Andy's Idea Factory

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

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 fo

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

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

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

We are living in a very acidic world; it seems like nearly everything we do lowers our pH, and in a low pH internal environment, inflammation occurs, bad gut flora thrives, our bodies oxidize faster, and disease sets roots. Therefore eating an alkalized diet is a must to return the body to it's natural state of self-healing. When I look at these two food charts it's easy for me to see why the new "food pyramid" and FDA recommendation is for 70-80% vegetables and fruits at every meal. That's no easy task, but the 30 days of sugar-free and  Transform 30 program I embarked on this past Monday helps me alkalize my body. I know that when I eat that way, my body feels better, I have more energy, I sleep better and wake up refreshed, I heal faster and generally don't get sick. When I am acidic, my joints hurt, I'm sluggish and unmotivated, and I've even gotten gout (as a vegetarian, that's pretty hard). But even though I know better, eating right

I've embarked on my 30 days without sugar and want to first report on the date crystals from a date farm in Arizona.  While I wean myself off the sweet addiction, dates are going to be my sweet treat anyway, but I was excited to start finding recipes with the date sugar substitute. Eventually I hope to steer clear of grains all together, but the date sugar intrigued me, and I'm a baker by DNA, so fully grain-free is a stretch. In a 2013 Virginia Tech biochemistry study ranking the health of the 12 most popular sweeteners by antioxidant content, date sugar ranked the healthiest. Flourless banana bread from Chocolate Covered Katie The first two recipes I went for were banana and zucchini breads - both gluten free, one vegan, one with eggs. After looking at several top rank options based on ingredients, the banana bread recipe I went with was from Chocolate Covered Katie .  The foundation for this recipe is GF Oat Flour, calls for honey, not date sugar, and is entirel

Every year at this time we commit to something new; changes for the better that we hope will stick. I've found that publicly committing to something and having a buddy in doing so is exponentially more successful than just writing some wishes in my journal, especially when the new plan is a big one. Last year I spent a month of summer sugar-free. It wasn't my first attempt, I've spent the last 7 years on one elimination diet or another in attempts to take better control of my health and the auto-immune and inflammation symptoms my body's been displaying. I've been gluten-free for those 7 years, dairy-free off and on for 30+ years, and even meat free for a portion of my life as well. So I know that cutting out foods is never easy, and for each of us, there's always one vice that's the hardest. Dairy, wheat, starches, sugar, alcohol, salt, it doesn't matter; if it's our crutch, eliminating it feels like we're depriving ourselves of the pleasur

This will be the fourth year I've taught this wonderful course and I'm super excited to share it again with my fellow Steamboaters. A few seats remain, take a look at what this course offers! www.innerselflightworks.com/synchronicity Based on James Redfield's Celestine Prophesy' s first 9 insights, this course is an in-depth look at: What Jung's definition of synchronicity means and how to use it for creating the life we want to live Where we've come from in the last 100 years and where we may go from here How the Earth's energy moves around us and what it means to connect to us The four human psychological dramas and how to navigate them with peace and groundedness Why we've chosen the parents we were born to and how to learn from their lessons and forgive the past How the many religions of the world are connecte d and tapping into that One energy We learn the quantum tools for manifesting: mantras and affirmations, meditation, intention