Monday, May 25, 2015

Your Greatest Preparedness Asset


Your Greatest Preparedness Asset
By Kyle D. Christensen, DC, ND, MH

Changes are coming. Many suggest that we are on the cusp of financial and economic set backs with rumors of the collapse of the Euro to be quickly followed by the dollar. Natural disasters in the form of volcanic activity and earthquakes with the threat of tsunami are escalating at an unprecedented rate. The Rule of Law has been taken from the people by politicians and judges whose dictates appear to favor the agendas of small but aggressive special interest groups.  The moral compass is spinning out of control and the crosshairs seem to be sighted on Christianity.  So called “religions of peace” are seemingly given a pass on violent and murderous acts, while free speech is only tolerated from the liberal and progressive left.  What was once considered evil is now praised as freedom of choice and lobbied for as constitutional rights and what was once deemed as moral and virtuous is shouted down as intolerant, divisive and politically incorrect.  Finally, the healthcare in our nation currently rank as number one on money spent per person, yet limps behind the modern world in quality of life and life expectancy with 35 countries out living us and 34 countries deliver healthier babies with higher survival rates. 

Yes, to many of us, it feels like things may be getting worse (a lot worse) before they get better. As a result, some (not as many as should), but some, are focusing their time, attention and dollars on preparedness with the ever-looming question, WHAT IF…?

Ultra-light
In the cycling and backpacking world a new term has arisen over the past couple of decades. Ultra-light. The concept is simple. Lighter equipment will result in less physical exertion allowing the athlete to go faster and farther. Ultra-light almost always comes with a hefty price tag. Dollars are set on the counter for titanium bicycle components or camping cookware thus shaving off grams of weight or if you really spend the bucks, a few ounces. Here is the irony – very often those boasting of the backpack or bike weighing-in under 20 pounds could easily stand to lose 20 pounds from their waistline. 

And so it is with preparedness.  We see preparedness enthusiasts plunking down hard earned money for the latest and greatest supplies and gear, yet they sometimes have neglected their most valuable preparedness asset. Their Health.  You see, when and if there is ever a hiccup in the economy or outright collapse of life as we know it, if you cannot be truly self-reliant at least for a time, you stand a much greater chance of suffering or becoming a casualty.

The reality of healthcare in the United States is that 80 percent of health care costs are the result of persistently poor lifestyle choices. From Type 2 Diabetes and obesity, to Heart Disease and stroke to most cancers and arthritis, we earn our way to the doctors’ office and hospitals because of lifestyle choices made based on convenience (in our diets) and laziness (lack of adequate exercise). And sadly, when you finally come to yourselves, for many it is too late because you have so severely damaged and broken your body through misuse and mismanagement that the saying “you can’t get there from here” resounds true.  I believe however, that this is the exception and applies to only a small percent.  I have witnessed a great many who have returned from deaths doorstep and have returned from drug and medical dependency to a healthy active drug free life.

While the way to health is achievable, it will require change. And for many this change, while rewarding, will not be convenient, but it will be worth it.  You see you have been caught in a trap, a trap that has been shrewdly planned and meticulously set in your path. Please understand that THEY are not looking out for your best interests.  THEY – being the food manufacturers, the drug companies, the tobacco and alcohol industries and even the government does not sit in their meetings trying to figure out how to make John and Jane Q. Publics life happier and more complete.  The conversations are more along the lines of how to increase their financial profits, their control and using (or misusing) you to meet their various agendas.

Is it noble desires and sincerity of interest that caffeine is added to the liquid candy we call soda pop? Or is it designed to create a physical addiction or dependency to keep you purchasing the products? We have been carefully marketed lies and half-truths in an effort for someone else to make money from our addictions, naivety and desires to get something without paying the real price (fitness without exercise, health without a good diet). This malicious marketing comes from both sides of the healthcare isle.  I believe that those pushing their ‘natural – super healthy’ ware can be just as misleading and devious as those promoting regulated substances. For example, the advertiser who convinces you that you can get all of your fruits and vegetables with their capsules or delicious powder mixed in a drink.  That way you won’t have to eat those nasty tasting – prone-to-rot fruits and vegetables sold in the produce section.

It is human nature to try to get the greatest results with the least effort. Remember the old margarine commercials that said “you can’t fool mother nature” – well you can’t.  You can’t eat unhealthy foods (processed, pre-packaged, denatured, manipulated, microwaved, modified and “enriched”) and undo the damage of putting those in your body by popping a few pills or drinking a smoothie.  Likewise, you cannot be sedentary and expect to have energy and health into your middle or senior years.  So now we have picky eater grows up and decides to not inflict the emotional trauma they experienced as a child upon their kids.  But at what cost?.  So you don’t like to eat healthy.  So you don’t like to exercise (oh, and I am so tired of hearing women tell me, ‘I don’t like to sweat’.). That is all fine and dandy, but please don’t expect to escape the consequences of your picky or childish behavior.

Sadly, many use nutritional supplements as a crutch to offset a lazy or self-destructive lifestyle.  Unfortunately, we have been programmed through orthodox medicine that health conditions are inevitable and that degenerative conditions are best to be managed rather than cured (oops, I’m not supposed to say that word, ‘cured’ – darn I said it again). Just because we have a whole nation that has bought in to this lie, doesn’t make it true.  Arthritis, heart disease, dementia and diabetes are not inevitable – only if you do as most Americans do.

A great challenge of getting healthy is trusting who to believe. In our population many are ardent supporters of modern medical practice, yet we find that “established medical facts” seem to change – the latest being that eating saturated fats and cholesterol is NOT linked to heart and artery disease.  And that the cholesterol-lowering drugs (the statins) are shown to accelerate heart disease. This is coming from the American Heart Association. Likewise, consuming salt is no longer the villain once supposed.

The Reason to take a Supplement
I believe that the reason to take a supplement is so that you won’t have to take supplements.  Let me explain.  If I have a health concern or condition that is associated with a deficiency of a nutrient, I should be able to supply my body with that particular set of nutrients (found in a supplement or better yet in healthy foods), heal the body and then once I am well, I no longer need to take the supplement – provided that my diet is adequate and healthy. 

However, I continue to see people who have been taking an ever-rotating combination of nutrients, drugs, and concoctions for decades.  The natural supplement industry markets the concept that our food is so deficient in nutrients that unless you take ‘their’ high potency, super-duper pill or powder, you cannot hope to obtain any semblance of health.

Some may argue that the quality of our food has been so decimated due to chemical fertilizers and improper agricultural practices that the nutrition of all food has been reduced to almost nothing, therefore, NO ONE can be healthy solely by eating food. Therefore, it is necessary that a significant portion of your food budget be spent on pills, powders, oils or potions.

I, for one, don’t buy it.  I agree that quality is a major issue, but I also believe that if you shop right, and prepared your own food from scratch, you can and should get nutrition from the foods that you eat.  The problem is the foods that YOU eat.  Not only are many of us not eating healthy foods, but we eat foods that will pull, draw out or inactivate the nutrients that do manage to find their way into the digestive tract.  The primary “Anti-Food”, of course, is processed SUGAR.  This substance alone has caused and is causing more health problems that probably everything else combined.  It is the main contributing factor behind diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancers and adrenal fatigue.  It is highly addictive, but let’s face it – it really tastes good.

Understand, I am not suggesting that eating sweets is a bad thing.  After all, God gave us taste buds that specifically taste sweetness.  And he wired these sweet-tasting buds to the pleasure centers in the brain. Sweets are not the problem.  It is sweets made from refined and processed sugars – high-fructose corn syrup, white sugar, and all of the chemical sounding names that mean sugar. The artificial sweeteners are probably worse for other reasons – but that is another discussion.  (However, there does appear to be a direct link between High Blood Pressure and consuming Corn Syrup). I believe that eating the sweetness that is found in fruits, honey, and real maple syrup are good. (Sorry, Agave fans – it’s highly processed and not on the healthy list). 

In addition to sugars, things such as plastics cause health problems.  Plastics are known to be hormone disruptors.  Ever wonder why so many people have hormonal problems (thyroid, testosterone, estrogen and adrenal) – look to plastics as at least one of the contributors.  The list of harmful chemicals we are exposed to goes on and on. 

Those who enjoy good healthy may not be overly concerned with this aspect of being prepared for “come what may”. However, if you are unhealthy, restoring your health should jump to the top you’re your priorities.

Getting healthy is often not much more than returning to the basics (or discovering them for the first time).  Rarely have I seen the pharmaceutical approach to health successful. Pharmaceuticals (drugs) for chronic and degenerative conditions generally suppress or manipulate symptoms to give the illusion of health.  The paths that I suggest to restore your health is 1) Eating a healthy and nourishing diet, 2) taking nutritional supplements that may be missing from your diet and 3) Lifestyle changes, such as exercise, adequate rest, etc.

Can you really get the nutritional building blocks to build and maintain health solely by the foods that you eat?  I believe, yes, but you will have to work at it. Can you rebuild and maintain health by taking the right supplements and still get away with eating a poor diet?  I believe, no. Mostly, because of the anti-nutritional properties of foods that were touched on earlier (sugar, white flour, plastics, hydrogenated oils, food additives, etc.).

Without getting in to specific health conditions, let me offer you some general recommendations on building your health.

Exercise - 6 days a week, you must be moving you body doing something that would be considered exercise. Walk, swim, or cycle, you've got to do something. Log how many minutes each day. Set some goals. Remember: A goal not written, is only a wish.

Sleep - we've been taught from childhood that we need eight hours each night. Understand that hours of sleep BEFORE midnight are more beneficial than those after. Schedule bedtime so that you get at least 8 hours. You may need more or less, but plan on eight. Figure what you really need and sleep in a DARK room. 

Deep Breathing - Oxygen is vitally important for good brain function. Take time to breath deeply each day. Think of it as clearing out the cobwebs in the lungs and brain.

Avoid Negative Thinking - Stinkin Thinkin!  Are you sarcastic, pessimistic or talk too much about what is wrong? Certainly, we must live in this world of grief, sorrow and gloom, (and we are not promoting naivete), but as you focus on the positive, your brain will begin to change in good way. Try this Goal: I went a whole day without saying anything negative.

Water - Drink Eight - 8 oz glasses of water per day. It should be pure, filtered water. Drink from glass containers. Avoid plastic.

Diet - You cannot expect to be healthy if your body is taking in harmful chemicals, preservatives, food additives and the plethora of unnatural foods. Eat whole natural foods! Enjoy a plant-based diet loaded with fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables diet. At our home, we are vegetarians that cheat (eating small amounts of meat occasionally). Bottom line is grow up and eat healthy. 

Spiritual Activity - Develop a spiritual pattern of daily prayer/meditation/contemplation and scripture study. Avoid reading a certain number of chapters or pages, rather spend 20 to 30 minutes each day. It is okay to spend all of your time on just a verse or two. Ponder and reflect on what scripture means in your daily life. Memorize favorite verses.

Classical Music - Music can fill your soul with light or darkness. Relaxation or tension. Classical music, harp music and lovely melodies really can soothe the soul. Download or purchase music that will lift your soul. Listen to it. Really listen. I'm not talking background music, I'm suggesting sitting and consciously listening. 

Sunlight - We all need light. Make the effort to get in the sunlight every day. It is healing, it will increase your vitamin D. Most depressed people are vitamin D deficient and taking a supplement is not as good as the Vitamin D created by sunlight touching your skin. Depending on the fairness of your skin, you will be able to tolerate more or less direct sunlight. Remember, you do not want to get sunburned.

I hear far too often, “Isn’t there just something I can take?” Honestly, No, there isn’t. In order to change your life (from being sick and drug dependent), you must change your lifestyle. This encompasses changing the way you eat – which necessitates spending time in the kitchen making food from quality ingredients from scratch.  It necessitates that you get some sunshine, exercise and go to bed early.  It may mean that you find healthier forms of entertainment – too much time in front of a video or computer screen will slowly but steadily suck the life out of you. 

Can you restore your health without supplements.  YES, but it takes work, planning and preparation. I often find that a combination of diet, lifestyle changes and a few key supplements will give you the fastest results.
Caution
If your goal is to get off your prescribed medications, understand that you should work with your doctor and pharmacist to do so.  The objective is to make the meds no longer necessary.  As your health grows, the action of the drugs will be too strong, thus requiring a lower dosage. As this continues, eventually the meds may no longer be necessary. Going off prescription drugs ‘cold turkey’ before your health has been restored can be foolish and even deadly in some cases.

The backpacker or cyclist, trudging up a hill with an over-weight, out-of-shape body may not justify spending thousands on losing ounces on equipment weight when losing the weight makes more sense.  Having your basic preparedness needs and a healthy fit body (regardless of your age) that is accustomed to and actually enjoys healthy food and physical work and exercise is preferable to being overweight and drug-dependent with all of the cool preps money can buy.

Obtaining good health will take more than a casual commitment. For many, it will need to be a major physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual shift. Transformation is possible. If your goal is health, sit down with a loved one and do it together. It is a road of spiritual adventure and discovery.

Blessings,

Dr. Kyle D. Christensen, DC, ND, MH
May 2015






Thursday, November 6, 2014

Nov. 6th Prep Gathering

November 6th, Thursday Evening 7:00pm
Please join us for a Ward Preparedness Gathering, at
the home of Kyle & Trish Christensen - 125 West Oak Drive.
We will be discussing:
  • "Sheltering - In Place" - If ever necessary, How this may work in the Mt. Loafer Ward and
  • Starting a Volunteer Ward Emergency Preparedness Committee
  Also in this email, I've copied an excellent article - Behold, I Come Quickly by Char Van Kouwenhoven.  And for those who love cooking with Cast Iron, we a a link for a sure fire way to season your cookware. 

Blessings,

Brother Kyle
 
Behold I Come Quickly,
Be Not Afraid


 
by
Char Van Kouwenhoven

One Sunday morning I participated in a lesson on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In it we discussed the prophecies of Joel wherein he said the sun would be darkened and the moon turned to blood and we wondered what that might look like when it happens. I vaguely recalled another discussion regarding this prophecy and after searching found President Hinckley's talk entitled "Living in the Fulness of Times" (given shortly after 9/11.) He said that this vision, along with the words of Malachi have been fulfilled, "The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared: 'And it shall come to pass after-ward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come...' 
(Joel 2:28-32)."1
Knowing that the prophecy of Joel has been fulfilled causes me to wonder where we are in time? What we do know is that we are most certainly in His time for "hastening." (D&C 88:73 and Isaiah 60:22 JST) So I also wonder, what are we hastening for?

When I picture "pillars of smoke" I think of the burning twin towers. Whether that was a part of the literal fulfillment of Joel's prophecy I don't know, but what we do know is that the Lord uses signs, His holy days, and symbols in His works. Seven for instance is used throughout God's dealings with His covenant people, i.e. there were seven days in the week and seven feast days in the year, etc. Jesus Christ in his first coming fulfilled the first four of His holy or feast days. On 22 September, 1827, on the fifth feast day of the year or Feast of Trumpets, Joseph Smith received the gold plates from the Angel Moroni ... this time on the Hebrew calendar traditionally signifies the final in gathering or harvest.2 In this century we are also seeing amazing occurrences. Traditionally, at the end of every seven years or sabbatical week, on the last day of that year or 29 Elul was the Shemitah when all debts were to be forgiven. It does not seem coincidental then that shortly after 9/11 on 29 Elul, 2001, there was a great stock market crash, then seven years later on 29 Elul, 2008, there was an even greater stock market crash. The evening of 29 Elul, 2015, is the next Shemitah and that evening will be the beginning of the Feast of Trumpets (that night will be one of the six eclipses that are occurring on significant Jewish days in 2014 and 2015.  
 
We are currently in the midst of a blood moon tetrad on His holy days. Similar blood moon tetrads were seen when Israel became a nation and again when Jerusalem became part of Israel. Additionally, there are two solar eclipses on significant days and a supermoon as well on the final lunar eclipse of the tetrad.)

 
Elder Henry B. Eyring once said, "Because the Lord is kind, He calls servants to warn people of danger. That call to warn is made harder and more important by the fact that the warnings of most worth are about dangers that people don't yet think are real...Here is the charge given to each of the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 'Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.'"3 Some friends have said that the brethren are no longer warning us so that must mean that nothing significant will happen in our lifetimes, and they mention how Elder Packer said we don't have to worry about bad things happening until our grand-children or great-grandchildren's time. Personally, I think they misunderstood as what he actually said was quite different ...although he did give wonderful hope and promises speaking to the youth! He said we shouldn't think that, "The way things are going, the world's going to be over with. The end of the world is going to come before I get to where I should be." He then promised, "You can look forward to doing it right-getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren. If you will follow these principles, you will be watched over and protected and you yourself will know by the promptings of the Holy Ghost which way to go..." He didn't promise that our lives would be non-eventful or easy; he promised that we can be watched over and protected as we live righteously and learn to follow the Spirit.4

 
Just two years prior in 2009 President Packer said, "Your generation is filled with uncertainties. A life of fun and games and expensive toys has come to an abrupt end. We move from a generation of ease and entertainment to a generation of hard work and responsibility. We do not know how long that will last...the future will hold trials and difficulties for you...However, fear is the opposite of faith. Do not be afraid! I do not fear."5

It seems many people are confused and don't realize that the Second Coming is a progressive event with multiple appearances of Jesus Christ before He comes in glory at the "end of the world"6...many of
His prophesied events are likely to happen long before His final appearance in glory.

I do watch the brethren warning us to become more self-reliant, to prepare for future calamities and to always follow the Prophet and the Spirit.  
 
Most recently President Monson asked, "Are we prepared for the emergencies in our lives? Are our skills perfected? Do we live providently? Do we have our reserve supply on hand? Are we obedient to the commandments of God? Are we responsive to the teachings of prophets? Are we prepared to give of our substance to the poor, the needy? Are we square with the Lord? We live in turbulent times. Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties. When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past."7 President Uchtdorf explained, "Like two sides of a coin, the temporal and spiritual are inseparable. The Giver of all life has proclaimed, 'All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal.'"8

President Eyring said that when the brethren quote other prophets or repeat themselves we should give particular heed to their messages.9 So I paid special attention when President Monson quoted another prophet, "Said President Benson: 'In all ages, prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it-you are a marked generation...For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord. Some individuals will fall away, but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its Head-even Jesus Christ...While this generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time: [it is that] God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest...children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly.'"10 President Benson then said this prophetic statement, "And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God."11

We are instructed to "watch" in these last days "with all perseverance" and we should do it with faith...not fear.  
 
Elder Bednar gave us this guidance, "Now brothers and sisters, these teachings from modern and ancient prophets about latter-day tests and trials are sobering and solemn. But they should not be discouraging, and we should not be afraid. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, spiritual warnings lead to increasingly vigilant watching. You and I live in 'a day of warning' (D&C 63:58)
. And because we have been and will be warned, we need to be, as the Apostle Paul admonished, 'watching ... with all perseverance' (Ephesians 6:18)
. As we watch and prepare, truly we have no need to fear (see D&C 38:30)."12


We truly have no need to fear as our prophet President Thomas S. Monson assured us, "The world seems to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace...My counsel...is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life ..."13

Sometimes it is hard to keep watching though, President Kimball in his book, "Faith Precedes the Miracle" talked about us when he said,  
 
"I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ...The wise had to go; else the bridegroom would have gone unwelcomed."14

Starting in 1998 President Hinckley talked of Pharaoh's dream and warned of an approaching storm, "There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed...That's all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable."15 Then he referenced Pharaoh's dream after the 9/11 attacks, "I wish to remind you of the warnings of scripture and the teachings of the prophets which we have had constantly before us. I cannot forget the great lesson of Pharaoh's dream of the fat and lean kine and of the full and withered stalks of corn. I cannot dismiss from my mind the grim warnings of the Lord as set forth in the 24th chapter of Matthew...the time will come when the earth will be cleansed and there will be indescribable distress, with weeping and mourning and lamentation (see D&C 112:24)."16 Then in 2005, "What [calamities] we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet...What do we do?...We can heed warnings...the best storehouse is the family store-room. In words of revelation the Lord has said, 'Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing'... Let us never lose sight of the dream of Pharaoh concerning the fat cattle and the lean, the full ears of corn and the blasted ears, the meaning of which was interpreted by Joseph to indicate years of plenty and years of scarcity."17

President Benson said, "What are some of the calamities for which we are to prepare?... 'a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth'... 'an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land'... 'wars upon the face of the earth'... 'famines, and pestilences, and earth-quakes.'  
 
The Lord declared that these and other calamities shall occur. These particular prophecies seem not to be conditional. The Lord, with his fore-knowledge, knows that they will happen."18 Also, if you have been watching you will have heard of "record breaking" heat, droughts, floods, freezes, winter storms, failed crops and farms, high food prices, insect, rodent and other plagues, high transportation costs, volcanic ash, new and changing diseases, etc..

Many believe that the government will provide if there is a calamity, but the United States government stopped storing emergency food for its citizens years ago. Others believe that the Church will provide, yet President Faust said, "The Church cannot be expected to provide for every one of its millions of members in case of public or personal disaster."19 Bishop Victor L. Brown said, "Many of our members appear to feel that when difficulty comes, the Church will come to their aid, even when they could have prepared themselves had their priorities been appropriate...It is the opinion of many that more difficult times lie ahead."20 In order to feed the members of the Church "longer-term supply" bare survival rations for one year it would currently require more than 5 BILLION pounds of grains and legumes.

Difficult times for many are here. A friend in Northern Utah was called as the ward employment specialist in his ward when there were two men who were chronically unemployed, two weeks later there were 11 families experiencing unemployment. Last we talked, he reported there were 56 members in his ward needing employment. Our prophet President Thomas S. Monson more than once has said that, "Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food and clothing and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year's supply of debt and are food-free."21 President Ezra Taft Benson also warned of difficult days ahead, he said, "Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them."22

The First Presidency proclaimed to the world in, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World,"  
 
"By divine design, fathers are...responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families."23

So what is our responsibility, what are we to gather? Providentliving.org says to gather a three-month supply of foods that we normally eat and a supply of water. We should gather a longer-term supply of grains and beans (as well as a financial reserve where possible.) What is meant by "longer-term" is left between us and the Lord. Currently a year supply of grains and beans could cost $265 (12 starter kits, 28 lbs. each) It is recommended to store at least 25 lbs. of grains and 5 lbs. of beans per month per person according to their food calculator. They also recommend that you...add other items to your longer-term home storage such as sugar, non-fat dry milk, salt, baking soda, and cooking oil... [and] foods containing Vitamin C and other essential nutrients . " [ Providentliving.org ] A lot of people think if the government and church can't feed their family they can turn to their neighbors, but a day's "ration" would be 1/3 cup beans and 2 cups grains... before dividing it with you. Those prepared few that I have talked to with food storage say they are concerned for their numerous extended family members who have said they "know where to go when things get bad." If your calamity survival plan is that others will feed you, you need a new plan!

Many believe that it is pointless to store food since it would be gone so quickly...to them it seems better to continue on and use their money to "eat, drink and be merry" as much as they can, while they can. The reason I would give to prepare is probably different from most others. I believe we should prepare because Heavenly Father has lovingly commanded us to do so. Being obedient to the commandment to prepare may be one of those irrevocable laws upon which future blessings are predicated. In 2007, Bishop McMullin advised us to, "Be faithful. Unencumber your life. Lay up in store...As we do our very best, we can be confident that 'the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail.' We shall enjoy greater wisdom, security, peace of mind, and personal well-being. We shall be prepared, and because we are prepared, we 'shall not fear.'"24 These are wonderful blessings!

President Eyring counseled us, "Another fallacy is to believe that the choice to accept or not accept the counsel of prophets is no more than deciding whether to accept good advice and gain its benefits or to stay where we are. But the choice not to take prophetic counsel changes the very ground upon which we stand. That ground becomes more dangerous. The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future. The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late."9 How foolish do people who store food for calamities seem to you? Pres. Benson said, "The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah."22 The door of the ark was shut to those seeking entrance once the rains began, the door was also closed to the five foolish virgins. So...if doors were "shut" in the future would you be safely locked in? or would you be locked out? For instance if there were a pandemic such as the 1918 flu, you might be shut in with your family for three months or more. At the government pandemic flu site it says, "In an affected community, at least two pandemic disease waves (about 6-8 weeks each) are likely over several months."25

Please consider buying insurance for your family... famine insurance. It only takes hours to clean out grocery stores' shelves when disasters are imminent... unfortunately we don't always get advanced warning.
Also, roads can be impassible, fuel can run out, truckers can strike, foods can be out-of-stock, power outages or bank or card issues can make it impossible to pay. Many say that they will just grow their food or buy from farmers. Yet in many places the only local crop is hay and we can't count on all calamities happening during the harvest. It takes knowledge, good soil/land, water, fertilizer, seed, the right season, a lot of ground, and often many months of work, good weather, water and waiting before you can harvest your own food, then you have to be able to adequately store it for the long term, etc. Now is the time during this time of abundance to gather in what might be needed ... just in case.

A major change in what we should store occurred when a pamphlet, "All Is Safely Gathered In," was distributed. It was first talked about by the Presiding Bishopric, then it was handed out to the Bishop's to distribute to all the families in their wards, and later was included in the Ensign. It seems that it is important counsel meant for us to read and follow:

Message from the First Presidency
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to "prepare every needful thing" (see D&C 109) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others. We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings. We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve. We realize that some of you may not have financial resources or space for such storage. Some of you may be prohibited by law from storing large amounts of food. We encourage you to store as much as circumstances allow. May the Lord bless you in your home storage efforts."26

May the Lord bless all of us in the days ahead! I would like to add my voice to others...I know that we are living in the fullness of times when Heavenly Father has commanded us to prepare every needful thing because he loves us (D&C 109:8). We must, "Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, who was on the earth, and is to come, the beginning and the end ...Behold, I am Jesus Christ, and I come quickly ... "
(D&C 49:12, 28).

Brothers and Sisters, the Lord sent us down in this blessed but difficult dispensation for a purpose and He has a plan for us. Continuing the quote by President Benson,  
that was begun by President Monson, he told us, "...God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God...Make no mistake about it--you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized...The final outcome is certain--the forces of righteousness will finally win. What remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this fight--and how tall we will stand. Will we be true to our last-days, foreordained mission?"11
Fortunately, we have been prepared to meet the challenges of our day. President Monson said, "My brothers and sisters, He has prepared us. If we heed His words and live the commandments, we will survive this time...He is ever mindful of us. He loves us and will bless us as we do what is right."27 While President Monson was talking of spiritual survival, the example he used was of how the Lord prepared a way for the physical survival of his people. Regardless, we are assured that if we heed His words and live the commandments we will be blessed. Heavenly Father does love us, and He has lovingly commanded us to prepare every needful thing. May the Lord watch over us, direct us, guide us and bless us with His miracles as we do our very best to do so.

1. Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Living in the Fullness of Times," Ensign, Nov. 2001
2. Lenet Hadley Read, "The Golden Plates and the Feast of Trumpets," Ensign, Jan. 2000
3. Pres. Henry B. Eyring, "Let Us Raise A Voice of Warning," Ensign, Nov. 1998 and Jan. 2009
4. Pres. Boyd K. Packer, "Counsel to Youth," Ensign, Nov 2011
5. Pres. Boyd K. Packer, "Counsel to Young Men," Ensign, May 2009
6. Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, "Prepare Yourselves for the Great Day of the Lord," BYU Devotional, April 1981
7. Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "Are We Prepared?," Ensign, Sep. 2014
8. Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Providing in the Lord's Way," Ensign, Nov. 2011
9. Pres. Henry B. Eyring, "Finding Safety in Counsel," Ensign, April 1997 and June 2008
10. Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "Dare to Stand Alone," Ensign, Nov. 2011
11. Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, "In His Steps," CES Fireside, Feb. 1987; "In His Steps," BYU Devotional 1979
12. Elder David A. Bednar, "Who's on the Lord's Side? Now is the Time to Show," BYU-I Education Week Address, July 2010
13. Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "A Word at Closing," Ensign, April 2010
14. Pres. Spencer W. Kimball, "Faith Precedes the Miracle," pg. 253
15. Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, "To the Boys and Men," Ensign, Nov. 1998
16. Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Times in Which We Live," Ensign, Nov. 2001
17. Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, "If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear," Ensign, Nov. 2005
18. Elder Ezra Taft Benson, "Prepare Ye," Ensign, Jan. 1974
19. Pres. James E. Faust, "The Responsibility for Welfare Rests with Me and My Family," Ensign, May 1986
20. Bishop Victor L. Brown, "Prepare Every Needful Thing," Ensign, Nov. 1980
21. Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "That Noble Gift - Love At Home, May 2001
22. Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, "Prepare for the Days of Tribulation," Ensign, Nov. 1980
23. The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," read by President Gordon B. Hinckley, Sep. 23, 1995
24. Bishop Keith B. McMullin, "Lay Up In Store," Ensign, May 2007
25. "School District (K-12) Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist," Flu.gov
26. First Presidency, "All is Safely Gathered In, Family Home Storage," Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2007
27. Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "Closing Remarks," Ensign, Nov. 2009

Monday, September 22, 2014

Ebola! The Next Pandemic?

Ebola! The Next Pandemic?
Pretty scary stuff we are reading about these days. What concerns many of us is that we are too often not told the truth. We have learned from sad experience that the media (news reporting agencies) and the marketers (those trying to sell products) are more motivated to manipulate our behavior than give us honesty and truth. As a result, many of us have become skeptical, suspicious and cautious of what we are being told.
And so it is with this latest outbreak of the contagious disease - Ebola. 

Firstly, I tend not to trust what the American Media is telling us, especially in the face of what is being reported overseas. We are not being told about the US bioweapons lab that has been kicked out of Sierra Leon who was working with Ebola. We are not being told about the research suggesting that this strain of Ebola is different from the one that first surfaced in 1976. We are not being told of documented cases contracted without direct contact - meaning that it was and can be spread through the air. And it is not being discussed what we (as individuals and families) can do to prevent or avoid exposure. No mention in the popular media of doing ANYTHING to prevent or prepare.  [Don’t want the populace to get all riled up - just keep telling them they are comfortable and safe].

The truth is, it is difficult to know when we are being told the truth or when we are being manipulated with half truths or outright misinformation. Most people are simply too busy to bother with “all of the negative news”. Wars, financial crises, fires, immigration debates, terrorism (terrorism was just in 2001 right?) - It is all so negative. We’ve got kids to get ready to get back in school, family reunions, parties and social gatherings, skiing on the lake, hiking in the woods, training for the next race, etc. Nope, no time for negative stuff.
Now I am not suggesting that THIS IS IT. That this Ebola outbreak will spread to become the next worldwide pandemic - the last being the 1918 Spanish Flu, which killed millions (that was with a 2.5% death rate). However, real or not, I believe this is an opportunity for us to discuss and prepare for the WHAT IF.
 
First, understand that prevention is far better than grappling for a cure. This Ebola virus is scary and can kill up to 90% of those infected. Your number one strategy for this and any other contagious disease is referred to as social distancing. Honestly, nothing else has proven effective. This can range from wearing a protective mask and keeping your distance to walking into your house, closing the door, and not come out for 90 days (and not let anyone or anything else in). Period.
Wow, that is kind of harsh. However, if a potentially deadly contagious disease becomes widespread, you need to prepare and have the ability to exercise every option. If you do not have the personal resources to take care of yourself, you risk exposure.
As a natural health care practitioner, I hear a lot of talk (and read A LOT) about peoples natural remedies. Understand, that there is not one remedy that will cure-it-all. We must understand the nature of the enemy (the disease). In the case of Ebola - it is a virus. Medicine does not have an effect drug or treatment for viral illnesses. Generally, the goal with viral infections is to keep the person alive long enough for their own immune system to finally kill the virus.
Here is what Ebola does that is fatal: It gobbles up all Vitamin C in the body. No one actually knows the exact mechanism involved in how this is done, but that is what is observed. Scientists know that vitamin C drops to zero and all the symptoms of Ebola are consistent with a complete loss of Vitamin C.

"The very first symptoms of Ebola are exactly the same as scurvy, which is caused by inadequate Vitamin C. With the absence of Vitamin C, blood vessels become very weak and start to leak losing blood. Ebola causes massive internal bleeding, loss of blood, and shock resulting in death (up to 90% of the time). This 90% number that is often thrown around represents the most impoverished, malnourished populations.  The range is actually between 25% to 90% depending on the level of health of the population base exposed.  This is a pretty convincing argument to be well nourished and healthy. I would rather face a 75% chance of surviving than 10%.  Some researchers suggest Ebola can be stopped simply by taking enormous doses of Vitamin C until the immune system succeeds in killing off the virus."
Characteristic skin lesions or sores develop, which are actually multiple tiny areas of bleeding into the skin that surround the hair follicles. With Ebola virus and other viral hemorrhagic fevers, the disease tends to reach epidemic proportions in areas where Vitamin C deficiency and malnutrition are more prevalent, such as some of the African countries (or possibly to those of us whose diet are less than nourishing). Because of this, it would make sense to ensure that you are getting plenty of Vitamin C and are eating a diet that promotes a healthy immune system. Understand that consuming sweets and sugar will compromise a strong immune response.

When treating for an infectious disease (Ebola or just the common flu), Vitamin C is taken to bowel tolerance. Plainly put, this mean that you keep taking vitamin C until you get the runs (diarrhea). This signal from the body tells you that you have got enough. When I was in school in the early 1980’s, studying the work of Linus Pauling (winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1954), I decided to put this to the test. I wanted to see how much Vitamin C I could take in a day for the flu I had contracted. 75,000mg (that’s 75grams) of Vitamin C before I reached toleration.

Understand that there have been no published trials or studies with Ebola or hemorrhagic fever and Vitamin C. It has been suggested that a disease of this nature and intensity could require as much as 500 grams (that’s 500,000 mg of Vitamin C - classically used as Ascorbic Acid) per day to reach bowel tolerance. Again, there is no cure for Ebola. The goal of any and all treatment strategies is to support the person by keeping them alive long enough for their own body’s immune system to win the raging war against the virulent infection.
The sicker a patient is, the more ascorbic acid will be tolerated by mouth before diarrhea results. This is what is meant by bowel tolerance. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is taken to support the immune system in a degree that will give the body as much vitamin C as it can use.  Depending on the individual symptoms, you can determine how many doses of vitamin C will be taken.  I generally suggest 5 grams (5,000 mg) per dose.  So if the goal for the day is 30 grams that would be given in six - 5 gram doses. A dose can be taken as 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid crystals (or the vitamin C equivalent of 5 grams) in ½ cup of water or juice. The goal is to take enough vitamin C to be just short of bowel tolerance. Once bowel tolerance is reached, back off a bit. Continue with intensive Vitamin C doses until symptoms are completely gone. I would continue taking it in lower doses until you are completely “out of the woods“.
The following chart can give you an estimation of the number of doses to divide amount of vitamin C in.
USUAL DOSES FOR BOWEL TOLERANCE
                     GRAMS ASCORBIC ACID     NUMBER OF DOSES      
CONDITION               PER 24 HOURS        PER 24 HOURS 
normal                       4 -  15              4 -  6 
mild cold                   30 -  60              6 - 10 
severe cold                 60 - 100+             8 - 15 
influenza                  100 - 150              8 - 20 
ECHO, coxsackievirus       100 - 150              8 - 20 
mononucleosis              150 - 200+            12 - 25 
viral pneumonia            100 - 200+            12 - 25 
hayfever, asthma            15 -  50              4 -  8 
allergy: food - Environment  1 -  50              4 -  8 
burn, injury, surgery       25 - 150+             6 - 20 
anxiety, stress & exercise  15 -  25              4 -  6 
cancer                      15 - 100              4 - 15 
ankylosing spondylitis      15 - 100              4 - 15 
rheumatoid arthritis        15 - 100              4 - 15 
bacterial infections        30 - 200+            10 - 25 
infectious hepatitis        30 - 100              6 - 15 
candidiasis                 15 - 200+             6 - 25
Many in the natural healing arena suggest their favorite remedies as being the cure for practically everything. Whether it be essential oils, colloidal silver, oregano oil, herbal remedies, or whatever, I suggest having some Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid, calcium ascorbate or sodium ascorbate) on hand. I would suggest getting plenty as it can be stored for a very long time and is relatively inexpensive.  You can purchase ascorbic acid crystals (and just about everything else under the sun) from sources such as Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HMG6BCG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
The rule at our house is that when anyone gets sick, EVERYONE takes the medicine (that’s herbal medicine). By following the bowel tolerance method, you can also get an indication of the body’s level of health.  You can test or dose someone to the point of bowel tolerance.  If someone can all of a sudden take 50 grams of vitamin C, then something may be up.
In the case of Ebola - there is a 2 to 21 day incubation period (most often 4-9 days). This means that a person can be infected with Ebola and actively spreading the disease BEFORE they ever have a symptom.
While medical reporters in the United States continue to assure us that infection can only occur from direct person-to-person contact there are several published studies that suggest this virus has been spread from aerosol droplets (a sneeze or cough). The Public Health Agency of Canada warns of this on their website. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/ebola-eng.php
In preventing and treating conditions with so many unknowns, I recommend using several approaches simultaneously. Take your herbal remedies to boost and strengthen the immune system. Use your silver and essential oils. But also consider Vitamin C. For more information on natural remedies to strengthen your immune system see my Blog article on Influenza. http://drkylechristensen.blogspot.com/2014/01/prepared-for-flu-during-sunday-school.html
Is Ebola going to become the next worldwide pandemic. No one really knows. However, epidemiologist assure us that something is coming – if not now, then sometime in our future. Discussions of such dire events and illnesses are not pleasant, but it is far better to be prepared than hoping we will always be immune from disaster. Being prepared as best you can “just in case” is prudent advice that perhaps can give a little peace of mind.
  
Dr. Kyle Christensen
August 19, 2014

Pondering The Words of the Prophet

Pondering  
The Words of the Prophet
 
Hello friends and neighbors. I thought I would share some thoughts on our recent message from the prophet (September 2014 - Message from the First Presidency).
   
         The message from the First Presidency this month is titled " Are We Prepared? ". In the words of the Prophet, "We live in turbulent times." This is the message the Lord wants shared by Home Teachers to every member of the Church throughout the world. That alone is significant!

         When I first began reading his cute little story about the service project at the chicken farm, I was tempted to skim through it without giving it much thought. Then I recalled President Clare telling us that President Monson does not just tell cute stories, but like the Savior speaks in parables.

         After pondering this for a few weeks it finally became clear what he meant in his story at the beginning of his message. For those that read his message, "Are we Prepared?", President Monson begins with an odd story about a chicken ranch. Like me, your initial read may have regarded this as a story of a sentimental memory that vaguely had something to do with the Church farms. However this is a parable with deep significance.

         The key to understanding the parable - which has to do with getting us prepared -- is to realize that the members of the Church are the chickens and the workers are the general Church leadership - especially the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.
        
         Here's his story:
"In the vicinity where I once lived and served, the Church operated a poultry project, staffed primarily by volunteers from the local wards. Most of the time it was an efficiently operated project, supplying to the bishops' storehouse thousands of fresh eggs and hundreds of pounds of dressed poultry. On a few occasions, however, being volunteer city farmers meant not only blisters on the hands but also frustration of heart and mind.
 
"For instance, I shall ever remember the time we gathered the Aaronic Priesthood young men to give the project a spring-cleaning. Our enthusiastic and energetic throng assembled at the project and in a speedy fashion uprooted, gathered, and burned large quantities of weeds and debris. By the light of the glowing bonfires, we ate hot dogs and congratulated ourselves on a job well done.
 
"However, there was just one disastrous problem. The noise and the fires so disturbed the fragile population of 5,000 laying hens that most of them went into a sudden molt and ceased laying. Thereafter we tolerated a few weeds so that we might produce more eggs."

         He then goes on with his message, which is, in my own words:
1) Don't assume the Church has food for you; they have been telling you to get your own supply. Like the chickens who went into a molt - supplies may run dry suddenly due to bumps or hiccups in the economy.
2) You need more than food; you need clothing and the "other necessities of life,"
3) He chides the members who have not done so, but instead "have a supply of debt and are food-free," and
4) Counsels us to set aside money and get out of debt "as quickly as you can."

         Perhaps President Monson is trying to tell us that he is caught between the need to warn us about preparing for the future, and the sensitivity of the saints to be alarmed that something bad is on the horizon. He could use words of "destruction and fire," but that would be counterproductive; the "fragile population" of members would stop living their lives in a productive, one-egg-a-day kind of way. Once some chickens get it into their minds that the sky is falling, their lives will become unbalanced and fearful.

         So instead of telling us WHY we need to prepare, he tells us HOW we need to be prepared. And those that believe he's a true prophet, will just have the faith and prepare regardless of the details. Kind of like, "He who has ears to hear", will hear or feel the importance of the words.
  
          President Monson said that it would be best for "every family in the Church to have a supply of food, clothing, and, where possible, other necessities of life." In reading an old talk by President Benson, I found this exact quote. Exactly. Even the four commas are in the same deliberate places. However, there is one change: President Benson said that where possible, we should have fuel. Our current prophet expanded this to not just include fuel, but recognized that there are other "necessities of life" for which we must have on hand. Some of these things we can easily identify. But some of these "necessities" require us to know "WHY" and for what we are preparing for. For this, I believe you must either use the Spirit of revelation promised to guide you, or the accounts of other inspired individuals whose words don't risk causing the membership of the Church to go into a sudden molt.

         When something is mentioned in all the cannons of scripture, I believe it is not just a coincidence, but has an intended extra measure of significance. In the Bible, The Book of Mormon and several times in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord has told us that He wants to gather us to safety, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wing.  
But in all three accounts, He laments that there are those that simply "would not." We need to listen to the Lords mouthpiece -- the Prophet -- and prepare, so that when the call from danger is declared to the Church, we will be ready. In the First Presidency Message before this month's, we were reminded of the law of the harvest; we reap what we sow ... nothing more.

         As many of you know, the Christensen's have felt strongly prompted to prepare for coming calamities. Like many others in our ward, we were very specifically told by the Spirit to leave homes in other parts of the country and directed to relocated exactly where we are today. I'm convinced that we truly are in the days of tribulation prophesied in the scriptures. Whether we live to witness the Second Coming, in our lifetimes, is yet to been seen, but I hold this as very possible. I even believe we may see miracles that even surpass those witnessed by the Children of Israel when they were called to gather and leave Egypt. But before Christ returns, there will be serious calamities for which we must prepare.

         President Monson's closing words are these: "Are we obedient to the commandments of God? Are we responsive to the teachings of prophets? ... We live in turbulent times. Often the future is unknown; therefore, it
behooves us to prepare for uncertainties."

         Notice he didn't say "The future is unknown, therefore ..." If anyone has had the future revealed to them-- and many have -- he has! And then he closes with this interesting and ominous warning: "When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past."
       
Notice again that he didn't say, "When the time for calamity arrives, the time for preparation is past." This is what we would expect would be said. But he used the word "decision." "When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past." This is because, I suspect, there will be a decision for each of us to make. When the time for the decision arrives, all our preparation must be pre-accomplished. 

         These are just my impressions. I encourage each of us to seek the promptings of the Spirit to confirm the validity and timeliness of our prophets' message and what it means to you and your family's life. Please act on any impressions! And please feel free to share this with others you know.
   

Blessings,

Brother Kyle Christensen
September 22, 2014