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Camping Without Bear Spray? Just Pour Honey All Over Yourself And Charge A Mamma Bear’s Cubs

Are you planning on camping in an area that has even the slightest chance of you seeing a bear? Are you planning on doing this camping without having bear spray of any kind on you at all times? If the answer is yes I have another idea for you, why don’t you just douse yourself in honey or hang a raw steak around your neck (or both) and just go charging at the first bear cub you see. It is obvious from the fact that you are not bringing bear spray on your trip that you are the type that throws caution, as well as common sense and basic safety measures, to the wind.

It should be obvious that I am being extremely facetious and by no means should you ever go near a bear and certainly never so much as entertain the idea of approaching a bear’s cub unless your goal is to be mauled to death. As ridiculous as the opening paragraph of this blog was I find it only slightly more ridiculous than even so much as considering the thought of camping without bear spray present. It just doesn’t make any sense not to bring along bear repellent of some kind if there is any chance of seeing a bear where you are camping and when you consider how cheap bear repellent spray is and how easy it is to secure it makes the notion of camping without it that much more ridiculous.

The best thing about bear spray is the simple fact that it is extremely effective, some studies have even shown it to be as effective, if not more effective, than most firearms in thwarting a bear attack. The second best thing about bear spray is that, unlike a firearm, the creature does not have to die in order to save yourself. Let’s remember that we are in the bears home and in almost any attack we are not dealing with a blood-thirsty, man-eating creature but a confused and potentially frightened bear that is doing what it thinks it must to protect itself or it’s offspring (very much like most humans would).

Bear spray works exactly like pepper spray does on humans, in fact the active ingredients are exactly the same. And just as pepper spray is extremely effective on a human attacker so is bear spray on a bear attacker. Bear repellent spray causes intense, but temporary, pain and swelling in the bear’s mucus membranes which can also cause temporary blindness as it can with humans. This gives you ample time to exit the premises immediately and should also have the bear doing the exact same thing in most cases.

So please, for your sake and for the sake of your loved ones, always take bear spray with when going camping in any area where a bear has even the slightest chance of being seen and for the love of all that is holy have it on you at all times. Bear repellent will do you no good if you don’t have it when a bear is ready to attack.

Stay Safe,

Carl Vouer

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Are the Foods You Eat Making You Sick? Identifying Food Allergies

We have all heard the old saying, “You are what you eat.” Unfortunately, for many people, food is a source of chronic illness. Food allergies and food intolerances can create a host of health problems–from hives and anaphylaxis, to eczema, asthma, headaches, sinus infections, celiac disease, digestive issues, depression, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, and many others conditions.

Over fifty million people–that’s one out of five people in the U.S. suffer from allergies. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, one out of twenty children under the age of five and one out of twenty-five adults are allergic to at least one food. The number of people affected by food intolerances is suspected to be higher.

Food Allergy or Food Intolerance

The terms food allergies and food intolerances are often used interchangeably, although they have two different definitions. A food allergy is when the body’s immune system generates an immunological reaction when exposed to a food allergen. The symptoms of a food allergen appear quickly, such as eating a peanut and then getting hives or a skin rash or even anaphylaxis minutes to hours later. The term food intolerance is used to describe reactions to foods, however the immune system is not directly involved. People with food intolerances can experience a variety of symptoms including headaches, brain fog, fatigue, depression, stomach aches, eczema, asthma, colic, joint pains, insomnia, and many other symptoms, but the symptoms are usually delayed and can occur hours to days after eating the irritating food.

The Top Ten Food Allergies

The list of the most common food allergens includes: wheat, eggs, dairy, soybean products, corn, citrus fruits, nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and potatoes), peanuts, shellfish and alcohol. Babies and young children are most often allergic to milk, eggs, wheat, soybean products, and peanuts. Older children and adults are most often allergic to peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews), fish and shellfish.

The Elimination / Rechallenge Diet

The gold standard for assessing food allergies is the elimination/rechallenge diet which involves eating a restricted diet, avoiding any potential food allergen for four to six weeks, then reintroducing a suspected food allergen into the diet and observing any reaction. The advantages of this testing method include:

• People can easily identify an adverse reaction to a food when they reintroduce it to the diet
• There is no added cost or expensive testing involved with this diet

The cons to this diet include:
• Many people find it difficult to stick to a restricted diet for 4 – 6 weeks
• It takes extra effort to buy and prepare hypoallergenic meals

ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay) Testing
This method of food allergy testing is done through a blood test where serum is measured for specific immune markers–IgE and IgG antibodies–to specific foods. The advantages of this testing include:

• Less time consuming than the elimination/rechallenge diet
• It can be safer than skin prick testing if a person has anaphylaxis reactions to foods
• The results can be very motivating for people to change their diets

The disadvantages of this test include:

• This testing is not 100% accurate or reliable
• Some people show high levels of immune markers, such as IgE antibodies, but when they eat the food they do not have adverse reactions

How to Heal from Food Allergies and Intolerances

Healing from food allergies or food intolerances usually involves some avoidance of the foods that aggravate symptoms for a period of at least 3 to 6 months, sometimes longer. The avoidance of food triggers will help decrease inflammation in the body and give the body time to heal. There are a variety of supplements used to help heal the lining of the intestine. Probiotics are an essential component of reestablishing the bacterial balance in the digestive tract and encouraging intestinal healing. The probiotic strains with the most research include lactobacillius rhamnosus GG, bifidobacteria and saccroymyces boullardi, which is actually a strain of yeast that helps balance intestinal flora. Other nutritional supplements used to heal the gut include:

• Digestive enzymes used to help breakdown food
• L-glutamine, an amino acid used to heal the lining of the intestine
• Whey protein powder used to strengthen the immune system in the gut (not recommended for people with dairy allergies)
• Quercetin, a bioflavonoid used to prevent histamine reactions
• Drinking green tea can decrease allergic reactions

Healing food allergies and food intolerances requires effort. It requires the willingness to change your diet and your lifestyle. There are many health care practitioners who specialize in treating food allergies and food intolerances. Consider consulting with your local health provider to learn more about identifying and healing food allergies.

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Best Places to Go for Late Season Ski Trips

Think ski trips will have to wait until early winter? Think again! Ski and snowboard bums who can’t wait until next winter for their snow fix still have plenty of options to choose from. In North America alone, there are about more than a handful of locations where there’s plenty of snow to go around (sans the rowdy crowd in the après ski scene).

Here are some of the ski vacation destinations that still receive (or retain) plentiful snow:

Snowbird, Utah

With 2,500 acres of skiable area and an average of 500 inches of snow (which often lasts into May), it is no wonder that Snowbird ranks 2nd in the list of best North American ski resorts. But Snowbird not only banks on its bountiful snow. The place is located just 29 miles from Salt Lake International Airport, and 24 miles from the downtown area of Salt Lake City, making it very accessible to skiers from any part of the US. The resort also boasts of a massive Aerial Tram, which could take you to as high as 11,000 feet in just 8 minutes!

Squaw Valley, California

Squaw Valley in spring time guarantees the best of both worlds for avid skiers: plenty of sunshine and tons of snow up to mid-May (depending on snow accumulation in Lake Tahoe). The resort, too, has quite a history. It played host to the VII Winter Olympic Games in 1960, and is also considered the birth place of the American Extreme Skiing Movement. And you’d be happy to know that late season means more discounts on ski passes and accommodations.

Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia

The ski scene in Whistler and Blackcomb keeps rolling up until April, with plenty of après ski activities, parties and lots of snow to carve on. Ski or snowboard on more than 200 trails in more than 8000 acres of combined terrains.

Tip: Take the two hour drive to Whistler Blackcomb on the most romantic road in the world – the Sea to Sky Highway.

Sunshine / Banff, Alberta

On a good year, Sunshine and Banff can guarantee decent snow conditions up until mid-May, thus guaranteeing more fun on the slopes minus the crowds and the long lines to the chair lifts. The views, too, are a sight for sore eyes. Hop on the Sunshine Gondola and head out to the on Mountain Base of Sunshine Village at 7000 feet, or go to Banff down the valley where you can mingle with the friendly locals, or visit the Lake Louise Ski Resort.

Winter’s definitely not over in these destinations. So go right ahead! Pack your bags and end the season with a bang on ski trips in these destinations.