A Beginner’s Guide To Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing allows people to sell a variety of products online through their blogs or website. If you are looking for an easy way to monetize your website, you can easily implement affiliate marketing into your site.

The basic concept is signing up for an affiliate marketing network and finding products that are within your niche. Once you find the product that is within your niche, you click on the hop link to add your affiliate ID to the product link. When a reader clicks on your hop link and buys the item, you get a commission for the sale. Although this sounds simple, there are a few things that you need to know before you get started.
Here is a simple guide for affiliate marketing beginners.

Choosing Your Affiliate Network

The affiliate network that you choose will have a lot to do with the type of products that you are selling. Different affiliate networks will focus on different items. Some affiliate networks like Commission Junction mainly focus on selling website subscriptions and services while Clickbank will focus on digital products like eBooks and software packages.

Determine what affiliate network is going to fit best into your niche. For instance, if you’re running a website that offers advice on insurance, you can use a lead based affiliate network to promote insurance quotes. Some affiliate networks are known for late payments and other bad business practices so do your research before hand.

Choosing Products

When you’re first starting out you’re going to be inundated with different products for marketing. There first thing that you need to do is research on the products that you’re going to promote. Unlike your niche where you are focusing on a small market, you can expand your product base and offer a wide variety of products or lead generating links when you’re marketing to readers.

Don’t go overboard, but have a couple of items that are relevant to your niche. Whether these are eBooks or software packages, your readers have broad based needs within your niche so you should appeal to every aspect of their need. Click on the “Gravity” or “Network Earnings” options on the affiliate network for stats on what products are selling the best.

Buy The Product

How are you going to give real information about a product if you have never used it? When somebody comes to your website they are looking for information on the product. If you don’t give them detailed information then they are going to leave the site and probably never come back.

Buy the item so you know the ins and outs of what you’re trying to sell. Never give broad information about a product. You will be glad that you bought the product instead of just trying to fake your way through a review to do online marketing for it.

Be Honest

Affiliate marketing is all about being honest with a product. If there are things that you don’t like about the product, tell your reader. This will differentiate you from the other marketers trying to sell them a product based on the features.

When you explain what you don’t like about the item you show that you actually know what it does and what it doesn’t do. You can easily build rapport with your readers and establish online trust. This will bring them back to your website when they need a new product or are wondering about different websites that you’ve tried out.

Cloaking

Almost everybody knows what a hoplink looks like. When you put hoplinks on your website, a reader is going to know that you’re trying to sell them something. These links are not only telltale signs of a sale; they are not aesthetically appealing to your websites. Cloaking your links is the best way to keep the website looking professional while not coming off as a hard sell.
You can use cloaking tools or you can use an anchor text link. This allows you to embed a link within a certain phrase. For instance, if you’re trying to sell an eBook on acne you can add your hoplink to “Acne Ebook” so that when the phrase is clicked the reader is taken to the product page.

Viral Media

Viral media is an easy way to drum up traffic to your site or blog. If you are going with a hosting plan then you will be able to easily host videos on your site. If you don’t have a hosting plan, head over to HostGator and buy one.

This is very cheap and will give you the freedom to upload and house your videos per your website or blog. Record yourself going over the product or take screenshots of the product to show the different features. Also talk about what you don’t like about the item to keep your readers informed. Video marketing is a great way to generate traffic.

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My Devotional – Healing for Your Grief

One of the most moving scenes in Scripture is Jesus weeping at the graveside of Lazarus. It’s not that He was powerless to change the situation, which He did, bit that He empathizes with us in our time of loss. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” The Lord didn’t promise to protect us from pain and loss, but to bring us through it. Perhaps these suggestions will help:

1. Don’t isolate – Expand your “family.” “better a nearby friend than a distant family” (Pr 27:10 TM). If you don’t have a family nearby, reach out to caring people who are close at hand. As part of a group you discover that you’re not alone, that mourning isn’t sickness or self-indulgence, and that sharing brings healing.

2. Don’t deny your loss – “The memory of the just is blessed” (Pr 10:7). When you’re around friends don’t hesitate to talk about your loss. When you do, you’re saying it’s okay for them to share their memories too. A burden shared is a burden lightened.

3. Don’t try to do it all – “There is a time to cry” (Ecc 3:4 NCV). Because grief is draining, you’ll need more rest than usual. So while your ability to function is reduced, let others help with the everyday stuff like cooking, cleaning and shopping until you feel stronger.

4. Don’t neglect your legitimate needs – Respect your body by using the acronym D.E.E.R. (drink, eat, exercise and rest) to help you stay focused and set healthy boundaries. Nobody knows how you feel better than you, so give yourself permission to say, “no thanks” or “I’ll take a rain check” without feeling guilty.

I hope this devotional message is inspirational to you.

Where Are America’s Wealthiest Communities?

If you aspire to the good life, you’ll find company in these three areas where wealth is concentrated.

Want to know where America’s richest people live?

Between 2006 and 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau tracked where the wealthiest five percent of Americans are living. Defining high-income households as those that earn about $200,000 a year and above, the Census Bureau determined that the greatest concentration of wealth is in three main areas. These three areas are located near, but not directly in, large metropolitan areas along both coasts.

New York suburbs

According to Forbes, while New York City, NY, boasts the largest amount of wealthy residents of any city in the country, the concentration of wealth is higher in the surrounding suburbs of Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford, Connecticut. These areas are located along Long Island Sound about 60 miles away from the city. Here, nearly 20% of residents are considered wealthy.

What draws so many rich people to this area? For one thing, there’s proximity to the city. The Fiscal Times also notes that it’s a lower-tax region.

Silicon Valley

California boasts the nation’s largest population of billionaires, so it should come as no surprise that you’ll also find plenty of wealthy people living in the Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area outside of San Francisco, CA. This area is also known as Silicon Valley and is home to many of the world’s technology giants like Apple, Google and Hewlett-Packard — plus thousands of start-ups.

Unfortunately for the wealthy, it’s also home to some rather steep tax rates. The rich in Northern California can expect to pay about 12.3% in taxes versus the 6.7% rate that wealthy residents pay in Connecticut.

Washington, D.C. suburbs

Back on the East Coast, the third-largest concentration of wealthy Americans is settled around the Washington, D.C., metro area in the Virginia suburbs of Alexandria and Arlington. In these northern Virginia suburbs, 14% of households represent the country’s highest earners. The economy here has been shaped by proximity to the nation’s capital, and the majority of residents either work for the government, the military or for private companies that contract to the federal government. In Alexandria, for instance, the biggest employer is the U.S. Department of Defense.

Curious about the opposite end of the spectrum, as well? The southeastern states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana reported the lowest concentrations of wealthy residents.

For more details, check out the Census Bureau’s complete report:

http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-23.pdf

9 Wonderful Flu-Fighting Foods

Power Eating

Did you know that eating and drinking right can help boost your immune system? Here’s a sample of some of the best flu fighting foods and drinks that can be beneficial to your overall health.

 

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We all know what flu season means — get a flu shot and do whatever you can to stay healthy. The foods (and teas) I have listed here can help you fend off the flu, and eat and drink well too.

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Black-Eyed Peas

 

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These nutritious legumes are rich in zinc, a trace mineral that keeps your immune system in working order. Pinto beans, peanuts, roasted pumpkin seeds and wheat germ are other good choices.

Carrots

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One of my favorites. They’re rich in beta-carotene, which your body uses to ward off respiratory infections. Other good sources are dark green vegetables, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter squash.

Tea

 

 

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Hibiscus, Green, black and oolong tea all contain naturally occurring compounds that reduce the risk of flu, including quercetin, a powerful antioxidant, and L-theanine, an amino acid found only in tea. Decaf teas contain the amino acid, herbal teas don’t.

 

Yogurt

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Probiotics, the beneficial bacteria found in yogurt and other fermented foods, strengthen the immune system. Not a fan of yogurt? Try cottage cheese, kimchi (a fermented Korean dish made of seasoned vegetables) or sauerkraut instead.

 

Tomatoes

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Vitamin C-rich tomatoes boost the body’s natural defense system in the same way their citrusy relatives do. One medium tomato provides 40 percent of your daily vitamin C, so have a glass of tomato juice at lunch and treat yourself to pasta with tomato sauce for dinner.

 

Mushrooms

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These powerhouses increase the body’s resistance to viral infections by boosting the activity of natural killer cells, a vital part of the immune system. Mushrooms are rich in selenium, low levels of which can increase the risk of developing a severe flu.

 

 

Almonds

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These popular nuts are a rich source of the antioxidant vitamin E, which helps your body ward off viral infections. To maximize the absorption of vitamin E, opt for chopped almonds, almond butter or almond oil.

 

Chicken Soup

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It may not prevent the flu, but a bowl or cup of soup can help your immune system fight off the virus in its early stages, thanks to a compound called carnosine. The only catch: You need to consume chicken soup throughout your illness to reap its benefit, says a 2012 study.

Wild Salmon

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It’s high in vitamin D, which the immune system needs to kill harmful bacteria and viruses, says John S. Adams, M.D., professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Farm-raised salmon has less, but is also a good source.

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Here are 7 Pinterest Tips for the Holidays

Anyone paying attention to social strategy knows that Pinterest didn’t spend its “off-season” resting on its laurels and relaxing by the pool. Instead, the company was hard at work all summer bolstering its business features, especially for the e-commerce industry. For this reason, Pinterest could prove to be the most profitable social network for retailers this holiday season.

In order to get the most out of this network, however, Web professionals must optimize their presence on the social network. Learn how to strengthen your brand’s holiday Pinterest strategy with these seven tips:

1. Get Pinterest Ready

The first step for any Web professional is to make sure his or her site is Pinterest ready, which means, at the very least, including “Pin This” buttons on the most important pages, such as product pages and article pages. This tip might seem like a no-brainer, but its importance cannot be stressed enough, as 70 percent of Pinterest engagement is driven by fans according to a Digitas study.

2. Leverage Rich Pins

Aside from making the content on a site easy to share, it is also important to ensure this content includes detailed information when it is pinned. Rich Pins are pins that include more information on content like products, recipes, movies or articles. Product pins, for example, are updated daily and display pricing and availability for retail items, while article pins include links to the article’s source. Retailers in particular should be leveraging Rich Pins because product pins should prove to be very valuable this holiday season. In fact, after its initial launch of Rich Pins, Pinterest announced a “Price Update” feature, which sends pinners notifications when the products they have pinned drop in price. This feature essentially provides merchants with free advertising, and can help to increase conversions on sale items.

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3. Create Holiday Boards

Once an Internet retailer has integrated Rich Pins into his or her site, it is time to focus on the actual boards. By creating holiday boards before the official holiday kickoff, people are more likely to find content when browsing Pinterest for holiday ideas. This is especially true when leveraging keywords and #hashtags on pins. While the type of holiday board(s) will vary depending on a company, there are a few generic themes that will work across a variety of industries, including “Gifts for Her”, “Holiday Style”, “Wish List”, “Gifts Under $25” and “DIY Holiday Decorating”.

4. Launch a Contest

Social media marketers can break up the hustle and bustle of the holidays by launching a contest or a giveaway. This strategy can help a brand acquire new followers, as well as help it obtain more pins and re-pins (resulting in increased visibility). For example, a merchant could launch a contest that requires followers to build their ultimate wish list that includes products from his brand, or simply ask followers to re-pin a product from one of his holiday boards for a chance to win a prize. Retailers can consider using a platform like Curalate to create Pinterest specific promotions.

5. Consider Advertising

Pinterest is currently offering promoted pins. Promoted Pins are Pins that businesses pay to appear where you’re more likely to notice them. The Promoted Pins you see are based on your interests and things you do on Pinterest, or because you visited an advertiser’s site or app.

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6. Cross Promote

After putting resources into optimizing a Pinterest presence, it is important for a marketer to promote their efforts. One should share their contests or favorite boards with their audiences on Facebook and Twitter, as well as on websites and blogs. This can help brands gain more followers, as some audiences may not be aware that certain companies are active on the pin boarding site.

7. Keep an Eye on Analytics

As with any other social network, it is important for brands to monitor their performance on Pinterest. By keeping an eye on Pinterest metrics, businesses can identify the most pinned content items from their websites, their most repined items and most clicked items, and then use these insights to adjust their Pinterest strategies accordingly. While Pinterest offers analytics to business users, they can also consider leveraging a platform like Curalate or a solution like Tailwind, which provides users with information like the optimal pinning times and top brand advocates.

My Devotional – Don’t Lose Control

The word “anger” is just one letter short of the word “danger.” When you lose control you risk losing other thing as well, like the respect of others or the chance to find a constructive solution. Anger toward human suffering in not only appropriate, it’s the catalyst for change. Paul writes, “Be angry…but…don’t stay angry” (Eph 4:26 TM).

The Chinese have a saying: “Anger is the wind that blows out the light of the mind.”

So:

1. Before you react, take a walk. It burns off excess adrenaline and it’s more effective than stewing. It also helps you to think more clearly and handle things in a way you won’t regret. “A quick-tempered man does foolish things” (Pr 14:17 NIV).

2. Recognize the things you can’t control. You can’t control other people’s attitudes and actions, or unforeseen events such as cancelled flights and traffic jams. “What should I do?” you ask. Count your blessings, particularly the fact that you have God, salvation, your health, your family, your job and a car to get to it, etc.

3. Be careful where you vent. It’s one thing to be angry, it’s another to “sound off” at the wrong time. “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards” (Pr 29:11). It’s okay to share your feelings with those you trust and who are not the targets of your anger. But be careful, your words can come back to bite you!

4. Keep you distance from angry people. The Bible says, “Don’t hang out with angry people” (Pr 22:24 TM). Anger, like joy and gratitude, is contagious, so keep your distance.

I hope this devotional message is inspirational to you.

SuperFoods That Power You Up

16 tasty ways you may improve memory, lower blood pressure, even boost the immune system!

COFFEE
– There’s more than caffeine in your morning cup of coffee. It’s loaded
with antioxidants, which can protect against cell damage and reduce your
risk of chronic disease, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

THYME
– Long known for its ability to fight bacteria, thyme—in tincture form—was recently found to be as effective as prescription creams in treating acne.

WILD SALMON – Chock-full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, wild salmon can be a powerful ally in the fight against premature aging. New research shows that a diet abundant in omega-3s can help preserve small bits of DNA on the ends of cells, called telomeres. Shorter telomeres have been linked to early aging and even premature death.

KALE – Rich in vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting, kale also contains lutein, a nutrient that reduces the risk of cataracts and other eye disorders. One serving of cooked kale has nearly triple the amount of lutein that a serving of raw spinach has.

AVOCADOS
– Once reviled for their high fat content (a medium avocado has 22 grams of fat), avocados have regained favor as a good source of glutathione, an antioxidant that improves overall hormone function.

BASIL/MINT
– Used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine to aid digestion and diminish inflammation, basil and mint (a basil relative) are also strong sources of luteolin, which may boost the immune system.

OLIVES/OLIVE
OIL – Key ingredients in the Mediterranean diet, olives and olive oil are known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. A study from the American Academy of Neurology found that olive oil may reduce the risk of stroke by up to 41 percent.

WALNUTS – Ounce for ounce, walnuts have almost twice as many antioxidants as any other nut. Plus, they contain high levels of vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, which enhance heart health.

GREEN TEA – Abundant in catechins, a type of antioxidant known to protect cells, green tea may also reduce the risk of certain cancers, particularly those of the stomach and esophagus.

SWEET
POTATOES – With their generous helpings of vitamin B6 and potassium, sweet potatoes can help protect the immune system and regulate blood pressure. When eaten with the skins, they have more fiber than a cup of oatmeal.

DARK CHOCOLATE – Rich in flavonoids, dark chocolate can aid in decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In fact, the British journal BMJ reports that daily consumption of chocolate with at least 60 percent cocoa may reduce heart attacks and strokes in high-risk individuals.

ASPARAGUS – A natural diuretic, asparagus is high in potassium and vitamin B12, important for cell repair and maintenance. New research has also shown that B12 can boost the auditory system: People with low levels have a 39 percent increased risk of hearing loss.

POMEGRANATES
– With high levels of antioxidants, pomegranates can help keep the cardiovascular system healthy. Case in point: According to a 2011 British study, drinking a 17-ounce glass of pomegranate juice every day lowered blood pressure.

GARLIC – Sulfur compounds in garlic give this herb both its potent smell and its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. When garlic is crushed, it releases allicin, which wards off heart attacks and strokes.

YOGURT – Known for restoring balance to the gastrointestinal tract, yogurt with live cultures may improve heart health. One study found that participants were 31 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure if they ate just 6 ounces of
yogurt every three days.

BLUEBERRIES – Loaded with antioxidants, blueberries rank among the top disease-fighting foods. Among recent findings: A diet high in blueberries may reduce a woman’s risk of heart attack by 33 percent and stave off memory loss by several years.

PEPITAS – Put some pep in your step with our raw pepitas! These tasty pumpkin seeds pack an irresistible crunch along with a major health punch. High in protein and healthy fats, pepitas are a good-for-you, satisfying snack. Toss them in salads, mix them in trail mix, or add them to your favorite recipes for a boost of nutrition. You’ll agree that their delicious nutty flavor is simply delightful.

To view the full chart, click here. Happy Eating!

Exercise, Not Puzzles, May Protect Aging Brain

If you want to protect your brain against the effects of aging, a brisk daily walk may do more for you than brain teaser puzzles or social activities, a new study finds.

Researchers with the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, studying nearly 700 people in their early 70s, found that those who were most physically active had less brain shrinkage than those who got less exercise. At the same time, social and intellectually challenging activities, like going to the museum, learning a new language or visiting friends, seemed to have no protective effect on brain changes.

“Those who took more exercise had less brain atrophy, less damage to the wiring of the brain, and greater volumes of grey matter, which are the ‘thinking’ cells. We did not find any associations between being more socially or intellectually engaged and brain health,” says study author Alan Gow, a senior research fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

The research, published in the journal Neurology, is part of a long-term study on aging that involves a group of participants born in 1936. Those involved in this study were given brain MRI scans at age 73. They also filled out questionnaires about their physical activity, ranking it on a six-point scale from ” moving only in connection with necessary (household) chores” to “keep fit/heavy exercise or competitive sport several times per week” and rated how often they participated in 15 different leisure activities.

While researchers wrote that exercise seemed to protect against brain shrinkage, they added that it’s still unclear exactly how. Is exercise really protective, or is that those experiencing cognitive decline are less likely to exercise? While Gow stops short of recommending exactly how much exercise is best for brain health, Paul Thompson, professor of neurology at UCLA’s School of Medicine, says any exercise increases the oxygen level of blood, and that may keep brain tissues healthier. “It’s not necessary to run or even lift weights. Walking is just as effective. The bulk of the evidence is really just calories burned.”

But don’t throw out those brainteaser puzzles yet, says Thompson. They may still have a positive effect on the brain — just one that couldn’t be measured by the type of scans the Scottish researchers used.

My Devotional – Sound Thinking

The Bible says, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love an of a sound mind.” In order to improve your life you must do two things:

(1). Your thought processes. Gordon MacDonald says: “People who are out of shape mentally fall victim to ideas and systems that are destructive to the human spirit. They’ve not been taught how to think, nor have they set themselves to the life-long pursuit of the growth of the mind, so they grow dependent upon the thoughts and opinions of others rather than deal with ideas and issues. They reduce themselves to lives filled with rules, regulations and programs.” The moment you think you know it all, you’ve merely stopped thinking.

(2). Your expectations. The story’s told of a man who went to a fortuneteller. She said to him, “You’ll be poor and miserable until you’re fifty.” The man asked her, “What will happen then?” She replied, “Then you’ll get used to it.”

Be honest: how many successful people do you know who are apathetic and negative? None! Faith produces excitement, commitment, energy – characteristics that help you achieve success. If you’d like to possess these qualities then raise your expectation level and bring it into alignment with God’s promises.
“Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mk 11:24 NKJV).

Do you want to succeed where you’ve failed before? To become the person you always hoped to be? Don’t start by changing your actions, start by changing your mind. Renew it daily with God’s Word. Nothing else you do will have as great an impact.

Here’s How to Prepare for a Nuclear Attack

Here’s How to Prepare for a Nuclear Attack

by Daisy Luther

The nuclear standoff between the United States and North Korea has intensified to a level that can lead nowhere good. It’s time to talk about how to prepare for a nuclear attack.

First, here’s some of the recent chatter.

Last weekend, incendiary words between the two countries leave little doubt in anyone’s mind that a nuclear attack is likely to happen. The international smack-talk is leading somewhere.

Many people strongly believe that this is a media creation and that North Korea isn’t actually a threat. Even if that is the case, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that an attack could happen on US soil, regardless of the perpetrator. Although we must always watch the news with a healthy dose of skepticism, this isn’t the purpose of the article. Survival is.

Here’s a quick summary of what has been going on over the past week, according to the global media:

Aug. 3: After a successful ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) test, North Korea threatened to send “unexpected ‘gift packages” and said that America is “on the knife’s edge of life and death.” At this point, experts established that an ICBM bearing a nuclear warhead could reach New York City within an hour.

Aug. 5: The UN imposed economic sanctions on North Korea that could cost the country up to one billion dollars.

Aug. 6: President Trump threatened North Korea. He told reporters, “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”

Referring to North Korea’s volatile leader, Kim Jong-un, Mr. Trump said, “He has been very threatening beyond a normal state, and as I said, they will be met with fire and fury, and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before.”

Aug. 8: North Korea’s state-run news agency, KCNA, said their military was “examining the operational plan” to strike the US territory of Guam with strategic ballistic missiles. CNN reported, “Specifically, the statement mentioned a potential strike on Andersen Air Force Base designed ‘to send a serious warning signal to the US.’”

Aug. 9: North Korea dismissed Trump’s threat and called it a “load of nonsense,” stating that only “absolute force can work on the president.

Whether this is propaganda or not, we should be on high alert. A very real threat has been established; let’s move on to actions that we can all take in order to make ourselves safer.

First things first, it’s essential to keep abreast of the news. Sign up here for my daily newsletter – I’ll let you know what I know, the moment I know it.

Would a nuclear attack kill us all or cause a global nuclear winter?

I got a message from a reader the other day that encompasses what a lot of us are thinking:

Korea now has a Nuke or Nuke capabilities. Do you beef up your preps, wait for the chips to fall, kiss your butt goodbye, or other? Should we be acting business as usual?
First, let me dispel two myths about a nuclear attack.

We won’t all die or wish we were dead if a nuclear strike occurs. The movies – as much as I love them – have done us a terrible disservice here. If you are at Ground Zero of an attack, there is absolutely nothing you can do. Everything will be vaporized and that’s that. However, if you are outside the immediate blast zone, it is completely survivable and I don’t mean survivable in the horrible, lingering death kind of way. I mean, unharmed. You just have to know exactly what to do immediately in order to protect yourself. More on that in a moment.

We won’t suffer a nuclear winter. Everything thinks it will be like the post-apocalyptic scenario in that horrible book/movie, The Road. People aren’t going to be trying to eat each other. In that particular plot, the nuclear war was so great that a huge cloud of ash covered the planet. In reality, it would take hundreds of nuclear strikes to cause something like that, which is unlikely to occur. This isn’t to downplay the horror and death of one strike, but to point out that the aftermath isn’t going to make the quality of life on Earth as terrible as what the movies portray.

Here is what would happen if a 10-kiloton nuclear strike occurred.

Contrary to popular belief, a nuke won’t kill everyone within hundreds of miles. If you aren’t in the immediate blast radius, a nuclear strike is absolutely survivable.

The one-mile radius around the blast will be virtually unsurvivable. Within two miles, people will suffer 3rd-degree burns from the intense wave of heat.

If you are within two miles of the blast, the winds will be coming at about 600 miles per hour. This will take down buildings and cause a tremendous amount of pressure. Some experts recommend that you keep your mouth open to try and reduce the pressure on your eardrums. Looking at the blast could cause permanent blindness.

According to the DHS, 10 kilotons is the approximate size of nuclear weapon we could expect.

Nearly everyone within a half-mile radius of the point of impact would die and most of the buildings would be demolished. This would be considered Ground Zero.
The area within the next half-mile would suffer extensive damage, fires, and serious injuries.
Areas within three miles could see minor injuries to people and slight damage to their homes.
The fallout would kill even more people. According to the DHS:
Within 10 to 20 miles of the explosion, radioactive exposure would cause nausea and vomiting within hours and death without medical treatment.
But for those near enough to the blast, experiencing more than 800R of radiation, not seeking shelter immediately would cause deaths with or without medical treatment, the study found.
People would notbe able to evacuate this area, as fallout would arrive within just 10 minutes.
People upwind of the strike and outside the 20-mile radius would be unlikely to suffer any effects. People downwind would need to take shelter. Deaths from cancer that is related to the fallout could occur for many years after.

Here’s what I’m doing to prepare for a nuclear attack.

As cool as it would be to have one, you don’t have to have a bunker to survive if you take the time now to get prepped. You can survive by learning everything you can to prepare for a nuclear attack.

So, here’s what I’m doing.

Every time a new threat rolls around, I discover that while I have many of my bases covered, there are a few things I hadn’t accounted for. A nuclear threat is no different. There were some supplies I had to pick up myself, particularly a bigger supply of no-cook food.

Part of your preparations will depend on where you live, so this will be different for everyone. Are you near any places that are likely targets? Places like Washington DC, Hawaii, New York City, Los Angeles, and large military bases are more likely targets than say, a low population area in the Midwest. Of course, this doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Just that it’s less likely.

Are you in a house or an apartment building? What is the best place in your home to seek shelter? Plan all of this ahead of time. If you know exactly what steps you are going to take, you will be able to better perform them under pressure.

Here are some key points to consider.

You won’t have a whole lot of notice.

Scientists say that residents of Hawaii would have only 8-12 minutes notice if an ICBM was headed their way, and residents of New York City will have an hour. Clearly, there won’t be time to run to the store – and if you did, you’d be fighting it out with a bunch of terrified, panicked people – so get your supplies together now.

You could be in your car.

If you are in your car, make certain to turn the vent to recirculation so that you don’t bring any outside air into the vehicle. Your goal should be to immediately get to shelter.

Be prepared to go into lockdown.

In nearly every case, staying home is the best course of action. Imagine you are in New York City and this nuke is headed your way. If you try to evacuate, you are most likely to get stuck on one of the bridges on the way out of Manhattan and that would be far more deadly than hunkering down in your apartment and hoping you are outside the half mile radius of Ground Zero. Experts say that you should plan to stay sheltered for a minimum of 9 days. Our personal plan is 14-21 days, depending on proximity and wind direction. I’d rather err on the side of caution, personally.

During a talk on surviving a nuclear attack, professor Iwrin Redlener, US specialist on disaster preparedness, said: “In that 10 to 15 minutes, all you have to do is go about a mile away from the blast.

“Within 20 minutes, it comes straight down. Within 24 hours, lethal radiation is going out with prevailing winds.”

Prof Redlener said you should feel for the wind and begin running perpendicular to it – not upwind or downwind

He said: “You’ve got to get out of there. If you don’t get out of there, you’re going to be exposed to lethal radiation in very short order.

“If you can’t get out of there, we want you to go into a shelter and stay there. Now, in a shelter in an urban area means you have to be either in a basement as deep as possible, or you have to be on a floor – on a high floor – if it’s a ground burst explosion, which it would be, higher than the ninth floor.

So you have to be tenth floor or higher, or in the basement. But basically, you’ve got to get out of town as quickly as possible. And if you do that, you actually can survive a nuclear blast.”

The most hazardous fallout particles are readily visible as fine sand-sized grains so you must keep away from them and not go outside if you see them.

While I’m not a professor, I would not be trying to run perpendicular. I’d be trying to get inside to shelter, ASAP.

Fortify your home against fallout.

Use duct tape and tarps to seal off all windows, doors, and vents. Get a LOT of duct tape and tarps.
Turn off any type of climate control that pulls the outside air into your home. Expect to survive without heat or air conditioning for the duration.
Close off your chimney.
If someone enters the home, make certain that there is a room set up that is separate from other family members so that they can decontaminate. All clothing they were wearing should be placed outside and they should immediately shower thoroughly.
Make a breezeway for putting things outdoors (like pet or human waste.) Hang heavy tarps around the door and put on disposable coveralls, gloves, shoe covers, and masks if you have to actually go out. Disrobe, discard the disposable clothing by tossing it out the door, and shower immediately when you get back inside.
If you don’t have a basement, go to the most central part of your house and erect as many barriers as possible. If there is no central area without windows and exterior walls, go to the room furthest away from prevailing winds.
Have enough supplies on hand to wait out the danger.

As with many emergencies, you need to be prepared to survive at home without help from anyone. It’s unknown whether water and electricity will be running, and if the water is running, whether it will be safe to drink. Prep as though you won’t have access to these utilities and if you do, then it’ll be a pleasant surprise.

Stock up on emergency food. (Get Non-GMO Emergency Food in bulk HERE)In our current home, all of my emergency cooking methods rely on me being able to go outdoors. Because of this, I have stocked a one month supply of no-cook foods that do not require refrigeration. Canned vegetables and fruits, canned beans, pouches of rice and quinoa, crackers, peanut butter, dried fruit. You get the idea. The eating may not be exciting, but we won’t starve to death. You can find a more thorough list of no-cook foods here.
Have a supply of water for all family members and pets that will last throughout the 9-day waiting period that you need to remain indoors. (Or longer, which is what we’re planning.)
Get paper plates and cutlery in the event that the water isn’t running so you don’t have to waste your precious supply washing dishes.
Don’t forget a supply of pet food.
Make certain you have a potassium iodide supplement on hand to protect your thyroid gland. (Here’s how to use it.) And here’s another source for it – supplies are going fast.
Be prepared for the potential of a power outage.
If you have pets, have supplies on hand for their sanitation – you can’t let them go outside because not only would they be exposed, they would bring radiation in with them. So, pee pads, cat litter, etc, are all necessary. Solid waste can probably be flushed.
Have the supplies to create an emergency toilet. (This one is cheap and simple.)
Make sure to have a supply of any necessary prescription medications that will last through the time that you hunker down.
Have a well-stocked first aid kit. It’s entirely likely that medical assistance will not be available, and if it is, you’ll put yourself at risk by going out to seek it.
Have a way to get the news from the outside world. An emergency radio is a must.
Learn everything you can.

This is an overview but there is much more to learn about a nuclear event and the more knowledge you have, the more likely you are to survive without any ill effects.

Lisa Bedford and I created a course over at Preppers University called The Nuclear Preparedness Intensive. It contains 2 hours of interviews with a military nuclear expert, hundreds of pages of downloadable information, shopping lists, military guides, and far more information than I could ever put together in a blog post. With this course, you will truly know everything that I know about surviving a nuclear attack. It costs $29. You can learn more about it here. We had been working on this for quite a while, but with the uptick in rhetoric, we decided now was the time to introduce the class. It will really help you be prepared.

For some free additions to your nuclear library, you can print out this manual from the US government about surviving a nuclear emergency. It was written with first responders in mind, but much of the information would be applicable for us, too. The book, Nuclear War Survival Skills, by Cresson Kearney, is also available for free online.

The more you know, the better your chances are of unscathed survival.

You CAN survive if you prepare for a nuclear attack.

The only part of your survival that is in the hands of fate is whether or not you are at Ground Zero. The rest is up to you. You can’t expect the government to save you. You can only save yourself.

Get prepared. Today. Because we just don’t know what’s about to happen.