Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Preparedness as a Lifestyle

We stand at a crossroad and are faced with the choices of the well-trod path or the road less traveled. The path that the masses seem to be herded down is one of greater dependency on government with its attendant coverage plans, entitlement programs and handouts. However, many of us question the sustainability and dangers of reliance on big government, particularly in a world of increasing turmoil.

In times past, people took great pride on being hardworking and self-reliant.  But with the industrial revolution, modern manufacturing and rapid transportation came the practice of supply-on-demand.  No longer do companies stock vast inventories when it makes more business and economic sense to receive daily or weekly shipments of product or supplies as they are needed.  We are all familiar with the repair shop telling us, it will take a day or two to get the part.  Or the grocery store telling us that the out of stock product we are looking for will be in this afternoon or in the morning. This system works great so long as everything is running smoothly. But when there is even a minor disruption anywhere along the supply chain, things can dry up really fast. It is common knowledge that grocery stores stock only a few days worth of products. A store’s shelves can be emptied quickly with the anticipation of a coming storm. Those who are wise, do not rely on last minute shopping to prepare for the storm, but already have a well-stocked supply of necessities.

Likewise, farmers in times past, would harvest and store seed for the next years planting.  In fact, in anticipation of a bad year, most would have a couple years worth of seed stock “just in case”. This was considered prudent and necessary. With the development of modern agriculture methods and in an effort to stay competitive and profitable, farmers began taking out loans for seed each year as well as the necessary fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and equipment needed to run a modern farming operation. Profit margins became so narrow that a bad year would often spell financial disaster. 

We have become a society that has grown accustomed to having what we want, when we want it and it better be cheap. As the economy continues to contract and tighten, it is important for many of us to make our dollars stretch as far as possible.  And while we do not rally to the doomsayers cry that the end is near, we feel it prudent to prepare for any storm or emergency that may come our way. 

At Western Botanicals our desire is to do as much good in the world as we possibly can.  We have found that through manufacturing and providing high quality herbal remedies, we have been able to help many improve the health of themselves and those they love. 

There are a lot of us, who have been diligent students of preparedness for many years now.  We’ve tried a lot of things that sound good in theory, but in practice haven’t really worked for us.  On the other hand, we’ve also found many things that have saved us a lot of time and money, while improving the quality of our lives.  Through all of this, we’ve gained some peace of mind and security, knowing that if the power goes out for a day or a week, we’ll be safe, warm and well fed. 

For us, preparedness really has become a way of life, from little things, like picking up extra beans or rice when we find a great sale to saving nearly $200 per year on laundry detergent.  [We make our own that costs about a penny per load and works every bit as good as the expensive name brand detergent we used to use. We’ll include this recipe in our next Preparedness Email Newsletter.]  We would also like to share with you some of the resources we have found to be valuable in our journey.  We are not fanatical, but we are practical.  As one of our friends, who publishes a successful podcast puts it, “helping you to live the life you want, if times get tough, or even if they don’t”.  That is really what this is all about. 
  • Improving the quality of your life. 
  • Being more secure. 
  • Enjoying better health. 
  • Having more time with those you love.
  • Being more connected to those who share your values and goals. 
  • And being better prepared – “just in case”.

We invite you and those you care about to join our Preparedness Email Newsletter.  We don’t claim to have all of the answers.  But we are happy to share with you what we are doing.  We welcome you to use us as a resource.  Someone that can give you ideas that you can try out yourself.  We will share with you such things as:
  • Gardening tips that can save you big bucks
  • Food storage and preservation ideas and helps
  • Recipes (not just for food, but laundry detergent, deodorant, and much more)
  • Water storage ideas and options
  • Lists of what to have on hand
  • How-to advice
  • Articles and resources that we think are valuable
  • And much more . . .

Unlike so many of the other preparedness sites out there, you will not be getting a lot of hype to buy this or that (before it’s too late!!).  Just down to earth information at no charge, commitment or cost to you. 

If this peaks your interest, Please Sign Up for Western Botanicals’ FREE Preparedness Email Newsletter
By clicking on this link. 


If you already subscribe to Western Botanicals Newsletter for our monthly specials, you will also need to subscribe to the Preparedness Newsletter by completing this new subscription.  Remember, you can unsubscribe without any hassle at any time.

Blessings,

Dr. Kyle Christensen
Western Botanicals
February 2011
 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Balanced?


Life truly is about balance.  Balance can be gauged physically, mentally, emotionally as well as spiritually. In terms of health, most of us focus on the physical. In the physical body, balance is sometimes discussed in terms of homeostasis. The chemistry of the body maintains itself within a tight pH range.  In addition, hormones, immune cells and a whole symphony of chemicals ebb and flow in the uninterrupted dance. When out of balance, we don’t feel so well. Too much of this, not enough of that and the body has to divert attention in order to regain balance. For example, you eat something that does not agree with you (food poisoning). Let’s say your body gets exposed to more salmonella than it can readily destroy. As the salmonella bacteria incubates and multiplies in your digestive tract, there comes a point when the body says enough is enough – You’re Out Of Here! And so the channels of elimination get to work. Your body and mind experience great distress. The higher motive of the body is not comfort, but survival. In order to survive at this moment, the body must purge and eliminate a viable threat.

Not all threats to the body are as apparent. More often, we experience small incremental imbalances that do not require dramatic action, and so the body adjusts, adapts and learns to live with it. How would it be if your body was finely tuned to maintain your ideal weight (wouldn’t that be nice)? If your brain determined that you are 3 pounds overweight, it may cause severe nausea or a complete loss of appetite until you returned to that ideal weight. However, we understand that gaining weight is a survival strategy that was passed down from ancestors who knew they needed to eat when the eatin’ was good, because you were surely to experience famine at some point in the future and any extra weight would come in handy. Likewise, when sleep deprived, the body doesn’t just drop over and fall asleep in a grand narcoleptic gesture. That could be untimely at any given moment and jeopardize safety and even your survival. The body truly does have an inborn wisdom few really understand.

Much has been said about chemical imbalances as a causative factor for many health problems in the past 30 or 40 years. What hasn’t been discussed as thoroughly is what causes these imbalances and whether chemical imbalances can be prevented or corrected. I believe that a chemical imbalance is more often than not a symptom of a deeper imbalance rather than the primary causative factor. A classic example is someone who is under tremendous stress. As a result, they worry, they overindulge in junk food and sweets, they become sleep deprived and they stop exercising. Naturally the body becomes more acidic because of the worry, diet and lack of sleep. As a result, digestion is affected and the body’s chemical environment changes affecting hormones, immune cells and a myriad of other chemical processes. Given a long enough time, measurable imbalances in glands and organs such as the heart, pancreas, thyroid, adrenal and sex glands are observed. The medical approach often prescribes drugs that may alter the outward symptoms, but typically do not address the underlying causes. 

In re-establishing balance, it is important to take a multi-pronged approach. Certainly, you should review your diet, sleep, exercise program and relationships. But in addition, it is important to provide your body with the nutritional building blocks to build, support and strengthen the specific organs, glands and tissues of the body. That is where we can help. By taking fast-acting and effective herbal formulas that are specifically designed to restore the health of these organs, glands and tissues, your body can return to health and vitality. 


Blessings in Health,

Dr. Kyle Christensen
Western Botanicals, Inc.