Andy's Idea Factory

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 tha...

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...

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 ...

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 shif...

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. ...

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 ache...

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...