Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness & Weekly/Monthly Assignments (Week of June 29th)

Lots to blog about this week!

Physical Preparation an important part of Emergency Preparedness

How many of you could walk 5-20 miles if you had too?

How many of you could go without your prescription medications for more than 1-3 days, 1-3 months?

How many of you are dependent on a special diet?

How many of you have health issues?

Last weekend while visiting our daughter and we got to talking about why physically fitness and good health is an important part of emergency preparedness. Recently I read a book, in a fiction setting but the information is factual as to what might happen if an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse Bomb) hit the United States (or any country).  After several days many had to walk long distances away from the city to find food and water in the country side. Due to health issues many of them could not survive the long strenuous walking. Many died from not having access to their prescription medications. Many of us in the United States are not very health, we are out of shape, we rely on prescription medications to keep us functioning. For the most part our diets are not healthy! This could happen with any type of disaster or emergency situation.

For some of us our health is great, we strive to eat good diets full of vegetables, fruits, good proteins, low carbohydrates, and exercise daily. We are also spiritual prepared because we read our scriptures daily, pray daily and attend church on a regular bases.

In the 1940-1950 came all the junk food, convenience/pre-processed foods and fast food places with their high calorie, high sugar, high carbohydrates and high fructose corn syrup (found in almost everything these days). Women and men, stopped cooking wholesome foods from scratch and families started eating out more or eating convenience foods with high calories and preservatives. Note: Did you know that high fructose corn syrup came about during WWII? There was a shortage on sugar and due to its high cost the industry came up with a cheaper way to produce a sugary substance to cook with and put into drinks.

Those who have healthy lives will last longer in an emergency situation or disaster. It is important for all of us to make this a part of our emergency preparedness. Prescription medications will become unavailable and people will die. We need to eat healthier, get more exercise and try to get off our prescription medications. I know a man who was a diabetic, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, could hardly walk a few steps and was in very poor health. Once he changed his diet, started exercising daily and lost several pounds he is no longer diabetic, no longer has high blood pressure or high cholesterol and is off all his prescription medications. Yes, it takes hard work and dedication.We as a nation need to make better and healthy food choices.

This past year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published a couple of articles in the 2014 February Ensign magazine encouraging all of us to strive to eat better, make wiser choices in our food choices and get some exercise. To read these article click on the titles "Nourishing Our Bodies and Our Spirits" and "A Principle with Promises".  The church also has a website, providentliving.org, that tells about the importance of good physical health. Click here to read the information. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and the world) we also have the "Word of Wisdom" found in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 89, giving us guidance on how to eat and take care of our bodies.

Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness . . . 

It's not that difficult

Many of us become overwhelmed when we think about food storage and emergency preparedness. Our church leaders have urged us again and again to "prepare now". Just like the sparrow, "The Lord did not fill the sparrow's nest with food, but He gave them food to find and eat". Our church leaders have given us an "exact formula for us to follow" in providentliving.org. If we follow this formula and take it one step at a time, before we know it we will have a 3-Months Food Supply, Water Storage and emergency supplies, may be even a years supply.

In Philippians 4:13 we read, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me".  In Romans 8:28 we read, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, ...". Heavenly Father will provide a way if you go to Him with a honest sincere prayer, with a specific prayer of what you need. He will give you guidance and help.

You can do it! This blog is here to help you and to make it as easy as I can. Just follow the steps under the topics on the right under "Postings" and each blog posting.

Weekly Assignment: Family Emergency Medical Kits

 

Many of us have some sort of medical supplies in our homes like band-aids, alcohol, peroxide, anti-infection creams, pain killers, etc.. Some of us have limited first-aid kits in our cars and home that we probably have not checked in months, years. Medications do expire!

If there was a major disaster or emergency situation would you have the proper emergency medical supplies to take care of you, your family and help your neighbors. I would say most of us do not! Right?

The next few weeks we are going to work on our Family Emergency Medical Kit. We have done this before but I am sure there are some of you who did not do it, never completed it and some things need to be replaced due to expiration dates.  Some of these items can be found at discount stores and drug stores. Make sure you check the expiration dates before purchasing them, you want them to last for at least a year or more.

Note: Make sure you keep this out of the reach of your young children and explain to the family is your Family Emergency Medical Kit/Supplies. If you need to use an items from it, make sure you replace it right away!

This week add the following: (You can purchase these at discount, department and drug stores, but what the expiration dates at the discount stores)

1) Thermometer (for adult and infant/child)   

2) Sterile gauze pads (various sizes) 

So far you should have the following: Large plastic non-see through container with a a lid to keep the items in, band-aids (assorted sizes), box of antiseptic/alcohol wipes,2 hand sanitizer bottles, topical antibiotic ointment, hydrogen peroxide, petroleum jelly, a thermometer, sterile gauze pads (various sized). How much you store of each depends on the size of your family and emergency needs. Go back to June 1st, June 8th, June 15th and June 22nd to see postings about the items we have added so far.

Last week for the June Monthly Assignment

June Monthly Assignment: Paper Supplies

This is a great time to work on storing paper supplies since most stores have them on sale due to the many holiday and summer activities, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Graduations, Summer BBQ, Labor Day, etc..

Figure out how many paper products you will need for your family for 3 months, 6 months or a year. Remember, there are 3 meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Most of us use large paper plates, small paper plates, paper bowls, paper cups for hot and cold drinks, plastic silverware and napkins. You can also include paper towels. 

Here is an example: Lets say you are going to store enough large paper plates for 6 months. That would be about 183 large paper plates per person. If you have 5 people in your family, you would need to store 915 large paper plates for 6 months. But remember, that is only for one meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Multiply the number of meals a day you would use the large paper plates. Do the same thing for the other paper products you need to store.

Watch for sales. Sometimes the sales at regular grocery stores and department stores like Walmart are better than the big box stores. Compare the prices and save!

This week add the following: 

1) Review the weeks for June, June 1st, June 8th, June 15th and June 22nd to see what items to add to your paper supplies. Continue this week to add them.  

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Blessings of a vegetable garden . . .

What a blessing to have a home vegetable garden. I love being able to go out to my vegetable garden and harvest lettuce, green onions, carrots and tomatoes for our salad. No pesticides, no preservatives, no GMO, all organic. We are so blessed living in Southern California, we can grow vegetables all year long, different one at different seasons. We also have the opportunity to can or freeze them for future use. I just used the last of our carrots we grew last year and froze and the new ones are ready to harvest. We are still using our canned and frozen tomatoes and other vegetables. What a blessing and a savings. Doing this each year adds to our food storage and blesses our family in so many ways. Check out the posting on the right under "Postings" under "Vegetable Gardening" to see how you to can grow a vegetable garden, even if it just a small one or in containers.

Planting fruit trees . . . Another great way to store food

Watch this great video from Armstrong Garden regarding how to plant and take care of citrus trees. Of course, you do not have to use the products they suggest in the video, there are many great products out there you can find at your local garden home center. There are also other great videos on You Tube showing how to plant and care for fruit trees. Check them out too.



Storing citrus fruit . . . You cannot freeze citrus fruit whole. What we do is squeeze out the juice, place the juice from one lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc. into a saran wrap line cupcake pan, pour in the juice and freeze. I place the wrapped discs of juice in a large plastic zip lock bag and freeze for future use. Or, you can freeze 1 or 2 cups of citrus fruit juice in a freezer plastic zip lock bag for future use. For other fruits like apples, peaches, pears, etc., you will need to can them by pressure cooking canning to store them for a longer period of time in Mason canning jars. You can freeze strawberries and berries by slicing them, covering them with a little sugar and then freezing them in freezer plastic zip lock bags. It is a good way to save money while these types of fruits are in season and to have them all year long.

Comments: Please post your comments below. Share your personal experiences with food and water storage and emergency preparedness. We can all learn from each other.