
Sobriety
& Mental Health
Easy Sourdough Bread Recipes
This easy sourdough bread recipe is no-knead, no-mess and no-fuss. Perfect for beginners.
Health Coaching Tools: The Wellness Wheel
Had I stuck with the assumption there was something wrong with me, the shame and guilt of my pathetic state would have perpetuated the cycle in which I was stuck.
The Hidden Risks of Women’s Preventative Health Care
The Hidden Risks of Women's Preventative Health Care For most of my life, I’ve followed doctors’ recommendations for preventative healthcare. I started getting annual PAP smears before I was even sexually active. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.) Dentists have...
Organic Makeup
Is organic makeup worth the money? Not always . . . But don't let that deter you from reducing your exposure to chemicals.
Homemade Deodorant [Video]
Learn why I don't race for the cure, I run from the cancer. Seriously, get rid of the Secret if you want to be Sure . . . This recipe is better than any store-bought all natural version. It works,
Fort Wayne Business People: 5 Questions with Colleen Kachmann
Read 5 Questions with Colleen Kachmann in Fort Wayne Business People. Colleen Kachmann is a Fort Wayne native, proponent of healthy living, mom of four and now she can add author to her growing list of roles. She earned her B.S. in Biology and Chemistry Education from...
Dr. Rudy Kachmann Interviews Colleen (Part 2)
Dr. Kachmann continues his interview with me for Mind, Body & Spirit on Comcast 57. We discuss why I chose to call the book Life Off the Label, food laws and public policy, and what GMOs are and why we need to avoid them. If you missed part 1, here's a...
Dr. Rudy Kachmann Interviews Colleen
Dr. Rudy Kachmann and I discuss the first 50 pages of my book, Life Off the Label. He encouraged me to write the book four years ago. We discuss the writing process and delve into food addiction, Big Food, why we are fat and why exercise is not the cure. This is a...
Good Soil. Bad Soil: Nature Vs. Nurture
If two identical seeds are planted, one in fertile soil and sunlight, the other in a sandy toxic dump, does DNA explain the results?
Halloween Hangover
We got egged last night. I’m guessing it was in retaliation for the fact that I didn’t pass out candy to Trick or Treaters.
Kid Food Kills
How would you feel if your children were offered cigarettes and encouraged to smoke? Junk food and candy are just as harmful and addictive . . . maybe more. Yet we pass our candy like it’s a treat. Have we been tricked?
The Sitting Disease
My diet consists of mostly vegetables. I eat no processed food or animal products. I exercise. I do yoga. And I was shocked to discover that I am just as much at risk for heart disease as a smoker. Have you heard of the sitting disease?
Growth Hormones in Milk Should be Illegal
In 1990, Monsanto submitted rBST, a genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, for approval to the Canadian government.
Teenage Rebellion: Vegan versus Raw Vegan
Teenage son rebels against vegan mom with the ultimate raw vegan diet.
MSG Makes You Fat
MSG makes you fat. And sick. And it’s in everything.
Is Beef Safe?
Is beef safe? Do you want the truth?
8 Ways to Save Money on Organic Food
How to save money on organic food.
Side Effects of Acetaminophen: Medicine or Menace?
The side effects of acetaminophen are a little more complicated than an upset tummy.
Parenting Healthy Kids: Hostage Negotiations
I am not my kids’ benefit coordinator. Letting them get away with not doing homework sends a message: “That’s ok. I didn’t think you could do it anyway.”
Aging Well
Diet and lifestyle have a direct effect on the aging. We all age. The question is: do you want to age fast or age well? Don’t we all deserve to enjoy our retirement years?
Congratulations! You’re Getting a Divorce…
Anyone that’s been through a divorce knows the emotional battle that has been waged prior to deciding to end a marriage. And putting an end to the suffering, for both parties, deserves only one comment.
Real Foods Versus Food Imposters
Real food doesn’t come in a package. Food imposters are cleverly designed to trick you into eating and buying more. Learn how to tell the difference so you can lose weight and live long!
The Problem with Plastic
The problem with plastic is that it’s made from petroleum. Plastic leaches into our food and water with toxic consequences.
Kids Don’t Like Veggies? Make Pizza!
How do you get kids to eat good food? Trick them, of course. Sneaky pizza may look like the real deal, but it’s so nutritious that you’ll have to act like you don’t want them to eat it…
The Time Has Come For Sustainable Living
We don’t inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our kids. Sustainable living is the only way to ensure our children have a future.
Hosting a Green Birthday Party
Hosting a green birthday party is less expensive, simple to plan and far more rewarding than the typical alternative. Showing our children that their future is not disposable is the best gift we can give.
Vegetables and Kids: Best Practices for Bribery, Extortion, Imprisonment and Misinformation
Do whatever it takes to get kids to eat more vegetables. It’s a life or death issue that requires pre-meditated parental strategy.
Why the Organic Certification Process Isn’t Sustainable
Organic farmers pay to prove they aren’t polluting our food and environment. Conventional farmers get subsidies to spray away! But the organic certification process is part of a broken system.
Mind Over Matter: Overcoming Food Addiction
Overeating is not an emotional malfunction. Learn how food addiction affects most of us and how you can free yourself once and for all!
Bad Food Kills Good People
“Drive-thu’s kill more people than drive-by’s.” Robert Finley. Bad food kills good people.
Antioxidants and the Plant-Based Diet for Disease Prevention
All fifteen of the leading causes of death can be prevented, slowed and even reversed with diet. The key to health is found in whole, plant-based foods.
Good Food Goes Bad
If the worm won’t eat the corn, should you? If the mamma insect won’t feed her offspring the soy bean, should you give it to yours? Good food goes bad for a reason!
What is Healthy Food?
And if there is a worm in my produce, I hope it’s still alive, and not dead from toxic poison. Learn why sustainable farming is critical to your health.
The Reality Behind the USDA Dietary Guidelines
The health claims made by food corporations and the USDA dietary guidelines reveals there is more at steak here than just our taste buds. And our health is not one of the issues…
Don’t Waste Plant Milk Pulp! Simple Okara Recipes
Making homemade plant milks is a delicious and healthy way to save money. And the bonus is that the remaining pulp, called okara, can be used to make simple treats like pancakes and cookies.
Homemade Almond Milk
Almond milk is the easiest of all the plant milks to make. And honestly, it’s my favorite. No tedious advance preparations are necessary, though *soaking is beneficial. The flavor is so good it needs no additional ingredients.
Social Responsibility Vs. Personal Convenience
It can be overwhelming and disheartening to see the reality behind the carefully constructed curtain that corporate America uses to shield us all from the consequences of our collective actions. But the winds are picking up and the curtain will come down. Our lifestyles are unsustainable. Social responsibility can not be avoided much longer.
Sustainability: Tomorrow Depends on Today
“We do not inherit the land from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.”
How to Make Homemade Soy Milk
Learning how to make homemade soy milk is simple, and easily lends itself to a “system”. Whether you drink it daily or use it occasionally for baking, spending $2+/box is not necessary.
Make Your Own Plant Milk: Homemade Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is my favorite to cook with. It is creamy and rich. Making it from scratch is simple and fast.
What’s the Easiest Way to Make Nut Milk? Ditch the Nut Bag…
No matter which milk you are preparing, it will need to be strained. And every recipe I read calls for using a nut bag. Either I’m doing it wrong (likely) or they left out the part where working the milk through the nut bag is akin to doing laundry on a wash board down in the creek.
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
Deciding to make homemade dishwashing detergent took months of consideration. Actually making it took less than 15 minutes.
How to Dry Herbs
While I ran around the kitchen trying to decide which blender or chopper would get the leaves off the stems, my daughter sat on her stool, playing with the parsley. I asked her to please “play” over a bowl. Once I’d assembled my tools, I realized I didn’t need them.
Homemade Vegan Cream Cheese (Option:Soy Free Vegan Cream Cheese)
It takes just a few minutes, contains no artificial or highly processed ingredients, and has a delicious flavor that easily tops any store-bought brands. You can also make a soy-free vegan cream cheese with this recipe.
I’m Sorry I Threw Away the Candy…I Mean, You’re Welcome
‘Tis the day after Halloween, the pre-season expo event that kicks off Holiday Candyfest. And while the neighborhood outside seems clear of bad guys and boogeymen, the real monster is sleeping off the sugar hangover in the warmth of my children’s bedrooms.