Andy's Idea Factory

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 ...

Today was a magical morning; I got to finally visit the local farm where I get my milk, Moon Hill Dairy , which is located about ten minutes north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There are four new calves that I went up to photograph, but as always with a working farm, there was more in store for me when I arrived.  "You want to feed one of the new calves?" Were the first words out of Lisa's mouth when I walked up. DO I??   Apparently her mother - new to the process - isn't taking to her calf, as she wasn't "mothered" herself. The poor white calf loves attention like a puppy, and I got to sit with her, scratch her, help her stand up, massage her weak legs, and yes, give her the biggest baby bottle I've ever seen.  What an amazing process, this thing called life! But before tending to Baby White, as I started calling her, there was more business to be done on the farm.  We rounded up the "ladies" to bring them in for milking, leading th...

As you know, I do my research.  I have three amazing women helping me clear out my food allergies, gut issues, and body in general (liver, lungs, emotional trauma) but there's a reason we know our bodies best and should listen to them - no two patients are the same.  And no two practitioners are the same.  Because mine are from three completely different schools of teaching (India, China, US), I am certainly getting some mixed messages while I'm clearing.  So that leads me to doing my favorite - research. Take vinegar at night to clear out the liver? Well supposedly not a good idea if I'm a Pitta. Take supplements to build good enzymes? Not if several of their ingredients are on no list. Take acidophilus instead of making my own yogurt? Nope, contains inulin. Take aloe juice to cool and clear out? (All three said this one!) SCD says no, plain and clear:  http://pecanbread.com/new/Sup1.htm ~ A great resource list at the Kids & SCD blog.  I was ev...

Upon taking position as Zero Waste Coordinator for the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council , as of today I have made a commitment to not only help Steamboat become the first Zero Waste resort town in Colorado, but to also begin tracking my own waste, my family's waste, and the waste, consumption, and impact of my fellow humans around me, wherever I may go, whenever possible. I currently travel frequently for work because I am coordinating a huge training project for Amtrak trains, educating 8000 employees on better handling customers with disabilities . My work with this travel market over the last five years has led me into much research and study of travel and impact of and on travelers and our planet, great experience which I hope to bring into the world of sustainability and our impact on our precious planet. Yesterday while traveling back from Miami to Steamboat, I thought to begin my mission of tracking in this new capacity. To start, I always travel with my own drin...

In parts 1 and 2 of this series I discussed the insides and outsides of your body as an aspect of Healthy Living. Read the label of your bath and body products to avoid harmful toxins and improve physical and mental health. Same goes for your food labels and choices and healthy eating, in the post prior to this one on Healthy Eating . But for me a big part of how I live healthy is the health of my environment and my personal sustainability. The overall health of your environment reflects on your overall health. First, I have spent years perfecting our home's energy- in Chinese Medicine the flow of the home is central to the personal health of those dwelling in it. Read up on Feng Shui if you haven't heard of it, but the finer points are easy: remove the clutter, create movement, balance the dark space with light, bring in greenery, and pay attention to electronics (turn them off regularly!) and other potentially energetically harmful items, locations, etc. Such as, d...