You are your most important tool.

What is the most important thing to have in good working order when things go bad? YOU need to be in good working order.

Physically you need to be in good health. This dose not mean having a chiseled physique. It is not about how many reps you can do in the gym or how fast you can run. It means being in good health for your age.

Diet is one of the most important factors in health. Not some special prepper diet or other fad diet you see on TV or Internet. It is good whole foods. Whole foods are unprocessed foods. This means fresh vegetables and fruit, meat you cook yourself, whole grains ect. There are a lot of things in boxes and cans you can grab quickly and heat up. They very often have diminished food value and additives that may harm you. I know its so easy to put a box of man chow in the microwave and have a full belly in just a few minutes. You may be fed but not fed well.

What should you eat for the best health.  The following is listed by what you should have the most of to the least of.

First green or orange vegetables. They are full of wonderful nutrients, antioxidants, immune stimulants and anti cancer compounds and fiber.  Having 3 or 4 cups of vegetable foods each day will increase your energy and improve your stamina.

Second whole grains. Be sure to read the label. There is no truth in advertising. If it contains 100% whole grains or is made with 100% whole grain it means that some of the ingredients are whole grain. If the label reads: white flower,barley flower, sugar, whole grain. They can claim 100% whole grain.  Because it contains some whole grain. So be sure the first ingredient is whole grain. Of course whole grains like oat meal, wheat or rice are easy to recognise and understand.

Third Nuts, dry beans, lentils and peas. These are sources of protein, carbohydrate, nutrients and fiber.

Forth meat and eggs, Animal flesh has a lot of protein and nutrition. Red meat is a major source of iron.  But, you can have too much of a good thing. So meat sparingly. It should not be the center of your diet.  Most of us like it to be. Yet a healthy amount of meat for the whole day would measure about the same size as a pack of playing cards. So one small hamburger patty. I know its not what you really want. Its not a 18oz porterhouse steak. It is what you need and is much healthier.

Last fats and sugar. Yes, bacon and snickers bars are in the same category. Have only a small amount of concentrated fats or sugars in a day. Its better if you do not have any most days. They provide a lot of calories and scant or no nutrition.

After diet the next thing to do to keep healthy is to keep active. I do not work out in a gym, run miles or any other form of what is generally considered exercise. I walk 1 to 2 miles each day, do my job,  keep the yard cleaned up, help in the house and keep active by practicing my skills.

Too much exercise is not good. Some body fat is healthy. If you can walk or jog a mile or so without clutching your chest, needing to stop and rest, or becoming winded you are in good enough shape. If you can walk, jog, hike or climb 2 to 3 miles you are in fine shape if the SHTF. Some of you may do more tactical training or work out to stay fit. That is good and healthy. Just keep some body fat so you have reserve if you need to go a few days without a meal.

The most important part of your  took to keep up is your mind. You need to be mentally fit. Read something every day. Play strategy games that challenge your mind like chess. Talk to people. Keep current on world events. Not just the bad world events but also the good things that happen. If you always focus on the bad things you will become depressed and paranoid. Despite the fact that at any moment something terrible could happen, almost always things are going mostly good.

So shape up your most important tool and take good care of you.