10 Harm Prevention "Luxuries" Everyone Needs

In general the things that most people acquire over time can be categorized as either a necessity or a "luxury." As the names imply, a "necessity" is something that you either need to survive or can only do without at great pain, discomfort or inconvenience; a "luxury," on the other hand, is something that you can easily live without or, rather, the sort of thing that you may want or need but simply can't afford. 

Of course, what people "need" often becomes a matter of opinion, of taste, of cultural/religious demands, or of financial means.  Then there is the fact that many people in this world are forced to do without things that some of us would say they badly need. 

What we actually "need" as individuals and as a society, as a matter of fact, is a very subjective thing--or can seem to be, depending on personal views/beliefs, where we live, socio-economic status, historical context, and a number of other things.  For example, while most of us would say that fresh water is a "need" for all human beings, the fact remains that clean, unpolluted water for many people throughout the world these days has become a "luxury." 

Working under the assumption that some luxuries should be available to all (not just the rich), below are some things to strive to possess.  The bad news is that you may have to get a second job to afford the following "luxuries"; on the other hand, these are not necessarily hugely-expensive things--more importantly, they are things that you definitely need, if you classify yourself as a proactive healthy-living advocate or aficionado:

1.  An ionizing radiation-measuring Geiger counter.  "Why doesn't every American own a Geiger counter?" we might ask.  For starters, there's the real chance that you may have radon gas oozing from your own home right now. Radon gas, a naturally-occurring radioactive substance, is more common than most people know. 

There is also the chance that your water and the food you eat every day may be ionizing radiation-contaminated, either because it was irradiated by the food industry to help preserve it or because it was grown in or fished out/gathered from a radioactive soil or water source. 

2.  A whole-house water filtration system.  The fact is that most of the water available to the public is contaminated with any of a long list of toxic chemicals, microbes, natural pollutants and/or ionizing radiation.  If you want to avoid potentially disease-promoting germs, you can generally trust the water supplied by your local community; on the other hand, the chemicals cities & towns use to sterilize the water can themselves pose a long-term danger to your health. 

Unfortunately, the bottled water you buy can also contain many contaminants; even if the water doesn't, the bottles themselves can leach dangerous toxins (BPA, phthalates, etc.) into the water, especially when exposed to high heat or cold. 

Of all the pollutants, the one that poses the highest amount of danger is ionizing radiation. To boot, you can't smell it, taste it or even sense it.  Although removing radioactivity-contamination may not be feasible for most models, a whole-house filtration system (depending on the model--obviously, the higher the quality, the more expensive it will probably be) can remove most of the chemicals you are likely to find in your water, including the fluoride, chlorine or chloramines added to the water supposedly for your protection.

Some experts suggest, though, that in addition to a whole-house water filtration system, you also avail yourself of reverse osmosis purifiers primarily for your drinking water.  Although no one is suggesting that you will be able to completely purify or filter the water you use everyday at home, these precautions should provide much better protection than having nothing or the use of individual, inexpensive filters & purifiers.

3.  An electricity generator.  Most people don't think about what they would do if they suddenly lost their electricity.  Of course, one of the most serious aspects of such an event is the fact that you will no longer be able to refrigerate your food.  Knowing this, you should keep a generous supply of non-perishable food in your home in preparation for catastrophes and emergencies. 

But, as an added precaution, a generator can allow you the luxury of preserving perishable supplies until electricity is restored.  A good-sized generator can also make it possible for you to keep your home security system going, to not lose access to the Internet, and to keep recharging electrical & mobile communication devices.  

This is not the type of item, though, that you can just run out and buy at the last minute without first researching models, cost, your optimum needs, and how to safely operate such a device; as such, don't wait until you need one to get one!                                           

4.  A mainly-edible-plants-and-herbs-growing green house.  There is no question that you should start growing your own food ASAP, if you're not doing so already.  Home-grown food is healthier because you then have control over it and can make sure that you (and your family):

1. forego using the dangerous pesticides now commonly found in mass-produced, global-supplies food; 
2. don't allow your food to be irradiated (a common though secretive practice these days!);
3. avoid GMOs (which are now much more common--in spite of their not having been tested adequately & for long enough);
4. eat more organic vegetables, fruits, herbs & nuts--which then become more affordable. 

If you can't build a green house, consider starting a container or indoor-grown garden.  This "luxury" will not only, ironically, save you lots of money but it will help protect your health in a variety of easily-defended ways.

5.  A healthy-cooking-equipped/supplied kitchen.  The fact is that most kitchens are equipped--either in terms of food or the devices/containers used to cook with or in--with things that are ultimately unhealthy.  Take so-called non-stick-surface cooking containers--i.e., pots, pans & cookie sheets.  Especially when it comes to Teflon, these items can leach dangerous toxic chemicals into your food, especially if intense or continuous heat is applied.  A better choice for cooking is stainless steel cookware; glass cookware can also be a healthier alternative (than aluminum, painted surfaces, ceramic, etc.). 

Ditch your microwave, buy & start using a smoothie-making blender/processor, and avoid using packaged/processed food, especially the canned variety (which should be saved to be used only during emergencies).

6.  Air purifiers.  Although they do make air cleaners/purifiers for people on a low-budget, the best air cleaners can be expensive; also, you will most probably need several units in order to cover properly your entire house.  Whether you get a "passive" unit (which processes pollutants once they get trapped in the unit) or an "active" unit (which emits particles that combine with pollutants in order to make them heavier than the surrounding air or nullify particles in some other way), these devices can effectively clean (or reduce the presence of) things that can seriously negatively impact your health. 

Using High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, charcoal filtration, and electrostatic traps and/or UV light, the best of these air cleaners can help eliminate/modify:

1. benzene
2. formaldehyde
3. trichloroethylene
4. Ozone
5. plant pollens
6. pet dander
7. factory & auto emissions
8. nylon & synthetic fibers
9. volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
10. dust mites & mold (and other microorganisms)

Besides helping to prevent or ameliorate the effects of allergies, these air cleaners can make it less likely you will suffer from many of the consequences of unnecessarily polluted air--some of which include:

• anemia caused by damage to red cells & the immune system
• stuffed-up sinuses
• persistent headaches
• runny, red, itchy & burning eyes
• exacerbation or promotion of asthma
• sleep deprivation
• cancer (as from inhaling the many toxins in cigarette smoke)
• exacerbation of COPD (and other breathing disorders)
• dry, raspy throats
• damage to the heart, lungs & other organs (especially in enclosed, heavily-polluted environments)

 7.  An adequate collection of manual & mechanical self-defense weapons.  When it comes to weapons, you need to start imagining some worst-case scenarios.  What if the economy collapses and the streets turn into no-holds-barred, violent, no police-in-sight war zones?  You may have to defend not just your possessions but the lives and dignity of members of your family. 

At the very least, own at least one handgun, preferably an automatic or a semi. Next, have at least one rifle, possibly to hunt with, if store-bought food becomes scarce. Again, a weapon that can fire multiple times (before having to reload) is best; a low-caliber version may not be best if the weapon will be used for self-defense.  Shot guns are good for close-contact fighting but not very good for targets far away.

In addition to guns, some weapons to have on hand may include stun guns, a bow and arrow, a crossbow, nunchucks, flare guns (handy for signaling for help but can also deter attackers in some cases), swords, knives, etc.

8.  An alarm system or, at the very least, properly-mounted/dispersed home-monitoring cameras.  These days, you are taking too many chances if you don't at least have a self-installed alarm system in your home.  As a matter of fact, whether your home will be burglarized or vandalized is a matter of "when" and not "if." 

Fortunately, alarm system prices have come down greatly, especially since there is plenty of competition for such services.  If you can't or won't install an alarm system, at the very least put up cameras with which you can monitor your home from remote locations.  There are cameras out there to fit just about every budget, they can be easily and inexpensively connected to the Internet, and you can keep an eye on your property, in theory, 24/7.

9.  An air-sucking vacuum sealing/packaging machine.  These machines can make it possible for you to store foods for longer periods of time (with the use of proper refrigeration, of course) since exposure to air can speed up food spoilage.  Such devices can help save money by:

• reducing the quantity of food you're generally forced to throw away (because it wasn't properly and promptly frozen);
• increasing the amount of food you have on hand at any time (thus reducing the number of shopping trips);
• and by making it less likely that you will get sick from food poisoning--which can, of course, impose medical as well as time-lost-from-work expenses. 

Of course, you don't have to vacuum seal in order to freeze food, but doing so helps seal in natural juices and helps keep out the possibly nasty taste/flavor of other things in the freezer or the freezer itself (which can convey unpleasant odors & taste to foods loosely packaged or not vacuum sealed).

Another advantage is that you can then start safely storing large quantities of food you grow yourself--as opposed to having to sell it or give it away in order to avoid letting it spoil too quickly. 

10.  An emergency supplies hide-away, closet, secret compartment or secret/well-covered underground cellar or basement. By all means, seriously consider storing away large quantities of non-perishable foods.  Just keeping such supplies where they can be easily destroyed or stolen, though, will defeat the purpose. 

For that reason, consider creating or building an area (preferably hidden or not easy to spot) big enough to store food and, if possible, to also serve as a hide-away or "safe" place that you and members of your family can escape to or hide in, if things got horribly ugly where you live. 

This area should be reinforced or made from durable materials, preferably metallic.  Don't forget to also store large quantities of water, to run (preferably underground & not discernible to anyone looking around your property) a separate water line to this hide-away facility, and to provide for personal waste disposal/processing--perhaps by installing a separate toilet and sink/shower, if possible.   

Conclusion.

Unfortunately, the rich generally live better than the poor.  One of the reasons this is so is because the wealthy can afford things not generally available to (or more difficult to obtain by) the poor.  This can include:

• access to physicians specializing in holistic care (which generally poses fewer dangers to patients, doesn't push as aggressively Big Pharma's side-effects-laden potions, and puts more emphasis on prevention instead of putting-out-fires agendas);
• better, more reliable air conditioning & heating home systems;
• organically-grown, non-GMO, non-irradiated foods;
• cars that don't crumble like soda cans when involved in accidents;
• health insurance plans that cover safer medical treatments & diagnostics (like MRIs and sonograms, instead of potentially-cancer inflicting CT and PET scans);
• non-fluoride-containing toothpaste (which like other safer, non-toxic personal care products are generally more expensive);  
• homes not located near waste-disposal facilities & toxic waste dumping grounds;
• jobs not exposing people to unnecessarily dangerous conditions (like mining, picking fruits and vegetables heavily laced with carcinogenic chemicals like glyphosate, low-level medical staff forced to clean up highly-contagious messes, etc.); etc.  

Although not every "luxury" is good for you (in fact, some are actually harmful), some of them are worth pursuing, if they can provide benefits that you can easily delineate and justify.  You should make every effort, therefore, to make sacrifices in order to get things like the ones mentioned herein. 

Your good health, after all, is worth it--or don't you think so?