FRC Forums Highlighted Posts of the week

Here are three articles and a responce about the new political czars, that are not really new, but seem to have a lot more unaccountabilty and power then in the past. There power borders on secercy, at least as far as the comman man is concerned. The genisis of this post came from one of our chats on skype and then we all looked to it a little more.
Congressman wants all 'czars' to testify
By Jordan Fabian - 09/09/09 10:11 AM ET
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) on Wednesday called for President Obama's "czars," or appointed high-level advisers, to testify before Congress about their "authority and responsibilities" in the executive branch.
The president's "czars" have become a point of controversy among his opponents because they do not have to be confirmed by the Senate as cabinet-level officials do. McHenry wrote to committee chairman Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) and ranking member Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) asking the appointed officials to testify.

"If the czars have high-level, decision-making authority as their titles would indicate, then it is my concern that their appointment without Senate approval represents a circumvention of our Constitutionally-mandated confirmation process," McHenry, who is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said in his letter.Czars were in the spotlight again after "green jobs" czar Van Jones' resigned this weekend. It was revealed that Jones made harsh comments about Republicans and signed a "truther" petition alleging that the government played a role in the 9/11 attacks. "His ability to slip into a position of power without due Congressional diligence only further underscores the necessity for a confirmation process," the third-term Republican said of Jones.
However, the actual number of czars in the administration is a disputed matter. McHenry requests that all of President Obama's 44 czars testify before Congress. But other reports put the number at around 30.
The North Carolina Republican did not provide a list of the 44 czars he wants to testify.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/57849-congressman-wants-all-czars-to-testify

Got this from a Glen Beck email
September 9, 2009 On Today?s Program
The most dangerous Czar

Unfortunately for Van Jones, there is one less Czar to deal with. Unfortunately for
the rest of us there are still over 30 Czars left to worry about. The one Glenn
feels is most dangerous is Cass Sunstein -- who isn't really a Czar, he actually has
to pass Senate confirmation. Glenn encourages you to flood the switchboards
(202-224-3121) and tell Washington to say 'no' to Sunstein. That is, unless, you
want the 'regulatory Czar' to have beliefs such as humans hurting animals is the
same as slavery or ?mass extermination of human beings? or ?A system of limitless
individual choices, with respect to communications, is not necessarily in the
interest of citizenship and self-government.? Enjoy Glenn, Rush and other
conservative voices now, because if guys like Sunstein have their way talk radio
will be under full-fledged attack. Glenn talks more about Sunstein on radio today (
Transcript , Insider
http://www.premiereinteractive.com/cgi-bin/members.cgi?site=glennbeck&stream=clips/09/09/090909czar.wma&type=windows_od
Audio ) and you can check out more quotes from Sunstein at THIS site
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/30255/ .
http://www.stopsunstein.com/

Another email from a friend

President Obama's czar system concerns some

He has 'super aides' for healthcare, the economy, energy and urban issues,
with more to come -- prompting some lawmakers and groups to worry that he
may be concentrating power and bypassing Congress.

By Tom Hamburger and Christi Parsons
March 05, 2009

Reporting from Washington - As President Obama names more policy czars to
his White House team -- high-level staff members who will help oversee the
administration's top initiatives -- some lawmakers and Washington interest
groups are raising concerns that he may be subverting the authority of
Congress and concentrating too much power in the presidency.

The idea of these "super aides," who will work across agency lines to push
the president's agenda, is not a new one. President Nixon may have named the
first "czar" with his appointment of William E. Simon to handle the 1970s
energy crisis. Other presidents have followed suit.

But none has embraced the concept, presidential scholars say, to the extent
that Obama has.

He has appointed special advisors who will work from inside the White House
on healthcare, the economy, energy and urban issues, with more to come.

"The challenges coming at us are bigger than anything we've seen since the
Depression," said Jim Messina, deputy White House chief of staff. "It's
crucial to have people in these positions who can help us meet them
head-on."

But some lawmakers and outside experts fear that Obama is setting up a
system that is not subject to congressional oversight and creates the
potential for conflict among his many advisors.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) became concerned enough to send a cautionary
letter to Obama last week. At times, he said, past White House staffers have
assumed duties that should be the responsibility of officials cleared
through the Senate confirmation process. He cited President Bush's naming of
homeland security czar Tom Ridge as an example.

"They rarely testify before congressional committees and often shield the
information and decision-making process behind the assertion of executive
privilege," Byrd wrote of past czars and White House staffers in similar
positions. At times, he said, one outcome has been to "inhibit openness and
transparency, and reduce accountability."

"The rapid and easy accumulation of power by White House staff can threaten
the constitutional system of checks and balances," Byrd said.

It's far too early to tell whether Obama's quest for efficiency will lead to
overstepping the bounds of presidential authority, but the latest
appointment announcement could offer a few clues.

This week, he named two women to lead his effort to overhaul the nation's
healthcare system. One of them, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, was tapped
to be Health and Human Services secretary. At her confirmation hearings,
senators will be able to probe her views on health policy and demand
detailed documentation of her credentials.

But the other, Nancy-Ann DeParle, who was named health czar, can begin work
right away, without outside review of her abilities or opinions. And whereas
lawmakers can ask Sebelius for testimony in the future and control her
budget, DeParle may remain largely outside the ga Paul Light of New York
University, an expert on the presidency, said Byrd has a valid
constitutional concern about Obama's use of czars. Light too is worried
about Obama's expansion of the czar system, but his apprehension is focused
on more-practical concerns.

He points out that previous presidential czars became frustrated because
they had no permanent staff, and their power was diffuse and unclear.
Besides, he said, "there are so many czars in this White House, they'll be
constantly bumping in to each other."

In addition to naming DeParle to coordinate healthcare policy, Obama has
tapped Carol Browner to be White House energy czar, a post that could
overlap with the functions of the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Energy Department and other agencies. Adolfo Carrion Jr., a former Bronx
borough president, is urban affairs czar, a job that may dovetail with the
functions of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. And Paul A.
Volcker, Obama's big-picture economic czar, must coordinate with the
Treasury Department and other agencies.

The confusion about competing roles played by czars and their Cabinet
counterparts was on display Monday as White House Press Secretary Robert
Gibbs tried to explain how authority would be divided between DeParle and
Sebelius as they steer health reform through Congress.

At first, he declared that DeParle "will be in charge." Then he acknowledged
a role for Sebelius and others.

"I think obviously this is something that spans across many platforms, not
unlike, say, something like energy independence, that a lot of people that
work in this building and in different agencies will be involved in," he
said, pledging to get back to reporters with details about how the health
policy team will work.

Before Inauguration Day, transition director John Podesta said in an
interview that Obama deliberately was building a strong, centralized White
House organization, one that grew naturally out of his disciplined
presidential campaign.

For example, Podesta said, a coherent White House energy policy "needs input
not just from the Energy Department," but also from the EPA and the
Interior, Commerce and Agriculture departments. Thus, an energy czar made
sense.

Podesta saw little potential for the czars to undermine the authority of
Cabinet agencies. "As long as the White House staff is respectful of the
power and authority of the people in the Cabinet, as I know they will be, I
think it will be a very workable model," he said in January.

Now that the White House is launching the system, aides are refining the
description a bit. Messina emphasized that the czar positions rank below
Cabinet positions.

He said the confirmation-free appointments do not violate the Constitution
because the czars are aides to the president and his team. "They're
super-staffers and report to the president and to Rahm," he said, referring
to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. "I meet with them. I don't meet with Cabinet
secretaries; they're above me." Czars mainly will do their coordination work
behind the scenes, and secretaries will serve more as what Messina calls the
"public faces" of the administration.

That description does not allay Byrd's concerns, said his spokesman, Jesse
Jacobs.

"If the czars are working behind the scenes and the secretaries will be the
mouthpieces of the administration, it calls into question who is actually
making the policy decision," he said. "Whoever is making the policy
decisions needs to be accountable and available to Congress and the American
public."

It's still very early in the Obama presidency, but others also question the
czar setup.

Browner, whose title is special advisor to Obama on climate change and
energy, told reporters two weeks ago that the administration soon would
propose new rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from a variety of
industries. Obama's EPA administrator had hinted at such a possibility, but
had not made it clear how things would unfold.

Browner's statement set off a nervous response among a few Washington
interest groups that objected to the executive branch unilaterally taking
the lead on regulating a substance as ubiquitous as carbon.

"The issues are important enough that you have to have the give and the take
of the congressional process -- and do this in the open," said former
Michigan Gov. John Engler, who heads the National Assn. of Manufacturers.

At least one senator wanted to ask Browner about exactly that in a
confirmation hearing. As a czar and not a Cabinet secretary, however, she
did not have to answer questions on Capitol Hill.

"The overall concern is, Carol Browner has been appointed to coordinate all
this energy policy," said Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). "What's her role
going to be? She's not going to be going through a confirmation process.
While [agency directors] had to come to Congress and answer questions, she
didn't."
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/05/nation/na-obama-czars5
http://frc4u.org/portal/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?1097


From the home Remedies fron't here is one 230 posted
Black walnut hulls are very effective in treating skin conditions caused by fungus, such as yeast infections and athlete’s foot. Black walnut hulls have natural anti-fungal properties that rival tea tree essential oil. Black walnut hulls are also readily available in most areas of the US. One of the drawbacks of black walnut hulls for use on skin, however, is its ability to turn skin dark brown wherever it is applied. Black walnut hulls were traditionally used for staining wood and making ink also. Before applying black walnut hull treatments to the skin be advised that it will temporarily stain your skin. 230gr

Dr. Christopher Cures Jungle Rot during WW II.

Black walnut hull tincture is one of the greatest herbs herbal fungus cures, according to Dr. Christopher. He told the story of the time he enlisted in the army in World War II
A man had been hospitalized at one of the largest hospitals in the Northwest, in fact, in the largest Army hospital in the West. He had been hospitalized nine times in all, treated with ammoniated lead and mercury and such things. The disease would subside somewhat in thirty to thirty-six days, but never completely clear. Dr. Christopher finally was given permission to try an herbal treatment.
A big sack of husks was sent up to Fort Lewis by plane overnight. He made up a gallon of tincture of Black Walnut using rubbing alcohol and let it soak for two days. The usual time to make a tincture is fourteen days but he was under a lot of pressure there, so all he had was two days and credited the Lord for giving the tincture its potency that soon.
At the crosses where the tape didn't cover the gauze pad, there was room to insert a syringe filled with the tincture into the gauze to keep it wet. The soldier spent four days with the fomentation on. The men had all gasped when I took the bandages off. Major Shumate used a few words Christopher wouldn't repeat, but then he said, 'I have been a dermatologist for years and I have never seen a case as horrible as this--and never have I seen anything heal as rapidly as what you've used.' There was a quarters of an inch of horrible-looking scar tissue and scab. But his skin was clean as a baby's. There was no sign of fungus or infection. After that, men from all over Fort Lewis, even generals, came over because I had the only formula, Black Walnut tincture that would heal jungle rot. The only one! And so we were very busy herbalists.
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Sweden outlaws home schooling
Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow - 8/19/2009 4:30:00 AM
The founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association says home schooling in Sweden will soon be banned altogether, with a few minor exceptions.

Mike Farris says that Sweden will ban all home schooling except for children with medical exemptions and foreign workers with the appropriate work visas.

"That's it. People who have religious convictions or are home schooling for religious reasons will not be given one of these very rare exemptions," he points out. "And so for all intents and purposes, home schooling is going to be banned in Sweden. They're following the German statute, following the German model."

In Germany, parents face stiff penalties if they are caught illegally home schooling their children. The Romeike family recently left Germany and is seeking asylum in the U.S. after facing stiff fines and the potential loss of custody rights for home schooling their children. The Home School Legal Defense Association is offering them legal help.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=648486

FRC Forums Highlighted Posts of the Week

Supertankers May Halt Oil Trading, Frontline Says
Saturday, 05 September 2009 Supertanker owners may start refusing cargoes within the next three months unless rates return to a profitable level, said Frontline Ltd., the biggest operator of the ships which carry almost half the world’s oil. Ship owners are contributing $942 a day toward fuel costs to ship Middle East crude, according to the London-based Baltic Exchange. Rates have been below operating costs since July. Should the losses persist, some owners may choose to idle their ships, according to Jens Martin Jensen, Singapore-based chief executive officer of Frontline’s management unit.

“If you see another quarter, then I think owners have to do something,” Jensen said by phone today. “We are subsidizing oil companies.”

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has cut output by 4 percent this year to 28.4 million barrels a day, according to Bloomberg estimates. Over the same period, the fleet of in-service supertankers has advanced 5.8 percent to 528 ships, according to Lloyd’s Register-Fairplay data on Bloomberg.

The five-member Bloomberg Tanker Index, led by Frontline, dropped 19 percent this year, extending last year’s record 49 percent slump. Frontline rose 3 kroner, or 2.3 percent, to 132.50 kroner in Oslo, valuing the company at 10.3 billion kroner ($1.7 billion).

Returns for Owners
Rental rates on the industry benchmark Saudi Arabia to Japan route climbed 0.6 percent to 30.69 Worldscale points today, their first advance in 11 sessions, according to the London-based Baltic Exchange.

Returns for owners on eastern and western routes from the Middle East reached this year’s peak of $64,146 a day in January. The vessels need $11,603 a day to pay insurance, crew, repairs and other running costs, according to London-based Drewry Shipping Consultants Ltd.

Frontline said its largest carriers needed to earn an average of $31,900 a day to break even in the second quarter, once finance costs were taken into account. They made an average of $38,400, including vessels on longer-term rentals.

The slump is triggering an acceleration in the demolition of aging carriers, according to Cumberland, Maryland-based Global Marketing Systems Inc., the world’s largest cash buyer of obsolete vessels. The number of supertankers sold for scrap may reach a six-year high, the company estimates.

The drop in rental rates prompted A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, Denmark’s biggest crude carrier, to seek revisions to orders for new tankers, Kristian Morch, chief operating officer of the company’s oil-shipping unit, said by phone today. The company sold $1.58 billion of stock this week to fund acquisitions in the oil and terminals businesses.
Supertanker Owner

Euronav NV, Belgium’s biggest owner of supertankers, plans to raise as much as $200 million to fund acquisitions of vessels and diversify its financing, the company said today.

Frontline is sailing its carriers more slowly to conserve fuel, Jensen said. Frontline is sometimes “waiting days” for profitable cargoes, he said.

Jensen declined to say whether Frontline would idle its own tankers. Doing so would make the vessels less attractive to hire when they return to service because they lose safety approvals from oil companies, he said.

A “handful” of independent owners have already started to reject cargoes because rates are too low, London-based EA Gibson Shipbrokers Ltd., said in a report today.

“If more owners refuse to play, then eventually some upward re-adjustment will develop,” Gibson said.
Jensen denied an earlier report that Frontline may remove a vessel from the market next week.

http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/...3611&Itemid=93

Here is a medical one. You should be giving this some thought also. Stocking up some over the counter meds now may save a loved one later. This will fall under the category of cheap insurance. In or during times of troubles.

What OTC Medical Preps Do You Consider Vital?

After 8 kids raised in relatively normal times, you will want plenty. These are from my own inventory and arranged in alphabetical order not by priority. Most of the pain meds will be for the adults who will learn what is really meant by hand labor the hard way from our protesting muscles and joints. Also, we will be spending much more time out side exposed to bugs, the elements and minor injuries; sanitation, bathing and cloth washing will likely be less than ideal. Our skin will take a beating. Expect tummy troubles from different foods, any unfully treated water, tension and anxiety. I have gotten everything without a prescription (though some is veterinary) 230gr:

anesthetic topical anesthetic topical
Antacid Antacid Tablets Chewable
Antibiotic amaxicillin 250
Antibiotic Ampicillin 250
Antibiotic antibiotic triple ointment
Antibiotic cephalexin
Antibiotic erythromycin
Antibiotic Fish Pen (penicillin) 250 mg
Antibiotic penicillin VK
Antibiotic tetracycline
anti-fungus anti-fungus, lotrimin cream
anti-fungus anti-fungus, Tolnaftate
anti-fungus Nystatin cream
Antihistamine Antihistamine (Loratadine)
Antihistamine Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
ANTI-NAUSEA & sleep dimenhydrinate
ANTI-NAUSEA & sleep meclizine
antiseptic topical Betadine (povidone-iodine)
anti-tussave cough suppresent (trisaminic)
anti-tussave cold syrup (equae day)
Blood stopper BleedX
Burns anesthetic burn ointment (Unguentine)
Burns burn ointment (Tannic)
burns, infected Nitrofurazone
chapped lips Chap stick
Cold Capsules Cold Capsules
cooling, injury Cold Pack, instant
decongestant, nasal & sinus Pseudoephedrine+Triprolidine
Diarrhea kaopectate
diarrhea Loperamide HCI (Imodium A-D)
diarrhea indigestion gastro bismuth-Bismuth subsalicylate
drawing salve, inflammatory, bactericidal and fungicidal ichthammol
emetic, vomit poison ipecac syrup
Expectorant guaifenesin powder
expectorant anti-tussave cough suppressant (tussin DM)
eyes, irritated eye wash (opti clear2)
feaver blisters chapped lips Chap salve (carmex)
filling, temporary temporary filling kit
Hemaroids anesthetic rectical ointment
infection, otic canal, outer neomycin / polymyxin B & hydrocrotisone otic
inflammation topical hydrocortisone cream
insect bites & windburn Boric Acid ointment
Itching anti-itch cream
laxative Laxative (bisacodyl)
laxative, bronchodilator, aches Epsom Salts
moisturizer & topical lubricant Petroleum Jelly
pain & fever Acetaminophen
pain & fever Aleve (Naproxen Sodium)
pain & fever Aspirin
pain & fever (enteric coated) Aspirin (Ecotrin)
pain moderate Acetaminophen & codeine
pain, anti-Inflammatory & fever Ibupropfen (Advil)
pain, migraine Acetaminophen+ Aspirin+ Caffeine
pain, muscle & joint, cough Mineral Ice
pain, muscle joint Percogesic (phenyltoloxamine)
PMS acetominaphen-panabrom+pyilamine
poisoning Charcoal (activated)
radiation, Thyroid Blocking Potassium Iodide
skin irritation Zinc Oxide Ointment
Smelling salts Smelling salts
Stimulant Caffeine
Sun Block Ultra 15 Sunblock
tooth repair kit eugenol, cotton swab, mixed Filling puddy
tooth cleaning floss, dental
wash, animal bite benzalkonium

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FRC Forum Highlighted Posts of this week

Quarantine suggestions for the up coming flu
-Flu spreads in waves of 3-5 months w/ 3 months in between (THIS MAY CHANGE WITH THE NEW SUPER FLU)
-Self-quarantine for 90-120 days / wave
-Govt effort to supply food and water at 10% at best
-Outside dirty, inside clean; Boy in the Bubble concept
-Shelter w/ good seal
-Clear brush and undergrowth 100 feet parameter around the house
-Heat pump forced air cooling/heat to filter out virus/microbes
-Water reservoir covered, pool, tubs and barrels, then disinfected
-Any source of standing water or body of water is a contaminate. Remove birdbaths, old tires and/or fill puddles. Virus lives in water for days, influenza lives on hands 5 min.
-Neither bird feeders nor outside chickens
-Food supply, 1year/person
-Vacuum w/ bags that filter for allergens
-No eating from outside gardens, only preserved food
-Indoor sprouts, fluorescent lights for indoor growing plants vegetables
-Bleach for water disinfectant (10 drops/gallon) and medicinal wound care (½ sterile water ½ bleach)
-Hand cleaners soap and alcohol based
-Running water for washing hands, not standing water
-Face masks N-95 and goggles for outside
-No individual contact less than 8 feet (NO hand shakes etc) social distancing
-Animals inside space and same consideration
-Dogs and cats immunizations kept up (any stray dog will be shot)
-Water repellent clothing w/ hood when outside (large garbage bags)
-Toilet bowl cleaner tablets for inside standing water (tidy-bowl etc)
-No contact w/ people within 8 feet, viruses jumps 5+ ft
-If an exchange is required drop item in spot i.e. porch and leave then the receiver can pick up the item i.e. soup, firewood etc. (This was the practice during the 1918 influenza)
-Keep dust to minimum, dusters, wet wipes. Sneeze into elbow
-Keep surfaces clean w/ disinfectant
-Bake items coming into house for 20 min at 325+ degrees (Microwave is best)
-Good hygiene; Wash hands thoroughly and frequently after contact from outside world
-Once one individual leaves and breaks quarantine, cannot return to re-infect rest of
Household. No group meetings parties’ weddings funerals church etc
-Only burn wood that is stored under protective covering and dry, if wet -> contaminated
-Wallpaper ceiling, walls and windows w/ foil in one safe room to insulate and retain heat
-UV lighting on surfaces (can cause skin cancer)
-No washing cars by hand
-Flies and mosquitoes out, don’t leave windows, doors open, screens are not an option
-Bug Zappers are either a really good idea because they kill bugs or a real bad idea because they attract bugs
-Handling mail, wear gloves and bake mail before opening it (e-mail best)
-Analogue phone for when power goes out
-supply for diarrhea and/or cold remedies

-Homemade Gatorade
1 tsp Lite Salt (source of potassium)
1/3 tsp Baking Soda
10 tsp sugar in 1 qt water
OR
1 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
1 qt water

-Turnips, clover and potatoes good crops for cold weather
-copper wool to keep out Mice
-Garbage bags to wear punch holes in sides and put arm through, good for warmth and as a disposable barrier from the outdoors
-Vitamins
-Wash down entryways w/ bleach or cleaner
-Keep shoes outside
-Pressure cooker and microwave to disinfect food
-Grow inside food is best, outside root veggies only (nuke and wash)
-Cage animal, not range free (rabbits)
-Dishwasher sterilizes
-Dishcloth dirtiest item in household
-Shopping cart handles dirtiest item in public
-Magazines dirtiest item in doctor’s office
-Purse is exposed to everything, along with the morning coffee mug that follows you around at work
-Do not share pens, combs etc.
-Tarp and duct tape corpses, bury deep at home if possible
-Remove moss from roof, harbors bacteria and virus (mushroom too)
-Streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers source of contamination
-Keep outside dry, no watering lawn
-Rain, Snow, Mist, and fog are also carriers for the virus…

http://frc4u.org/portal/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?73.last

The Best Long Storing Fats
The best fats for storage are those that are naturally resistant to oxidation or going rancid. There are several factors which effect this ability to oxidation.
1. The saturation of the individual fats, their ratio in the oil or grease.
a. Saturated fats are most resistant
b. Monounsaturated next resistant
c. Polyunsaturated the least resistant
2. The content of anti-oxidants (like vitamin E)
Animal fat such as tallow or lard are relatively high in saturated fats; meaning that in the fatty acid portion, all the carbon atoms are bound to two hydrogen atoms, and there are no double bonds. These are the weak points where oxidation will occur first. The elimination of double-bonds by adding hydrogen atoms is called saturation; as the degree of saturation increases. Oil may be hydrogenated to increase resistance to rancidity (oxidation) or to increases, the oil's viscosity and melting point.
From a survival view, here are some fats that you maybe considering storing or home producing and how they rate for storage.
Palm Oil
The palm oil is a prime cooking oil. Vegetable ghee is 100% palm oil colored with beta carotene and with some butter like flavorings added
Sheep Tallow
Sheep fat is processed from suet to tallow the same way as Beef Fat and is used as a substitute for Lard.
Beef Tallow
This fat was used to make candles, and as a lubricant, and by "fast food" restaurants for deep frying. Beef fat is the primary flavoring in beef and the purified white fat called tallow can be kept at room temperature much longer than many vegetables oils without spoiling.
Ghee
A very thoroughly clarified and purified butter fat that is can be kept at room temperature much longer than suet without spoiling. Used as a major cooking oil through much of India. Because it is so thoroughly purified of all moisture and solids it can be used at higher temperature and is much more resistant to rancidity than more casually purified clarified butter. Pots of ghee buried by nomads have been found in excellent condition even after a couple hundred years.
Lard [Pig Fat]
Once the most popular cooking and baking fat in America and Europe, lard is still by far the best fat for many baking uses such as pie crusts. The best lard to use for baking is called "leaf lard" which is made from the fat from around the pigs kidneys. Now that evil trans fats in vegetable shortening are claimed to be even more dangerous, pig is back in the running. Experts say the health implications for lard are about the same as for butter.
Schmaltz (rendered chicken or goose fat)
Used as a spread for bread and to cook chopped liver and potato pancakes. Goose fat is preferred for its flavor if available.
Coconut oil
It's 91% saturated fat (pig lard is just 43%). Saturated fats are supposed to clog your arteries with "bad" cholesterol. Unfortunately for "accepted medical knowledge" no clogging is found among those who use coconut oil every day for every meal, fine medium temperature frying oil, clear and devoid of any flavor that would interfere with the taste of the food being fried. Since it's solid at room temperature it can also be used as a shortening for baked goods. Coconut oil is highly resistant to rancidity and has an extremely low oxidation factor so it's highly durable as a deep fat oil, even more durable than beef tallow.
Vegetable Shortening
Crisco is made from hydrogenated cottonseed oil and, based on unverified claims (no FDA back then), was called a "healthier" substitute for Lard in baked goods. The main requirements for vegetable shortening are to be a fat solid at normal room temperature, devoid of flavor and made from plants, so vegetable oils, mostly cotton seed, soy and corn, are partially hydrogenated to achieve the right consistency. Unfortunately partially hydrogenated oils are evil trans fats, now considered the most dangerous type of fat, more dangerous even than evil saturated fats.
Olive oil
Pure Olive Oil is a superb multi-use oil. Use it the same as Extra Virgin wherever the distinctive flavor of ExV would overwhelm. It can be used for all moderate temperature sauté and braising applications and for moderate temperature deep frying, anything below 400°F. Stored in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. In tightly sealed glass bottles it will last up to a year. If stored below 50°F it will become cloudy, and if refrigerated, positively murky, but it will be unharmed and will clear up if allowed to rest at a warmer temperature.
Soy oil
Soy oil, along with corn oil, dominates the market for general purpose cooking oil sold in the supermarkets.
While serious health questions surround some soy products (soy milk and TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)), soybean oil is widely considered safe. Because it is high in polyunsaturated fats and contains limited antioxidants it is more subject to rancidity than, say, olive oil or canola oil, so keep it in tightly sealed containers in a cool place away from direct sun and it should be good for 9 months or so.
Sunflower oil
Refined sunflower oil is a good all-around cooking oil but not as neutral in flavor. "Virgin" or "cold pressed" sunflower oils have a very low smoke point and should not be used for cooking. High in polyunsaturates, sunflower oil will go rancid faster than olive oil. Store it tightly sealed in a cool dark place and use it within 9 months.
Canola Oil (genetically modified or low erucic acid rapeseed)
Rapeseed / Canola is a member of the mustard / cabbage family. Unmodified rapeseed is high in erucic acid which has caused heart lesions in animals so is considered unfit for food. The genetically modified (by breeding, not gene splicing) canola version has under 2% erucic acid and is approved by the FDA (though it's rumored the approval cost Canada a bundle). The taste of canola oil is unobtrusive enough to be used as a general purpose oil. Canola oil is considered one of the more "heart friendly" oils, having a very high percentage of monounsaturated fats (though not as much as Olive Oil) and a very low percentage of saturated fats.

This is the best comparison that I could find for rancidity resistance: Saturated fats are most resistant, Monounsaturated next resistant and Polyunsaturated the least resistant

Name.......Smoke°F........Sat......Monounsat...Polyunsat....Oxidation index (lower better for frying)
Coconut Oil.........350................. 92%......... 6%........... 2%........... 0.24......
Palm Kernel.............................. 82%......... 11%..........7%.......... 0.27
Butter.................300.................65%......... 30%......... 5%
Butter Ghee........375................ 65%......... 30%......... 5%
Beef Tallow.........420................. 52%..........43%.........5%........... 0.86
Palm...................420................ 51%......... 39%..........10%
Sheep Tallow.............................50%......... 41%...........9%
Lard (Pig).............360................44%......... 45%......... 11%..........1.7
Duck Fat..............375................ 33%......... 49%......... 13%
Chicken Fat..........375................32%......... 46%......... 22%
Goose Fat.............375............... 28%......... 57%..........11%
Cottonseed...........420............... 24%..........26%..........50%........ 5.4
Margerine.............325............... 20%......... 47%..........33%
Peanut....................450.............19%......... 48%......... 33%......... 3.7
Olive, "Pure"...........410............. 15%......... 75%......... 10%..........1.5
Soybean.................450............. 15%......... 23%..........62%..........7
Corn (Maize)..........450.............. 13%......... 29%......... 58%..........6.2
Sunflower...............450............. 12%......... 16%..........72%.........6.8
Canola...................400............. 7%........... 61%......... 32%..........5.5

Where to Buy
The best price I have found so far is from Oils by Nature. They pack in 5 gal. hi density plastic pails with a Nitrogen atmospheres to reduce rancidity for longer storage. Most vegetable oils (like corn or soybean) are light, about 7 lbs per gal. but coconut and palm kernel are 10.5 lb per gal. so go by weight not price per gallon when you compare prices.
Here are two that I am strongly considering (note that they fit between oils and shortenings and can reasonably be used for both):
Coconut Oil 92 Degree (Hydrogenated) This is a white semisolid fat which liquefies at 92F, 53lb pail $0.93/ lb $49.29
Palm Kernel Oil (Non-Hydrogenated) resemble those of coconut oil and interchangeably with coconut oil. Used in confectionery items. Semi-solid fat which liquefies at 73 to 84F, 53lb pail $ 0.74 / lb $39.22.

http://www.oilsbynature.com/product-category/oils.htm

I went back to "Oils By Nature" to finish off my Fat Storage and found the Food shortage has struck.

They used to carry 4 types of coconut oil including organic (the very best for storage) not they list only one and it is too pricy for me. Price & availability changing rapidly. 230gr

Coconut Oil 53lb. Pail $195
Palm Kernel Oil 53 lb. Pail $50
Palm Oil 50 lb. Pail $60.00

FYI, each pail supplies almost 1 1/2 years worth of fat for an adult.

http://frc4u.org/portal/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?834.last

Might want to check this one out also. It is about how much fats and oils you need. It made a previous Highlight blog entry.
http://frcforums.blogspot.com/2009/04/frc-forums-highlighted-post.html

New Hampshire Court orders Christian homeschooled girl to attend public school

A Christian homeschool girl in New Hampshire has been ordered into government-run public school for having "sincerely held" religious beliefs.

An attorney working with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed motions with a New Hampshire court, asking it to reconsider its order to send the 10-year-old homeschooled girl into public school.

According to ADF allied attorney John Anthony Simmons, the court acknowledges that the girl in question is doing well socially and academically, but he adds that the court went too far when they determined that the girl's Christian faith was a "bit too sincerely held and must be sifted, tested by, and mixed among other worldviews."

Simmons contends that parents have a "fundamental right to make educational choices for their children." However, the girl's parents divorced in 1999, and she is now living with her mother who has been homeschooling the child since first grade. As part of the schooling, the young girl has been attending supplemental public school classes.

As part of parental custody hearings, a court-appointed guardian stated that the child reflected her mother's "rigidity" on questions of faith and added that girl's best interest would be served by exposure to a public school setting.

According to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, home-based education is an enduring American tradition and right. ADF concludes, based on that statement, that there is no legitimate legal basis for this latest court ruling.

OneNewsNow has contacted ADF attorney Simmons for further comment and is awaiting a response.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=659638

FRC Forums Highlighted Post of the Week

This week is a great book review or synopsis, about a book by
Steve Solomon called “Gardening Without Irrigation (or not much anyway)”

Gardening Without Irrigation- Part1: The Secret of Available Moisture

Steve Solomon’s book “Gardening Without Irrigation (or not much anyway)”; At first, I did not think it would be too useful in out “rainy” eastern climate but the drought this year makes me think other wise. 230gr

This is essentially a story of a man, survivalist at heart, who moved his family from Michigan to a 5 acres homestead in Oregon in a lovely, grassy valley. To feed his family, he sets up raised beds and intensive (square foot) gardening, which had worked so well back east. He runs into an irrigation problem unlike anything he had anticipated and nearly looses the garden crops he was depending on which were sustained by watering all night, five or six nights a week, with a single, 2-1/2 gallon-per-minute sprinkler moved from place to place.

Eventually, realizing his vulnerability, he is forced to abandon the homestead and move. Yet he knows that the Indian peoples produced crops without irrigation and he sets out to find out how and to adapt it (if possible) to our current vegetables. He grew two gardens side-by-side: a large "dry" garden and another large one intensive style, on raised beds with lots of irrigation to feed his family and act as a control. Eventually, he discovered a method for growing a lush, productive vegetable garden on deep soil with little or no irrigation, in spite of 8 to 12 virtually dry weeks every summer by adapting Native Americans of the Southwest and the highlands of Peru grew remarkable desert gardens, with little or no water, in areas of only 8 to 12 inches of rainfall.

He found:
1. some types of vegetable could be grown with out irrigation at all
2. some needed irrigation to simply survive
3. some benefited from a few minimally metered-out applications of fertilizer enriched watering ("fertigation")
4. some showed no increase in yield with fertigation.
5. there is water already present in the soil and, by creatively using and conserving this moisture, gardeners can go through an entire summer without much, if any, irrigation

The Secret of Available Moisture
Sandy….1.0 inches of water per foot of soil
Loam…..2.0 inches of water per foot of soil
Clay……2.7 inches of water per foot of soil

If you get a rainy or snowy winter, by spring the soil is holding all the moisture it can. Summer rains come rarely and do not penetrate deeply so it quickly evaporates from the surface few inches without recharging deeper layers. While the hot sun does dry out the surface inches, down 6 inches or so, there will be almost as much water present in September as there was in April. Once a thin surface layer is completely desiccated, be it loose or compacted, virtually no further loss of moisture can occur except certain kinds of very heavy clays that form deep cracks. If the cracks are filled with dust by surface cultivation, even this soil type ceases to lose water. If a vegetable’s root systems can grow deep and wide enough and given permeable soil with enough space to grow, it can utilize this available moisture to sustain it’s growth.
http://frc4u.org/portal/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?706

Gardening Without Irrigation- Part2: Helping Plants to Need Less Irrigation
How Plants Obtain Water
Plants acquire water and minerals through their actively growing, tender root tips and almost microscopic root hairs close to the tip absorb most of the plant's moisture while the parts behind the tip cease to be effective. The plant is far better off to aggressively seek new water in unoccupied soil than to wait for the soil its roots already occupy to be recharged. Once a leaf canopy forms, plant growth slows markedly. Adding a little more fertilizer helps but the rate of growth never equals that of younger plants. The unseen competition for root room slows them down and allocating more area allows vegetables to get larger, yield longer and allows reduced irrigation frequency. How long available soil water will sustain a crop is determined by how many plants are drawing on the reserve, how extensively their root systems develop, and how many leaves are transpiring the moisture. If there are no plants, most of the water will stay unused in the barren soil through the entire growing season. Most gardens can yield abundantly without any rain at all if only we reduce competition for available soil moisture, judiciously fertigate some vegetable species, and practice a few other water-wise tricks. Lowering plant density will lower the yield but not proportionately. A plant density one-eighth of intensive gardening results in a yield about half as great.

Helping Plants to Need Less Irrigation
1. The most obvious step is thorough weeding.
2. Keep the surface fluffed up with a rotary tiller or hoe during April and May, to break its capillary connection with deeper soil and accelerate the formation of a dry dust mulch.
3. Should rain during summer, hoe or rotary till a day or two later and again help a new dust mulch to develop.
4. Loosen the soil! Compacted soil acts as a mechanical barrier to root system expansion and many vegetable species are capable of reaching 4, 5, and 8 eight feet down to find moisture and nutrition.
5. Double digging by trenching out 12 inches and mixing the next foot with organic matter for a depth of nearly 24 inches to 10% (rotary tilling only 6 or 7) very sandy soil’s water-holding ability in the top 2 feet could be doubled to 2 extra inches of water per foot of soil; enough to increase the time between heavy irrigations by 10 days.
6. When roots decay, fresh organic matter can be left deep in the soil, once the subsoil has been mechanically fractured, green manure crops can maintain the openness of the subsoil; sweet clover, may go down 8 feet, red clover, the top 5 feet, densely sown carrots, parsley, and parsnip are helpful.
7. Permanent mulching with organic matter does not reduce moisture loss any better than dust mulching and frequently hoeing of weeds will make the top inch or two of earth dry and powdery.
8. A mulch of dry hay, grass clippings, or leaves, will also retard moisture loss, especially right at the surface, however, the overall moisture loss is about the same.
a. permanent thick mulch quickly breeds many slugs, earwhigs, and sowbugs
b. that maintaining it for more than one year makes vegetable gardening very difficult.
c. Unless you live in an area with a long winter freeze to set populations back.
9. Windbreaks are also helpful in reducing evaporation.
http://frc4u.org/portal/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?707

Gardening Without Irrigation- Part 3: Dry garden feeding & seed sprouting

Fertilizing, Fertigating and Foliar Spraying
1. Fertilizing, before sowing or transplanting large species like tomato, squash or big brassicas, dig out a small 12 inch deep pit, blend in two cups of organic fertilizer with the soils at the bottom, then fill the hole back in to concentrate fertility at 18 to 24 inches below the seedlings.
2. Foliar feeding, dilute soluble nutrients sprayed on plant leaves, is rapidly taken in but the growth response lasts for 3 to 5 days so must be applied weekly.
a. Use caution, spinach, beet, and chard leaves may be damaged by even half-strength applications.
b. The cabbage family leaf surfaces are waxy makes sprays run off mix a little Soap.
c. The poorest foliar sprays are organic, poor in phosphorus & calcium but the most useful is 1/2 to 1 tablespoon each of fish emulsion and liquid seaweed concentrate per gallon of water.
d. Chemical fertilizers, water-soluble, the best is Rapid-Gro or Dyna-Gro 7-9-5, then Peters 20-20-20, if you dissolve calcium nitrate into a solution just before spraying; all these chemicals are mixed at about 1 tablespoon per gallon.
3. Fertigation, for maximizing yield while minimizing water use, every two to four weeks beginning late in June and continue periodically through early September.
a. Use six or seven plastic 5-gallon "drip system" buckets, setting one by each plant, and fill them all with a hose, doing 12 or 14 plants each and rotate through them all more or less every three weeks.
b. Make a 5 gallon drip bucket by drilling a 3/16-inch hole through the side about 1/4-inch up from the bottom.
c. Placed the bucket so that the fertilized water drains out close to the stem of a plant, then filled with liquid fertilizer solution.
d. It takes 5 to 10 minutes for 5 gallons to pass through a small opening, and because of the slow flow rate, water penetrates deeply into the subsoil without wetting much of the surface.
e. Each fertigation makes the plant grow very rapidly for two to three weeks.
f. Organicfertigate with fish emulsion and seaweed at 1/2 to 1 tablespoon each per gallon of water with weak compost/manure tea.
Vegetables That:
Like foliars
Asparagus Carrots Melons Squash
Beans Cauliflower Peas Tomatoes
Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cucumbers
Cabbage Eggplant Radishes
Kale Rutabagas Potatoes

Don't like foliars
Beets Leeks Onions Spinach
Chard Lettuce Peppers

Like fertigation
Brussels sprouts Kale Savoy cabbage
Cucumbers Melons Squash
Eggplant Peppers Tomatoes

Sprouting Seeds Without Watering
Small seeds need to grow in light, fluffy soil but tillage breaks capillary connections that draw up subsoil moisture until the fluffy soil resettles. In recently tilled earth, successfully sprouting small seeds in warm weather is dicey without frequent watering or reestablishing capillarity moisture below sprouting seeds so that moisture held deeper in the soil rises to replace that lost from surface layers, reducing or eliminating the need for watering. Simple foot pressure can restored capillarity, and during the night, fresh moisture replaced what had evaporated. This simple technique helps start everything except carrots and parsnips (which must have completely loose soil to develop correctly). Compress the soil below the seeds and then cover the seeds with a mulch of loose, dry soil. Sprouting seeds then rest atop damp soil and will sprout, root and leaf very quickly.

Techniques to reestablish capillarity after tilling.
1. Push planter: first compacts the tilled earth with its front wheel, cuts a furrow, drops the seed, and then with its drag chain pulls loose soil over the furrow.
2. Wheelbarrow, pull a lightly loaded, down the row to press down a wheel track, sprinkled seed on that compacted furrow, and then pulled loose soil over it.
3. Handmade Footprints-
a. sow large brassicas, squash, melon and cucumber, in clumps on hills above a fertilized, double-dug spot, about 18 inches square, deeply dig in complete organic fertilizer.
b. In the center of the fluffed-up mound, punch down a depression to reestablish capillarity by having firm soil under a shallow, fist-sized depression, then a pinch of seed is sprinkled atop this depression and covered with fine earth and good germination without watering.

How to Fluid Drill Seeds
1. Place the seeds in a half-pint mason jar, cover with a square of plastic window screen held on with a strong rubber band, soak the seeds overnight, and then drain them first thing in the morning.
2. Gently rinse the seeds with cool water two or three times daily until the root tips begin to emerge.
3. As soon as this sign appears, the seed must be sown, because the newly emerging roots become increasingly subject to breaking off as they develop and soon form tangled masses.
4. Presprouted seeds may be gently blended into some crumbly, moist soil and this mixture gently sprinkled into a furrow and covered.

Starch gelatin fluid drilling
If the sprouts are particularly delicate or, as with carrots, you want a very uniform stand, disperse the seeds in a starch gelatin for fluid drilling.
1. Heat one pint of water to the boiling point and dissolve in 2 to 3 tablespoons of ordinary cornstarch.
2. Let the mixture cool until it becomes a soupy gel.
3. Gently mix this cool starch gel with the sprouting seeds, making sure the seeds are uniformly blended.
4. Pour the mixture into a 1-quart plastic bag and, scissors in hand, go out to the garden.
5. Prepared a furrow with capillarity restored and cut a /4 inch in diameter hole in one lower corner of the bag.
6. Walk quickly down the row, dribbling a mixture of gel and seeds into the furrow, then cover.
7. The presprouted seeds come up days sooner, the root will penetrating moist soil long before the shoot emerges and the stand of seedlings will be very uniformly spaced, be easier to thin and that you need quite a bit less seed per length of row.

Nursery Bed alternative
1. Instead of trying to irrigate the entire area, seedlings are first grown in irrigated nurseries for transplanting after the rains come back.
2. If desperately short of water, locate the nursery where it gets only morning sun and sow a week or 10 days earlier to compensate for the slower growth.
http://frc4u.org/portal/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?708

FRC Highlighted Post(s) of the Week

Ez started this one out

Probiotic food is food that contains live bacteria, which is considered beneficial and not harmful to humans. The first example of probiotic food was the introduction of acidophilus to milk, which in some cases helped people who had difficulty digesting milk to be able to tolerate milk better. The specific bacteria used in probiotic food like acidophilus milk is Lactobacillus acidophilus. Such milk was available in the 1920s, and yogurt predates it, but was not specifically supplemented for probiotic effects.

One can still find probiotic food like acidophilus milk. However, the field has opened up to contain other strains of bacteria and other types of food. One naturally thinks of yogurt as a probiotic food, and it may contain lactobacillus acidophilus. One may also see other bacteria listed on probiotic food like yogurt, primarily Lactobacillus bulgaricus, lactobacillus GG, and variants of bifidobacteria.

Most probiotic food is fermented at least partially. A short list of probiotic food choices includes miso soup, some soft cheeses, yogurt products like kefir, sauerkraut and many pickles. Those who feel probiotic food is beneficial are now also interested in prebiotic food. It does not generally contain bacteria but appears to help healthy bacteria grow in the intestines. Prebiotic foods include Jerusalem and regular artichokes, oats, honey, many fruits, and goat’s milk. Human breast milk is also thought to have prebiotic properties that may explain why it so benefits the human newborn.

Many people add probiotic bacteria to their food or take it in capsule form. However, it is unclear how well probiotic bacteria work. Lactobacillus GG, one of the newest probiotics, has shown that it can survive processing by the gut and be especially beneficial to the colon. Not all probiotics have shown evidence that they promote better intestinal health. Some studies do show that eating yogurt during antibiotic treatment may help prevent diarrhea, and is beneficial in reducing risk of yeast infections in women.

Some experts in alternative medicine claim many other benefits to eating probiotic food or using supplements. Such claims include reduction in eczema, cessation or reduction in mental illness, improved immunity, and reduction of childhood allergies and asthma. These claims have yet to be verified, though in most cases few derive harm from probiotic food or supplementation.

Some people may experience mild stomach upset, diarrhea or flatulence during the first few days of probiotic supplementation. Further, some people may be allergic to or intolerant of certain probiotic supplements, or to the probiotic food in which they are presented. However, in most cases, probiotic food is well tolerated, and at the very least, may provide one with better intestinal health. Eating prebiotic foods may also be a good way to promote regularity, and certain prebiotic foods like oats have other benefits, like increasing one’s daily fiber and lowering cholesterol. What are some ways we can store these food for long term?

230gr responded with couple of posts

What are some ways we can store these food for long term?


Yogurt & kefir products must have live bacteria and cannot be pasteurized as most brands are, most sauerkraut and pickles are short cutted by using vinegar and not fermented much by bacteria. Relying on store bought foods for probiotic, beneficial bacteria are problematic and long term storage of acid foods is even more so.

Most vegetables are easy to ferment as they have the needed bacteria already present. Yogurt & kefir are selected strains of natural bacteria that clabber unpasteurized milk. Clabbered milk (curds) and the soft raw cheese made from it where eaten widely in the “old days” and would certainly work, it might be possible to get something like a freeze dried yogurt & kefir culture to store but I have not seen it.
See my post:
Vegetable Fermentation Basics
http://frc4u.org/portal/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?296.last

and then again

When my wife was being treated for an old case of Lymes, the Dr who specializes in such cases put her on probiotics immediately to ramp up her immune system. Although we had used yogurt cultures for GI problems and yeast infections,, I started looking at the whole range of probiotics more seriously then. They have a lot of potential. 230gr

Probiotics Part 1

The human body has an estimated 100 trillion "friendly" bacteria from at least 500 species, referred to as bacterias (probiotics) and they are responsible for several important biological functions. Some of these functions include assisting with digestion, keeping other harmful bacteria at bay and stimulating the immune system. The health benefits of probiotics have been known for at least 100 years and researchers are hopeful that probiotics hold the answer to the growing number of cases of antibiotic resistance and a natural alternatives to treating various health conditions.
• • About 80% of your immune system lives in your gastrointestinal tract.
• • 500 different species of bacteria live inside you.
• • About one hundred trillion bacteria live inside you -- more than TEN TIMES the number of cells you have in your whole body.
• • The weight of these bacteria is about two to three pounds.
• • Some of these bacteria are referred to as "good", but others do not provide any benefit. The ideal balance between them is 85% good, 15% "other".
• This ratio between the "good" and other bacteria can be critical factors determining your optimal health.
Certain studies have proven the many health benefits of probiotics such as the prevention or control of:
• Food and skin allergies in children
• Bacterial vagniosis
• Premature labor in pregnant women
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Recurrent ear and bladder infections
• Chronic diarrhea
Friendly bacteria also have the ability to :
• manufacture vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, A, and K, and essential fatty acids;
• aid in the digestive process by helping digest lactose (milk sugar) and protein;
• clean the intestinal tract, purify the colon, and promote regular bowel movements;
• increase the number of immune system cells;
• create lactic acid, which balances intestinal pH;
• protect us from environmental toxins such as pesticides and pollutants, reduce toxic waste at the cellular level, and stimulate the repair mechanism of cells;
• help maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels; and
• break down and rebuild hormones.
• reduce the growth of unfriendly bacteria,
• maintain regular bowel movements,
• maintain cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and
• maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Experts agree that the absence of bacteria in the intestines is unhealthy. This was apparent in the experiment of laboratory animals that were raised to be germ-free and were frequently sick, exhibited grossly underdeveloped immune systems and vulnerable intestinal tracts.

100 Trillion Bacteria in Your Gut: Learn How to Keep the Good Kind There

You probably don't think about your gut very often but this may make you start--the bacteria in your bowels outnumber the cells in your body by a factor of 10 to one. This gut flora has incredible power over your immune system, which, of course, is your body's natural defense system that keeps you healthy. In other words, the health of your body is largely tied into the health of your gut, and it's hard to have one be healthy if the other is not.
One of the reasons why your gut has so much power has to do with the 100 trillion bacteria--about three pounds worth--that line your intestinal tract. This is an extremely complex living system that aggressively protects your body from outside offenders.
However, if you are eating as many sugars as the typical American (about 175 pounds per year) then you are feeding the "bad" bacteria, which are more likely to cause disease than promote health, rather than promoting the "good" bacteria that help protect you from disease. Exposure to chemicals will also contribute to this disruption in your gut microflora, and over time the imbalance will lead to illness. A large part of the influence of the "bad" bacteria is on the intestinal lining (mucousal barrier) that is over 300 square meters, or about the size of a tennis court.
Beneficial bacteria in your gut can help to boost the immune system, prevent allergic inflammation and food allergy, clear up eczema in children and heal the intestines from a variety of ailments.
Fortunately, you can influence the composition of the good and bad bacteria in your gut by optimizing your diet and supplementing it with a high-quality probiotic, or good bacteria. As written in a report in the October 2003 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, "probiotics can act as partners of the defense system of the intestine."
The typical American diet is so full of sugar and grains that--although I don't often recommend supplements--nearly everyone can benefit from probiotics. You should look for a high potency, multi-strain variety, which can be found in most health food stores. Since the best type of probiotic to use can become highly specific, you may want to discuss the varieties with an experienced health food store employee.
I recommend probiotics to nearly all of our new patients, as it is a helpful start for their health recovery. This is not a lifetime recommendation, however. Once you are eating the right foods it is generally possible to maintain a healthy bacterial balance in your gut without the use of probiotics. On a side note, probiotics are especially helpful when you are traveling in the event you get an infectious diarrhea. Typically, large doses of a high-quality probiotic--about one-half to one full bottle in one day--are quite useful for a rapid resolution of the diarrhea
By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege

It's great news that the benefits of probiotics are being fully explored, and sought out as an alternative to the antibiotics humans are increasingly becoming resistant to. Although I am not a big fan of nutritional supplementation the way it is currently practiced by most natural medicine clinicians, I have found probiotics (beneficial bacteria) to be an exception. It is the ONLY supplement I recommend for ALL new patients (unless of course they are already on one). I don't believe that they need to stay on it the rest of their lives, but one to three months are usually beneficial until they are able to get their diet improved.
New York Times September 14, 2004

Probiotics Part 2

Probiotics are the only supplement that I advise nearly every patient to start. Once their food choices are cleaned up they can stop it. It is not necessary to take them continuously forever. I do believe it is wise to use one bottle once a year of a good probiotic as most of us are less than perfect with our food choices.
My personal favorite is Flora Source as it is a high potency multi strain product. Most good probiotics are literal miracles for most types of acute diarrhea. My recommended dose is one capsule or ¼ tsp of the powders every 30-60 minutes until the diarrhea is gone. It usually resolves in about four hours. These products are quite impressive.
I am currently in the process of discussion with Italian researchers from Sigma Tao to import what may be the finest human probiotic source available into this country. I hope to have information available later this year
Dr. Mercola

Good Bacteria Fights Flu
Researchers in Japan report that mice given a nasal spray containing the "good'' bacteria Lactobacillus casei found in human intestines were more likely to survive a serious bout of the flu and showed less influenza activity.
These findings suggest nasal administration of L. casei enhances cellular immunity in the respiratory tract and protects against influenza virus infection.
The researchers administered the bacteria to the mice for 3 days, before infecting the animals with the influenza virus. The researchers found that the mice that had received the good bacteria had a 90% lower viral level compared with those not treated with the nasal spray. What's more, 69% of the nasal-spray mice survived their bout with the flu, while only 15% of the untreated animals did.
Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology May 2001;8:593-597

History does tell us about the ways different cultures promoted their intestinal health before modern times. In the past, people used fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut -- as food preservatives and as support for intestinal and overall health. Fermented foods are part of nearly every traditional culture. As far back as Roman times, people ate sauerkraut because of its taste and benefits to overall health. In ancient Indian society, it became commonplace (and still is) to enjoy a before-dinner yogurt drink called a lassi. At the end of the meal, they'd have a small serving of curd. These Indian traditions were based on the principle of using sour milk as a probiotic delivery system to the body. Other examples are all around us. Bulgarians are known both for their longevity and their high consumption of fermented milk and kefir. In Asian cultures, pickled fermentations of cabbage, turnips, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, squash and carrots still exist today.

Total health begins in the gut so if your GI tract is not in optimal health, then your overall health will be compromised. I have also learned the value of fermented foods that are loaded with good bacteria. They give the body similar benefits as consuming a whole bottle of good bacteria, but at a fraction of the cost. One of the best ways and least expensive to achieve this would be to obtain raw milk and convert it to kefir. Kefir is very easy to make. All you have to do is put one half packet of the kefir start granules in a quart of raw milk at room temperature and leave it out over night. By the time you wake up in the morning you will likely have kefir. If it hasn’t obtained the consistency of yogurt you might want to set out a bit longer and then store it in the fridge.
The quart of kefir has far more active bacteria than you can possibly purchase in any probiotics supplement and it is very economically as you can reuse the kefir from the original quart of milk about ten times before you need to start a new culture pack so one starter package of kefir granules can convert about 50 gallons of milk to kefir.
Kefir is one of the secrets of health of the long aged eastern Europeans and I can guarantee you that they did not use store purchased pasteurized milk to make their kefir. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/10/18/bacteria-gut.aspx

Foods Containing Probotic Bacteria
Some commonly used bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, & Lactobacillus acidophilus)
in products milk:
Kefir- a fermented milk drink that originated in the Caucasus region by a combination of bacteria and yeasts ,sour, carbonated, slightly alcoholic beverage, with a consistency similar to thin yoghurt, with 1 to 2 percent alcohol.
Yoghurt- bacterial fermentation of milk; beverage originally that can be slightly salty or sweet or, in the United States, have added pectin or gelatin to artificially create thickness and creaminess.
yoghurt cheese- strained through a cloth or paper filter, traditionally made of muslin, to remove the whey, giving a much thicker consistency, and a distinctive, slightly tangy taste salted and dried and rolled into balls.

Some fermented products containing similar lactic acid bacteria include:
Pickled vegetables such as Sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, onions, garlic, red beets, carrots, kohlrabi, and rutabaga.
Kimchi- traditional Korean pickled dishes made of vegetables with varied seasonings; most common is the spicy cabbage, radish, scallions, cucumber, and onion.
Pao cai- Chinese fermented cabbage, sweet and sour taste.
Zha cai- a type of pickled mustard stem (poc choy), originating from China, with a crunchy, yet tender texture and a spicy, sour, and salty taste.
Fermented bean paste such as:
tempeh- Javanese, made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form.
miso-traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt
doenjang- traditional Korean fermented soybean paste.
[b]Soy sauce- [/b]a condiment made from fermenting soybeans with the molds Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus soyae along with roasted grain, water, and salt.
Kombucha- a fermented medicinal tea symbiosis of Acetobacter (acetic acid bacteria) and yeast convert the tea into a bubbly fluid that has a palatable balance between sweet and sour and contains alcohol 0.5% to 1.5% depending on anaerobic brewing time progressing to very acidic pH 3.0 when finished.


BACTERIAL CULTURE 13 BILLION ORGANISMS- Serving Size 1 Servings Per Container 100 $19.99
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=VS-2164
A good probotic supplement is similar to the above with 10 to 12 different bacteria. I have tried to list the most common and what they do to help you choose.

• Bifidobacterium bifidum- are predominant in the gut flora of breast-fed babies, and administred to infants suffering from diarrhea, displaces the proteolytic bacteria that cause the disease, prevents the colonization of invading pathogenic bacteria by attaching to the intestinal wall, crowding out and taking nutrients from these unfriendly bacteria and yeast, enhance the assimilation of minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
• Bifidobacterium breve- colonize the immature bowel very effectively and is associated with fewer abnormal abdominal signs and better weight gain in VLBW infants, able to perform partial breakdown of inulin colon.
• Bifidobacterium infantis- an important organism shown to stimulate production of immunomodulating agents such as cytokines. Bacteriocidal activity is also observed against such pathogens as Clostridia, Salmonella, and Shigella.
• Bifidobacterium lactis- often found in yogurt that is known to help stimulate immune responses, shortened oro-fecal gut transit time in elderly, and appears able to reduce the duration of diarrhea and help alleviate constipation.
• Bifidobacterium longum- blocks the growth of harmful bacteria, and boosts the immune system, preventing the colonization of invading pathogenic bacteria by attaching to the intestinal wall and crowding out unfriendly bacteria and yeast, ferments sugars into lactic acid among the first to colonize the sterile digestive tract of newborns and predominates in breast-fed infants alleviation of lactose intolerance symptoms (Jiang et al., 1996); immune stimulation (Takahashi et al., 1998); and cancer prevention.
• Enterococcus Faecium- proven efficacy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome conditions such as diarrhea, boosting the digestive ability which in turn helps to promote a strong immune system, nutritional support of diarrheal diseases, especially in cases where pathogenic microbes, such as rotavirus, invade the bowel, able to significantly lower LDL cholesterol and observed in Cheddar cheeses
• Lactobacillus acidophilus- a producer of the enzyme amylase (a carbohydrate-digesting enzyme) that is known to improve digestion and reduce lactose intolerance and constipation part of the normal vaginal flora, helps to control the growth of the fungus Candida albicans, thus helping to prevent vaginal yeast infections, as well as, oral or gastrointestinal Candidiasis infections, including improved gastrointestinal function, a boosted immune system, provides relief from indigestion and diarrhea may be helpful reducing serum cholesterol levels. A University of Nebraska study found that feed supplemented with L. acidophilus and fed to cattle resulted in a 61% reduction of Escherichia coli
• Lactobacillus brevis- is a lactic acid producing organism important in the synthesis of vitamins D and K.
• Lactobacillus bulgaricus- is one of several bacteria used for the production of yogurt. It is also found in other naturally fermented products helpful to sufferers of lactose intolerance, whose digestive systems lack the enzymes to break down lactose to simpler sugars, stimulate production of interferon and tumor necrosis factor, thus establishing a potential role in modulating the immune system.
• Lactobacillus casei- is a lactic acid producer that assists in the propagation of desirable bacteria in the natural fermentation of beans, the beans contained inulin and causing flatulence upon digestion, is present in ripening Cheddar cheese and naturally fermented Sicilian green olives and may be effective in alleviation of gastrointestinal pathogenic bacterial diseases inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the small intestine more likely to survive a serious bout of the flu and showed less influenza activity.
• Lactobacillus plantarum- found in many fermented food products antimicrobial substances produced have shown significant effect on Gram positive and Gram negative bacteriam, tested clinically for its effect on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In both studies, subjects showed a decrease in IBS symptoms and can break down protein into usable nutrients (amino acids). reduced Rats given L. plantarum in addition to E. coli showed lower counts of E. coli in the small intestine and caecum (where the large intestine begins)
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus-inhibits the growth of most harmful bacteria in the intestine. It is used as a natural preservative in yogurt and other dairy products to extend the shelf life. first successfully used to treat gastrointestinal carriage of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in renal patients Immune stimulation, improves digestive health, reduces antibiotic-associated diarrhea , inhibit the growth of streptococci and clostridia.
• Lactobacillus salivarius ability to help break down undigested protein and disengage the toxins produced by protein putrefactions, found to be a potentially effective probiotic against H. pylori. a leading cause of ulcers.
• Lactobacillus sporogenes- helps enhance your intestinal health and provides back-up for sporadic intestinal discomfort.
• Saccharomyces boulardii- nourish and support a healthy intestinal wall, the front line for the body's defense system, significant reduction in the symptoms of acute gastroenteritis in children and of diarrhea in adults, even diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, two pathogenic bacteria often associated with acute infectious diarrhea, were shown to strongly adhere to mannose on the surface of S. boulardii via lectin receptors (adhesins). Once the invading microbe is bound to S. boulardii, it is prevented from attaching to the brush border and is then eliminated from the body during the next bowel movement, induces the secretion of Immunoglobulin A.
• Streptococcus thermophilus- is used, along with Lactobacillus spp., as a starter culture for the manufacture of several important fermented dairy foods, including yogurt and Mozzarella cheese, alleviates symptoms of lactose intolerance and other gastrointestinal disorders, may have immunomodulatory and anticarcinogenic effects.


Ez Responded

I have been experimenting with some different probiotics. I take allot of antibiotics and I can tell it has a negative affect on my body.

here are a few thing I have found.

Real probiotics are hard to find everything these days has been pasteurized Thus killing all the bacteria good and bad.

here is what I'm using Certain yogurts, other cultured dairy products that have not been pasteurized.


Now I'm going one step further to work with Prebiotics. and here is a few things iv been trying to focus on eating. Whole grains, onions, bananas, garlic, honey, leeks, artichokes.


here is my goals.

improve gastrointestinal health; may improve calcium absorption, systemic immunity

Its been a few weeks now and I can report I'm seeing allot of positive results. I can actually tell a difference in the way my body feels.


I will ad to this post in a few more weeks as I introduce more probiotics and prebiotics.

230gr finished it up with this one.

My experience Probotics is largely based on yogurt which my mother made and gave to us because “it was good for us” and, with a little vanilla or cinnamon and sugar added, it was tasty too. Eventually, I realized that when I had an outbreak of fever blisters, yogurt would help make them go away. I did not know anything about bacteria like Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, or Lactobacillus acidophilus back then but just that it helped somehow. Now every time I am very ill and or get a dose of antibiotics, I eat live culture Dannon or, if I can get her to brew some up, homemade yogurt (preferably with raw goat milk).
I have experimented with Kombucha but, beyond depressing blood sugar spikes, not enough to report benefits yet. If you get it while still foamy and bubbly, still a bit sweet but yet tangy, it is tasty. Leave it go too long does it ever get vinegary! Which is what we use it for.

The 2nd post is related and deals with daily amount of protiens needed each day.

230gr started this thread

How much meat or other complete protein do you need daily?

The standard method used by nutritionists to estimate our minimum daily balanced protein requirement is to multiply the body weight in pounds by .37. This is the number of grams of protein that should be the daily minimum. According to this method, a person weighing 150 lbs. should eat 55 grams of protein per day, a 200-pound person should get 74 grams, and a 250-pound person, 92 grams.
Under EOTWAWKI conditions, where so much muscle power will be used, this amount could increase. We might consider how much protein do athletes need? To figure out your needs, simply multiply your weight in pounds by one of the following:
Sedentary adult 0.4
Active adult 0.4-0.6
Growing athlete 0.6-0.9
Adult building muscle mass 0.6-0.9
(taken from Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook)

For a 150 pound male, this would be 0.6 for a total of 90 grams of protein per day or almost 13 oz of meat, poultry or fish. Enough Cereal grain for 90 grams would require over 11 cups!
For a 115 pound, teenage, female 0.7 for a total of 80.5 grams of protein per day would be good.

While you can get your complete protein requirements from most foods, it is far richer in some:
Meat, poultry and fish 7 grams per ounce
Beans, dried peas, lentils 7 grams per 1/2 cup cooked
One large egg 7 grams
Milk 8 grams per cup
Bread 4 grams per slice
Cereal 4 grams per 1/2 cup
Vegetables 2 grams per 1/2 cup

An ounce of meat or fish has approximately 7 grams of protein.
Beef
Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams
Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce

Chicken
Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein
Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
Drumstick – 11 grams
Wing – 6 grams
Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams

Fish
Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein

Pork
Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein
Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams

Eggs and Dairy
Egg, large - 6 grams protein
Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams
Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams
Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz

Incomplete Proteins (better mixed and matched of grain, beans & nuts)
amount of of grain you need to eat per day for enough useable protein
Pounds required for 100% of protein RDA by limiting Amino Acid
Barley………………………….. 0.5lb
Wheat, Hard Red Sprng…….0.5lb
Wheat, Hard Red Winter…..0.6lb
Egg Noodles Enrich Dry…... 0.5lb
Rice, Brown………..……...... 0.7lb
Wheat, Duram…….....…….. 0.7lb
Rice, White …….………….. 0.8lb
Corn, Dry …………..……..….1.0lb
Millet…………………..….…..1.0 lb

Beans (including soy)
Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein
Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams
Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams
Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans
Soy beans, ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein
Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams

Nuts and Seeds
Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams
Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams
Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams
Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 19 grams
Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams

eeyore responded to it

excellent info, helps with planning

FRC highlighted posts of the week

We are highlighting three posts this week, one about land, one about water and last is medical related.

Eeyore started this string of post titled
Carrying capacity for land (in general or in total)
I was wondering what peoples thoughts are on the carring capacity of land in general or total.

What i mean is how much land is necessarly for a long term Bad Times. I understand that is different in different parts of the country also.

I mean for growing enough food, having enough water, having enough wood to having enough stock.

Then you would have to couple that with having enough people (for security to work the land to purpose what you need) then figuring out exactly what skills are necessary and what skill would good to have.

It is really a lot to think about if you what to be realistic about it.

The more land ou need to secure (or protect) means more people, which means more land and then more people.

Just something i have been mulling about in my mind after reading some of the latest post.


230gr responded
Unless you have irrigation capability, intensively fertile soil and can practice bio-intensive gardening, you will need 1/3 to ½ acre just for garden area per adult for a years worth of fresh and canned foods with adequate calories.
For 12 adults, that means about 4 to 6 acres for growing food. More for orchards and small fruits and possibly a fish pond, as well as, pasture for your animals.

For the ongoing production of firewood you will need a large enough woodlot in the more heavily forested eastern US this means about 5 acres for a Northern winter’s heating and cooking (if you every twig, branch and log) figuring on at least a cord per acre with out cutting more than what will regrow annually.

Then there is your housing, outbuildings and just plain living space and privacy space. This will be 1 or 2 acres more.
Much more land is needed where it is dry and hot with sparse woods but more land may not necessarily need to be protected by more people. You need to cover your inner perimeter, gardens, barn, retreat and out buildings especially at night. Woods, pastures (when the animals are driven in), and grain fields are not as vital. Animals like cattle and goats will be extremely valuable and armed herdsman will need to overwatch them on pasture during the day. A lot will depend on the population density of your area and you relationship to likely “golden hoard” movement routs.

Grog responded
When it comes to sustainability, a few things come to mind, space for food production, space for storage of supplies, access to potable water, conditions for waste/garbage (Not every thing can be composted)
and can you protect it? Not just from jbts/hordes but say flooding, fire or the like.

The number of people and things like security, maintaining shelters, growing food, securing clothing (weave, tan hides, make foot wear etc).

Grog added to his earlier post addendum: figure 5 acres per person, and if raising food animals, figure again water needs, fodder sources, and again sustainability. based on a loose rule, a core of say 24 people say between ages 6 to 65, without special needs would need a minimum of 120 acres, call it 5 gallons of water per person per day every day for sanitation, hydration and personal hygiene. so daily water 120 gallons every 24 hours.

For animals, call it 10 gallons a day part water for hydration and for crop production for those animals.

call this roughly 1000 gallons a day for 100 goats or sheep. I am sticking to small food animals, not larger ones like bison or cattle. Granted these may be higher than actual usage. The water rates for animals includes water for growing food, for humans, I set the usage for not just hydration, but food prep, washing of clothing and materials, not just survival intake minimums. As to waste, well even properly built privys are of a limited lifespan and need another one some where, same with septic systems. Possibly using methane generators could off set this, but this will depend on how you are set up. I feel the sanitation issue is often over looked....


Groovy Mike responded
My great grandfather said (+/- 75 years ago) that "with 10 good acres" he could feed his family of 5 year round without ever leaving home. With a good water source and at least 50% tillable ground I think he was right on target.


ez responded
Looking at my area.

there isn't really a need for firewood.so that cuts down the amount of land needed.

the big things here are gardening and the amount of land you can secure.

gardening you would need 4times more land so that rotating from year to year is possible. with our poor soil conditions it takes xtreme composting to ensure the soil will be good for the next year.

I'm saying for 2 families 3 acres just for gardening 11/2 to plant am year the use the other 11/2 to plant the next year.

For fruit trees 2 acres. plums/ citrus/ mango's/ avocados/ peaches and nuts . I say 2 acres because I see small front yards growing these fruits healthy all around me.


For living I believe 1 acre for 2 homes is good. you can still have limited privacy and be close enough to provide security to each other. most homes today are closer then that and still have room for a garage and small buildings

Live stock is a big one here since we have mostly sands raising live stock on a large scale would not be practical.

with that said we are already over run with wild hogs and gators. both could supply with a years worth of meat.

A pond Id say the bigger the better I could easily go with a 1 acre pond this would supply watter for the crops home to the gators / fish/ and birds (duck, geese, ) .

I based this on 2 families roughly 11 people. So I'm up to 7 acres I believe could work as long as careful attention was taken to plan out every year
http://frc4u.org/portal/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?488.last

Our second post is offered from Jerry D. Young called
Some average water usage numbers
Okay. Got my Arkansas State Board of Health Bureau of Sanitary Engineering Individual Water Supply Systems handbook dated 1961 out. Don't think many things have changed except house hold use may be up. Though with water saving toilets, showers, Energy Star appliances and such, it might be about the same. Take it as you see it. Use or reject what you don't feel is correct.

Domestic use per person average household: 50 gallons
Per horse, mule, or steer 12 gallons/day
Per dairy cow drinking only 15 gallons/day
Per dairy cow drinking & dairy servicing 35 gallons/day
Per hog 4 gallons/day
Per sheep 2 gallons/day
Per 100 chickens 4gallons/day
Per 100 turkeys 7 gallons/day

Per 5/8" hose 200 gallons /day
Per 3/4" hose w/1/4" nozzle 300gallons/day
Per 1 1/2" fire hose w/1/2" nozzle 2,400 gallons/day

For small residences a minimm of 5 gallon/minute pump with a 42 gallon pressure tank

An average residence should have a 10 gallon/minuite pump and a 100 gallon pressure tank.

From the Ruth-Berry pump engineering manual

Pasture 1 1/2" to 2" per irrigation every 10 to 15 days
Alfalfa 3" to 6" per irrigation every 21 to 45 days
Vegetables 1" to 3" per irrigation every 7 to 21 days
Berries 2" to 3" per irrigation every 14 to 21 days
Orchards 3" to 6" per irrigation every 21 to 45 days
Clover 2" to 4" per irrigation every 14 to 30 days
Root crops 1" to 3" per irrigation every 7to 14 days


1 acre inch of water = 27,100 gallons of water

eeyore responded
I can say a donkey uses less then 5 gallons a day. That is one on pasture and hay no real work being done.
From an experiment a friend and my family did back around 2000 (a bugin type situation), we found it took (realistically) over two gallons per person each day, when you figured cleaning, for food and hygiene.
Can it be less i'm sure, but if you are working even part of the day, you are going to at least want to take some type of bath at the end of the day.


230gr responded
Good information! thanks Jerry.
Domestic use per person average household: 50 gallons
can be cut back a lot with planning & reuse, IMO.

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The third post is from 230gr called
Reducing Insulin Requirements & Blood Sugar levels

This is information that I have been collecting for personal use and I no longer have the referances and sources. I have tried a good bit of it and find it is worth doing. 230gr

Reducing Insulin Requirements & Blood Sugar levelsFor Type 2 Diabetics
1. Dr. Jonathan Wright suggests diabetics have a daily intake of the following nutrients chromium 1000 to 2000 mg., Niacin 1.5 to 2.5 mg , Niacinamide 50 to 100 mg ,Biotin 8 to 16 mg., Alpha-lipoic- acid 300 mg., Co-Enzyme Q 10-60 mg. Vitamin K 5 to 10 mg., Vitamin D -2000 I.U. daily, Vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols) 400 IU, Vitamin C 2000-3000 mg., Magnesium 300-400 mg., Vanadium 1-2 mg., Zinc 30 mg. Copper 2 mg., Manganese 5-10 mg.,
a. Most supplements will lack a few of these ingredients which can be added from another source.
b. Use only butter, olive oil, and coconut oil for cooking.
2. A current study among Finnish men and women between the ages of 35, with no history type 2 diabetes, where followed for about 12 years. Those who drank three to four cups of coffee per day had a 27 to 29 percent reduced risk of diabetes. Those who drank at least 10 cups a day had a 55 to 79 percent reduced risk.* Adding one additional cup of coffee per day was associated with a .16-units higher insulin sensitivity.
a. Note: Except men who drank pot-boiled coffee, who faced three times the risk of diabetes compared to men who drank filtered coffee. Which may have to do with the length of time the coffee was exposed to high temperatures.
3. Tea consumption was also related to improved insulin sensitivity.
4. 1/2 tsp of cinnamon per day (on toast, in coffee, etc) will lower insulin requirements and also lowers cholesterol.
5. Vinegar can flatten out glucose spikes in your blood as it slows down the digestion of carbohydrates. Just using vinegar on a salad or a teaspoon in a small glass of water ahead of a moderate carbohydrate meal seems to flatten the blood sugar out and give the pancreas a chance to catch up.
6. James Duke in The Green Pharmacy suggests drinking lots of
a. black tea as it significantly reduces blood sugar levels
b. Insulinade (even better!) To a pot of black tea add a pinch each of bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and tumeric, and steep for 10 minutes.

For Type 1 Diabetics
1. There does not seem to be a feasible way make or a substitute for insulin.
2. Insulin can be stored in a refrigerator (35 to 46 degrees F), unopened, and maintain potency until the expiration date on the package.
3. It may be used beyond the expiration date for an additional year or until it becomes cloudy but no MD would recommend that. In a situation where it is use it or die without it, you will have little choice.
4. Insulin products may be left un-refrigerated (between 59 and 86 degrees F) for up to 28 days and still maintain potency.
5. Under emergency conditions, when the storage temperatures might exceed even 86 degrees F, insulin exposed to these temperatures may still need to be used but it may lose potency.
6. A 6 pack cooler-sized refrigerators that run off 12V DC that run off solar cells or car battery recharged by solar cells.
7. A solar-powered refrigerator with its own collector, the SunDanzer BFR105 Battery-Free (PV Direct) model, at $1199, has ultra low energy consumption, is 3.7 cf. (41W x 31 D x 39H inches) and 200 lbs

Herbs for Diabetes
Diabetes has been treated with plant medicines and recent scientific investigation has confirmed the efficacy of many of these preparations, some of which are remarkably effective. Only those herbs that appear most effective, are relatively non-toxic and have substantial documentation of efficacy are covered here.
1. Pterocarpus marsupium (Kino tree) gum-resin much used in Indian medicine as a treatment for diabetes. The crude alcohol extract have actually been shown to regenerate functional pancreatic beta cells. No other drug or natural agent has been shown to generate this activity.
2. Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) or balsam pear, is a tropical vegetable widely used as a remedy for diabetes. The blood sugar lowering action of the fresh juice of the unripe fruit has been clearly established in clinical studies.
a. Charantin, extracted by alcohol, is a hypoglycaemic agent composed of mixed steroids that is more potent than the drug tolbutamide which is often used in the treatment of diabetes.
b. Momordica also contains an insulin-like polypeptide, polypeptide-P, which lowers blood sugar levels when injected subcutaneously into type 1 diabetic patients. The oral administration of 50-60 ml of the juice has shown good results in clinical trials.
3. Gymnema Sylvestre (Gurmar) assists the pancreas in the production of insulin in Type 2 diabetes. Gymnema also improves the ability of insulin to lower blood sugar in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It decreases cravings for sweet. This herb can be an excellent substitute for oral blood sugar-lowering drugs in Type 2 diabetes. Some people take 500 mg per day of gymnema extract.
4. Onion and Garlic ( Allium cepa and Allium sativum) have significant blood sugar lowering action. Clinical evidence suggests that APDS components lower glucose levels by competing with insulin for insulin-inactivating sites in the liver which results in an increase of free insulin.
a. APDS administered in doses of 125 mg/ kg to fasting humans was found to cause a marked fall in blood glucose levels and an increase in serum insulin.
b. Allicin doses of 100 mg/kg produced a similar effect.
c. Onion extract was found to reduce blood sugar levels even with 1 to 7 oz (raw and boiled onion) by the metabolism of glucose and/or increases the release of insulin, and/or prevent insulin's destruction.
d. Additional benefit of the use of garlic and onions are to lower lipid levels, inhibit platelet aggregation and are antihypertensive. So, liberal use of onion and garlic are recommended for diabetic patients.
5. Fenugreek the antidiabetic properties of seeds that contains the alkaloid trogonelline, nicotinic acid and coumarin.
6. Blueberry leaves-A decoction of the leaves of the blueberry has a long history of use in the treatment of diabetes. The compound myrtillin (an anthocyanoside), the most active ingredient, when injected is somewhat weaker than insulin, but is less toxic, even at 50 times the 1 g per day therapeutic dose. A single dose can produce beneficial effects lasting several weeks and also increase capillary integrity and improve the tone of the vascular system. In Europe, it is used as an anti-haemorrhagic agent in the treatment of eye diseases including diabetic retinopathy.
7. Asian Ginseng has been shown to enhance the release of insulin from the pancreas and to increase the number of insulin receptors. 200 mg of ginseng extract per day improved blood sugar control as well as energy levels in Type 2 diabetes.
8. Bilberry may lower the risk of some diabetic complications, such as diabetic cataracts and retinopathy.
9. Ginkgo Biloba extract may prove useful for prevention and treatment of early-stage diabetic neuropathy.
10. Cinnamon - Triples insulin's efficiency
11. Barberry - One of the mildest and best liver tonics known. Dosage: tincture, 10-30 drops; standard decoction or 3-9 g.
12. Herbal Combinations For all pancreatic problems:
1 part uva ursi
1 part goldenseal
1 part elecampane
2 parts dandelion root
2 parts cedar berries
1 part fennel part ginger
a. Mix the powdered herbs and put them in #00 capsules.
b. Take them after every meal

Herbal Treatment of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes
In a comprehensive management program of non-insulin dependent diabetes, where the Islets of Langerhans are working, plant hypoglycemics documented.
1. Examples from Europe:
a. Bilberry, Garlic, Goat's Rue, Mulberry Leaves, Olive Leaves
b. Goat's Rue is a gentle endocrine stimulation of pituitary or hypothalamus and in some people they can be dramatically effective in lowering blood sugar.
2. Plants that been shown to have experimental hypoglycemic effects to a greater or lesser degree but where the mechanisms are not clear:
a. Black Cohosh, Burdock, Cashew, Cayenne, Celery, Dandelion, Fenugreek Ginseng, Golden Seal, Gravel Root, Oats, Peyote, Pill bearing Spurge, and Spinach.
3. Cardio-vascular system (Heart and vascular) tonics, appropriate for long-term use, especially are Bilberry, Hawthorn berry and Ginkgo.

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