<making notes>............thankies!!

You're most welcome!

This is a good time to start taking care of your immune system just in case 2012 turns out to be not so nice.

Manage Stress:
Stress can weaken the immune system and accelerate the aging process. It is important to discover ways that help you manage stress - listen to your favorite music, exercise, talk to a loved one, practice yoga, take deep breaths, laugh out loud or meditate.

Being angry for 3 minutes leads to your immune system being down for 6 hours.

Positive Thinking:
Optimism can counteract the negative impact stress, tension and anxiety has on your immune system. Often it is how you perceive things that determine if you get overwhelmed, both mentally and physically. Having a positive attitude enhances your ability to effectively manage stress and improve your well-being.

Eat foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and folate. Antioxidants fight and neutralize free radicals, which are molecules that damage cells and cause heart disease, cancer and premature aging. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular-enhancing and immune-regulating properties. Folate prevents age-related cognitive decline, damage to blood vessels and brain cells. Excellent food sources for these nutrients are as follows.
Antioxidants - pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, grapefruit (red and pink), blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, peppers (red and green), tomatoes, broccoli, sunflower seeds, almonds and olive oil.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - ground flax seeds, walnuts, salmon, soybeans and pumpkin seeds.
Folate - dark green leafy vegetables (turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach.

Eat plenty of protein:

Protein is a building block for a healthy body, mind, and immune system. Diets low in protein tend to be high in carbs which convert readily to glucose, spiking blood sugar and stressing the pancreas and the immune system.

Drink plenty of water:

This is almost, but not quite, a given; most headaches occur because despite the number of reminders, people still aren't getting enough water. Headaches and thirst are both signs of dehydration. You should be drinking, in daily ounces, half your body weight in pounds. (i.e. Body weight in pounds, divided by 2 = number of ounces of water per day.)
Drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice in water, or adding it to tea, salad dressings (in place of vinegar), baking or cooking, helps maintain the body's internal "climate" at a pH which supports healthy bacteria instead of the viruses and harmful bacteria which thrive in more acidic environments. Apple cider vinegar is another great way to improve your body's alkalinity, but the taste of lemons is much more pleasant.

Spend some time out in the cold: (If you live in an area that has cold weather)

Exercise can make a noticeable difference to your health and happiness by releasing endorphins. Most of us spend 90% of our lives indoors, inhaling dubiously filtered air and other people's germs, so take any opportunity to get outside. Time spent outdoors in the cold also stimulates the thyroid gland.

Sleep - Getting enough sound sleep has a profound impact on your stress levels, immune function and disease resistance. Sleep time is when your body and immune system do most of its repairs and rejuvenation. Strive to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

Avoid the following:

Cafffeine:
Contrary to recent marketing as a source of antioxidants, chocolate and coffee are two of the worst things you can do for your immune system and your health. Caffeine robs your body of minerals and vitamins, and it dehydrates you. If you drink coffee, make sure you add an additional two glasses to your water intake per cup of coffee

Refined white sugar:

If you do only one thing to boost your immune system, eliminating sugar will do the trick. You will see noticeable results in your energy levels, weight distribution, immunity and your ability to think clearly when you break the cravings and stop eating refined sugar.

Over-Processed Foods:

Over-processed foods are energy robbers which can add toxins to your body. Avoid eating over-processed foods and opt for eating healthier, drinking alcohol in moderation.

Smoking is also bad for the immune system.

Nice, maybe thats why I get headaches, I know I dont drink enough water.

Another way to help your immune system, is to take a cold shower (with no hot water at all) every morning.

Shower in cold water until your body temperature rises and no longer feels cold, but toasty and warm. Make sure the bathroom is heated. Never get out of a cold shower into a cold room.
Cold showers have the following positive effects:

• Brings blood to the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body.
  
• Cleans the circulatory system.
  
• Reduces blood pressure on internal organs.
  
• Provides flushing for the organs and provides a new supply of blood.
  
• Strengthens the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
  
• Contracts the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.
  
• Strengthens the mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.

~ http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/showers.html

PS: For the past few months, I've been taking a cold shower when I wake up almost every morning, and it feels great! The first 5 seconds is the hardest part lol

Thanks for adding, refuge.

If anyone else has more ideas please feel free to add them.

thanks for that tidbit of information sophia

Three hours exposed to the elements?
Three days without water?
Three weeks without food?


I'd have to agree with that...

Don't forget

3 minutes without air

I think that's one too.

You're welcome and yes air...we do need to breath!

Is it 3 days without sleep?

Three days without sleep sounds like a good one to add as well.

Never thought about taking cold showers, how long does it take for you to feel warm when you have one?

For me, the first 5 seconds are the hardest, then you get use to it... it still feels alittle cold, but it isn't bad at all..

Usually it takes no more than afew mins before the water starts to feel warm, but I suppose everyone's different...

Really, if you can get past the first 5 seconds (with the water on your back, and chest), you'll be set xD

Hand Drill Fire-Making Tips


No one knows for sure what 2012 may or may not bring, but it is always good to be prepared.

Fire is necessary for many things from cooking, keeping warm, and warding off unwanted hostile animals.

Here is an idea to make a hand drill for making a fire:

The hand drill friction fire-making method was a popular fire-starting technique of hunter-gatherers worldwide.

It consists of two parts (a drill and fireboard), where the drill is made of a dead plant stalk, and the fireboard is constructed from a dead branch or piece of wood.

At its most basic level, the technique consists of spinning the drill between your hands on a notched fireboard to create enough friction to create sawdust, extreme heat, and then a coal.


Basics:

1...The Drill:
Collect a straight section of a dead plant stalk or tree/shrub branch that is approximately the width of your pinky finger.

The best woods to use have a small pith (soft section in the center).

Cut the drill down to a length of about 18 inches.

2...The Fireboard:
Collect a branch or piece of wood from a medium-softwood tree.

A simple thumbnail test can be done to check the hardness of the wood.

Press your thumbnail into the wood.

If you can't make a mark, the wood is too dense.

If your thumbnail easily makes a big deep mark, the wood is too soft.

If your thumbnail makes a small indentation when pressed onto the wood, the density is correct.

Some of the better woods include: western red cedar, quaking aspen, and black cottonwood.

Cut the wood down to the same thickness as the width of the drill (approximately the same width as your pinky finger).

Carve in a slight indentation to serve as a guide for the drill, about half a drill width in from the edge of the fireboard.

3...Drilling Technique:

The basic drilling technique is to put the large end of the drill into the indentation on the fireboard, clasp the drill between your hands and spin it by moving each hand forward and back while putting a lot of pressure inward on the drill and downward towards the fireboard.

This often results in your hands slipping down the drill as you spin it.

The first step is to slightly burn in your drill into the fireboard. Once this is done the notch can be created.

4...The Notch:

Now that the drill has been slightly burned into the top of the fireboard you can carve the notch.

The notch should extend from the edge of the fireboard to almost all the way to the center of the drilling hole (but not to the center).

The width of the notch should be about a 1/8 pie slice shape (about a 45 degree angle).

The size and shape of the notch is extremely important, as this is what allows the correct mixture of sawdust, heat, and oxygen to combine to create a coal.

Take your time to carve the notch properly.

5...Making a Coal:

Now your "contraption" is ready to make a coal.

The drilling technique is now very important and the goal is to create sawdust and lots of heat.

Success depends on creating just the right mix of speed and pressure.

Drilling at a high speed without enough downward pressure can cause the board to glaze (become shiny and slippery) with no dust being created and little heat created.

Too much downward pressure can cause the drill to quickly bore through the fireboard without creating enough heat.

To successfully create a coal you want to begin drilling at a comfortable, jogging-like type of pace.

You want to see some smoke coming out of the notch area, though your primary goal at first is to fill the notch with dust.

Once the notch is filled with dust it is time to switch into a vigorous, sprint-like pace, where your goal is to increase speed and downward pressure (and thus heat), so that smoke billows out from the notch, extreme heat is created, and the dust ignites into a coal.

Once the coal is created, it can be put into a tinder bundle and blown into a flame.

6...Drilling Tips:

Try to use the entire surface of both of your hands (from finger tips to the bottom of your palm) and use both hands equally.

This gives you the most rotations before needing to change direction.

Using just a portion of your hands to drill or primarily using one hand or the other can be a hard habit to break.

You also want to move your hands back to the top of the drill quickly without taking the drill out of the notch (this helps maintain heat in the notch).

Learning this technique can take lots of practice so please be patient.

Practice a little bit each day and stop before you develop blisters.

If you do get blisters, let them heal and wait a week or so before practicing again.

This skill can take persistence but may come in very handy if 2012 is not nice.