Along with sunshine, though, come a few not-s0-fun health challenges. Here are just a few, along with some strategies for dealing with them.

1.  If anyone in the family has sensitive skin, buy the smallest possible size of sunscreen. There’s no point in spending $10 or more, only to find out too late that it causes a serious, itchy rash on some unfortunate loved one. (I speak from experience!)

2.  Speaking of itches and rashes, check out the new Itch Relief Patch! These clear, round medicated patches can be placed directly on any itchy area. From the company itself:

“BeKOOOL’s new Itch Relief Patches can now be found online at Drugstore.comand Walgreens.com , and in the anti-itch sections of the following retailers: Walmart, Dollar General, Harris Teeter and H-E-B.”

My son wandered into a mound of ants two weeks ago, and I was very glad to have some samples of these patches! They prevented him from scratching the ant bites and the novelty of being covered with a few of these patches made the experience kind of fun.

3.  Living in the desert, I’ve learned there are 2 ingredients for staying cool: water and moving air. Always have extra water in your vehicle for times when you’re stuck on the side of the road or end up somewhere far from air conditioning! Keeping 1 or 2 small battery-powered fans* in your vehicle emergency kit would be another good idea as well as a small spray bottle.

It’s amazing how just a few mists from a water spray bottle helps keep the body cool.

*Be sure to keep plenty of extra, fresh batteries on hand!

4.  A small aloe vera plant can be grown just about anywhere, and it’s one of the best ways that I know of for cooling sunburned skin.

image by Lin Pernille Photography

5.  A very simple product to keep on hand for warm weather problems is cornstarch. It’s great for soothing chafing from sweaty skin and diaper rashes.

6.  Keep in mind that certain groups of people have a particularly hard time when the weather gets really hot: babies and toddlers, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with chronic health issues.

If anyone in your family fits in one of these categories, have a plan for keeping them cool, especially if the power goes out and takes the air conditioning with it.

7.  Dehydration can become a serious issue during the warmest months of the year. Watch for sales on cases of water, Gatorade, and other drinks that include electrolytes. We just discovered Activate, which includes a dose of real vitamins and supplements.

Here’s a recipe for making your own rehydration drinks.

8.  Summer air pollution and pollen can set the stage for a really unpleasant asthma season. Make sure you have the right kind of medication with you at home and in your purse and/or vehicle.

Check to see if a local news station posts pollen reports on their website to help keep track of local conditions. You can also visit airnow.gov.

9.  Lyme disease continues to affect thousands of people every year. In 2008, there were more than 28,000 who contracted the disease. (I couldn’t fine more recent stats than ’08.)

You should know that the possibility of Lyme disease is greater in some parts of the country than others. If you live in one of the higher-risk zones, keep a vigilant eye out for any sign of  a tick bite. Keep in mind that the most dangerous ticks that can carry Lyme disease are the nymphal ticks (babies), and they are about the size of a poppy seed!

10.  Sunstroke. I’m adding this one because it happened to me one summer when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I remember the horrible sunburn, the blistered skin, the fever.

Pay attention to outside temperatures, especially if your kids are playing outdoors during 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.* Their little bodies heat up quickly, and if they are distracted by all the summer fun, pool parties, etc., they won’t notice a bad sunburn until it’s too late.

(*Can you believe that we used to call those the, “peak tanning hours”??? How crazy was that??)

Stay safe this summer, Survival Moms!

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Preppers who can afford it are encouraged to buy precious metals also known as PMs.  If you cannot afford gold and silver bullion or coins, there is still value in having some types of silver in your stockpile. The value is maintaining your health.

Silver has shown effective in fighting bacteria, viruses, algae and fungi. Its germicidal effects also kill many microbial organisms.

Silverware (solid or plated)
It is believed that the wealthy in history have had better health because they ate off silver utensils. If you have silver plated flatware, it’s useless for melt value but can be invaluable for the health benefits. Switch to your “good silver” when society collapses and you may greatly reduce your need for medical attention!

Colloidal Silver (purchased or homemade)
This substance has been used for years. Yes, I remember the guy who turned blue! He abused the use of homemade colloidal silver (CS) and drank it daily; everything in moderation!

Whether you stock up on commercially produced CS or have the supplies on hand to DIY, this is an excellent item to add to your medical supplies.

Store-bought CS can be very costly to stockpile.  If you’re considering making your own, here are some suggestions:

DIY Steps from Ready Nutrition’s Tess Pennington

You’ll need:

- 8-12 oz glass jar

- Ultrafine silver wire or bullion (.999)*

- 3 9v batteries

- 3 9v battery terminal clip snap-ons

-  2 small alligator clips

Instructions:

1. Connect 3 battery clips in series (positive to negative, connecting red wires to black). On the 2 unconnected wire ends, attach alligator clips. You can either solder this together or use electrical tape after twisting the wires together.

2. Put batteries on the clips. (Don’t touch the clips once the batteries are connected or they will short out.) Wash the jar then fill it with distilled water.

3. Run the silver wires parallel into the water, ideally about 3/4″ apart. Don’t let them touch each other when the batteries are connected. Attach the alligator clip leads to the silver wires.

4. Once the wires are connected to power, watch for a white cloud to begin forming between them. First, bubbles will form on the wires and 5-10 minutes later, particles will be seen emitting from one of them. Run the generator for 10 minutes past this point to make it approximately 5-7 ppm.

5. When the process is complete, pour the liquid through an unbleached coffee filter into an amber or dark blue glass container. These can sometimes be purchased at health food stores and on Amazon. Your liquid should be either clear or a very light yellow. Running the process too long will create a dark or cloudy liquid which is less effective.

Shelf life of DC-generated colloidal silver is approximately 14-30 days. Shake well before using.

Resources

This video provides very good step-by step instructions on creating your own generator.  He also includes alternative power sources including: regular 9V batteries, re-chargeable 9V batteries, a DC transformer, and solar panels.

If you are concerned about your ability to build your own generator, there are companies who will sell you anything from a pre-fabricated generator to a complete CS generator kit.

SilverGen has an excellent list of uses for CS.  Consider printing these suggestions and adding them to your Survival Binder or stashing the list next to your homemade CS.

*Testimonial from The Survival Mom: The kids and I take a couple of teaspoons of colloidal silver a few times a week. When my son had a mouthful of sores last year, I had him swish his mouth twice a day with colloidal silver. After just 2 days, the sores had cleared up. From personal experience I know they usually hang around a lot longer.

Not everyone agrees that colloidal silver is helpful as an alternative medicine, so do your own research before using it for medical purposes.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by *Zoha.Nve

More than 20 years ago, I learned this tip from a roommate, and now I’m using it so my family always has a crisp, healthy salad. Now when my kids say they’re hungry, I say, “Go eat a salad!” For a main dish, we add whatever cooked meat is in the fridge, along with some cheese and hard boiled eggs.

Super quick and super easy because I only have to make a large salad every 7-10 days.

All you’ll need is a large bowl with a snap-on lid, 2 paper towels, and a salad.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by lorenkerns

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that this year’s flu completely blindsided me. I read the headlines declaring a near-epidemic in some parts of the country but noted that my state, Arizona, hadn’t been hit particularly hard. So when my son had a short bout with what I thought was a 24 hour stomach bug, I wasn’t worried.

Three days later, he was nearly catatonic with a fever and a deep, racking cough. My brain hadn’t been thinking “flu”, so my husband and I were running to the store for ginger ale, extra Kleenex, and a new thermometer.

In hindsight, I really shouldn’t have been so complacent. Although we rarely get sick, it would have been so simple to put together a Flu Be-Gone Box, filled with items to help us get through the worst of any sickness. After all, if mom and dad were ever sidelined by an illness, my kids are too young to drive to the store!

My goal is to keep everything in one place, so we aren’t running around trying to locate a stray thermometer or the jar of honey that’s somewhere in the pantry. I also want the kids to know where this box is located and what each item is for.

Here’s what I’ve placed in our box so we’ll be ready next time around.

1. Large, unopened box of tissues.
2. Small bottle each of NyQuil and DayQuil. Your choices may be different.
3. Small bottle of crystallized ginger for homemade ginger tea. You can also put a couple of crystals inside your cheek and allow to slowly dissolve. Crystallized ginger doesn’t have as strong a bite as fresh.
4. Unopened bottle of ginger ale for nausea.
5. A small, unopened jar of honey for coughs. (Not for use with babies, though.)
6. Unopened bottle of hand sanitizer
7. Thermometer
8. Peppermint and/or eucalyptus essential oils for use in a humidifier.
9. Small bottle of ibuprofen.
10. A few pairs of disposable gloves
11. 4 Readi Masks. I really love this product! For the Flu Box, I have the masks without the eye guard.

I thought of adding a box of saltines, but these go horrifically bad after a couple of months due to the small amount of oil in the crackers. A sealed box of pilot bread would stay fresh, though.

What else would you suggest adding to the Flu Be-Gone Box?

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

First aid kits are important for any type of survival situation. However each person’s first aid kit may be a bit different than anyone else’s. For a first aid kit for survival in disaster situations perhaps the most economical way to do so instead of buying a ready-made, mass produced kit, is simply assemble your own kit. Here are some considerations to think about when creating your own survival first aid kit.

1. First aid training knowledge weighs nothing but may be your most valuable component.
2. What is needed versus what would be nice to have.
3. The weight of the items.
4. The bulk of the items after they are packaged.

1. First Aid Training and Knowledge Weighs Nothing.

image by Mat Honan

This is possible the most important component of your first aide kit is your own personal knowledge and skills of what to do in an emergency. The knowledge that you carry in your head, that can be translated to your hands weighs nothing but is extremely invaluable in any type of crisis situation. There are many free books, videos, classes, websites, etc that will train you to know what to do in an emergency. So get some hands-on training and lots of practice. Your skills and knowledge will give you confidence and help you to keep a cool head in the event of any emergency situation.

Now for the the physical kit items…

2. The Need vs. Want Scale

You need to assess your needs and then add to your actual kit items. You will need items that will do the following:

Stop bleeding and/or protect wounds.
Splint and support broken, sprained or dislocated body parts.
Treat both hypo and hyperthermia.

These are actual needs. Depending on your circumstances you may want to add meds such as aspirin or Tylenol, and pain meds such as NSAIDS can be very useful also. However these meds are not NEEDED items.

3.The weight of the items.

Based on the items that are NEEDED here are some options:

Stop bleeding – there are only four simple items that are needed in your first aid kit that will help to cover this basic issue. These items are duct tape, super glue (the original purpose of super glue was for closing wounds), gauze (small gauze and large packing gauze such as an “H” bandage) and a tourniquet (only use a tourniquet with proper training and knowledge.) Also include iodine or some other liquid to cleanse wounds before covering them.

Splints – Splinting affected areas can be easily done with duct tape or anything else in the surrounding environment that will provide support to the injured body part. Effective splinting can be done using sticks, clothes, a blanket, even debris. Again, proper first aid training is a must to know how to effectively splint an injured body part.

Hypothermia and Hyperthermia – Treating hypothermia (the body is too cold) is simply finding the necessary dry and warm clothes, blankets or other methods to bring the body temperature back to normal. Treating hyperthermia (the body gets too hot) can be done by placing the patient in some sort of shade or even creating shade. An aluminum blanket can be effectively used for treating both conditions. The aluminum blanket can either be used to produce heat by wrapping the patient in it or create shade by directing heat away from the injured person.

4. Consider the Bulk of the Items.

All of the items above have been carefully chosen to provide for some very basic first aid needs without creating too much bulk and can be used for multiple purposes.

Your basic finished first aid kit will include these items:

Gauze
“H” bandage
Super glue
Duct Tape
Iodine
Aluminum Blanket
Pain meds (optional)

Add anything else you may deem necessary for your particular and unique situation and needs. Package all of this together in a waterproof package and label it as a first aid emergency kit. My suggestion is to packing in a red plastic covering or at last attaching a red ribbon to it, since red is the universal color sign of first aid and red is a color that can be easily seen and recognized in a time of crisis.

Author Craig Caudill also writes for Dan’s Depot and can be reached by email at blog@dansdepot.com.

© 2012 – 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by lydia_shiningbrightly

Guess what’s more difficult than:

• storing 6 months worth of food?
• becoming proficient with a handgun?
• learning how to can food?
• piecing together a quilt by hand?
• killing a moose with your bare hands?

The answer? Losing weight!

That’s right! Out of all the bits of knowledge, the plethora of skills, and the survival supplies that you should be stocking, losing weight is by far the hardest task!

Over on Facebook we just started a support group for anyone who realizes that getting in shape is a part of preparedness. “Skinny Survival Moms (and others!)” just started this week and already there are over 80 members.

I’ve spent the better part of this year losing almost 50 pounds and wish I would have had this group back in January!

Some of us are reading Suddenly Skinny by Freya Taylor and posting our thoughts. Others are asking about different eating and fitness plans, and we’re just getting started!

If you want to group together with other survival and preparedness (mostly) women who have similar diet and fitness goals, join us! We’d love to have you! There are no weigh-ins, unless you care to report progress, and no pressure. You can follow whatever eating plan you like and if your goal is more physical fitness than weight loss, you’ll fit in just fine!

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by vavivix

To summarize, the article encourages readers to stock up on high-calorie foods, correctly stating, ” In a post-SHTF scenario [without the benefit of power tools, most water pumps, and gas engine vehicles], the general activity level of the populace will most certainly increase, so most people can expect their current calorie requirement to go well above their BMR (basal metabolic rate).”

She continues, “The true goal of storing food is to be able to provide enough calories to sustain life.”

I agree that a healthy amount of calories per person per day is an important component in food storage but I disagree with so much focus on calories. Looking around at our populace, calorie intake sure doesn’t seem to be much of a problem and we have dozens of food-related maladies as proof.

Again from the article, “Conversely, the items that cost more per calorie are usually those things that you are allowed to eat without consequence on a diet.  These would include spinach, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.  Like we saw above, you can eat a whole 14 ounce can of green beans from the grocery store and only get 70 calories.”

Fewer calories, yes, but what about their important nutrients?

Her choices:

• “Creamy condensed soups usually contain more calories than their ready-to-eat counterparts because you are storing less water in the can.  One brand of cream of chicken soup on my pantry shelf has 300 calories per can, which is fantastic.”
• “And, remember the ever-favorite ramen noodles.  At our local grocer, you can get a 12-pack of ramen for $2.44.  Each individual pack contains 380 calories, giving 4560 calories in the box.  So, ramen yields 1,869 cal per dollar spent.  Pretty impressive!”
• “Long grain white rice:  50# bag for $16.86.   There are 1650 calories per pound which gives 82,500 calories in the bag.  So, you get 4893 calories/dollar spent.”

There’s a problem with this method of food storage that focuses primarily on calories: it’s not healthy! Who cares what the calorie count is if the nutrition value is nil? A bag of potato chips is loaded with calories, far more than a huge, delicious salad with lean meats, hard boiled eggs and an olive oil dressing, but it’s the salad that has the best nutritional value, not the chips, in spite of their high calorie count. A hearty chicken soup wins, hands down, over the chips as well.

In fact, the recommendation to stock up on white flour and starchy vegetables is a proven path to diabetes and other ailments.

A few years ago I taught a food storage class and a woman who attended said, “Lisa, the reason so many Americans are overweight is because our food isn’t nutritionally dense. We eat but our bodies aren’t satisfied, so we eat some more.” She had an excellent point, and this is where I believe we can improve our food storage pantries: evaluate our food storage by the nutritional density of each food.

Personally, I have purchased large amounts of freeze-dried, dehydrated, and even canned vegetables and fruit. I have seeds that can be sprouted, providing my family with enormous amounts of micronutrients. We do have wheat and rice, but it’s important to know how to add extra nutrition to those basics (see my recipe for Super Rice as an example).

So how can you best add nutrient dense foods to your pantry?

1. Buy coconut oil as well as olive oil for daily cooking and for adding to recipes in order to increase both their calories as well as fat content. These healthy oils are necessary for healthy bodies.
2. Stock up on more nutritious versions of grocery store foods, e.g. whole wheat pasta, brown rice.
3. Buy quality nutritional supplements* and multivitamins.
4. Learn about grains other than wheat, such as spelt and stock up on chia seeds, millet, and flaxseed. These can be added to numerous recipes in order to increase their nutritional value.
5. Take a look at the line of foods from Enerhealth Botanicals*. I interviewed one of their executives, Darren Craddock, in a Survival Mom webinar, and he has a wealth of information for improving our diets.

Specifically, learn about Enerhealth Botanicals’ organic Enerfood Super Green Energy Drink. This is a powder that can be added to a drink and includes all organic ingredients, such as spirulina, wheat grass, horsetail (excellent from strong teeth), kelp, spinach, alfalfa, and a lot more. The stuff tastes very, very green, but is a super-charged nutritional that is also high in protein.

I also like Enerhealth’s Coconut Milk Powder, which can be added to juice or a smoothie and is rich in nutrients. Not so high in calories but dense where it counts.

All this isn’t to say that calories aren’t important, but in no way should we be amassing foods that are only high in calories and will provide a diet that will lead to serious nutritional deficiencies. As with everything, find and maintain a balance! That’s a survival lesson that never fails.

*Enerhealth Botanicals is not an advertiser nor an affiliate. I just like their high quality products and recommend them.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by RambergMediaImages

In my original article, �The Truth About Expiration Dates� 2 years ago, I indicated these findings were no longer available to the public.� Now, a breakthrough scientific article has been published in the respected journal �The Archives of Internal Medicine�.� Below is the article in its entirety, with important sections in bold type:

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

When you think of essential oils do you envision a high-end massage therapist or someone sniffing a tiny bottle to ease stress?� If you have not yet been exposed to the multitude of medicinal uses for therapeutic-grade essential oils, then I have news for you!

image by hackerfriendly

My first experience with essential oils was from a couple of bottles of lavender and peppermint oils I got at the health food store back in 2003.� I thought the oils had nice smells, and used the peppermint to deodorize my carpet and the lavender on a sunburn.� I was happy with the results I got.� But a couple of years later when I�tried out therapeutic-grade oils, my world opened up considerably.

Since I began using therapeutic grade essential oils in 2005, I have personally gotten powerful results using the oils for colds and flu, a severely swollen parotid gland, acne, severe insomnia, heart palpitations, vomiting, shingles, food poisoning, a sprained ankle, insect bites, and even shock.

My mom had a 3rd-degree burn that healed within a week with therapeutic-grade lavender oil.� I’ve had clients get off their asthma inhalers, get off pain killers, and avoid giving their children drugs for attention deficiency!� They’ve�used the oils successfully in childbirth, for diabetes, and heart disease.

When I began to get serious about preparedness in the spring of 2008 I quickly realized how much more prepared I was to handle medical issues than anyone I knew who didn’t also use the oils.� I developed a passion for teaching people how to use the oils now, and also how to use them in a disaster or collapse scenario.� There are hundreds of different essential oils out there and it can be a little intimidating at first.

The good news is that the oils are incredibly versatile. I have my favorite 9 oils that I share with people — therapeutic-grade lavender, peppermint, frankincense, and lemon as well as 5 essential oils blends — Thieves, Purification, Peace & Calming, PanAway, and Valor.

Here are 10 reasons to have these 9 oils in your survival kit –

1. They work great for injuries.

Years ago I elbowed my friend in the eye at a dance.� Her eye started swelling and closing up immediately (I have really bony elbows).� I had my oils in my purse and� dabbed a small amount of PanAway and lavender around her eyes.� That was the end of that — no black eye, and no more swelling or pain!

Therapeutic-grade lavender oil is legendary for its ability to stop bleeding, prevent wound infection, promote rapid healing of wounds, and prevent scarring.

2. They work great for everyday ailments or situations that could happen during a disaster or collapse scenario.

I’ve helped dozens of people get rid of headaches with essential oils.� 1-2 drops of peppermint oil applied on site usually does the trick.� My mom got off her Claritin with lavender oil.� A good friend of mine came to visit me when I lived in Florida and got a tick bite.� We put a drop of peppermint oil on the tick, and easily extracted it.� We dabbed Purification oil on the bite, and he experienced no swelling, redness or pain.

3. They work great for infectious disease.

Thieves, frankincense, and lemon oils are among my favorite for use with cold, flu, and any type of viral, bacterial, and even fungal infection.� I have applied them on my glands, over my throat, on my feet, in my armpits, and have taken them internally in water or homemade capsules with fantastic results.� For fever or digestive issues including nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea I apply peppermint oil to my belly and feet.� Frankincense works great for respiratory congestion and peppermint oil for sinus congestion.

Since using the essential oils I have not needed to go to a doctor for antibiotics.� My symptoms have always improved markedly and gone away in a timely manner with the oils and other common-sense measures such as plenty of fluids and rest.� When I’ve used the oils at the very first sign of illness, I’ve had many instances of symptoms going away completely and never coming back.

My clients have successfully used Thieves for MRSA, lavender for chicken pox, and watched everyone around them get ill with swine flu while they remained well, applying Thieves oil as a preventive measure daily.

�4. They can replace Rx drugs in many instances.� This is highly desirable for preparedness as the #1 cause of death in an economic collapse is projected to be lack of access to Rx drugs.

I personally have been able to get off 4 prescription drugs that I previously could not function without using essential oils and supplements with essential oils.� For my clients with depression or anxiety I recommend lavender, frankincense, Peace & Calming, and Valor.� Lavender and Peace & Calming are also great for high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease, including in the event of a heart attack!

5. Essential oils are Mother Nature’s medicines super-concentrated in a small, lightweight, portable bottle that� can fit in your back pocket.

1 drop of therapeutic-grade peppermint oil equivalent to 26 cups of peppermint tea!

6. They don’t expire if stored properly.

Of course, this is not so for most other medicines people have in their survival medical kits that have to be replaced every few years.

7. They can also be used for hygiene and household uses.

Purification is a natural insect repellent and lavender is a natural sunscreen.� Thieves oil is great for oral care, and lavender and frankincense for skin care. So as you prepare yourself to handle medical issues in a disaster, you can have fresh breath, clean teeth, and nice-looking skin as a bonus!

8. Start using them now and save money on medical expenses.

I estimate that I save a few thousand dollars per year on my healthcare expenses with these essential oils�factoring in the money I used to spend on Rx drugs, OTC drugs, and doctor visits.

9. Therapeutic-grade essential oils are appropriate and powerful for adults, children, teens, babies, the elderly, even pets and livestock!

Teething babies, cats with urinary tract infections, children with ear infections and pinkeye, horses with proud flesh, and elderly folks with dementia have all been helped significantly with therapeutic-grade essential oils.

10. They smell good and deodorize things — a lot of things in a disaster or collapse scenario WON’T smell very good and would need some deodorizing!!

Risa Nakahira, a nurse in Japan, reported that she used therapeutic-grade essential oils in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami to sanitize and deodorize stinky, dirty public bathrooms at evacuation facilities as well as the masks and boots of relief workers who waded through piles of decaying fish and other debris searching for survivors.

If all of this sounds too good to be true, find someone who has used true therapeutic-grade oils and tested them out over a period of time, and get their opinion!

Julie Behling-Hovdal is a reflexologist/holistic healer and founder of Essential Survival where she teaches people how to prepare for the #1 cause of death in the event of an economic collapse � lack of access to medicines.� In 2005 Julie was able to get off 4 prescription drugs and heal from a 6-year stint of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia with products from Young Living Essential Oils. Get a copy of her free report �Fast Track Survival Medicines� at http://essentialsurvival.org/fast-track-survival-medicines/.

�_______________________________________________________

Statements made here about essential oils have not been evaluated by the FDA.� These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.� Anyone suffering from disease or injury should consult with a physician.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by williamcho

When I was growing up, I don’t remember there being any kids at school with peanut allergies, or tree nut allergies or gluten allergies. No mom had to hover over their child with an Epi-pen, fearful that a stray PB&J could send their child to the hospital.

How times have changed!

Many of you have asked about food storage for special diets, and I’ve put together a list of general tips and then a few specific suggestions for gluten-free, low-carb, and lactose-free diets.

In general…

• Track what you already eat and serve.
• Identify recipes and meals that are food-storage friendly, meaning that most or all of the ingredients can be safely stored at room temperature for lengthy periods of time.
• Keep everything super simple! Complicated recipes and procedures will make matters worse in a crisis.
• Contact food storage companies directly to find out how their foods are processed. Click here for Shelf Reliance‘s allergens report.
• Stock up on vitamins and nutritional supplements, especially those you are currently taking. A dose of something like Enerhealth’s Enerfood* would go a very long way toward providing the dense nutrients every body craves and needs.
• Remember, whenever you make something homemade, you know exactly what’s in it. Therefore, it’s better to store healthy ingredients than prepared, processed foods.

For gluten-free diets

• Look for companies that carry gluten-free ingredients for food storage.
• Invest in a good quality grain mill that can also grind rice,
• Make your own gluten-free meals in a jar. Vacuum pack the jars, or pouches, with a Food Saver for longest possible shelf life.
• Store ingredients to make gluten-free homemade sauces, dressings, ketchup, etc.
• Seek out recipes that are centered around eggs, beans, and other protein-rich ingredients.
• If you normally buy a gluten-free food, learn how to make it from scratch.
• Rice is a gluten free grain, but it doesn’t contain many nutrients. Use this recipe for Super Rice to give it a big nutritional boost. You can store brown rice but it won’t have the same shelf life as white.

Low-Carb Diets

• Grow or raise your own fresh foods, including chickens and eggs.
• Learn how to� make homemade cheeses.
• Store nuts and seeds in vacuum-packed jars.
• Stock up on egg powder for egg-centered meals.
• Home-can chicken and meat.
• Buy #10 cans of the vegetables and low-carb fruits that you eat most. Low-carb diets usually contain large amounts of vegetables, so make sure to stock up on plenty: canned, home-canned, dehydrated, fresh from the garden, and even frozen. (You can always dehydrate frozen vegetables.)

For the lactose intolerant…

• Learn how to� make your own almond milk. You can buy raw almonds in bulk and store them in vacuum sealed jars or pouches.
• Test each new ingredient or recipe to see if there is a reaction. If not, you’ll know that it’s safe to begin storing that food.
• Either grow or buy freeze-dried/dehydrated versions of vegetables that contain a large amount of calcium, such as broccoli, spinach,and kale.
• Certain beans also contain a healthy dose of calcium. Check out my bean chart here.
• Stock up on Vitamin D supplements to help your body use the calcium you consume.
• When stocking up on meats, remember that tuna, sardines, and salmon (with edible bones) provide a great deal of calcium.
• Try making homemade yogurt to see how it affects you. Some people who are lactose intolerant can handle yogurt.
• If you have the room, buy a couple of dairy goats. Their milk is lower in lactose. If you can handle goat milk, you’ll be able to make homemade goat cheese.

What special diet are you, or a family member, on? What tips do you have for storing food for your special diet?

*Disclaimer: Enerhealth Botanicals is neither an advertiser nor an affiliate. I just like their products and recommend them.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.