Our Blog
May 30, 2023
A Tall Order
We went to Scottsdale earlier this month for a vacation week near our son, Hunter, who currently works there.
Right down the street from our resort, on the busiest intersection in town, was a park with a magnificent spire, beautiful by day, stunning at night.
Upon inquiry, we learned this 125-foot spire is a replica of the spire Scottsdale’s favorite son architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, had proposed for a new 20-story Arizona State Capitol Building in 1957.
Frank Lloyd Wright, of course, was the preeminent American architect of the first half of the 20th Century.
And he was both self-confident and an innovator, like when he proposed a 500-story skyscraper for downtown Chicago in 1956.
Fortunately or unfortunately, then Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and municipal leaders attending Mr. Wright’s large ballroom presentation, with a 25-foot tower replica in the middle of the room, were delighted with the proposal until the cost on their dime was revealed at the end.
And he was both self-confident and an innovator, like when he proposed a 500-story skyscraper for downtown Chicago in 1956.
Fortunately or unfortunately, then Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and municipal leaders attending Mr. Wright’s large ballroom presentation, with a 25-foot tower replica in the middle of the room, were delighted with the proposal until the cost on their dime was revealed at the end.
CLICK HERE FOR A SNAPSHOT OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S PERSONALITY
Frank Lloyd Wright had a challenging personality, akin some of the most well-known in today’s times.
He bullied his architectural students into gratis greenhouse tending, allowing for fresh fruits and vegetables farm-to-table on his compounds.
As a result, he ate well, and had no need to “bridge the gap” with whole food supplements right up to his death at the ripe old mid-20th Century age of 91.
It’s All About Ron’s Teeth
One Sunday afternoon back last August we went to the movies to see Brad Pitt in “Bullet Train”. Before the very first murder in the movie, Ron bit into popcorn, and from maybe a single kernel (who knows for sure) imploded the same upper molar tooth on each side of his mouth.
Having only had crown dental work in the past, he was venturing into new territory when he was told he would need implants.
Oh, well. TV commercials promised you could replace all your teeth in a day. How challenging could it be?
If you’ve had implants, you know better. It’s a year-plus of extractions, waiting three months for each tooth, sinus uplift surgery, waiting three months, surgically installing the metal rods, waiting three months, and finally getting the implants capped.
At each step in the process, Ron’s dental surgeon was impressed at the speed and quality of the healing, way beyond his normal expectations, especially for someone at Medicare age.
Ron’s unorthodox home treatment regimen in support of healing?
Strapping the Bemer microcirculation pad over his mouth for 16 minutes a day.
Tower Garden Trauma
It’s been an unusual winter in Southern California this year.
Just saw a surfer up in Malibu bemoaning on a news interview how it’s been three months of crappy weather and he was waiting for a better day.
We planted our Tower Garden six weeks later than usual this spring, and as you can see from the image above, still not much to show for.
At least the bougainvilleas are looking good.
The worst part was, by waiting until after April 1 to order our seedings from a mail order vendor, the most efficient way to acquire hydroponic seedlings, we got trapped by the newly enforced California law disallowing the mailing of certain seedlings from April 1 to December 31 in the calendar year.
We’ll start the Tower Garden in our garage next year if we want the restricted tomatoes, peppers or eggplant. Well, forget the eggplant.
Lettuce Celebrate National Salad Month
May is the perfect time to celebrate National Salad Month. Did you know the Association for Dressing and Sauces created this event in 1992? National Salad Month encourages people to incorporate more salads into their daily food regimen. So this May, celebrate by turning over a new leaf. Change your eating habits, get creative with your salads, and inspire others in your life to do the same.
Here’s a tasty, simple recipe to kick-start your salad month, with (some) ingredients you can grow in a Tower Garden!
15 Spring Bucket List Ideas
This list has some fun ideas for your spring/summertime enjoyment.
1. Eat outdoors as much as possible
2. Go tent camping
3. Eat produce in season…
April 25, 2023
CBX, Not CVS
Donna was invited to her friend Natalie’s birthday celebration in Puerto Vallarta a few weeks ago.
The trip sounded great, but the thought of having to drive her to always-a-nightmare LAX with a dementia-challenged mother in tow was a bit of a downer.
Ron remembered reading a while back about a way to fly to Mexico from a border crossing in San Diego, and yes, his recollection was correct. After many years of meticulous planning between two countries, CBX, the Cross Border Express, had been opened in 2015.
According to the website, one could check in to the CBX terminal on the U.S. side of the border, and in ten minutes, walk across an international bridge right into the Tijuana Airport concourse.
We were a little queasy, having heard nothing about it over the past eight years, but we decided to give it a try, and it was a hit.
An easy drive to and from with limited congestion and an effortless drop off and pick up. Fares half of U.S. airlines from LAX, non-stop, and on brand new planes from an immaculate terminal.
Guess we’ll be down there again when a long-imagined trip to Cabo beckons us.
After such a positive experience, we weren’t surprised to hear CBX is expanding, planning on building a parking garage, a couple of hotels and some nearby shopping. Keep it simple, guys. We like it the way it is.
Click the link to see what Donna experienced.
Easy Peasy – From the U.S. to Tijuana Gate in 10 Minutes
If you’ve ever gone to Mexico and visited a Walmart or Costco near a vacation resort town’s airport on your way to your lodging, you’ve probably been amazed at the number of unrecognizable fruits and vegetables.
Those of us who live in Southern California and Arizona think of Mexico as a desert, but that is only true in the northwest part of the country, mostly Baja and Sonora where the American and Mexican deserts really have no borders. Most of Mexico is tropical, and fertile ground for a cornucopia of plant edibles.
Do you know the national fruit of Mexico? Avocados. (Yep, it’s a fruit.)
Click on the link below and scroll through images of popular fruits in Mexico. You will likely find common Mexican fruits you have never heard of in the U.S.
The Mexican diet is more healthy than the American diet. Studies have shown it takes three generations for Mexican nationals who have moved to the United States to have their health erode to that of a native American.
Juice Plus+, the whole food supplements we represent, is sold in 20 countries, with Mexico being the 20th. But Juice Plus+ does not have the same level of need to fill in Mexico as in the United States.
Unlike native Americans, Mexican people on the whole have a lower nutritional gap to bridge.
30 versus 20
Juice Plus+ is sold in 20 countries, while Bemer, our microcirculation device, is sold in 30.
Microcirculation therapy enhances the health of all of us no matter where we live.
The picture above highlights the Bemer Headquarters in the charming European country of Liechtenstein nestled between Austria and Switzerland.
The Plus
You know our Juice Plus+ Essentials Fruit, Vegetable and Berry Blend capsules include plant-based nutrition from a variety of 30 different fruits, veggies, and berries, but did you know that our blends also include a variety of other important plant-based nutrients? We call this the “plus” in Juice Plus+.
This includes nutrients like mixed carotenoids such as beta-carotene, which the body converts into Vitamin A, and lutein, which supports healthy vision; folate from lemon peel, a B-vitamin your body needs to make DNA and other genetic material; and so much more.
What you see on our product label is exactly what you’re getting in Juice Plus+ products! Our NSF certification means our Juice Plus+ capsules have undergone independent testing by non-profit NSF and our ingredients have met and exceeded the highest food quality standards.
Renewal
Spring is the time for renewal – we spring clean our houses, we spring clean our vehicles, and we plant new plants inside and outside our homes. Another thing that is continually renewing is the cells in our bodies. Some of our cells turnover quickly (think skin cells) and some more slowly, but they all eventually turn over. The more we understand this, the more we’ll be inspired to feed our cells the best nutrition possible. Juice Plus+ makes this easy. Review this article for cell growth details.
Eating Bird Food
Try this yummy salad attributed to Friends’ actress Jennifer Aniston. It’s more than bird food!
March 12, 2023
Red Leprechauns?
Bet ya didn’t know leprechauns were depicted wearing red instead of green until the late 19th and early 20th centuries when future Ireland was rebelling from England and wanted to establish its own identity tied to its lushness.
Bet ya didn’t know St. Patrick’s Day, a religious holiday in Ireland, became a secular holiday in the United States as our many Irish immigrants and the American passion for celebrating evolved into an annual day to party.
Corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, green beer, and eventually leprechauns defined the celebrating, all eventually exported back to Ireland.
We can thank St. Patrick’s Day for creating the template for enculturating our American Cinco de Mayo.
Bet ya didn’t know the 1959 Disney movie “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” popularized leprechauns and accelerated their association with St. Patrick’s Day.
Also, by the way, gave us Sean Connery with hair.
Bet ya didn’t know there aren’t any female leprechauns. Explain that to your kids.
Bet ya didn’t know leprechauns are mischievous, cunning and mean, and not represented well by the cute little guy on the boxes of one of our most popular American cereals.
Bet ya didn’t know there have been eight terrorizing leprechaun theatrical movies over the years to present, beginning with the 1993 “Leprechaun” where Jennifer Aniston was too young to need makeup.
And finally, bet ya didn’t know leprechauns have historically been recognized for following a strict diet of mushrooms, nuts, vegetables and wildflowers even before we in America adopted them.
So what does this mean? You can simultaneously have a healthy diet and a mean disposition, or in Irish terms, be an arse. We can help you with one, but you’re on your own with the other.
Supple Skin
From fighting free radicals to smoothing fine lines, some types of foods are packed with the good stuff for glowing skin. No need to obsess about a particular “superfood” or exotic ingredient. There are plenty of options in regular grocery stores. What matters most is your overall eating pattern. In a nutshell, most people need to eat more fruits and vegetables, cut down on sugar and salt, and choose whole foods over processed ones.
Congratulations! If you’re already taking Juice Plus+, you’ve taken the right steps to have healthy, supple skin. Read this article published in WebMD for more encouragement.
JP+ Research – Skin Health
From the JP+ Research guide: Proper circulation is important for healthy skin. It ensures nutrients and oxygen get to your skin tissue, giving it a healthy glow.
Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have found that JP+Essentials Capsules increase skin micro-circulation by 39%, while boosting skin hydration, thickness, and density in middle-aged women.
A Most Powerful Drug
Exercise is a potent way to reverse signs of aging, according to a new study covered by Medical News Today. So potent that one of the researchers we spoke with described exercise as “the most powerful drug we have.”
Fill your Tower Garden with wildflowers any time of year, especially spring and summer.
Soup’s On!
With a nod to St. Patrick’s Day this month, here are two Irish stew recipes: a traditional one with meat and a meatless Irish stew. Whatever you end up making, Erin Go Braugh!
Lucky?
February 5, 2023
Well, Is It?
As Valentine’s Day approaches, maybe a little boxed candy talk is in order.
Did you know American boxed chocolates of the brands many of us know started as husband and wife, or partner, kitchen businesses in the 1920s and 1930s?
One famous California-based boxed chocolate company is See’s. See’s was founded by Charles See, his wife Florence, and his mother Mary in Los Angeles in 1921.
Did you know Warren Buffett has owned See’s Candies since 1972, calling it his “dream” business. It was the first high-quality business, as opposed to fixer-upper value company, Warren ever bought.
Did you know “Lucy in the Chocolate Factory,” one of the most watched television shows of all time, was filmed at the See’s Candies store on La Cienega Boulevard in LA?
Did you know See’s Candies relocated their headquarters from LA to South San Francisco in the 1930s for a cooler climate to store their chocolates?
Most boxed chocolate candy companies in the United States were started and grew in northern cities. It was just too warm in the South to keep chocolate fresh in the early days of refrigeration.
Transplants from more eastern regions may fondly remember your childhood with Whitman’s in Philadelphia, Fannie May and Brach’s in Chicago, or Russell Stover from Denver and Kansas City.
Did you know Forrest Gump didn’t hold a box of Alabama chocolates at his bus stop? Nope, his box was Russell Stover.
Did you know every time you purchase San Francisco’s beloved Ghirardelli chocolate, established in 1852, you are patronizing the third-oldest chocolate company in the US, after Baker’s Chocolate (1780) and Whitman’s (1842).
Did you know the Brach’s factory in northside Chicago was the largest candy factory in the world, almost 2.5 million square feet of space in 1950?
Brach’s fell into bankruptcy in the 1980s, suffering from a period of extended sugar shortage.
It is now Mexican candy, produced in a company town outside Monterrey.
Did you know some candy makers got their start with coated ice cream bars? Yep, Russell Stover and yet another Chicago confectioner, Dove, were known from their ice cream dating back to their early years in the 1930s.
Our Mission Viejo friend, Catherine Barr, who has marketed Dove products for many years in our area, can spin some good yarns about Dove.
Did you know every one of the American boxed candy companies we’ve touched upon today are now subsidiaries of venerable chocolatiers, mostly out of Europe. Chocolates, after all, are a global business, and we were late starters.
So is life like a box of chocolates where you never know what you are going to get?
Well of course, generally about life events in your journey.
But it when comes to your health, there’s nothing mysterious about “what you’re gonna get.” Eat healthily and you’re likely going to have a better life.
Follow the average American diet and you’re likely to have a shortened and poorer quality journey. The only mystery may be when it ends.
Did you know…see the bottom of our email?
Why Walk?
In a recent Blue Zones post, author Amy Fletcher discussed the benefits of walking, especially that walking can lead to a longer life with better outcomes. Logging more steps per day as a systematic approach to health has an intuitive appeal, especially in light of the obesity epidemic in the United States. Though the fitness industry is worth an estimated $35 billion per year, approximately 41.9 percent of the population is classified as obese.
Are Unhealthy Foods Addictive?
Stop and think about what you ate yesterday. Did some of those foods elicit a strong “I must have more!” feeling? You may be eating some foods that are considered addictive by health professionals. Take a moment to read this article.
Valentine Soup
If it’s red and it’s considered to be an aphrodisiac, then beets sound like the perfect Valentine’s Day food! Enjoy some delicious beet soup on February 14th.
Did you know Forrest in the picture at the beginning of our email is a wax figure exhibit in Madame Tussaud’s museum in Berlin, Germany?
Veggie Valentine
December 5, 2022
Rexxy Christmas
On our way home from Thanksgiving in Phoenix with son Hunter, as we started up the last summit on I-10 before descending into the LA Basin, we snapped this picture from the car….the Cabazon dinosaurs painted for the season.
How many of you have driven through Banning Pass, noticed these creatures to the side of the highway, and wondered about their history?
We’ve stopped at the dinosaurs many times over the years, in earlier years to eat at the Wheel Inn diner whose owner built the dinosaurs as a way to attract business to his restaurant.
Both the Wheel Inn and the dinosaurs share a rich past. The dinosaurs are still there. The beloved 60’s diner was demolished in 2013, a victim of shinier nearby outlet malls and a casino.
Since it’s the holiday season, a time many of us do our annual watch of Chevy Chase’s 1980’s classic Christmas Vacation, it seems fitting to bring up another of the most-watched 80’s movies these days…. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure was one of Tim Burton’s first movies, and a classic.
Man-child Pee-Wee Herman, on his way to the Alamo to retrieve his stolen bike, ate at the Wheel Inn and wound up watching the sunrise in the head of the Tyrannosaurus Rex with a Wheel Inn waitress.
So what does this all have to do with whole food nutrition and microcirculation? Nothing. But it’s December when many of us unfortunately forget the word health. Seemed fitting for us to take a break from our story too.
Check Out the Cabazon Dinosaur Story
Energy + Mood
Fruits and veggies improve energy and mood. If you want to feel happier and more energetic tomorrow, eat more fruits and vegetables today. That’s the take-away from an interesting study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology.
“On days when people ate more fruits and vegetables,” Dr. Tamlin Connor noted, “they reported feeling calmer, happier and more energetic than they normally did.”
Immune Power
Does your home stock up on tissues when the temperature and leaves change? Do you feel that a strong immune system is more important than ever? Juice Plus+ is a powerful tool in your toolbelt in helping support a healthy immune system.
Juice Plus+ capsules have been the subject of four different studies on immunity conducted on four different populations: healthcare professionals with direct patient contact, young law school students, an elderly population, and athletic men. The combined results of these studies show that Juice Plus+ capsules support the normal function of the immune system and support upper respiratory health.
Christmas Is Just Around The Corner
Give the Gift of Hope
What gift will you give to family and friends this year?
November 2, 2022
It’s a Record!
We’re entering uncharted territory this month. Every major American sport is in season, and for the first time ever, soccer’s World Cup is being contested starting November 20.
Of course, the reason for this unusual date for the World Cup, normally a summer event, is understandable. The games for this quadrennial were awarded to Qatar in the Middle East.
Qatar in mid-summer makes Phoenix in mid-summer seem like Aspen.
When Ron was younger, this super-concentration of spectator sports would have sent him into delirium. Ron was raised by an older father for the times, one who was past participating and more into watching.
Dad faithfully took Ron to spectator events, starting with Friday night local high school basketball at age 3, where he got to go down to the student-run card table at one corner of the court at halftime and buy a 5-cent Hershey Bar.
Years of weekly 5-cent candy bars turned Ron, as he matured, into a superfan. Moving to Los Angeles from the Midwest made it easy to set his sights on attending every major sporting event, and he did.
From Super Bowl to World Series to NBA Finals to the Stanley Cup….from Summer and Winter Olympics to the World Cup to Final Fours, he bucket-listed them all.
Did any spectator tradition pass down from Ron to son, Hunter?
Yes in a qualified way.
As with many Gen Zs, the only sport Hunter knows is eSports. ESports is team gaming competition, with 5 players on each team, 20 league teams around the globe, in the Overwatch League.
Hunter makes spectator pilgrimages these days to the Blizzard Arena, which older generations have known as the broadcast homes of Johnny Carson and Jay Leno at the Burbank Studios.
Go up there now and you can watch LA’s Overwatch League team, the Gladiators, compete with other cities.
The games are all watchable on the internet, but even today, just like in Ron’s era, there’s nothing like being at a venue with cheering crowds, refreshments and intermissions.
PlayStation and computer gaming over time just beat out candy bars on the road to Stoffel family spectatorship.
So what’s different between today’s spectators and those of past generations, regardless of sport?
Three words….health, health, health.
The “athletes” train better, both physically and nutritionally. And the spectators eat better, or at least have the opportunity to. Hot dogs are now supplemented with a range of healthy alternatives.
Fueling All Athletes
The United States Performance Center is partnering with The Juice Plus+ Company to provide Fruit, Vegetable, and Berry Functional Food Powders to every Olympic and National Team athlete that trains there!
The USPC Fueling Station will also serve Juice Plus+ Complete and Juice Plus+ Perform to each athlete daily for Plant Powered performance, recovery, and glycogen replacement.
If you’re not familiar with JP+ Complete or Perform, contact us and we’ll fill you in!
Therapy for All Athletes
Microcirculation therapy is now offered in most college and professional athletic programs.
Read the article below to see how the NFL Players Association has been purchasing free Bemer pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy devices for its players, both current and past.
Amazing Body
September 26, 2022
Magnet School
Ron collected magnets of places he visited as he traversed the country in his beat-up Chevy Nova in his early adult years.
When he and Donna moved into their new home shortly after marriage 27 years ago, Donna’s dad built him a metal magnet board for the garage wall, resurrecting those magnets from a zip-lock bag buried deep in some closet.
Everything was wonderful in the early years, with those magnets being a highlight of any home tour.
Then garage creep set in, and the magnet board all but disappeared behind a row of plastic storage bins stacked seven deep.
We just moved back into our home three weeks ago after a five+ month renovation, allowing for some long-overdue purging and including above-the-cars garage ceiling storage racks.
And Ron’s happy again. He can enjoy his magnets, and they are once again an obligatory part of home tours.
Now we have magnets at both ends of our house, Ron’s in the garage and the Bemer pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) microcirculation system in the family room for everyone in the house to use.
Your tour now includes a Bemer session while listening to stories from Ron on highlights of his collecting.
What is BEMER in Under 2 Minutes
This is a test…
Most American adults are not getting enough of their fruits and vegetables, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re reading this newsletter, you’re probably interested in this topic – now here is your test: what % of adults are actually eating the recommended daily serving of veggies?
If you guessed that 10% of adults are eating the recommended daily serving of vegetables, and 12.3% are consuming enough fruit, you would be right. It’s sobering to realize these percentages are so low even after decades of education by the government, medical professionals, grocery stores, etc.
The recommendations are based on dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, which advise that adults incorporate 2 to 3 cups of vegetables and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit into their diet each day. Eating sufficient fruits and vegetables “can help protect against some chronic conditions that are among the leading causes of mortality in the United States,” the study noted.
Quick Reference Guide
Introduced to the marketplace in 1993, JP+ has always placed real research first, before testimonials or other marketing. Since that time, our research has grown exponentially and we now have a quick reference guide for you, so you can easily access the details. Click on the image below to read the guide.
Keep the greens tasty
Have you grown an abundant supply of herbs this year? If you’ve never dried your fresh herbs before now, please try it! Every time you use them you’ll be reminded of the summertime!
Click on the image below for drying tips.
August 25, 2022
Whoops, She Did It Again
Yes, whoops they did it again.
Too Hot to Think Straight?
Outrun a poor diet?
This fallacy, that you can out-exercise a poor diet, continues to permeate our thinking. A new research study debunks this thinking. The study found that high levels of physical activity do not counteract the detrimental effects of a poor diet on mortality risk.
This Investment is booming
“The best investment you will ever make is on your own health“. Quote from every Grandma in the world!
As history shows, Americans turn to gardening in times of uncertainty. During World War I, a severe food crisis in Europe motivated the United States to form the National War Garden Commission, encouraging Americans to plant, harvest, and store their own fruits and vegetables. This allowed the export of more food to those in Europe as a way to support the war effort.
Get more water here!
July 28, 2022
Rise of the Phoenix
Rise of the Phoenix
Because the Tower Garden can water in amounts supportive of the temperature environment it is in, plants can rise above the local challenges. African cacti can grow, albeit a strange use of the Tower Garden, actually practically anything.
Refreshing Alternatives to Soda
Published recently in Everyday Health, this article is the perfect mid-summer reminder of the various drink options we have to quench our thirst. We really do have many options available to us and this article will get the wheels in your brain turning towards what you can conjure up!
Drinking soda just isn’t the way to go any longer. According to a study published in September 2019 in JAMA Internal Medicine, drinking soda is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, colorectal cancer, and all causes of death. What are you waiting for? Click the button below now!
Can Fruits and Vegetables Boost Brain Health?
Sleep after You Eat with Bemer
Is Your Diet Inspiring?
