Andy's Idea Factory

Herbal remedies for Kidney Stones

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 15:26:00 +0000

Kidney stones are no joke; they're painful, sometimes nauseating, and rarely dangerous. These hard mineral deposits form in the urinary tract and can be excruciating to pass. It's better to prevent them than to try and break them up or pass them, so if you know you have the genetic predisposition, or have had them once before, let's start with prevention tips before moving into recovery and pain management.

First, kidney stones can be a sign of dehydration and not enough liquids in the diet. Our bodies are 70-80% water, so we should be replenishing that day, especially in the summer when we are sweating more than urinating the water out. If you can start by drinking half your body weight in ounces per day, that can not only help the body replenish, but reduce inflammation, flush toxins of all kinds, and keep the body's immune system functioning at peak.

In addition, supplement that water intake with watery vegetables, tea, and other helpful liquids.

For vegetables, I like cucumbers and celery;

both offer nutrients and help the body flush, but also have the fibrous threads within to help pull additional toxins. If you don't like eating either vegetable, I recommend juicing the celery and especially so if the kidney stones are already in place, 8 to 16 oz per day. The health benefits of celery juice are exponential, and you can read more about them in Anthony William's amazing book Celery Juice. As for the cucumber, I like to peel and slice half of one cucumber and add to 1/2 gal jug of water and keep it in the fridge to super charge the water. The flavor is refreshing, but suggest you add lemon if you think it's bitter. See below for two more recommendations for herbs to add to water if the kidney stones are in your system.

For hydrating teas, we offer two that are helpful preventatively, Shambhala Tea and Everyday Health Tea, both sold on my website here, and more information on what they contain and why I formulated them are listed there as well.

Additionally, adding more liquid is always a good thing - nut milks to oat meal, brothy soups like miso and bone broth with vegetables, carrot juice, grapefruit juice (my morning staple!), oranges and grapefruits for snacks, etc.

Last for prevention, I always recommend checking your water, which you can do at the EWG website, and then once you know what toxins you're dealing with, either installing or purchasing Reverse Osmosis system water. This will remove all the toxins that are in our water systems today, and you'll need to add minerals back in, but it's better to remove the toxins and start with a clear, baseline water, that you know is clean. Here's what I use for mineral drops that I add to my water daily.

If you're already dealing with kidney stones within the body, here are the tips I recommend for recovery and pain reduction. Think "flush and break up."

1. FLUSH: hydration is even more important that with prevention, and I always recommend drinking as much as you possibly can - up to one gallon (or more if you're larger). I recommend adding lemon, turmeric, and ginger to your water or teas, and drinking copious amounts of nettle, burdock, and dandelion tea (one or all if you're invested in your success). If you can find Elymus repens and cornsilk, add those to your tea as well.

Start your day with 16 oz of lemon water, 30 min later followed by 16 oz of celery juice. Do this daily for at least 2 weeks, 4 if you can stick to it. This will not only flush the kidney stones, but reset your digestive tract as well as the urinary one.

2. BREAKUP: Apply castor oil to the belly twice daily, rubbing in circular motion. Drink Collinsonia tincture, 2 mls every 2 hours until passed. I also recommend homeopathy of lycopodium, sarsaparilla, and nux vomica. Homeopathy is a very safe way to administer herbs to yourself, children, and animals, and I've been swearing by its results for nearly 20 years. The remedies come in pellet form, you put them under your tongue and let them dissolve. It's recommended to not eat or drink anything prior or after for up to 10 minutes.

Last, my silver bullet for both prevention and dis-ease is the nutrient-stacked whole food concentrates of Juice Plus.
My family has been taking this product as a foundation for health since 2007, and I love the nearly 50 gold-standard studies that backs this product up with solid science on inflammation, gut, gum, lung, skin, and cardiovascular health, oxidative stress, and bioavailability. When I was new to the Juice Plus products, my aunt was dealing with kidney stones, and she added this product and hasn't had a kidney stone since!

The simple concept is that the 30 fruits and veggies within these capsules or gummies are picked at peak ripeness (nothing else is unless you grow it yourself!), flash frozen and dehydrated (removes sugars, safe for diabetics), and encapsulated, all within about 24 hours of its harvest. The body knows exactly what to do with it, and sends it to the locations within you that are nutrient deficient - all dis-ease within the body is an exhibition of nutrient deficiency.

Anyone that says you can eat your way to health, doesn't live in the USA where food is rotting before it arrives, grown in depleted dirt, sprayed with numerous toxins, and passed off as fresh and nutrient dense when it's not close to either. You'd have to eat 5x the broccoli and 9x the spinach that you had to eat in 1950 to get the same levels of nutrients, and yet our bodies are fighting 70% more toxins than they were even 30 years ago.

In summary - pack in the power plants, flush the toxins with a lot of fluids and supportive herbs and plants, and make some changes to your diet - add more plants, reduce toxins and read the label.

To your health!
Andy

Broken Toe - Natural Remedies

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 18:07:00 +0000

About two weeks ago I broke my right big toe. I don't even know how it happened - but after loading an oven/range into our neighbors' house and then loading firewood into mine, my toe started to hurt. I took my boot off and it was throbbing and swollen. I iced it for 30, and while doing so, began my usual route for healing: intuitive check-in, muscle-testing, and resources.

Within a a few hours it was black and blue and I was on task. The general consensus is that there's not a lot you can do for a broken toe except rest and ice. But in the natural solutions world, there's always way more you can do. The prognosis was 4 to 6 weeks recovery, and I was leaving for a ski vacation in 8 days, so my plan was to "throw the book at it," meaning to support my body in all ways possible for the quickest recovery possible.

The first 24 hours, I iced every 30 to 60 minutes for 15 minutes, and each time I took Arnica Montana in the oral homeopathy at 200c potency. Arnica is well known and widely used for acute injuries and inflammation, as well as shock. It's a remedy that can very quickly halt the decline of tissue breakdown during injury, and should be taken as quickly as possible (within the first 30min), and often. To save on cost, you can take 3 pellets vs the 5 it recommends on the bottle (you let the pellets dissolve under the tongue) or you can make a larger batch of the remedy in a water bottle, dropping 3-5 pellets into the water, and then "succussing" the water and homeopathy together by shaking the bottle against something like your hand or a couch 100 times to get the molecules to combine.

In those first few hours while combing my resources, I found 3 other homeopathic remedies to include with the Arnica: (1)

Ruta graveolens (common rue) - This remedy is known for its effect on bone-bruises and on injuries to the periosteum (the covering of the bones); both of these types of trauma are involved when a fracture of a bone occurs. Ruta is also indicated when the pain around a fracture is extreme, and the person feels lame or weak. This remedy is also helpful in many cases when pain persists after treatment with Arnica.
Symphytum officinale (comfrey) - This accelerates the formation of callus and relieves the pain from the bone trauma. The native Americans name for comfrey is "knitbone" and it is my go-to remedy for injuries. See below for an additional application.
Bryonia Alba (white bryony) - This remedy may help to bring relief if excruciating pain results from even the slightest motion. The person usually wants to remain completely still and not be touched or interfered with. Bryonia is also a personal remedy, it seems to come up for me for many of my health issues from headaches to tummy aches, so when it showed up for this, I was not surprised. This is one of the magic things about plant medicine, we have our own personal allies, and plants have multiple uses.

I also began applying two salves externally: an arnica salve with essential oils of wintergreen, camphor, ginger, and clove (all very anti-inflammatory and circulation-promoting herbs), and comfrey salve, I alternated the one I make, with the one in the pack link above for the variety of herbs included.

In addition to internal and external herbal remedies I know two things that promote healing:

hydration with minerals - I made a point to drink about 30 ounces more than I usually drink (which should be about half our body weight in ounces, although I don't always hit that mark), so for me, that's about 100 ounces per day. This can be in water or herbal tea.
and nutrient stacking - I have been using this nutrient powerhouse as my foundation for health since 2014 and when my body needs more, I take more. So I tripled the recommended dose for 2 days, then doubled for the rest of the week.

Additional ways to stack in the nutrients are: eat lots of fresh and cooked vegetables, which I took in soups and salads mostly; and herbal teas, which for me included my newly formulated "Everyday Health" blend of dandelion, elderberry, nettle, red clover, ginger and rose hips.

I'm happy to report that after a week of working hard at healing and resting, I traveled without assistance on day 8 and skied on day 9. I needed to rest the toe, which was more pained and aggravated after those two days on day 10, but then skied again on day 11, and today, day 12, am resting again. I also supported the healing process with a soak in the famous mineral-rich Strawberry Park Hot Springs, alternatingly dipping it into the cold snow-melt stream next to the hot pools.

The healing process is a whole body-mind-spirit experience, and I find that when I do as much as I can to support that process with remedies, rest, and reframing the mind around it, the timeline is always, always, sped up.

I hope this helps you heal through similar injuries and offers some solutions to "just waiting" for the body to heal itself. It's good at it, when we give it what it needs.

Resources:
(1) Peacehealth.org

Top 5 Surgery Herbal Resources, and more

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 19:18:00 +0000

Over the past year I've upleveled my herbalist knowledge - for 30 years I've been a dabbling amateur when it comes to natural health; finding solutions for myself and making a few things here and there like my "Green Cream" comfrey salve and facial toner that I share and sell. I've grown my own herbs and foraged herbs. I've interned on an Intentional Community in Oregon that track on herbalism, studied with under 3 herbalists in Colorado, and worked next to an apothecary in Scotland (visiting it and gleaning knowledge almost daily).

It felt like a long time coming, to do a 12-month intensive certification in herbalism to deep dive into the plant knowledge that fuels my fire. 2024 was that year.

So when my 80-year old mother locked in a total knee replacement this past December and asked me to come down and help her and my dad navigate through the surgery and and her first week of recovery, I jumped at the chance to do some research, bring some medicine, and support her healing process. These are the resources I used, and I hope they're of use to you or someone you love!

TOP 5 RESOURCES

Arnica homeopathic pellets - as soon as she was out of surgery, (and even, ideally before) we started her on the oral Arnica. Widely known and used for inflammation and pain reduction, circulation and healing recovery, Arnica Montana is a universal plant that grows globally. Homeopathy is a harmless, no-conflict/no-contraindications delivery of plant medicine, that is one of my primary go-tos for ease, safety, and efficacy. Taken every 15minutes after an injury or surgery for the first few hours, then 3x/day for a week, Arnica was our primary recovery ally and is one I use often and recommend to everyone.

Organic Castor Oil - recovery pain medication is often an opioid or similar, which can cause constipation, and issue my mother never really has - so she didn't have tools for this, but we anticipated she might need them. It wasn't until day 3 that it became a concern, and at which point we enlisted this historically, commonly used remedy. The solution is simple, rub the castor oil on the lower belly in a circular motion, gently, but with pressure, round and round until it's absorbed into the skin. An added bonus is to add a few drops of essential oil, my top 3 are chamomile, ginger, orange. Mom had a nice solid bm that evening!

Nutrition - in the simplest statement possible: flood your body with phytonutrients both pre- and post-surgery. My favorite solution is a whole food concentrate that my family has been using for nearly two decades now; it keeps our immune systems strong, aids our bodies in flushing toxins, reduces inflammation and improves circulation, and is simple, easy, and effective.
Additionally, I love the power of the breakfast smoothie - packed full of greens, wild blueberries, seaweed, frozen fruits like banana and mango, and the vegan protein powder of my choice.
   Last, I prepped a few meals for them to eat during recovery. I like veggie-packed soups, and especially love the power of beets, so I made a big pot of Borscht with bone broth for her to eat when she got home.
   If you're not a lover of beets (or bone broth) like many aren't, you can try a medicinal broth such as nettle, lovage and rosemary broth with onion, potato and garlic, or other veg OR a mushroom immune boost broth with shitake, reishi, cremini or other allies.

Herbal teas and tinctures - I have recently started combining herbs for health, and launched our beta test of these with four combinations during the holidays of 2024: Everyday Health, Goddess Power, Good Sleeper, and Shambhala. Currently 50% of these herbs are growing native on site of our intentionally community and permaculture education center, the Shambhala Collective, but it is my plan to grow 100% of the herbs by the end of 2026, and produce these combinations for sale.

Three herbs I have found most beneficial for surgery prep and recovery are:

Nettle (Urtica Dioica): inflammation reducing, cellular rebuilding, circulation and toning
St Johnswort (Hypericum Perforatum): inflammation, nerve pain, mood, and bleeding
Lemon Balm (Melissa Officionalis): pain, digestion, mood, nerve and wound repair

You can combine these in a tea or tincture, and take 3x daily, with some other allies (see "Other" section below).

Solfeggios: Also known as sound frequency healing, you just need to web search "healing solfeggios" or sleep, recovery, pain, etc; to get a video on these to fall asleep to, nap to, or chill out to. They can always be playing in the background, and in addition to using these for mom's recovery, I played these for our cat Stella when she was recovering from a severe fox attack. All beings respond to sound, and it's a great, non-invasive way to add some subtle healing for the body, mind and soul. Mom is a big fan of her Oura Ring, so when I found an article on Solfeggios by Oura she was all in.

BONUS:

Fire Cider: Oft revered for its immune-boosting power, Fire Cider is an herbal remedy combining kitchen herbs and apple cider vinegar to make a fiery drink you may get addicted to, or you may have to plug your nose to drink. But for surgery, this remedy has a hidden super power in Preventing Blood Clots. See my blog post on this to follow soon, but in short: combine garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, rosemary, and thyme (tinker with amounts, but I like 1-3 tsp each per 16oz jar), add onion, orange, peppers (I omit because they don't agree with me), lemon, leek, or other veg that calls to you, filling the jar with slices of these, and then fill the jar with apple cider vinegar. You can drink this as soon as 3 days later if in a pinch, but the longer it sits the stronger it gets (up to 3 weeks).

OTHER:

A few other recommendations I have for healing across the board include:

The Medical Medium's Celery Juice protocol and 3:6:9 Cleanse in his Cleanse to Heal book
Essential oils of peppermint, rose, eucalyptus, lavender, bergamot, geranium, and helichrysum for pain, swelling, and sleep
Homeopathy pellets of Ruta Graveolens for connective tissue pain
Cats Claw Tincture for inflammation, pain and immune support

Recovering from surgery takes all of your resources - your mental and physical systems are drained, your body is working on recovery and managing the new state its in. So having all of this prepared ahead of time or prepared by a friend while you're recovering is best, to make sure all your needs are met when you're not really able to look after your own needs (or sleep, or poop!, like normal!).

See our posts to come on Herbs for Sleeping like a Champ, Fire Cider, Tincturing Basics, and more as I start to encapsulate the knowledge I've acquired into bite size chunks, for remedies for what life throws your way.

If you liked this post, please follow us on socials, share with a friend or to your socials, and support what we do by buying what we're producing! Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

**Andy makes a commission on the links shared above, but all are tried and tested and recommended first hand!

Natural Remedies for Poison Ivy, and lessons learned

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:24:00 +0000

Getting back to this blog, after a couple years off... because I didn't have the bandwidth while we were building our house, but between living off grid, and a long year of herbalism training, I have some good MacGuyver tips and home remedy lessons to share!

The first of which is what I've learned from "sister" (poison) ivy / oak / sumac for you:

I was exposed to either poison ivy or oak before leaving town last week -- not sure which because we have both, and the rash from both looks the same because it comes from the Urushiol oil from the plants. I didn't realize the rash wasn't a bug bite until I was gone. Mistake #1: check yourself carefully after making fairy gardens in the woods.

I didn't have my primary remedy - jewelweed salve - with me, sadly, mistake #2, but did have rhus tox homeopathy (poison ivy), which I started taking immediately and frequently. The homeopathy doesn't help the rash much, just your body's reaction.

If you don't know, PI rash isn't transferrable/contagious, doesn't have a cure (just to soothe it) and doesn't spread on your own body by scratching it - only the Urushiol oil within the plant causes the rash- yet it spread on mine... I had a spot under my left breast, and spots started showing on my arms, chin, eye and ear over the next day. Come to find, it will spread if the oil is still on something, like a pillow case (which I brought with me) or a sweatshirt (ditto). Mistake #3.

We were with family, and several of them had "home remedy" suggestions.... Dawn dish soap, bleach, and steroids. Supidly, I took the Dawn in a state of desperation without re-reading or thinking. While a non toxic but oil-removing dish soap would be good after coming in from the woods to remove the Urushiol oil, after a vigorous shower, which i'd had two of, it's pointless to use Dawn. What it did was make all the little bumps swell up with fluid, making the itchies so much more itchy. 😭🤦🏼‍♀️ I didn't do bleach bc I know better and never touch the stuff. I did use the steroid cream once but then muscle tested and gave it back. Dawn is extremely concentrated and the blue is toxic, so ... Yeah. Mistake #4.

As I said, I know the remedy... jewelweed salve. It was at home. So I hunted for that, extensively- since we drove down, I had my car, but I struck out. So I made a tea out of a calming blend I brought, and soaked washcloths in that, froze them, and applied. I got a soothing gut health blend at one of the stores, and made a paste with that, too. Both gave some relief. I used a steroid free homeopathy rash cream (helped too), as well as 3 kinds of soothing soaps: oat, frankincense and myrrh, and a black magic soap (all pictured).

When I got home, I used witch Hazel and aloe, and jewelweed oil, and I'm finding some relief... It can take 10 days to 3 weeks to heal from the rash, hoping the jewelweed cuts it to 10. I'm on day 7 and the blisters are small but mighty.

Lessons:
• always travel with a complete first aid kit with multiple solutions for issues
• don't listen to people who don't know what they're talking about, even if they are emphatic
• don't take a solution you wouldn't suggest or do if you weren't desperate - desperate actions can and will make the situation worse

Remedies that are natural:
If you think you've come into contact, or as a preventative, every time you leave the woods, strip down, wash clothes in hot water, and wash body vigorously with oil-stripping natural soap (diluted if concentrated!)For the rash, use Aloe, witch Hazel, AC vinegar, baking soda, ice, cooling herbs like marshmallow and chamomile, jewelweed.

Any poison ivy stories or remedies not mentioned, share in the comments below!

#poisonivy

#toxictruths

2022 - 2024 IDEA FACTORY overload!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:49:00 +0000

For those of you who follow this blog, our socials (links below), or our YouTube, I've been slacking on posting some of our big ideas for the year because, well honestly, there's kind of a lot going on, to say the least! In a perfect world, with an excess of free time, great sleep, and the modern conveniences, we'd keep you updated here... but it's not a perfect world, and none of those things have been in excess for us right now!

So creating a new blog post or YouTube for all the fun things we've learned, tested, built, tried, failed, and rebooted this year... just hasn't been possible. Instead... I'm going to summarize, like the video above, and if you want me to elaborate on one of the projects, message me or comment below and I'll start there! It'll help me with the motivation if you do! Because I'd LOVE to be documenting this journey better, it's just for lack of time that I don't!

For background... what we're building is the
Shambhala Collective and Permaculture Education Center
Facebook | Instagram | Website | WWOOF | Intentional Community FIC profile

What is this? A place for us to live more sustainably, affordably, and peacefully.
What's the mission of Shambhala? To provide a peaceful place of sustainable, self-sufficient living, and a place for continued learning, healing and personal growth in a community setting to spread our shared values and vision for a healthier, more longevous world.

Here's the play by play of our Idea Factory for the last 18mos!

June 2022 - sell home at real estate peak in CO, and purchase 40 acres of land in TN to start an intentional community and permaculture education center!

LONG prior:

Research locations based on list of needs
Reach out to locals through Facebook groups for networking

Take courses from the Foundation of Intentional Communities on starting one
Take Permaculture Design Course certification for ideas, a master plan, and resources!

Summer 2022 - build road through property, order Yurts
Fall 2022 - hire a builder and build deck for Yurts
Winter 2022-23 - write guidelines and rules for membership and more
Spring 2023 - assemble yurts, setup WWOOF hosting profile
Summer 2023 - design and build:

Water catchment system - with a few helping hands, and quite a few mistakes
Solar energy system - with lots and lots of help and also quite a few mistakes
First gardens - with help for Hugelkultur harvesting, and building with pallets
Welcome 1st four WWOOF interns to Shambhala
2nd member tiny home build - order shed, subcontract spray foam insulation, frame tiny bathroom, install drywall and paint, install flooring

Fall 2023 - build bathhouse between yurts

Learn "Pex" plumbing system
Enlist friends to help and teach building basics
Hire electrician to finalize the heavy stuff
Wood stove purchase, setup, installation, and system perfection
Welcome 1st prospective member process

What's to come... for 2024!

Member 1 and 2 finish homes (never-ending punch list!)
#s 3-9 member tiny homes (we're seeking 9 members total)
Build first hoop house for gardens
Plumbing and water catchment on barn for community space
Flooring for barn for community space
Establish first community gardens
Continue to build food forests between members 1 and 2 - orchards and perennials
Potentially add first animals for husbandry (chickens and/or ducks)

YES we are DIY-ing the majority of this, because perhaps we're glutons for punishment.
YES there's a heavy learning curve and we're 25% over budget, but we're getting there!

And YES we've had a LOT of help!

There could easily be a blog post and or video on all of these topics! And in the long run, I hope there will be! For now - if any of these topics interest you, if you'd like to see our resource list on them, or you'd like to help us establish a good resource bank for all of this, please do reach out! It takes a village to do what we're doing, which is why we're enlisting a village to do so!

Happy new year!

DIY (Do It Yourself) Irrigation

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 00:41:00 +0000

Hey gardeners, if you spend your days dragging around hoses to make sure every beloved plant gets watered, then this PSA tidbit is for you.

That was me, for 7 years – moving hoses like a mule. We moved into our house in Steamboat II in 2013, promptly put in a new perennial bed along our front walk with the cardboard-lasagna method, and began taking divided plants from friends and the You Dig It program to fill it in.

It’s a long bed, the length of our 40-50’ walkway, and about 5’ wide, so yes, that meant I was dragging around hoses to water it because the water pressure in our older home isn't strong enough to push water through more than one 3/4" hose. Mondays it was the front of the bed, Tuesdays it was the back of the bed, and so on.

We even put in 2 berms at the edge of the yard, to reduce our grass acreage, but because of our lack of a watering system, those fill-dirt piles sat there for 4 years without water or plants, an eyesore to the neighbors, I'm sure.

Over the next 5 years, our new perennial bed struggled. In truth, I wasn’t really into the moving hoses chore. The lasagna method didn't work great over our persistent grass, so every year we'd weed out the grass, water intermittently, and tell the plants to hang in there. We chose natives, so we hoped they wouldn’t need much water, but they’re plants. They struggled. The lawn went brown. The weeds took over.

We spent more of our time and focus on our veggie gardens in the back yard, every year getting a little more efficient with the way we water (timer system, drip hoses, reducing to ¼ piping, etc), and twice improving our bed system so that now we have four raised box beds to grow in. That system works like a charm now.

All the while, I watched, with much adoration, what my garden guru friend was doing in her yard downtown. On just ¼ acre, her gardens have more bulbs and plants than the local Botanical Gardens. Every year she'd plant more. Every year, she’d perfect her systems for watering. Finally, this year, she helped us make a plan to replicate, on a much smaller level, what she has done.

This involved a B-Hyve wifi timer programming system, an Orbit 3-valve manifold, reducers from that 1” pipe to ½” irrigation piping, 3 boxes of screw-clamps, a dozen elbow- and tee-shaped connectors, and five RainBird 360-degree sprayer heads.

The best part? It only took me a day to put it in, but only after we had about 4-5 sessions of planning, shopping (HomeDepot, Lowes, Sprinkler Warehouse, Ace Hardware), and figuring out how all the pieces would fit together.

All-in, we spent about $500 on the system, most of which was on the manifold and timer system. And even though this is still new, I estimate we’re using about 25% of the water we were previously using. In a drought year (decade), water conservation is a priority we should all be thinking about.

My favorite features of our new system:

The berms are filled with plants now, and look amazing. When there's rain, I can rain-delay the system from anywhere we may be traveling from (which I actually got to do within the first week of it being set up, while traveling in Florida, Steamboat was getting massive, daily rain!). The system is mobile - we plan to remove the manifold, computer, and spray heads in the winter, and bury the piping under the top layer of grass. On the same line, it's adaptable, we can add another duo valve system if we want to extend the system to our back yard for the veggie gardens.

But mostly, I'm thrilled to not be moving hoses, and to be saving water.

So if you don’t have the budget for a professional job, and you’d rather spend your mornings sipping coffee and watching the hummingbirds instead of dragging hoses, consider DIY-ing your own irrigation system.

Andy has been a Master Gardener since 2015, and has been an avid gardener since an internship in Urban Farming and Sustainability in 1996 in Dexter, Oregon. She’s been a resident of the Yampa Valley since 1998, and relishes in research, new ideas, and DIY projects.

Huge thank you to our anonymous friend who continues to inspire me to be better in every way.

Top Five Favorite Holiday picks

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 13:43:00 +0000

Looking for last minute gifts for a good price from a retailer you know will deliver in time? Here's my Top Five Favorite Holiday Picks plus a few bonuses! Happy holidays!

#1 Sleep Innovations

Currently marked down to $370 from $650 for king size*

We've had a Sleep Innovations mattress for 13 years and loved it. Every time we came home from travels my husband and I would both say how we'd missed our bed the most. So it came time for us to buy a new one and were pleased to find this mattress at a fraction of the cost of both traditional mattress and memory foam as well. Is a quality brand, and a firm yet relenting and supportive mattress. It comes compressed in a 3x4x2 box that's easily delivered, and easy enough for one person to set-up and let expand. We let it expend and air out for two nights. By the second night, it was ready, and as before, the best night sleep!

The box it comes in is compact and manageable

Cutting off the plastic on our new bed!

#2 Hamilton Juice Extractor
$52.99

I've been using this juicer for 8 months and it's a tank! I love how easy it is to clean, its small footprint on our counter, and how well it works for my morning celery juice! I used our power blender (below) for 8 days before deciding yes, I'd be doing celery juice daily (see Medical Medium on that!) and now, 8 months later, it's still grinding away. It works on everything! This would be a great treat for mom this holiday season!

#3 Insta Ace Nova Cooking Blender

$119 (Keep an eye for deals, we got it last year from Walmart for $49!)

I ADORE this blender. My aunt turned me onto the deal when she sent me a picture of the almond milk she'd been making. It can make soups, milk, and of course, smoothies. To justify buying it last year, I sold my Ninja blender (it was so loud it drove me nuts) and our original Oster blender we got for our wedding. I miss neither and am so glad I cleared out the cupboards for this guy! He's a beast, but it's an amazing kitchen gadget, and very equivalent to the overpriced Vitamix that everyone raves about! Save yourself $200+ and go for the Ace.

#4 Huanuo Lap Desk

$39.99

For as long as I can remember I've had the basic lap desk. As a writer and artist, I like the freedom to be able to get creative when the inspiration strikes me, and my lap desks have always been the flat standard. But these days we all typically have our two devices and a notepad, and this desk accommodates them all, with a wrist guard.

It's a great holiday gift, for yourself or for the creative in your house.

#5 Mueller Vacuum Sealer

$59.97

For the prepped in your home, this affordable vacuum sealer is a great value and quality, from a top Austrian brand. My husband requested this one for his gift this year for storing his annual elk harvest long-term. It's a compact unit, that seals items quickly and efficiently. Great for a lady minute add-on to any list.

BONUS! QOGOTOMO Heating Pad

$22.99

This is a great winter warming and back-supporting gift for mom or dad. With automatic shut-off, smart-temp control, and quick heat-up features, this is a great unit for the price. Soft fabric and large sized.

For affordable green ideas, view our Sustainable Gifts list.

Kombucha experiments

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:10:00 +0000

For Christmas this year, I got a Kombucha making kit from my husband that he purchased through an awesome resource - The Kombucha Shop. I didn't get cranking right away, but once I did, I couldn't stop! And as those of you know that have gone before me in this, the scoby invasion is a big reason why!

Kombucha starts with the Scoby, a symbiotic culture of healthy bacteria and yeast, a gelatinous, cellulous biofilm that is also known as a "mushroom" as it resembles the top of a mushroom. Many other products start with a culture like this - vinegar, ginger beer, keifer, and my other most recent experiment, sourdough. Cultures are good for the gut, the immune system, brain health, and the overall health of the body - 3/4 of our immune system resides in the gut, and a healthy gut means a healthy body.

As you know from my many other experiments, research, and tinkerings, I love a good science project. So this was the ideal present for me! The full kit comes with everything you need to start brewing immediately, and even better, it's very simple: Brew tea, add sugar, let cool, add scoby, let "ripen" for 2 weeks, add flavors, drink, heal! Good stuff. But there's a little more for those who want to take the time to make it a science experiment as well – measuring, labeling, straining, documenting, and testing. So let's get to that!

pH: the pH of your body and of the kombucha are important topics. To have a proper landscape for health, the pH of your system should be alkaline vs. acidic. This goes for vinegar, keifer, and kombucha alike. Kombucha should ideally be between 2.5 and 3.5 to be of use to your gut, so the kit comes with pH testing strips that you dip into the liquid both after brewing the tea and after brewing your kombucha.

Sugar: The Kit comes with a cup of white sugar, which I used for my first batch but then swapped out for raw cane sugar because it's better on the body. I also tried the date sugar granules but they didn't dissolve well enough so I had to scrap that batch.

Tea: The Kit comes with standard black tea, but you can use any kind of tea and I prefer decaffeinated so I've tried my kombucha with decaf black and green teas, and plan on trying it with white and roibos in future batches. The funnest part of brewing kombucha for me is the tinkering – even though the basic recipe is the same, the recipe can be modified in its many different stages.

Flavors: The Kit comes with 6 flip top bottles (like Grolsch beer), but I purchased another 6 because I like to have many flavors and they keep for may weeks in the fridge. After the main brewing stage (12-20 days in the gallon jug with just tea, sugar, and scoby), you then transfer the 'buch into bottles, first filling the bottom of them with various fruits and herbs. So far, my favorite flavor has been apple cinnamon, but I've tried lemon ginger, blueberry, grapefruit, and chai, and the recipe book in the kit gives many more options as well (cucumber mint is one I plan to try in my next batch!).

Kombucha isn't a new concept - but it's new to many because the FDA ruling on the brewing and bottling of this "live culture" has recently changed, which has been what's brought it to the mainstream market so vigorously in the last 3-5 years. Once I started brewing, and subsequently posting my brews on social media, I had many "old timers" share their brewing history with me, and offer up advice.

The scoby should only be used 3-5 times before it loses its potency, but each time you brew, you get another fresh scoby, so you wind up with a collection of scobies, so that's what the community always offers to share. Often times you're throwing out more scobies that you can keep up with.

I love brewing based on the moon cycles, and always label it so I an keep track. I also love this bottle and how you can write the date, tea name, and any other notes on it. I always snap a picture - the pen it came with is wet erase and well, it's full of liquid so yeah, it tends to get smudged easily!

If you're a longtime reader you know I don't get income from recommending most of the products on here except 4 really awesome whole food concentrates, I just love referring people to really cool things, I love helping people NOT start from scratch and reinvent the wheel, and I love connecting! So if you like kombucha too, and have any ideas or products I should check out, comment below!

Have fun brewing!

10 years with Andy's Idea Factory!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 22:21:00 +0000

I'm super excited!!! 2019 marks 10 years with Andy's Idea Factory! Am I supposed to feel old or accomplished or a mix of both! That warrants a new template – so hopefully this new style is both easier to read and find what you're looking for!

What started as a fun way to share my quirky ideas and findings (oh boy, I love to research!), has now become a great resource for thousands of people, and that brings me such joy!

Some years were more creative than others – or rather, some years of creativity were better documented! The most posts were written in 2010 when I was really focusing on blogging. I launched 5 blogs between 2007 and 2012!

Some years, I was really busy doing other things - I only found time to write 4 posts in 2011, but I was helping to run a really important training project for Amtrak on handling customers with disabilities. So that's ok!

The following year, 2012, I posted 19 blogs – that was the year I was really into discovering henna – and wow that means I've now been naturally dying my hair for 7 years, which feels like quite an accomplishment in itself!

It's been a very fun decade with Andy's idea factory – from the very first #bigidea (MacGuyver vegetable storage) that inspired me to start this blog, to the most popular post about going gluten free to help my psoriasis! I hope to continue to be inspired and to inspire!

Here's to 10 more! 👊

Gluten-free Vegan stuffing with Cranberries, Quinoa and Kale

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 21:21:00 +0000

Not your typical stuffing, this recipe was inspired by reading several other vegan recipes but ultimately governed by what we had in the cabinets and fridge, and both Craig and I were pleased with the result.

If you've been reading my blogs you know I've been gluten free since 2008. I have been experimenting with gluten free beads and sampling bakers since then and am recently very pleased with The Gluten Free Explorer (found at Natural Grocers), and their breadcrumbs are in this recipe. But the quinoa is a nice touch, it gives it a fluffier result I think, and having both gives it balance.

The fruit is new for me but I like it! I love cranberries and how great to put them in stuffing! The apples stayed crisp and also add so much flavor. The celery and kale are a great combo, giving the color of this dish a spectacular look for the holidays!

Let's get to it!

(All veg organic and chopped fine)

2 cups cooked tricolor quinoa
2 cups Gluten Free Explorer Breadcrumbs
1 red onion
1 bundle of celery, leaves included
1 cup chopped kale
1 bag cranberries
1 apple
1.5 cup veggie stock
Olive oil spray
Juice from half a lemon
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 T. Dried Rosemary
1 T. Dried Thyme
1/2 t. Salt

You can save prep time and cook the quinoa ahead of time - night prior is fine, store in fridge.

Preheat oven to 350° and spray an 11x14" pan.

Spray a large cooking pan and heat oil, add chopped garlic and onion and cook until translucent. Add celery and kale, along with rosemary and thyme, and cook 5 more minutes. Add veggie stock and simmer 3 more minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, mix quinoa, breadcrumbs, nuts, seeds and salt.

Add sauteed vegetables to mixing bowl, along with cranberries and finely cubed apple with skin. Stir until combined and pour into the baking dish.

Bake 30 - 40 minutes at 350°.

Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Resource:
https://www.bustle.com/articles/195947-11-vegan-stuffing-ideas-for-thanksgiving-with-gluten-free-options

Gluten-free Sourdough bread adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:02:00 +0000

Throughout my decade of being gluten free, I had never heard this before, but recently at a friends house, I heard a rumor that the gluten in bread breaks down in the process of fermentation with sourdough. The study that this rumor has seemingly sprouted from was done on just 15 subjects in Italy. I won't get into how the wheat in the US is far different from the wheat in Europe, but suffice it to say, it's not the same.

At first, this rumor was exciting. Could I actually have bread again? I was sure willing to try! So I took a chunk of my friends long-aged sourdough starter, fed it for a few days (that's the fun part!), and made some sourdough bread!

Much to my dismay, the answer is no, I can not, but it sure was an exciting thought!

I've been GF long enough to know the immediate physical sensations when I'm going to have a reaction, and I don't press my luck. I had a small piece of this DELICIOUS bread and gave it away, knowing full well that if it stayed in my house, I'd break down and eat, and swell up like a balloon. It's not just the inflammation that bugs me, it's the pain that goes with it. So no, it's not worth it. But damn it was good!

Apparently I'm not the only one that's heard this rumor, and debunked it! Read on if you care:
https://glutendude.com/not-gluten-free/is-sourdough-bread-gluten-free/
https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/sourdough-wheat-bread-is-not-safe-for-folks-with-celiac-disease/

Onward in trying to find a solution for GF sourdough!! When I first went GF I did a lot of baking, and prior to going GF I LOVED to bake! But as everyone who's been on this adventure says, GF isn't the same. The GF breads are dense, full of eggs (which have their own unique uncomfortable reaction for me), and use multiple types of expensive flour and gum. Yuck. So it's been a while since a I've baked a loaf of white bread and I was up for a new experiment!

But I'm a scientist at heart, and baking is a true science. And I like to research and tinker! So I started with two gluten free blends - a rice flour starter and a coconut flour "starter," along with a whole wheat flour blend to compare it to because I've never started a "starter" from scratch with a sourdough and I wanted to see what the rice and coconut flours did in comparison to the traditional whole wheat. I fed them day after day and by day 3 they all started smelling sour, the wheat and rice flour starters began bubbling, the coconut one not yet.

Perhaps I should point out – the importance of sourdough is that the sour fermenting starter is meant to be used in place of instant active yeast. Yet the recipe my friend gave me and many of the recipes I've found online have both the starter and the active yeast. I wanted to find an old school solution with minimal ingredients and no yeast.

So I got really excited when my search finally lead me to this post:
https://www.fearlessdining.com/chef-recipe-bread-srslys-gluten-free-sourdough-bread/

The writer has somehow squeaked out an older (since modified) recipe of a GF bread-slinger in SFO. I'm impressed - usually sought-after bakers don't give out their recipes. It does call for xanthan gum, but it doesn't call for yeast. So I started here.

My changes to her recipe:
sub oat for millet

1 cup water

.6 cup soy milk

used rice flour starter

It definitely didn't look like the first wheat test... it looks like concrete! It smells good though, is very tacky. and I can't quite get to "pancake batter consistency" as she states in the recipe.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to rise - I left it out overnight (24+hrs), even. So much to my chagrin, I added yeast, then set in oven for 2 hours at 170* to see if it would rise. Nope.

I then baked it at 425 for 30, tested it, baked it 10 more, and it had tacky gooey center with a crusty outside and tastes really close to sourdough! I'd call this a first SUCCESS!

I also want to say with all the discarding of starters I was pleased to find some solutions to avoid the waste. Such as sourdough pancakes and sourdough pizza.

I never got to making anything with the coconut flour – it didn't sour up, and after a couple weeks in the fridge, it spoiled (moldy brown water on the top). The Whole Wheat starter actually did the same, and had hairy mold in it as well. So moving forward, I'll be keeping the original King Arthur flour starter my friend gave me to make loaves for friends and events, and the Bob's Red Mill rice flour that seems to be holding up nicely, and I plan to try this loaf without the yeast next time since it didn't rise with it anyway! I will continue to add to this post as I tinker!

GF Sourdough links

As I said – I did my research... below are the links I read through to find the one I used. My web searching tip – drop below the first page return of search results. Sometimes the true gems are on page 3 (or further).

Frankly, I should have started here – I looked at so many links I had to build this list just to keep my head straight around what I was going to try and what I'd looked at over 3 days of searching. Yes, I'm that kind of researcher. 😂

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gluten-free-sourdough-starter-recipe

The champions of baking provide a sourdough starter recipe with their ancient grain blend, but can't find a recipe for the bread to go with it.

https://shop.breadsrsly.com/

This girls story is awesome. I may have to fly to San Francisco just to try it. Since it doesn't seem like I can order it online. And I hear SFO sourdough is as special as NY bagels.

https://www.fearlessdining.com/chef-recipe-bread-srslys-gluten-free-sourdough-bread/

OMG, someone posted BreadSrsly's recipe? (See above, that's what I started with.)

https://jovialfoods.com/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/

Starter, boule, sandwhich and baguette recipes and short ingredient lists - great info on here, and you order the starter from them.

https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/gf-sourdough-recipes/gluten-free-brown-rice-sourdough-bread/

Definitely experts, they've got an ebook and sell starter kits, and thankfully this link starts out with the recipe at the top. But a few questionable items on the ingredient list for me.

https://www.glutenfreeandmore.com/recipe/gluten-free-sourdough-bread/

Without the xanthan gum, cream of tartar and sugar, this would be a regular sourdough recipe. I'm not into either of those ingredients, but the bread looks fluffy enough.

http://www.artofglutenfreebaking.com/2010/10/sourdough-bread-boule-gluten-free/

Boule and simple ingredients (no eggs), but she uses xanthan gum as well and the recipe is a NOVEL. Granted, Sourdough needs explanation, but I wanted to try this because the bread looks amazing but couldn't bring myself to read the whole thing.

https://ww1.glutenfreeandmore.com/recipes/sourdough_bread-2679-1.html

Egg free also, but uses xanthan gum, and yeast a little more complicated on ingredients.

https://www.naturalfertilityandwellness.com/gluten-free-sourdough-bread/

Eggs, sugar

https://thecoconutmama.com/coconut-flour-bread-recipe/

6 eggs, arrowroot powder

http://www.bakingmagique.com/2014/09/gluten-free-sourdough-bread/

3 flours, 2 starches, sugar, and psyllium husk. But GREAT photos and it looks like a really good bread. May have to try despite the lengthy and questionable ingredient list. (I wasn't familiar with psyllium, can't find it in my store, and upon further research, it's a laxative. No thanks.)

https://bake-street.com/en/coconut-sourdough-bread/

This one fooled me because the title mentions coconut – it's not GF unfortunately, and has some very complicated ingredients.

https://glutenfreegirl.com/2015/08/gluten-free-sourdough-bread/

Self appointed bread geek. A woman after my own heart. Love her lengthy intro even. This girl has done her homework. But sadly, her recipe is secured in a book I need to buy...

http://www.stringandtwig.com/blog/2015/9/7/gluten-free-wild-sourdough-bread-we-did-it

... OR do I? Just when I think I've found someone that hacked the expert I keep reading and no, she just posts her photo and success. Fooled again. But she does include a GREAT sourdough pancake recipe!

https://cocotreasure.com/recipes/coconut-flour-sourdough-starter/

This is a great coconut flour starter recipe but then no sourdough bread recipe to follow.

https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/

This is exactly what I'm talking about when I mention sifting through ads and banners and junk and text and more text and no bread recipe.

https://leelalicious.com/coconut-flour-bread-recipe/

This one looks like a great recipe, the pictures show a very light fluffy looking bread.

Author's note:

One thing this journey of finding the perfect GF SD recipe showed me was that there are hundreds of earnest women out there making a living on blogging. It's impressive, and inspiring, and much appreciated. And I'm sure it's rewarding, but it leads me to want to ask them if it's sustainable, financially supportive, and something they want to do forever. Craig and I spent 4 years attempting to make a living at writing travel guides for people with disabilities and its was none of those things – sustainable, financially supportive, and long term. Neither was the non profit work we did for 7 years after that. Nor the photography work I did.

So I'm so grateful that we've finally found our "tribe" and aligned with a company that does the work for us when it comes to recipe books and coaching – and all we need to do is share our story and talk about health. If you are looking for a residual income that pays you even when you're not working, check out The Freedom Revolution and join our mission of inspiring healthy living around the world. Our team is always seeking health minded women who want to inspire. Reach out.

Cat's Claw for... everything health!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 18:04:00 +0000

I have been amateurely studying the benefits of herbs on health for over 25 years now and I've recently been adding Cats Claw into my regime, along with what I always and forever will take – whole food concentrates & plant based protein. In addition to that I rotate in a few things for my thyroid, inflammation, and gut health (selenium, magnesium, D, homeopathy, CBD) and in recent months, thanks to what I've been reading from The Medical Medium, Cats Claw is one of them.

I've really noticed my body craves it now, if I skip it, I feel my physical being seeking it out. I travel a lot, more so this month, and I think that's why- it's extra immune support, which we need when we are on the road even more.

This infographic from Dr. Axe sums it all up perfectly. Learn more here.

I'm a firm believer that plants heal, and this her specifically is one of the ancient ones, used in Peru since the early days of herbal healing.

If you are clearing out heavy metals, flushing toxins, healing your gut, reducing inflammation, or just wanting to try something other than echinacea for immune support give Cats Claw a whirl!

Living Clean and Pure

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Tue, 29 May 2018 18:47:00 +0000

Recently I went to an educational talk with Dr. Tamara Sachs, a long time general practitioner who is very passionate about living healthy, and a National Marketing Director with the Juice Plus Company. Her talk was "Living on a Toxic Planet," and while it's depressing to think that we are indeed surrounded by toxins, her talk reminded me that the way I've been living, and the choices I make, mostly keep my body safe from those toxins. From choosing to live in the mountains of Colorado twenty years ago, to reading every label of every item I buy, it may take a little more effort, but the way my body feels and the longevity that results from living a pure clean life is worth it.

For nearly three decades, I have been very proactive about what I put in and on by body; lotions, hair products, household cleaners, and food – all of the labels of the items I buy, I read. If you're curious as to why, read my article on Read the Label. It's important to be sure of what you're using, and my general rule is that if it doesn't come from plants, I don't use it. Furthermore, if I can't pronounce it, I find out what it is, and if it doesn't come from plants, I use it. I make my own skin-healing salve, our floor cleaner, and fabric softener. One of my core values is that plants heal, and I have countless personal testimonials of how plants have healed my body inside and out, so I have dedicated my life to educating others on this both formally and individually. This is one of the core reasons I joined the Juice Plus company in 2014. Our bodies need more plants, and our systems know exactly what to do with plants. It was a match made in heaven.

So when Dr. Sachs shared her website with us, I thought it was important to share. Her Detox Fact Sheet is so comprehensive, and I love having it on hand now to share with people.

If you think your body is suffering - whether it's with pain or immune function – check out Dr. Sachs' list and start making some changes one by one. Your body will thank you.

Eating healthy while on the road

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 19:20:00 +0000

Traveling gives me such joy – to be out exploring the world and it's many cultures, people, vistas- makes my heart sing. But as someone who has struggled for over a decade with food sensitivities, weight fluctuation due to a thyroid condition, and committed to eating a healthy, plant-based diet, traveling can indeed be a challenge.

Whether there is a language barrier or not, often what I'm looking for simply isn't on the menu – vine ripe, organic, plant-based food.

So if you're new to this way of life and type of eating, you may say "oh screw it," when you're on the road. But if you're wise to why you're eating this way – for mind, body and spirit – then you may notice that you're more tired, touchy, emotional, sore, restless, and overall just not yourself. Or you may even suffer from physical symptoms, which are perhaps the root of why you're eating this way (IBS, gas, bloating, pain, inflammation, etc.)

The day that I shifted my thinking from deprivation, ("I can't eat that because..." and feeling deprived of the joys of life) to optimization and the value of high vibration eating and living, things shifted for me. I was ok with asking a lot of questions – versus being embarrassed or feeling like I was putting people out, I was ok with educating the person in front of me – after all, they're in the service industry, and they want to serve (well, most of them), and I was ok with committing to what serves my body well.

Over the last ten years I've both succeeded and failed at eating healthy on the road, and here are some of my tricks to staying committed to my health while traveling:

1. Juice Plus
This may sound like a plug, but it's not. The day I committed to making this product part of my life forever is a groundbreaking decision for me. For a nearly decade I had struggled with food intolerances, auto-immune symptoms, and general malnutrition, and those have all but disappeared after 4 years on this product. Now when I travel, I take extra, and take comfort in knowing I'm getting the nutrients from the equivalent of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in my system every day. I don't get sick while I travel because my immune system is supported, and I don't worry if I don't get all of the fruits and vegetables I know I need each day. Also, if I do have a flare up of inflammation, the Juice Plus Complete powder and an extra dose of the Juice Plus capsules help reduce that almost immediately.

2. Healthy Snacks
Because a plant-based diet doesn't burns off quickly, I always have snacks for between meals. Whether that's nuts, a healthy bar, fruit, or Juice Plus Complete powder, I'm always prepared so I don't get too hungry, hypo-glycemic, fatigued or dizzy, or eat the wrong thing because I'm not focused as a result.

3. Ask questions
Don't be afraid to ask. I was truly shocked to find out that nearly everywhere we went in Ireland – small pubs and cafes included – had gluten free bread. I honestly wouldn't have even asked I don't think, but someone told us early on that it was a staple there now, I asked every time and was pleasantly surprised. As well as finding out what you need to know, I've found that the more you ask, the more the world changes a little for the better – supply and demand. If alternatives to dairy and gluten are needed for more and more people (IE nearly 20% of Italy is now gluten intolerant), the more they will be provided.

4. Stay committed
If you've made a decision to eat healthy, then honor that. You're doing so for your health, your longevity, or another really good reason, and compromising that for laziness or embarrassment isn't worth it.

a. Educate the people you're with right away. Let them know your dietary restrictions and needs and let them help you stay accountable to that. I know for me, when someone else is helping me stay on track, I have a much better success rate. So welcome the help. You deserve it.

b. Don't waiver. For me, when I start going down the road of cheating on my commitments, it's a slippery slope. I have a lot of dietary requirements – no gluten, no dairy, no alcohol, no sugar, no meat – and it can be overwhelming and frustrating at times to stick to all of that. But the pain I feel as a result isn't worth it, and shifting my mindset to "Food Heals," and "Feed the Body what it needs, not what the brain thinks it wants," helps me stay on track. So long as I don't feel like I'm depriving myself by not having soda and doughnuts (and yes, I used to feel that way), and I remind myself that those kinds of foods bring disease and discomfort, I don't crave them.

5. Come prepared
Know the region that you're traveling to in advance. Know what staples are there for you that you can ask for. Do the research ahead of time – whether it's just the next state over or half way around the world, prepare. We are so lucky that we have the technology to do this kind of pre-travel homework these days, and while we may not feel like we have the time to, make the time to. You'll thank yourself later. Read up on local blogs and reviews, research local chefs with the same healthy mindset, and ask the locals when you get there. We are currently in Trinidad and Tobago, and the locals are really friendly, the local food is really good! I'm pleasantly surprised to find that I am feeling so good and finding it really easy to eat healthy.

I hope this helps you stay on track! 👊 You've got this!

Stay well. You deserve to feel good, and eat better!

IDEA #3829 - Avocados in glass jars...

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 19:38:00 +0000

I don't really know if this is idea number 3829, but I feel like this one is worth numbering, and not to toot my own horn, but I've had a lot of great ideas over the years – as I"m sure you have too. Getting back to the reason I started writing this blog - insights, inventions, and ways to make life easier, simpler, smarter – this idea was a particularly OMG kind of a-ha moment for me. And it's truly simple.

Where do you put your half-eaten avocado? Typically, we would just leave it open in the fridge and cut off the brown when we wanted it the next day, or at worst, two days later. Sometimes it would be all brown, and we'd have to throw it out.

But last week I didn't have my own fridge, and I didn't want to just leave it out in the open. And the only thing I had at work was the cleaned out jar I'd had my breakfast smoothie in. So I threw the avocado in there thinking, "that's weird but whatever." 6 hours later is was still green. BRIGHT green. And it dawned on me... no air, no oxidation, no browning. GENIUS! I mean, most good ideas are just accidents right?

So next time you're looking to save your half of something... try it. It's better than plastic (which breathes), better than plastic wrap (which isn't sustainable), and better than just leaving it out in the open.

You're welcome. 😛

How to live without sugar - 10 tips

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 19:54:00 +0000

Living without sugar is still a daily challenge for me. I've covered this topic often because going sugar free helps me so much, but it SO isn't easy, so I hope these posts help you, too. Especially around Valentine's Day. But let's face it, every month of the year has at least one holiday that's infused with sugar.

A February free of... - 2/1/17
Raw, vegan lifestyle isn't just for crazies anymore - 3/11/16

30 days of "no" sugar - successes and challenges, and moving forward - 2/9/16

30 days of sugar free: Kicking the Addiction - 1/28/16

30 days Sugar Free: Switching date sugar - 1/11/16

Committing to 30 days without sugar - YOU will hold me to it - 1/10/16

Partying with a restrictive diet - yes, it can be done! - 3/24/12

Healthy Living 2: Healthy Eating - 8/5/10

Healthy Living 1 - Read the Label - 7/28/10

Bottom line, I know I feel exponentially better without it – sugar gives me headaches, tummy aches, joint aches, throat aches, and fatigue.

DID YOU KNOW THAT 1 TBS OF SUGAR SUPPRESSES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM FOR UP TO 8 HOURS?

And I know that if I go without it, I no longer crave it. And now that I've done this many times I definitely don't crave it even when I'm "off the wagon" like I used to – donuts, gummy bears, coffee with cream and sugar, sodas. But still the occasional sugar sneaks into my diet if I'm not vigilant - and it's mostly when I forget to read the label or go back to something I know I don't need. Or walk by the chocolate aisle when my hormones are spiked (which is rare, but it happens).

Once I go 3 days without it, I lose the habit of needing a chocolate treat after dinner (which keeps me from sleeping soundly anyway, so why bother). Once I go a week, I've practically forgotten all about it. And once I go 21 days, my taste buds have all regenerated and any small amount of sugar makes one bite feel like an entire funnel cake flooding to my brain.

Honestly, if you haven't tried it, do. It'll change the way you look at life. 21 days without sugar – GO!

But we're human. I mean, come on. When I commit to a month of sugar free, I have to set myself up for success and pull out all the stops to help me block something that might derail me.

Here are 10 tips to removing sugar from your bloodstream, one date at a time:

1. Tell everyone, especially your family. This will act as an accountability system first and foremost, but also I find that telling my husband what I'm doing is paramount. "Don't bring any of that junk home!" Yeah, surprise chocolate bars aren't good.

2. Stock up! Stock the fridge with berries, fruit, healthy snacks, and especially dates and date sugar – it's not real sugar, it's just called that because we Americans are addicted to the stuff. It's finely ground date powder, and it works in recipes just like sugar. I only use it when I'm making something for a party – because I don't want to feel left out of the dessert course. [grin]

3. Read every label. As stated above, it's hiding. In your ketchup, granola, yogurt. And learn the aliases – high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, invert sugar, molasses, sucrose (or any word ending in "-ose"), brown rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup are all sugars that will affect your body poorly.

4. Try unsweetened. If you drink tea, non dairy milk.

10 things I learned in 1997, and the 20 years it took me since then to truly learn them

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 01:54:00 +0000

I was in a book store in Oregon, about to embark on a journey across land and sea, when a book fell off the shelf and dropped to my feet. I looked around to see if someone had pushed it - the shelves were the old school library kind, where books were backed up against each other on metal shelves between narrow aisles. But no one was there. I was 23 and a little jumpy. I bent down to pick up the green book and read its unsuspecting, all-text cover. "The Celestine Prophesy," it read. Hmm, prophesy, I thought, that's cool. But what's a Celestine Prophesy?

So, I flipped it over and read the summary of a man on a journey to find an ancient manuscript. It felt somehow connected to the journey I was embarking on. I wasn't headed to South America, but it didn't matter, I had been delving into the depths of myself with my first metaphysical teacher for a year and was ready to dive further. I was headed to Scotland, and it was cold and dark and raining there. Perfect conditions for reading.

I bought the book. Little did I know it would become the syllabus for my life.

If only I'd taken those 10 celestine insights to heart and lived them like a code, I might not have needed the following two decades for them to sink in. (But where would be the fun in that?) The shift I went through that year in Glasgow, commencing with the celestine insights, affected my mind so profoundly, that I wrote my 3rd book of poems based on it, including one that summed up the insights:

What I learned from James Redfield's Celestine Prophesy in 1997:

1. Talk to strangers.
Carl Jung's Synchronicity Theory suggests that there are no coincidences. That every connection has a purpose, a meaning, and a message. So taking that to heart, I began to talk to strangers - something that I was warned against growing up. It took me 20 years to get here, but now I know that every stranger on the plane next to me has a message, a connection, and a purpose. So I talk to them.

2. Know your history.
If you don't, you'll likely repeat it – and the worst parts of it to boot. I loved studying genealogy early on, but what I didn't realize back then was how deeply connected to it I was. This circles back around in insights 4 and 6.

3. Get into the woods. Often.
We have the same xylem and phloem that plants do – our energy ebbs and flows, and is intrinsically connected to everything. This is the quantum field. We gain much more than oxygen from plants, and vise versa. We are connected on a deep level, and the more we notice the beauty and magic of nature, the brighter and lighter we become.

4. Release your story.
We are programmed from birth to use one of Jung's four core personality dramas to gain energy from each other. These four dramas play off of each other, and the instant we learn to let them go – to release our "story" – we begin to draw energy from the true source, and begin to step into our natural joy. Otherwise known as "let go, and let God."

5. Love is the answer.
After we've let go of our story, we can begin to have compassion for everyone else's. Instead of taking someone's traffic violation as a personal offense, we can think, "wow they must be having a bad day," and send them some love. What we put out comes back to us ten-fold. So put out love.

6. Clear the past, and all for a reason. (A two-for-one!)
Connecting this to #2 and #4, clearing your drama even further by letting go of what has transpired - the past is behind you, leave it there - and start to get curious about what is the real reason you chose the parents and family you were born to. How have all of those dramas made you into the person you've become? And why?

7. Engage the flow.
Learn the true meaning of flow. Go with the flow. Allow the flow. Surrender. All of these things mean, on a deep level, to follow the breadcrumbs that the universe sends you. Combine this with #1 and you're golden. Synchronicity + Surrender = Success.

8. Raise the bar (vibration).
Using #3 to tap into nature, and #7 to allow the flow, your energy and vibration can maintain a constant, higher state, that you can in turn then help others raise their vibration. Be the positive force in the room. Connect to your higher self and do what you came here to do. Uplift.

9. Study Agape.
When you focus on the world's beauty and light, you begin to live in a state of awe – or agape: true, one love. This is connection to source. It can be synonymous with enlightenment. Chase the rainbow.

10. Live full out.
The first time I heard that line it gave me the vision of full-throttle, pedal to the medal. And now I know that's not quite right. "Living full out" is using up every minute of every day like it's your last, but not to the point of destruction - to the point of fulfillment. Fuel your engine right so it'll run all day and sleep all night. Give back to humanity not so you'll be remembered, but because you can. Live with intention and BE the lighthouse so lost ships can find their way.

It's these 10 insights that Redfield's taught me that have put me on a course to teaching this to others. Tomorrow starts the 5th year that I've taught Manifesting with Synchronicity, based on the Celestine Prophesy, and I feel honored to facilitate his message, helping others find their way. It is in this way that I have learned to LIVE Synchronously. With nature, with my path, with my soul circle of friends and family.

Be the light.

A February free of...

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 19:30:00 +0000

Welcome February! I am embarking on a month with the theme of free. I have tried gluten free. Dairy free. Grain free. Sugar free. Alcohol free. Caffeine free. But I rarely try them all at once - I like the old adage "everything in moderation," although there are times when I do adopt all of that. At once. For months. I know, that's crazy talk. But I felt amazing. I was pain free. Insomnia free. Worry free.

So now is that time again. After the holidays, and then another month of "I'm kind of being good" with my diet (not the weight loss kind of diet, but my clean eating regime) while on the road, I figured February was a good (short) month to get back on track.

I am committing to cutting all of those things out, while adding in a daily workout of any kind (from just walking to cross country skiing), a morning and midday smoothie with my Complete protein

Today's smoothie:
Pumpkin, cranberry, soymilk,
flax, hemp seeds, and Complete

powder, a dinner prior to 6pm with mostly vegetables, 90 ounces of water, a daily reflection (journal, meditation, yoga), and asleep by 10pm.

The root of this practice comes from our company's commitment to health, and Dr. Mitra Ray's creation of the Transform 30 program. The millennials condensed that to a 10 day version (Shred10), and our health coach team commits to one Shred10 per month. This always helps me stay on track because I know I'm getting at least 10 days a month with a good system. If you want a group to join and start some healthy habits with, comment below. Our mission is to #takehealthyback with our #healthylivingrevolution, because we're sick and tired of seeing people sick and tired.

I know personally when I commit to this healthy regimen I feel so much more alive and ready to take on the world! I hope this inspires you to do the same!

Is alcohol really serving you?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 19:05:00 +0000

Over 5 years ago I made the choice to give up alcohol for good. It was no longer serving me. I'd had a long journey to this decision, mind you. I'd taken as much as a year off from drinking here and there, and often times, even throughout my long bartending career, I'd go days, even weeks, without a drink. It wasn't something that called to me, beckoned me, taunted me. I wasn't addicted. So my disclaimer here is if you feel that alcohol is something that has a hold on you, seek professional help for that, because you deserve it, you'll need it, and it's out there for you.

But if you're one of those people who like me wondered why you bothered after you had a few - especially the next day when your body was angry - then I urge you to take a look at whether it serves you, your health, your vitality, your relationships, your mind.

Even if you're one of those people who drinks "just a glass" of wine per night because you like the taste of wine, or because it's what your friends do after work, or because you were told it was good for you, reconsider.

I'm not saying this from a soapbox. I'm saying this because our society has a social connection to alcohol that's worth looking at. And if it's no longer serving you, I urge you to have the courage to give it up. Even for a week, or specific days of the week, or better, a month or even as long as Lent (March 1 to April 13, 2017). Because anything we do out of habit or because someone else does it or because someone said it's good for you shouldn't be the reason you do it. And getting in touch with your inner knowing, your body, and your mind are more important that happy hour. Think about why you do go for that drink (or two) a day - is it stress? Can something else be changed in your life as well to help alleviate that need for the drink?

You know there are many things that happen to the body, mind and spirit when we drink. It has long term negative affects on the mind, the liver (and therefore the skin), even the heart (although we are told that a glass of wine helps the heart, a bowl of vineyard fruits would be better) and it oxidizes the body faster (potentially causing cancer).

But do you know what happens to the body when you quit drinking? You sleep more soundly, you eat less at meals, you crave better foods and less sugar, (and subsequently you lose weight), your skin clears up, your savings account increases, your relationships improve, and your connection to source energy sharpens.

So if any of those reasons appeal to you, try it. You might like it.

I know many of my friends have said that it would be too hard to go out and watch everyone else drink and not have one. But I find that just isn't so. I have tea, or a mocktail, and don't care if everyone else is having gin and juice or a microbrew - at the brewery I always order their root beer and several people always want to try it. So throw out those social excuses and tell your friends you're turning a new leaf. And true, a lot of those friends who at first gave me shit for not drinking are no longer in my weekly circles, I gradually found friends to do healthier things with like hiking and snowshoeing and afternoon tea.

It's not hard. If you want to make this one simple change this year, do. Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.

The quest for the perfect 2017 planner

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 21:11:00 +0000

UPDATED!!

I should have posted this sooner - but it took me a while to really commit to these planners on a daily basis for the full 90 days!!

My latest review for the 90x Planner by Alon David:

I have been using the 90x planners for a couple of years now but hadn't ordered the Action Planner until now and LOVE the compactness of it! I struggled to fill the pages of the bigger planner some days (although when I did I found the intentional activity powerful!) and I also travel a lot for work, so It's nice to have the Action Planner with me always to stay focused on the goals at hand!

I also have used a LOT of planners, I tried the Panda planner, Erin Condren, Brendan Burchard's, Franklin Covey, and others (see below)... but nothing hones me in on my goals, bringing me back to focus on them weekly, staying on task with them monthly, and ticking down the 90 days like champ more than the 90x planner does! THANKS Alon!! This book has been a game changer for me!

If I could give it SIX stars I would!!

PS as a sticker collector since my early years, the stickers are a total added bonus!

Originally posted 1/5/2017
I have taken this quest very seriously - the quest for the perfect 2017 planner. It has been a serious matter because of the purpose - no, focus, of this planner and the intentions around it this year.... but let me back track. I have been a Google Calendar convert (from Outlook) for over 10 years; I live by this organizational genius on computer, phone, and tablets. Before that, I used a written planner for most of my life, and I've scoffed at the idea of going back to one.

But that shifted for me in April last year when a millionaire told me that's how she made her fortune, and why it worked for her (perhaps I'll tell you that story another time). That encounter got my wheels turning. And it took me all summer to marinate on this major switch - what, to me, almost seemed like a regression backwards, against technology and convenience and simplification.

But I have locked in on a vision to go big and I need a different organizational tool to get me there. One that helps me not only track and organize my at-home work week, but to hone in on discipline, focus, and persistence to achieve what I want to this year - to be promoted to National Marketing Director with the Juice Plus Company. I need something inspiring, organizing, on-track-helping. I need the perfect planner. So allow me to share my quest to find one...

For starters, the network marketing industry is far different from my previous lines of work - I've worked both at home and at an office over the last 15 years, and I'm far better about staying on task at home these days than I used to be. But in this industry, my "daily method of operation" is multi-faceted, so I can easily get distracted if I let myself, and I need a planner that is a little bit of a lot of things:

Spiral, so it's flexible, open, mobile, and lays flat
Smaller than 8.5x11, like 7x9 is ideal to fit into any bag but big enough for a page of notes
Has both a week view for daily planning, and a month view for bigger events and tracking
Has spots for those multi-facets: goals, lists, meetings, calls, notes, mantras, you name it
Creative and inspiring, not just a lined notebook or just black and white,but with alternates, like lined pages, no lines, grid lines for varying ideas and tracking and inspiration

So on to what's out there (in the order of which I found them, not preference):

Erin Condren: Many of my friends swear by this line, so I looked at this line first. The plus is that these are very customizable (any size, any cover, spiral vs. bound, monogrammed, stickers, inserts, etc.), the downside is it's the highest sticker on the market ($55 and above). It's a mix between professional and creative, with inspiring, motivational quotes and colorful inserts. If I were to go with this line, the Life Planner would be the one for this quest. But let me continue...

Rituals for Living Dreambook: When it comes to goal-casting and intention-setting, this one seems to take the cake. The imagery is inspiring, has simple black and white pages, with a lot of thought-provoking text (too much?), and may be more for goal setting than business but it's very cool with sections for the true life-balance intentions. It's bound, and of smaller size I believe (no where does it say size, except the printables, which are 8.5x11), and the lotus's for dream casting are quite unique. Prices start at $17 to print your own, and go up to $45 for the bound version.

Your Freedom Planner: Created by a fellow Network Marketing woman, this planner has a lot of the right sections I needed, is spiral, it's of the smaller size (I think - the website says 8.5x11 but when you see it in her hand you know it's smaller?), and it's got lines for inspiration as well as sales tracking. But it's pretty basic for the cost - $45 for just 90 undated days (yes that means you'd need 4/year).

Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte: Are you familiar with this woman? I wasn't, but what an inspiring website and mission she has. Her planner is no different. This one has monthly intentions, is sustainably wood free (a perk to me), weekly or daily editions, spiral bound, with fun pockets, is 9.5x7.5, has to-do lists and a gratitude section and a cool "soul prompt" section as well as "new habits", and the inside is colorful. There are also very organizing habit tracker worksheets to print, an app to download, journals, sermons sign up, and even an audio selection to listen to. This could be your one stop shop for changing your world this year. $44, 2 cover choices.

Tools for Wisdom Planner: The covers felt very Condren-esque to me, colorful, and inspiring. The inside is black and white, but has a lot of sections - from monthly to weekly normal planner pages to the more mindful stuff - Mindmap, personal growth, goal pages, to do lists, it's spiral bound, it's 6x9", and you get "77 printable planners" with purchase, which could be a nice addition if you don't mind printing your own. This one also has a really affordable price, at $22.97.

Inkwell: These are classy to say the least, with a higher-end price tag ($50+), but a lot of great features, flexibility, and style. All are 9x7", with two "classical" (vertical) or "flex" (horizontal) styles, with quality heavy paper, a variety of inspiring covers and 4 inside pastel themes to choose from. Pages include months, weeks, goals, habit trackers, pockets, grids, even a bill tracking section. This one definitely will get your entire life in order if that's what you want. The other journals offered at Inkwell are great too - meal planner, exercise planner, journal, and quarterly planners too. And if you really want to get it together, there are video tools for a Live Well, Eat Well, Be Well kind of shift.

Passion Planner: This one has a simple leather bound cover - 4 solid colors to choose from, two choices of size (8.5x11" or 5.5x8.5") and dated or undated option which is nice, if you happen upon this post or choosing to start planning mid-year or are using it for academic purposes. It has pages for week and month planning, goal planning, a positive-focused gratitude section, as well as blank and grid lined pages. This one has a reasonable $35 tag to it as well.

Uncalendar & Franklin Covey: If all of this is simply too much for you, these two are the primo of the basic, plan-everything kind of write-in planner. The former has a simple cover, the latter has a variety of very professional, fancy, re-usable leather covers.

I've seen several images on Pintrest I like too - grids for tasks, inspiring drawings, others' blogs, etc., that might inspire you either print your own or design your own. Here are some of those crafty images:

My Pintrest board for Biz Savvy might be helpful for you.

And... drumroll please! What journal do YOU think I landed on, based on my preference? Comments welcome... I'll share with you after I've gotten it in my hot little hands!

May you create the best this year - I wish that for you!

Answering surveys mean being a good consumer and citizen...

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 19:07:00 +0000

In my past, rarely did I answer a phone number I don't know. It felt invasive.

However, now that I get client and customer direct phone calls from varying area codes for both of my businesses, I tend to answer them more. (If I hear either word "mortgage" or "interest" in the first sentence, I hang up!)

Today, I'm glad I answered today's "random" call, because it was the Colorado Department of Health on behalf of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention calling with a health survey, which I was happy to fill out - not only because health is my new career and in hopes to somehow impact the health and statistics on American health, but also for selfish pride that I live in one of the healthiest states in the country and I wanted my healthy body and mind included in the results.

Today I wasn't asked about my nutrition, and so at the end of the survey, I asked why. She knew I worked in the industry of health and nutrition because one of the questions was about my employment. She said because of this, I may be interested in the results, and more about the program. Indeed.

The survey was the The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and is the nation's premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. Established in 1984 with 15 states, BRFSS now collects data in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year, making it the largest continuously conducted health survey system in the world.

And while I wasn't asked about nutrition this year, I learned that a portion of the states do include that segment of questions (so it will be asked in other states this year), and last year it was asked in Colorado. Those results were a good read, because one of the opening paragraphs rung true for me:

Eating fruits and vegetables contributes important under-consumed nutrients to the diet, reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, and may help individuals achieve and maintain a healthy weight when consumed instead of higher calorie foods. However, very few Americans consume recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.
[Surveillance of Fruit and Vegetable Intake Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System]

These results are included with their Track A results as part of the Healthy People 2020 objectives, which also include survey results Health Care, Physical Activity, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Cancer Screening, and Cognitive Impairment, in addition to Fruit and Vegetable Intake.

Coloradoans - there is also information about our local survey here: https://www.colorado.gov/cdphe

So in summary, my plug is this (if I may be so bold), if you also get a call from your state on behalf of the CDC, please take the time to answer this, so that the center can better study and care for our public health.

Raw, vegan lifestyle isn't just for crazies anymore

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 00:40:00 +0000

60 days off sugar and counting. . .

Being off refined sugar (dairy, gluten, meat, and booze) has forced me to explore the web horizon for recipes and new ways to satisfy old tastes. Like any addict, I'm sure my sugar addition will always be with me, but my taste buds have certainly opened up to nature's options and I'm loving it.

I attended a birthday party last Saturday and was excited to try to improve upon a pie dish a friend brought over for Valentines Day (thank you for the inspiration Elissa!). The first one I tried was good, but not stellar (although the crust really was amazing), and for a once-addict, when it comes to pie, I'm pretty picky.

So I sought out an expert. And I found Emily Von Euw's This Rawsome Vegan Life blog/book/website, and tried the Blueberry Tart "ice cream" - although it's shaped like pie.

It was DELICIOUS. And I feel reborn. It's amazing to me that we have gotten so far removed from nature that we've forgotten we can use simple ingredients like this to make something delicious.

See Emily's site for the full recipe, but here are my pictures from the process. It got not only rave approvals from the ladies at the birthday, but also from my husband, who is still eating Kit Kats and Girl Scout Cookies nightly mind you...

... and his favorite is Tirimisu so I feel aptly challenged to make a raw version from Emily's vast recipe resource next time it's time to celebrate him...

http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/2014/01/raw-vegan-tiramisu-with-vanilla-cream.html

There are a lot of other experts out there - http://psychologyofeating.com/top-50-raw-blogs/ - and it's awesome there are. It shows that living raw isn't difficult, and even if you just try it out for a week or two - you may get hooked. It may even save your life.

I was already eating very clean prior to removing sugar - sans dairy, gluten, meat, processed foods... so if you are the same, and fooling yourself as I was that you're a "healthy" eater, try cutting out sugar for a month. Or two.

It's revolutionary.

How does eating sugar or refined foods result in higher triglyceride levels?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 22:09:00 +0000

This was too good not to share!

From Dr.Popper's Wellness Forum update

Triglycerides are fats in the blood stream. Both dietary fat and carbohydrates can contribute to high triglyceride levels. Carbohydrate can be converted into fat in the liver through a process called de novo lipogensis. This takes place under certain circumstances, such as when people eat a diet that contains a lot of refined foods, juices, and soft drinks; and/or when people overeat. Both are common practices in Westernized countries. The reason why the body converts excess carbohydrate into lipids is because fat is more energy-dense and a more efficient storage form of excess calories.

Unfortunately, the relationship between carbohydrate intake and triglyceride levels has been misrepresented by some health professionals, who tell people that the cause of high triglycerides is a high-carbohydrate diet. They conveniently omit the fact that the relationship is between refined carbohydrates, juices, soft drinks, and overeating, not between a high-carbohydrate diet and triglyceride levels. Studies have shown that eating a diet high in carbohydrate from whole plant foods does not raise triglyceride levels. One study showed that when people eat starchy foods instead of simple carbohydrates, their triglyceride levels are reduced.[i] Another study showed that adoption of a whole-food plant-based diet, combined with exercise, reduced triglyceride levels significantly in only 3 weeks.[ii]

Individuals who want to lower their triglyceride levels should keep dietary fat low (15% or less of daily calories), eliminate juices and sugary beverages from the daily diet, restrict intake of refined foods to only special occasions and holidays, and avoid overeating. A small percentage of people develop high triglycerides as a result of eating large amounts of fruit.[iii] Restricting fruit intake to 2 servings per day or less and avoiding dried fruit can be helpful in lowering triglyceride levels for these individuals.

References
[i] Hudgins CH. “Human fatty acid synthesis is reduced after the substitution of dietary starch for sugar.” Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Apr;67(4):631-9.

[ii] Barnard RJ. “Role of diet and exercise in the management of hyperinsulinemia and associated atherosclerotic risk factors.”Am J Cardiol. 1992 Feb 15;69(5):440-4.

[iii] Truswell AS. “Food carbohydrates and plasma lipids--an update.” Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Mar;59(3 Suppl):710S-718S.

30 days of "no" sugar - successes and challenges, and moving forward

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 04:20:00 +0000

DAY 30 is here!

When I tell people I'm doing 30 days without sugar, their response is usually "I could never do that." And I'll admit it's had its challenges. But looking back on 30 days, I can say with ease that there are harder things to let go of, you just have to have the right mindset and be up for the challenge. And read a LOT of labels.

First, I must include my disclaimer. Because I'm a loyal customer, distributor, and advocate for the products of the Juice Plus Company for many health reasons, I have trace amounts of organic cane sugar in my morning (and occasional lunch) smoothies (11g), my protein bars (8g), and the occasional pack of veggie chews (2g). I am mostly vegan, and I wasn't about to give up the protein that's in these products, an all-too easy addition to my diet and a staple part of my routine. Moving on.

Other than that, I have put a teaspoon of honey in my tea (6g)(about 3-4 times per week I think), and I weaned myself off night time sweets with Living Raw's cacao truffles (5g)(agave) and dates (16g). (I had the habit of downing half a chocolate bar, or any other chocolate, after dinner - a bad habit if you want to sleep well.)

I tried very hard to cut out all else. All baked goods (hidden sugars!), processed foods (think chips with flavoring - also hidden sugars!) and the typical sweets, treats, etc. My one weakness has been 1 pump of hazelnut syrup in the occasional decaf soy latte (1-2 per week)(the typical latte has 4 pumps at Starbucks). I do not count naturally occurring sugars from fruits - a cup of tart cherry juice (extremely anti inflammatory) is 24g of sugar. And I've gotten sugar-surprised a few times without realizing... the organic cranberries for instance. So I switched back to raisins for my oatmeal.

Worth note, the average American intake of sugar is 80g per day (about 20 teaspoons). The recommended consumption is 25g for women and 37 for men (assuming they burn more calories). I would say in this past month, I've probably exceeded that amount most days even though I've greatly cut back on my sugar intake.

So because this self study was intended to eliminate the small patches of psoriasis on my elbows (drastically reduced by adding Juice Plus, but not eliminated), I intend to continue this self study for another month, and in this month, I will shoot for less than 25g of sugar per day.

I have noticed I no longer crave sugar. I go many nights without the Raw truffle or date, and often skip the honey in my tea. Perhaps it's worth saying that I've been alcohol free since August 1st, 2011, because I believe that helps my cause greatly.

In this second month, my goals are:

Cut out the latte (especially after hearing about what they do to make coffee decaffeinated, ugh), and to stick to my Teeccino (chickory "coffee") and tea
Stick below the 25g of sugar per day and quantify that amount daily
Read ALL labels and stay away from anything in a box

As you can see, I'm pretty pleased with the way my elbows feel. So all in all, WELL worth the work of being diligent with my cause. My hands have been mostly pain free from the psoriatic arthritis as well!

BEFORE CUTTING OUT SUGAR

AFTER 1 MONTH "NO" SUGAR

30 days of sugar free: Kicking the Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Kennedy) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 18:06:00 +0000

I'm halfway through my 30 days without sugar, and feeling the benefits. My psoriasis is clearing up, the inflammation in my palms is noticeably reduced, and the cravings are next to nothing. I had one breakdown and it was on the day trip to Denver last weekend. Something about being in a car for 6 hours makes an old reflex kick in. I will confess. I ate a doughnut. I'm putting it behind me.

I have always had an addiction to sugar, and I'm not alone. During the past 100 years, the average American's intake of sugar and other natural sweeteners doubled- from 80 pounds a year to over 130 pounds a year. In a lifetime, that equals enough to fill a dumpster. And knowing what sugar does to us, it's no wonder why our health has decreased over that time as well. We have the technology and the knowledge to be healthy, but we're not.

Sugar suppresses the immune system, leads to chronic inflammation (next blog post), and if you're craving sugar, you're probably deficient in chromium, carbon, phosphorous, sulfur, and tryptophan (see image). Many of those foods rich in those nutrients are very helpful to curb my cravings when I'm weaning back off sugar, especially nuts, raisins, cranberries, and blueberries. I wish I'd had them in the car during my Denver trip!

Do yourself a favor, try a week without sugar and see how you feel. You'll see that sugar's in everything - you must be vigilant about reading labels. Even if you're good about not eating any processed foods (which your body would appreciate), you still have to be mindful of the sugars hidden in recipes like soups, casseroles, homemade granolas and protein bars.

I get asked: Am I doing honey? Occasionally, yes. Agave? A tiny bit in the raw cacao balls I have after dinner (not nightly). There's a little stevia in my Juice Plus Complete protein powder, so I cut that back as well. I repeat. IT'S IN EVERYTHING. It's no wonder our bodies are struggling.