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Sustainable Living: A Primer on Batteries for Use with Solar Storage
Sustainable Living: A Primer on Batteries for Use with Solar Storage
Ready Nutrition guys and gals, this article is being posted to address questions posed by one of the readers, as well as any others who might want to know about batteries for use with solar panels. The main thing is to understand this is an overview and will give you the basics to make your own choice when it comes to choosing the right batteries for the job. Let’s get into it!
First of all, when you charge up a battery and then use it all up (until it is drained), this greatly reduces the battery’s longevity. Depth of Discharge (abbreviated DoD) is the capacity of a battery that has been used…and there is an optimal level for best performance specified by individual firms. The higher the DoD (usually expressed as a percentage), the more you can utilize before it uses its charge.
A 15 kWh (kilowatt hour) battery with an 80% DoD means that you can safely use up to 12kWh of power before you have to recharge it again. Seems simple enough, but in times of need people allow it to go beyond the DoD and then this decreases the life of their battery as well as its effectiveness. That power rating for your battery is the kWh (kilowatt hour) figure here. This power rating refers to the amount of electricity the battery can deliver one time/all at once.
The reason this is important with solar panels? A battery with a low power rating, yet a high capacity can deliver power over a protracted period of time for some tools or appliances that you need. You have to figure out the cycle…and this is an amount that is estimated numerically in your warranty.
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The Healing Powers of Aloe Vera
The Healing Powers of Aloe Vera
Aloe is a succulent plant that has a long history of medicinal use. Aloe vera specifically refers to the Aloe barbadensis Miller plant, which is the most common form used in aloe-based products.
Aloe Vera’s use in healing can be traced back 6,000 years to early Egypt, where the plant was depicted on stone carvings. Known as the “plant of immortality,” aloe was presented as a funeral gift to pharaohs.
The plant is native to North Africa, Southern Europe, and the Canary Islands. It grows naturally in dry, tropical climates in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the southern and western parts of the United States.
There are at least 420 different plant species of Aloe (some sources say there are more than 500!), according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Aloe produces two substances that are used for health-related purposes: gel and latex.
The gel is the clear, jelly-like substance found in the inner part of the aloe plant leaf. It is extracted from the plant and usually used on the skin to treat burns, wounds, and various skin conditions.
Aloe latex is a pulp that comes from just under the plant’s skin and is yellow in color. It has been shown to have laxative properties.
Some aloe products are made from the whole crushed leaf, so they contain both gel and latex.
Aloe vera is used in many products in various forms, including drinks, concentrates, capsules, and powders.
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20 Perishable Foods You Can Freeze For Later
20 Perishable Foods You Can Freeze For Later
Some items keep better in the freezer than others, as you’ve probably noticed by now.
However, there some items that can be frozen that might surprise you.
Here’s a list of 20 perishable foods you can freeze.
- Nuts (and flours made from nuts): Nuts can go rancid very quickly because of their high oil content. To freeze peanuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and almonds (shelled or unshelled) and place in reusable freezer bags. Nuts can also be frozen in glass containers. You can freeze nut butters, too!
- Seedless grapes: Wash and dry small clusters and freeze them in bags. Or, remove the grapes from the stems and place them on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) in a single layer, and then freeze until firm. Then, transfer the grapes into airtight containers and put them back in the freezer.
- Bananas: When they reach your desired level of ripeness, peel bananas and freeze them in bags or freezer-safe containers.
- Fresh berries: Place clean berries on a lined cookie sheet first – this way, they are less likely to stick together. Once the berries are frozen, transfer them to freezer bags.
- Fresh vegetables: Chop up onions, peppers, and spinach and freeze them flat in bags. Note: Vegetables with high water content (like lettuce, celery, and cucumbers) do not freeze well.
- Fresh herbs: Wash and pat your herbs dry, then chop them into desired portions. Spread the chopped herbs on a cookie sheet. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in your freezer. Once the herbs are frozen, remove them from the sheet and put them in freezer bags. Or, finely chop fresh herbs and place them in an ice cube tray with a lid. Freeze, and use the cubes as needed in soups and other recipes.
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3 (More) Easy To Grow Medicinal Plants For Your Home And Garden
3 (More) Easy To Grow Medicinal Plants For Your Home And Garden
Having medicinal plants growing on your property may not seem like all that big of a deal to some. But if you enjoy the scent and making your own fresh teas, some of these plants may be just right for you! Plus, there’s the added bonus of having these medicinal herbs around and readily available for use when you need it the most.
In a perfect world, we would each have all of our favorite garden herbs, tailored to our particular climate and health concerns, growing abundantly and readily available. Often life gets in the way and with so many plants having so many wonderful benefits, it is hard to know where to start. So we’ve put together this helpful list of three more medicinal herbal plants that are both easy to grow and offer a well-rounded approach to herbal health. They all have the added bonus of being beautiful additions to any home or garden too!
CALENDULA (POT MARIGOLD)
The calendula flower is edible! They can be made into teas or the flowers can be tossed into a salad to offer a quick and easy flavor boost. The whole flower can be used as a medicinal herb in treating skin conditions, which is why calendula is often found in topical ointments, salves, and creams. These ointments have also proven to have the added bonus of repelling annoying and bite-happy mosquitoes. The plus side of using calendula to chase away mosquitoes is that it is child safe and non-toxic, unlike most bug sprays on the market today.
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Fun and Exciting Ways To Use Vaseline For Home Preparedness
Fun and Exciting Ways To Use Vaseline For Home Preparedness
Vaseline is often found in medicine cabinets across the United States. But have you ever thought of adding some to your prepping gear? It actually can be useful in a survival situation and offers many benefits to those who store extra for when the “SHTF.” And if you’re a more natural prepper, we’ve got a few alternatives to Vaseline for you that are just as good, if not better!
What is Vaseline?
Petroleum jelly is the generic name of Vaseline. It is a lubricant and is a byproduct of the petroleum industry. Surprisingly, Vaseline is an organic product. It was originally discovered on the bottom of oil rigs and is often used to prevent or heal dry flaky skin. Vaseline is highly-refined, triple-purified, and regarded as non-carcinogenic. Other brands may not be as pure, and many dermatologists suggest sticking with the original name brand to avoid possible contamination of cancer-causing chemicals.
Vaseline is water-repellant and not water-soluble. That means it will seal the barrier so that moisture does not leave the skin. If you’ve ever had such dry skin that it’s cracked and bled, you know that feeling of instant gratification when you slather on an antiseptic that’s also a moisture barrier such as Neosporin (which contains three antibiotic ingredients in a petroleum jelly base.) Even though it’s considered safe to use, if you can access other options for your dry skin concerns, it is recommended to do so. Products containing beeswax, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, and/or cocoa butter seal in moisture as well are definitely more natural if that’s a concern.
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Botany: The Most Neglected Subject in Survival (and Why You Could Die From Not Understanding It)
Botany: The Most Neglected Subject in Survival (and Why You Could Die From Not Understanding It)
Do-it-Yourself Botany: Plant Identification and Four Must-Have Resources for Your Survival Library
Lupine can be mistaken for chicory. Some plants, such as poison oak, ivy, or sumac are dangerous to you if they come in contact with the skin, and also if they’re accidentally burned over a campfire and the smoke inhaled. The first article that I wrote for Ready Nutrition was a review of the book “Eat the Weeds” that gave a listing of all the weeds that are fit and nutritious for consumption.
I’m going to recommend another reference that I found recently that will be a great addition to your preparation library. It is an easy-to-use resource that is very comprehensive in nature and an excellent instructional manual. “Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification,” is written by Thomas J. Elpel, and this stresses identification by the plant family, and then narrowing it down to the individual plant.
The book gives the history and structure of plants and then how to identify the different families of plants, finishing off with an entire reference guide with the in’s and outs of each kind. This includes trees and ferns, as well as your standard flowering species. Elpel goes into great detail of the differences between Monocots and Dicots, and flower shape and structure to identify first the family and then the individual plant.
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Food Prepping: Why You Should Store Wheat And How To Use It
Food Prepping: Why You Should Store Wheat And How To Use It
Although wheat is the cornerstone of a prepper’s food storage, many don’t understand why they should have a bunch on hand, or even how to use it if the SHTF. It certainly feels like every single preparedness author out there recommends the storage of hundreds of pounds of wheat, but why? And what can you use it for?
The first reason and maybe the most obvious one as to why many suggest storing wheat is because it has a long shelf life. Hard grains, (which include more than just wheat) such as buckwheat, corn, flax, mullet, Kamut, spelt, and triticale, if stored properly, have an average shelf life of 10 to 12 years, however, this can be increased to 30 years or longer. Not to mention wheat is fairly inexpensive and storage isn’t all that difficult. It’s actually pretty easy to add to your food storage, as many have discovered. To ensure the proper long-term storage of grains, use the following:
But is there more to it than the storage longevity, a relatively low cost, and ease of storing? The simple answer is yes.
Who wants to be hungry, especially in a time of difficulty? Extra activity and stress can cause an increase in a person’s appetite. But whole wheat bread or other whole wheat foods can more quickly fill those ravenous and hungry stomachs. High-fiber foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Many of the freeze-dried gourmet meals out there are light in calories and meal plans often provide for only two entrees a day, leaving those who require more food on edge with a slight hunger.
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Change of Season? 6 Healthy Ways To Change Your Activities to Adjust!
Change of Season? 6 Healthy Ways To Change Your Activities to Adjust!
Our circadian “pacemakers” are the suprachiasmatic nuclei. These are located in the brain (within the hypothalamus, to be precise), and these are synchronized with the amount of light in the day and the times of the day. To be sure: it is not identical for all people…this is due to genetic differences based upon your heredity and where your ancestors originated. These suprachiasmatic nuclei receive input from light-sensitive cells in your retinas that give you an almost-exactly 24-hour rhythm within your body.
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
This is an affliction comprised of successive or continuous episodes of depression brought about in the change of seasons (such as late Fall to early Winter, and then repeating again during the Spring-Summer change). One of the key findings associated with a study of this affliction is that SAD-sufferers happen to secrete more melatonin during nights of Fall and Winter. Melatonin is a hormone that greatly affects our sleep patterns.
Coupled with this is the fact that the daylight and daytime hours diminish greatly, bringing about a feeling of sluggishness and over-tired responses. This is natural. We live in an artificially-lit world of light bulbs and computer screens, with an excessive amount of noise during the course of the day. Centuries ago, the winter months were a time to live quietly from what was grown, harvested, and gathered during the warmer seasons.
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How To Have Zero Waste in Your Kitchen
How To Have Zero Waste in Your Kitchen
Unfortunately, many of us generate a lot of waste – which damages our bank accounts and the planet. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way.
Just how much waste does America generate?
According to a 2013 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, it is an astonishing amount:
In 2013, Americans generated about 254 million tons of trash and recycled and composted about 87 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 34.3 percent recycling rate. On average, we recycled and composted 1.51 pounds of our individual waste generation of 4.40 pounds per person per day.
Municipal solid waste (more commonly known as trash or garbage) consists of everyday items we use and then throw away, including product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. This waste comes from our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses.
This is a shame because most of the trash we throw away can be reused, repurposed, or recycled for another use.
Food waste, in particular, is a huge problem and is unnecessary and especially tragic.
According to a study funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and published earlier this year, American consumers waste about one pound of food per day or 225-290 pounds per year. This means US households throw out about 150,000 tons of food each day, total.
Put this into perspective: this means that about 20% of all the food put on our plates is tossed out every year – enough to feed 2 billion extra people annually. It is equivalent to about a third of the calories the average American consumes.
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Your Body’s Recovery and Why Diet is Paramount
Your Body’s Recovery and Why Diet is Paramount
These losses we inflict upon it every day. Improper diet, not enough fluid intake, and excessive work without recovery are the inflictions we foster on ourselves. In past articles, I have stressed the importance of protein in many Ready Nutrition articles, as well as tissue repair and building muscle. Regarding muscle, the substance we need to discuss is called glycogen, and it is defined as a substance formed by your liver and muscle tissues from carbohydrates (glycogenesis) or non-carbohydrate sources (then termed glyconeogenesis).
Glycogen is excess carbohydrates stored in the liver and muscles that is (in a process known as glycogenolysis) later converted to glucose. When blood glucose levels decrease, the liver picks up the slack and makes new glucose from the stored glycogen. Glucose is used by the body for many functions and is the primary energy source for all living things. This is basic stuff, and it is important for you to understand this in order to allow your body to recover.
Glycogen stores are utilized with heavy lifting and physical exercise. When you’re lifting weights, shoveling snow for three hours, or cutting wood for two, your body is breaking down muscle tissue. Anabolism is a phase of where the muscle tissue is “torn,” or broken down with the physical exertions. Catabolism then follows, where the protein in your body needs to be prevented from breaking down too far: in this phase, you must take in (replenish) your protein and carbohydrates.
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Honey’s Health Benefits and Why You Need It In Your Ready Nutrition Medicinal Pantry
Honey’s Health Benefits and Why You Need It In Your Ready Nutrition Medicinal Pantry
Honey actually fights against bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The latter is the most common bacteria found in the human nasal passages and nose. Also, honey should be as raw as possible, and the darker the better. Dark honey contains more antioxidants, and it is more effective in fighting microorganisms and bacteria.
It is highly effective as a cough-suppressant and as a demulcent. That latter term means something that coats the throat and the linings of the trachea and mouth to soothe the surfaces…a principle for which cough drops and lozenges have a primary function/goal. Buckwheat honey surpasses dextromethorphan (the primary cough suppressant found in Robitussin, for example) in terms of cough suppressant action.
There is also a type of honey known as Manuka Honey, a special type of healing honey that can fight against more than 200 types of bacteria and some of the species it defeats are resistant strains such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Manuka honey is obtained from bees that are in New Zealand and is differentiated from other types of honey for its healing qualities because it comes from pollen the bees there take from the Manuka bush.
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What Solar Minimum Means and 10 Ways You Need To Prepare For It
What Solar Minimum Means and 10 Ways You Need To Prepare For It
Throughout the United States, you may notice the change in seasons from summer to fall is happening at a much faster rate than normal. The UK Daily Mail published a piece about this and explains how fall is occurring about a month earlier than it normally begins. This is evidenced in the way deciduous tree foliage is changing its leaf colors almost a month ahead of schedule.
In Montana, I have noticed that the flocks of geese have already started their migrations, and this is also about a month earlier than normal. Other things here locally have occurred, such as drops in temperatures, domestic animals (dogs, cats, and horses) have begun to grow in their winter coats, and normal cycles of plants (such as pine pollen) either haven’t happened or are “off”.
Not to steal the thunder from the cited article, but in a nutshell, the decreases in sunspots mean we are approaching a solar minimum: lower heat produced by the sun in a cycle that occurs every 11 years. This is the kind of thing that (when prolonged) heralds a condition called a “mini-ice-age,” such as the one that occurred from 1645 to 1715. This caused changes in the seasons and food shortages.
10 Ways to Prepare for a Solar Minimum
What can you do about it when the sun changes during this cycle? You can do plenty of things. Let’s go over a few of them.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
The REAL Reason Bottled Water Has An Expiration Date
The REAL Reason Bottled Water Has An Expiration Date
Bottled water is a popular item to store in case of an emergency, and for good reason. It is normally readily available and water should be able to be stored forever, right? So then why is there an expiration date on bottled water?
Of course, water doesn’t expire, but you should still check the expiration date on the bottle before you drink it. According to Live Science, there a few different reasons why water bottles come with expiration dates, and the first one, you shouldn’t worry too much about, but the second one should make you think twice.
Since water is a consumable product, regulations and laws require bottles to be stamped with an expiration date even though water doesn’t ever “expire.” Rational people understand this, but the government feels the need to step in and protect us from ourselves anyway. The only reason they were put there in the first place was that a 1987 New Jersey state law required all food products to display an expiration date, including water, according to Mental Floss. Since it wasn’t very cost effective for companies to label and ship batches of expiration-dated water to one state alone, most bottled water producers simply started giving every bottle a two-year sell-by date—no matter where it was going. Because the law is rather arbitrary, don’t worry too much about drinking expired water just because a law demands a company stamp the bottle. However, the expiration date serves more of a warning about the bottle itself than the water contained inside.
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5 Likely Hurricane Aftermath Scenarios To Prepare For
5 Likely Hurricane Aftermath Scenarios To Prepare For
It is currently hurricane season for the Atlantic and Pacific regions of the United States.
As I write this article, Hurricane Florence is a Category 3 storm with the potential to reach Category 4 status. As of now, the storm has an uncertain path, but East Coast folks – please watch this one closely, as some models suggest it could head right for you.
Helene and Issac could form in the Atlantic later this week. In the Pacific, Hurricanes Olivia and Norman are being watched closely.
Hurricanes are unpredictable, as anyone who has experienced one knows. This makes them challenging to prepare for, but fortunately, there are things you can do to increase your odds of survival, should one head for your region.
It is important to understand that a hurricane need not be a Category 5 to be incredibly dangerous and cause serious damage. When Hurricane Isabel hit my Virginia neighborhood in 2003, the storm was barely a Category 1. It was the first (and to date, the only – thankfully) hurricane I’ve experienced personally, and back then I really had no idea how difficult the aftermath would be.
I fully expected the “authorities” to take care of everything after Isabel passed. I thought they’d clean up all the debris and have the roads cleared and power on within a day or two.
I was seriously mistaken.
Isabel had an unusually large wind field (an example of a hurricane doing “unpredictable” things). Thousands of trees were uprooted. Power lines and telephone poles were downed all over. Hundreds of houses were damaged…many beyond repair. Hundreds of roads, including major highways, were blocked by fallen trees and other debris. The heavy rainfall caused inland flooding, which closed roads and damaged homes and businesses.
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The Fall & Winter Prepper Checklist: 9 Things To Get Your Home Prepped for Disasters
The Fall & Winter Prepper Checklist: 9 Things To Get Your Home Prepped for Disasters
9 Things To Get Your Home Prepped for Disasters In Fall and Winter
1. Wood Supply
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