosis, a tropical variation of Lyme disease. Fortunately, we could find the antibiotics for this as well, but of course at incredible prices. Thankfully with a 2nd income, it could be obtained. My wife got better after weeks of feeling sick once we knew what it was.
In a funny side note, we had to go to a veterinary lab, as it was the only one in town that was able to do such testing. This gave me floor for a LOT of imaginative, creative jokes to her. Lol.
We used the recipes to buy some extra blisters packs of medication, just in case, for our medicine box will be donated once the family can come with me.
Tuberculosis
Another disease that had an incredible increase is tuberculosis. It is known that tuberculosis is linked to malnutrition (source) and it is becoming increasingly widespread in Venezuela. As it is more or less known, improper nutrition is the main cause of this once-eradicated sickness in Venezuela. The cases were very few, and widely spread, mainly among drug addicts, homeless people, or even patients of psychiatric hospitals. This is a bacteria, and the infection damage is located especially in lungs.
A weakened immune system makes it easy for the disease to take hold. There are a lot of ways to prevent our defenses from getting too low, but proper nutrition is the best prevention. Whole foods, of course, provide more leverage to our immune system than processed foods.
Mosquito-transmitted diseases
Another important and significant increase has been in the mosquito-transmitted diseases. With the main insecticides factories financially strangled, their production is scarce, and the well-known government mafia takes over whatever they can.
Finding a can of insecticide is not easy. This is another item that should be stockpiled. It is not going to lose efficiency. I could afford to buy a fumigation machine, able to provide a clouding of droplets with a very small size, the needed size to float in the air for hours (I don´t remember how many microns, I think about 0.5 or so). It is useful for house fumigation as well as greenhouse or crops, despite being electrical. It does not use a heating element, so it is much more simple to maintain and fix, and this allows to use a wider variety of insecticides that do not need to be burned to remain as a cloud for keeping their effectiveness.
Salmonella
Our recent experience with salmonella last week opened our eyes to how bad sanitation conditions have become. Of course, this is to be expected. There are no cleaning products at affordable prices, and therefore the hygiene decreases significantly, and salmonella is a disease very closely linked to hygiene.
According to my research for this article, salmonella can be transmitted by infected hens, even before teggshellell is formed, and this seemed to us something very likely because the chicken farmers can’t afford the mandatory vaccines or medications for the animals.
Another salmonella infection source is raw poultry. We noticed that in the place we buy our fresh poultry and cheese, these are stored in the same freezer. This is not what we could call ideally sanitary, but it is our first time facing such an illness.
According to our doctor, that same day there were 2 other cases of salmonella before our son. This is alarming, to me. Never had seen even one case, except very rare instances, and suddenly three persons in a row in a doctor’s office?
This is highly suspicious, at a minimum.
What can we do given that we are not regular people but preppers?
Let’s see.
My first thought is, given that the readers are spread worldwide, is research what diseases are endemic to your area. Statiscally speaking, the probability of picking up a disease that is not typical of your region should be low.
Once the hazard your group maybe exposed to is identified, then proceed with the neutralization measures by finding out which medications would be needed if the normal supply is no longer available.
Some prepper-friendly doctor could extend the needed prescriptions, and your stashed medicines would be one of the stuff that should be already in your secluded BOL, under the proper conditions. [Alternatively, if you can’t get those, look for herbal remedies you can create yourself – this book is a reference every prepper should own ~ Daisy]
Given what we have experienced, I would not try to save money on this issue. It will be worth every penny if you need it. Oh, and I don’t work or have any relationship with any medical company other than swallowing their stuff from time to time if needed.
This said, I would calculate, depending on the medical history of the family (for example, urinary infections, bacterial stomach infections like amoebas in my case) and the endemic disease information, then go about stockpiling two complete treatments a year, for each family member.
Other possible treatments could be those for botulism. Some antidote against this toxin should be stockpiled. This is very serious, and the probability of appearing is not because it is endemic, but because of things like decomposing canned food.
Skin burn ointments and other common medications would be needed, too. Our scarcity began about 4 years ago, but mostly because of the inflation. If you have the money, you can find anything you need, even under these conditions.
Therefore, I strongly suggest you find a good, suitable way, optimized for your particular conditions to store wealth.
This is worst case scenario and you may adjust it to your own medical knowledge and location. It would be great to receive comments from people in the know.
Thank you.
I give special thanks to those who have prayed for my family, because your prayers, my fellow preppers, really worked.
I don´t have words to describe how grateful I am for all of you.
We faced this issue, came through the other side almost unharmed, knowing this could have become serious if the medicine were not found, and I am sure your prayers for us were heard…
I don’t have words to thank you. God Bless you all, people!
Jose
About the Author
Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has a small 4 members family, plus two cats and a dog. An old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. If you’d like to donate to help Jose get his family out of Venezuela, you can do so here: paypal.me/JoseM151
Please feel free to share any information from this article in part or in full, giving credit to the author and including a link to The Organic Prepper and the following bio.
Daisy Luther is the author of The Pantry Primer: A Prepper’s Guide To Whole Food on a Half Price Budget. Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca
