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Preparing Your Family For Disasters, Part 1

How can you begin preparing your family for different disasters?

All types of disasters share the following key characteristics: (1) they can cause mass panic and chaos in affected communities, (2) some disasters can affect the availability of clean water, gas supply lines and electricity and (3) many disasters are unpredictable and extremely difficult to control, especially if the disaster is caused by Mother Nature herself.

With these three undeniable facts in mind, it's obvious that the most essential step in survival training, if you already have a family, is to prepare each family member for the onset of different disaster as soon as possible.

In order to be fully prepared, you should consider natural and manmade disasters as potential dangers at any point during the year.

Why should you be vigilant about disasters?

The fact of the matter is that disasters tend to strike quickly and without warning; this applies to both natural and manmade disasters. Natural disasters such as earthquakes and flooding can wipe out whole sections of mega cities easily - that's how powerful nature is.

To ensure your family's survival they need to be conditioned to adapt the survival mindset so they will be calm and confident during an actual disaster.

What is your first line of defense during a disaster?

Your first line of defense during a disaster is your knowledge of disaster preparedness and the emergency supplies, tools and equipment that you've prepared in advance. Disaster supply kits are invaluable during an actual disaster, most especially if you have to evacuate your family to a safer location.

What is a disaster supply kit?

A disaster supply kit isn't just a box filled with food and water.

It should be a complete survival system that also contains medicine and various survival tools and emergency supplies.

There should ideally be two disaster supply kits: a large, comprehensive one that is closest to your family (at home) and an emergency disaster kit that should have a permanent place in your family vehicle.

The kit/s at home should contain the most valuable supplies, tools and equipment. You can revise and modify your disaster kit/s whenever you wish.

The one in the car is a contingency kit that you can use in the event that you are unable to utilize the one at home (e.g. you have no more time to gather the kit before evacuating). It should also be equipped with essential items such as canned & dried food, water purifying tablets, etc.

What are the most essential items in a disaster kit?

The most important supplies in a disaster kit are food and water.

When you're stockpiling food for a disaster kit, make sure that the food is familiar, easy to open and consume and sealed. There is no need to buy unfamiliar food such as military-style rations.

The psychological impact of any disaster can be severe so it would help greatly if your family can reach for food they're familiar with. Just having something that is familiar can help a distraught family member mentally recover from the trauma of being in the middle of a disaster.

While many people stock canned or boxed food for disasters, you can also explore canning and preserving food for later use. Knowing how to preserve food is an excellent way to be self-sufficient. Plus, homemade preserved food is more natural and healthier than processed food items!

What type of food should be kept in a disaster kit?

The type of food store in a disaster kit should be: nutritious, high in calories, easy to consume and can be readily stored again. It can be difficult to find a variety of food items that have these exact characteristics so just try your best to find food that will sustain your family for at least 10 days.

I've met some survivalists who store at least six months worth of food items in their own survival stashes.

Six months worth of food may sound excessive but the key point here is that you're preparing for uncertain conditions after a disaster. You never know the conditions of your community after a disaster so having plenty of stored food is a logical choice if you're preparing for an emergency.

If you are unsure as to how you can go about preparing for a disaster, I highly recommend speaking to your family about it so that you can plan and implement as a unit.

During a disaster, you have to learn to trust and depend on each other so that everyone can stay safe.

You Need To Check This Out To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

High blood pressure consists of a couple of Readings. The top reading is the systolic number, and the bottom number is the diastolic reading. The systolic pressure indicates the pressure as your heart beats, and the diastolic pressure indicates the number of contractions. You can tell you have high blood pressure when your systolic number is over 130, and your diastolic number is over 85. But you don't necessarily need medication to lower your high blood pressure. You can lower blood pressure naturally. The first you would like to do is to lose some extra weight you are carrying. Many of us carry some extra weight. It's not sure as to what is the relation between being overweight and having higher blood pressure, but it has something to do with abnormalities in glucose. It's advised that people with extra weight must exercise for a minimum of half an hour a day for at least five days in a week. The exercise you do doesn't have to be anything wild and complicated, either. You can do yourself world of good by just walking for a half hour each day. Some of the benefits your body will see from your exercise regimen will include weight loss and decreased stress levels. Also, scientific studies have proven that doing aerobic exercise on a regular basis will make your heart stronger enabling it to pump your blood more efficiently and thus lowering your blood pressure. Therefore, you can see that exercise is a way to lower blood pressure naturally.

Diet is another step to lower blood pressure naturally. It is a major component for lowering high blood pressure. One must aim for a diet high in vegetables and whole grain products. Red meats and sweets are ok in moderation. A diet full of fruits and vegetables will lower blood pressure in as little as two weeks. It's also important to include supplements proven to lower blood pressure naturally. Your diet should also include supplements which can also help to lower blood pressure naturally. Less intake of Sodium can also lower the blood pressure levels in a natural way. Hence, how is much sodium intake you can reduce? It's advised to lower it down to around 1,500 milligrams a day which is half the National average. One teaspoon of salt has 1,200 milligrams of sodium in it. An important way to lower blood pressure naturally is to cut down on some drinks you consume. The less you drink, the lower your blood pressure will be. Now that is not to say you cannot drink at all. It is recommended one drink a day is fine but not more than that. Always drink in moderation whether you have high blood pressure or not.

One of the main causes of high blood pressure is caffeine. One must reduce intake of caffeine to bring down blood pressure. Blood pressure increases by 4 mm for every three cups of coffee that you take in a day. Caffeine causes more stress by tightening the blood vessels thereby increasing the blood pressure. As a result of the body being under stress, the heart starts to pump much faster-giving rise to high blood pressure. It is better to switch to decaf in case you want that cup of coffee in the morning. Another great way is the Natural dietary supplements that lower blood pressure naturally and maintain a healthy pressure. Supplements like L-arginine, grape seed extract, lycopene, and Pycnogenol have been clinically proven to help lower blood pressure. These are safe; natural supplements will not cause any harmful after effects with the positive benefits of better cardiovascular health. Taking these supplements on a daily basis will be your first step to a healthier lifestyle. You need to check this out for a healthy living away from Blood Pressure

Omron Blood Pressure Monitor

Blood pressure is something that is vital to our health. It needs to be within a certain range in order to be considered healthy. This range does change as we age; which is why a younger person has a lower blood pressure. As we age our blood pressure naturally rises. The issue is that if it rises too far we end up going into the unhealthy range. For those that allow this to be left unmonitored it can get into the danger zone quickly. This is why it is important for everyone to see their doctor once a year for a wellness check up. The doctor will check your blood pressure; they will also answer any questions you have. In many cases you can control your blood pressure with daily monitoring and a diet change. For those that have blood pressure in the high range of the unhealthy level you often get medication to help bring it down.

Keep in mind with or without the medication you should monitor your blood pressure. Many doctors have you track your daily readings in a journal. This way you can track if your blood pressure is steady or fluxing. The best way to do this is to have a monitor at home. Omron blood pressure monitor are a great solution. The company has a great variety of monitors. They have upper arm and wrist models so you can find the most comfortable fit. They also carry accessories such as replacement cuffs in all sizes as well as power adapters.

Their newest monitor from project zero is a wrist monitor that looks like a wrist watch. This allows you to discreetly monitor your blood pressure while still looking stylish on the go. The nice thing about this model is that it can also remind you to take your medications. It connects wirelessly to the Omron Connect mobile app, this allows information to be shared with your doctor. This way if they see your readings showing concern they can help you feel better. The same line of monitors also makes an upper arm version that also connects to the mobile app as well. A great combination idea of using the upper arm cuff at home and the wrist version on the go so you always stay connected. This model also tracks your heart rate as you exercise it alerts you should you push yourself too hard.