News: October 2008 Archives

Visit the Jewish Chronicle for a different take on olive oil and vegetable juices:

I dislike most fruits and vegetables. Can I get my five daily fruit and vegetable portions from juice?

A glass of fruit and/or vegetable juice (150mls) counts as only one portion of fruit and vegetables, no matter how much you drink. This is because you do not receive the same nutritional benefits from the juice as you do from the whole fruit or vegetable. Removing the juice from the whole fruit or vegetable reduces the fibre content and releases a type of sugar from the fruit or vegetable which can damage teeth, especially if drunk frequently.

A review of the new book, Organic Guide to Ireland.

The Times of India offers a post Diwali detox plan, but try this any time to feel great:

October is the season of lavish indulgences. While festivities involve culinary pleasures, heady intoxication and incessant partying, reconditioning your system to cleanse toxic waste is a must. Take a good 2-3 weeks to cleanse your system from all the toxins left behind to feel recharged.

No better way to get your daily fill of vegetables than by juicing them:

With seven out of 10 adults falling short of daily vegetable intake as recommended by US dietary guidelines, researchers studied whether drinking their juice could act as its substitute.

The study looked at three groups of healthy men and women. They received dietary counseling on ways to get more vegetables, but only two of the groups were instructed to consume at least one serving of vegetable juice.

Julia from non-Society helps all green juice lovers out with some tips for vegetable only juice in Chicago:

Karyn’s Fresh Corner Cafe, Raw Vegan Gourmet Restaurant
1901 North Halsted Street

The Mother Earth Café & Organic Juice Bar
2570 N. Lincoln Ave

Chicago Diner on Halstead (raw specials and fresh juice)
3411 N. Halsted Street

Anybody out there wanting to fast? Please read this excellent blog before you do:

I never thought I could do a juice fast. Go without food? For days? Not on my list of fun things to do! Contemplating it, I even felt a little panicky. But this is my second juice fast, and I’ve discovered it’s quite a unique experience — one that I’ll continue to seek out in the future. Here are a couple of things I appreciate about the process.

The two things were:

• Slowing Down and Learning to Say “No” and
• Giving Myself Grace

Juice fasting is such an inspiring way of understanding yourself. If you want to do it please follow the great example set by Alison @ Wholesome Goodness.

Revive Juice Bars, a UK based smoothie chain franchise, is set to continue its Middle East expansion with the signing of a Master Franchise deal for the region. FWM Group has bought the Revive Juice Bar Master Franchise rights for the Middle East. As part of the deal FWM Group will open 20 stores across the region, two outlets have already been opened in Kuwait.

Making vegetable juice a daily habit could be a small step that can lead to big changes in meeting daily vegetable recommendations, according to a new study being presented by researchers from the University of California-Davis this week at the American Dietetic Association annual conference.

With seven out of 10 adults falling short of the daily recommended vegetable intake as put forth by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, researchers studied whether drinking vegetable juice could be a simple behavior change to help boost the intake of this critical food group.(2) And it was.

The study looked at three groups of healthy men and women. All three groups received dietary counseling on ways to get more vegetables, but only two of the groups were instructed to consume at least one serving of vegetable juice, in the form of V8(R) 100% vegetable juice each day. Of those two groups, one drank one 8-ounce glass of vegetable juice every day and the other drank two 8-ounce glasses of vegetable juice every day as part of a balanced eating plan.

The study found that those who received dietary counseling and consumed vegetable juice were far more likely to meet the daily vegetable recommendations, about two and a half cups (five servings), than those who received counseling alone. Specifically, more than half of the participants who drank one serving of V8 100% vegetable juice met the recommendations, as did all of those who drank two 8-ounce glasses of V8 100% vegetable juice each day. Of those who did not drink any vegetable juice, less than a quarter got enough vegetables.

Researchers concluded that changing dietary behavior is much more effective when dietary advice is complemented with tangible, real, easy and convenient solutions.

"What we found in this study is that drinking vegetable juice seemed to address some of the key barriers to vegetable consumption such as convenience, portability and taste, so individuals were more likely to meet their daily recommendations," said Carl Keen, PhD, study author and distinguished Professor of Nutrition & Internal Medicine at University of California, Davis. "Furthermore, vegetable juice drinkers reported that they actually enjoyed drinking their vegetables, which is critical to adopting dietary practices for the long-term."

In fact, after six weeks of the study, vegetable drinkers reported they felt "more satisfied" with the ease of getting vegetables into their diet, and that V8 100% vegetable juice provided an important additional source of vitamins and minerals.

Experts Agree
A growing body of science indicates vegetables are important to promoting good health, including helping to reduce risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and achieving a healthy weight. According to Produce For Better Health, all forms count.

"The best type of vegetable is one that you will actually consume, so it's important to provide people with a variety of great tasting options and ways to include them in their diet," said Elizabeth Pivonka, PhD, RD, Produce for Better Health Foundation. "That's why we encourage people to explore all types of vegetables, such as 100% juice, fresh, frozen or canned, to get at least one serving of vegetables at each meal occasion throughout the day."

V8: Delivering Authentic Vegetable Nutrition
For more than 75 years, the V8 brand has been committed to providing simple, innovative solutions to help consumers increase their daily vegetable intake. Today the portfolio of great-tasting, convenient products includes V8 100% vegetable juice and V8 V-Fusion(R) 100% juice, a blend of vegetables and fruit juices with a sweeter taste, which provides a full serving of vegetables and a full serving of fruit in every 8-ounce glass. This year the brand also introduced new Campbell's(R) V8(R) soups, which provide a full serving of vegetables in every bowl. For more information, visit http://www.v8juice.com.

About the Study This randomized controlled trial (RCT) lasted 12 weeks and enrolled 90 adults (66 women, 24 men), 40-65 years of age. This work was supported in part by resources provided by Campbell Soup Company, and by resources provided from the University of California-Davis Center for Health and Nutrition Research.

About Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company is a global manufacturer and marketer of high- quality foods and simple meals, including soup, baked snacks, and healthy beverages. Founded in 1869, the company has a portfolio of market-leading brands, including Campbell's, Pepperidge Farm, Arnott's, and V8. For more information on the company, visit Campbell's website at http://www.campbellsoup.com.

SOURCE Campbell Soup Company

Earth Mother answers the tough questions about juicing:

1. Why do you go to all the trouble of juicing your vegetables instead of eating them?

Before purchasing my own juicer, I knew ease of use and clean-up were important factors for me. Keep it simple is my motto. I researched different models on the internet before heading out to the stores. Short of taking them out for a test drive, I stood in front of the floor models on display and took each of them apart and put them back together again. Not once did I get scolded for doing so.

Going green is a gift but when you veer off the path it can be tough:

I regularly blog here about the health benefits of organic food and why it is important to eat clean foods, free of antibiotics or pesticides, and support local farmers who are struggling to provide us these pure foods. Well, last night I fell off the wagon and now I’m truly struggling today.

Daniel Alexander suggests that detoxing can really help with arthritis:

When devising a detox diet for arthritis, practitioners will first try to eliminate the primary toxin that leads to the arthritic pain from inflammation. Highly toxic uric acid leads to the inflammatory symptoms that are associated with arthritis. Ridding the body of uric acids requires cleansing of the bowel and liver. Detox practitioners advocate the use of certain herbs to cleanse the liver; these include dandelion, milk thistle, ginger, liquorice, barberry, cascara sagrada and cayenne. For keeping bowel movement smooth and regular, and therefore cleansed, you should consume organic flex seeds and herbs such as fennel, dill, cinnamon and anise.

We’re all aware that fruit juices are good for you but detox practitioners recommend vegetable juice rather than fruit juice for arthritis. Fruit juice has a high sugar content that can raise blood sugar levels and cause an increase in insulin. Going on a vegetable juice fast (i.e. only vegetable juice, no foods) can do wonders to ease your inflammatory pain. Juice fasting should be carried out for 1-3 days and consist of a fresh carrot, beetroot juice and parsley juice combination. A successful juice fast will remove excess acids and improve bowel movements to help flush out toxins. Juice fasting should only be carried out under strict instruction from a trained detoxification practitioner.

Alison @ Wholesome Goodness is writing about some of the benefits of juice fasting.

Yesterday she described:

• Slowing Down and Learning to Say “No” and
• Giving Myself Grace

And today it is:

• Extra Time
• Freedom

Having fasted on several occasions this is great advice and a really wonderful post.

Want to know the 10 healthiest foods?

There is so much of this out there on the internet, but here goes:

• Almonds
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Red Beans
• Salmon
• Spinach
• Sweet Potatoes
• Vegetable Juice
• Wheat Germ

Some good recipes to improve your skin through the consumption of fresh juice, including:

Vegetable 8
1/2 Tomato
1/4 Cucumber
1 Carrot
1 Celery stalk
Handful Spinach
1/2 Red Pepper
1/2-Cup Cabbage
1 Green Onion
Very powerful skin healer, protector and cleanser.

Skin Tonic
1 Cucumber
2 Sticks of Celery
1 Small to medium clove of Garlic
Root Ginger - 1 inch
Cucumber juice is beneficial for skin care as it is rich in the mineral silica, which is good for the complexion and skin elasticity.

A truly amazing story from a breast cancer survivor. These stories are mind-blowing and remind us why we go alkaline and drink green juice before we are faced with a health crisis.

A breast cancer survivor finds herself healed of fourth-stage cancer after setting out on a mission to help other cancer survivors cope with the disease.

What about the UK wheatgrass craze?

Wheatgrass is basically the young blades of grass grown from wheatgrain. When the wheatgrain is planted it develops shoots within 2-3 days. A few days later these shoots develop into blades of dense green grass. Within 8-10 days the wheatgrass can be ripe for harvesting, Its woth noting at this stage that although the wheat grass already is abundant in large levels of minerals it has not had the required time to develop complex carbohydrates often found in over-wintered wheatgrass.

Once the wheatgrass has been harvested it is usually processed into many forms, which can include wheat grass powder (Mainly made by drying and crushing the wheat grass blades into a very fine powder) wheat grass capsules (simply the powder filled into capsules for ease of consumption) wheat grass tablets (again typically the powder cold pressed into tablet form) and wheatgrass juice. (The wheat grass leaves are put through a specialist wheatgrass juicer which crushes the liquid out of the wheatgrass leaving essential nutrients intact.)

Dr. Young provides more great information regarding how to reverse sinusitis, headaches, facial pain and fatigue. Here are some tips:

• Use nasal irrigation or an alkaline nasal spray. Researchers have found that flushing out the nose twice a day with a sea salt water (saline) solution can effectively treat and even prevent sinusitis "attacks."
• Steam the sinus cavities. Drape a towel over your head as you breathe in the steam from a bowl of hot water with 1 to 2 scoops of pHour salts.
• Apply warm compresses. Place warm, damp towels around your nose, cheeks and eyes for 20 to 30 minutes, two to four times a day to ease facial pain.
• Drink plenty of alkaline fluids with a pH of at least 9.5 and an ORP of at least -150 mV.
• Avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, soft drinks and high sugar fruit drinks.
• Don't smoke cigarettes, cigars or marijuana. And avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Exercise everyday for at least 1 hour to improve circulation and remove acidic mucous from the sinuses.
• Spray 5 ml of a colloidal gold, copper and silver combination in each nostril at least 2 to 3 times a day.
• Drink at least 100 grams of super polyunsaturated oils from hemp, flax, avocado, olive, just to name a few.
• Take at least 2000 mgs. of magnesium oxide 3 to 4 times a day with meals to clear the bowel of undigested protein and mucous.

More information about how to alkalize:

What is the most common reason why people gain weight? If you’re like most Americans, you might believe it’s because a person lacks willpower and just eats all day. Well, according to many doctors, what causes obesity is not self-control, but rather a low ph level. When the ph level is adjusted, the body is able to excrete the chemical byproducts responsible for holding onto fat. This process is known as alkalizing.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are foods that negatively interfere with alkalizing. Beef, chicken and dairy products are a few examples. Surprisingly, so are mushrooms. Despite the fact that they are high in zinc and germanium, mushrooms by nature have toxins that produce too many acids in the body. As a result, the ph level gets thrown off… just like it would if a person ate less ‘healthier’ foods.

Interviews between Mike and Kevin about alkalizing water:

Renegade Water Secrets with Mike Adams, founder of naturalnews.com.

Mike: Well, how these units actually work and based on just straight chemistry they produce two outputs. One output is more alkaline and the other output, the other stream of water coming out is more acidic, because you can't really change the pH of that. Let's say a pot of water you can't change the pH really, unless you add something to take something out. You would need to perform some kind of chemistry. You can split it apart. You can have one batch that's more alkaline and another batch that’s more acidic. I owned a unit like that for a while and I have some very high end pH testing equipment that I use for my gardening, because if you're going to grow blueberries then you need the right pH for the soil. Well, these units, sure they produce a little slightly more alkaline water, but it's not that big of a deal. It's really not that drastic. I found that you can create more alkaline water by stirring up some barley grass juice in a glass of water. That’s far more alkaline. So if you want to drink alkaline water that's fine, but there are other ways to get that. Celery juice is very alkaline. So is cucumber juice and that's a great way to get that. The other thing people don't realize is there's a risk and a drawback to using this and that is that most people when they eat food they don't have sufficient stomach acid to properly digest that food, especially the minerals. If you want to digest calcium and magnesium and all of these minerals you need a really strong stomach acid. That's the only way you're going to break it down. Well, what if you take your mineral supplements and then you drink all this alkaline water? The fact is you're not going to be able to break down those minerals and they’re going to go right for you and your going to waste your money. You might actually contribute to kidney stones or something. There are times in your diet when you need more acid. Like when you're eating minerals, or if you eat meat for example, which I would never do, but some people do. If you eat a steak you want an acidic stomach, believe me, because you've got to break that stuff down. Dogs have very, very acidic stomachs, because they eat raw bones and they can just digest those bones with their stomach acid, but if you fed a dog alkaline water and then fed him some raw bones that dog would have some serious digestive problems. Finally, I know I'm answering this with a very long paragraph here.

A nice little post about a juice bar, Pressé, in New York in the 80's.

Chicken Soup for your soul has some tips on how to alkalise and lead a cancer free life.

They suggest avoiding meat, dairy, caffeine and our favourite, sugar.

A nice post about some organic restaurants you can try in Alaska:

Enzyme Express
1330 East Huffman Rd Ste C
Anchorage, AK 99515
907-345-1330
Raw organic juice bar and Deli, Vegan buffet

Fiddlehead Restaurant And Bakery
429 W Willoughby Ave
Juneau, AK 99801
907-586-3150
Gourmet natural foods, vegan options

Fresh Sourdough Express Bakery and Café
1316 Ocean Dr
Homer, AK 99603
907-235-7571
Organic and all natural ingredients
www.freshsourdoughexpress.com

Helse Restaurant
17 Sing Lee Alley
Petersburg, AK 99833
907-772-3444
Natural foods, vegan options, vitamin store

Juice Kaboos
1330 East Huffman Rd
Anchorage, AK 99515
907-345-0282

Marx Bros. Café/Restaurant
627 West 3rd
Anchorage, AK 99501
907-258-6279
www.marxcafe.com

Middleway Cafe
1200 Northern Lights Blvd
Anchorage, AK 99503
907-272-6433
Juice bar, mostly vegetarian/vegan

Natural Pantry
3801 Old Seward Hwy
Anchorage, AK 99503
907-770-1444
Natural and gourmet foods store/café
www.natural-pantry.com

Organic Oasis Health Foods & Juice Bar
2610 Spenard Rd
Anchorage, AK 99503
907-277-7882

Rogues Garden
354 Fairbanks Dr
Valdez, AK 99686
907-835-5880
Juice bar, organic produce

Dr. Young keeps his sense of humour with this great article about 10 alkaline foods a real man can eat instead of steak and all that acid:

• Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts and Green Cabbage.
• Oysters.
• Avocado.
• Hemp Meal, Hemp Protein and Hemp Oil.
• Almond or Brazil Nuts.
• Alkaline grains such as Quinoa, Buckwheat and Millet.
• Low Sugar Fruits like Black Berries.
• Fresh Green Juices.
• Whole Mineral Salts.
• Eat Your Green Veggies and Fruit.

The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia flags potential changes in ownership for Boost Juice franchises:

Boost Juice bars' average value ranges from $240,000 to $320,000, depending on the value of the kiosk and earnings.

"Franchisors don't always get involved in the multiple support structure and running 50 owners with two locations can be quite different to a single-unit operator.

Ever wondered why your cat can't resist nibbling on your favorite houseplants? Or why your dog tugs at the leash to chomp on a mouthful of lawn grass? While these behaviors may surprise some pet owners, experts on nutrition and pet care say your furry companions may be making desperate attempts to say: 'We need our greens!'

To help explain this seemingly odd indulgence, the pet industry's pioneer suppliers of live and packaged green nutrition products are launching an online educational campaign on the mutual benefits and uses of wheat grass for people and their pets. Bell Rock Growers Co-founders Catherine Hoffmann and Marty Walls have co-authored a new e-book, Why Green Nutrition? Exploring the Nutritional Benefits of Wheat Grass for People and Animals. The e-book is available for free downloads at www.bellrockgrowers.com.

"While a growing number of people are including wheat grass and other green foods in their own diets, many often neglect to make similar considerations with their pets' diets. Most simply aren't aware of health benefits of green nutrition for animals," said Hoffmann.

Over the past two decades, wheat grass has surged in popularity from juice bars to home garden shops. Now pets are getting in on the wheat grass craze as more people learn about the powerful healing qualities of this leafy green for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and other small animals.

Wheat grass contains high concentrations of chlorophyll, enzymes, anti-oxidant nutrients, vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, and K, minerals and a complete set of amino acids. So how do these nutrients add up to healthier, happier pets? The powerful nutrients contained in wheat grass are known to promote healthy night vision; improve gum, skin and coat health; neutralize infection; heal wounds; and decrease inflammation, among other benefits.

The 'Why Green Nutrition?' e-book includes a compilation of research on the benefits of wheat grass, results of a national survey on pet owners' enthusiasm for green nutrition, tips on growing wheat grass, and expert advice on ways to introduce it to pets.

About Bell Rock Growers
Based in San Marcos, Calif., Bell Rock Growers is a certified organic grower of live wheat grass and the pioneer supplier of green nutrition products for pets. Bell Rock Growers' complete line of products Powered with Green Nutrition™ include: Pet Greens® Live Pet Grass® and Live Catnip; four varieties of Pet Greens® Treats for cats and dogs; Pet Greens® Garden self-grow wheat grass kits; and an all-natural grooming line made with wheat grass. For more information, visit www.bellrockgrowers.com.

Ok, I don't have gout, yet, and I'm not planning on getting it. How?

First of all, an anti gout diet consists of low-purine foods.

Lemon juice are known for its cleansing components. Incorporate it into your lunch. Lemon juice is filled with vitamin C and antioxidants to help flush your body from unwanted uric acids. Couple the drink with a hearty salad and meal using tofu to replace red meat or chicken, finely chopped fresh garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

Not green juice related but an important health warning never the less, research is beginning to show that there are links between mobile phone usage and brain cancer according to Dr. Robert Young:

"The Untied States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already established that exposure to magnetic fields in excess of 3 milligause (mG's) are harmful to human health. Over 99% of all cell phones are emitting in excess of 3 mG's with the majority of cell phones emitting over 50 mG's and are potentially acid producing or carcinogenic. There is no such thing as a safe cell phone that can be used without potential acidic or toxic side effects."

However, society "must not repeat the situation we had with the relationship between smoking and lung cancer where we ... waited until every 'i' was dotted and 't' was crossed before warnings were issued," said David Carpenter, director of the Institute of Health and Environment at the University of Albany, in testimony before a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform.

A great post about a green juice fast. I have done plenty of these and can vouch for everything that this post talks about:

People often ask me how I keep my skin so soft and radiant! Well, it's a combination of a few things:

I recommend going one day a week without food to all my clients. Doing a juice fast once a week allows the body to rest from food is extremely beneficial. On those days, I recommend three 4 to 8-ounce servings of green vegetable juice.

Please have a look at this post and give it a go!!!

Organic To Go Opens Flagship Location in Seattle
Ninth Seattle Location of the Nation's First USDA Certified Organic Fast Casual Cafe Chain Features Expanded Menu

Organic To Go, the nation's first fast-casual cafe chain to be certified as an organic retailer by the USDA, this week opened its flagship cafe in Seattle. The flagship cafe, located at 1001 Fourth Avenue on the corner of Third and Madison, marks the ninth Organic To Go cafe in the Seattle/Bellevue area and the 33rd Organic To Go cafe in the U.S.

The 2,500 square foot flagship store, formerly known as Mel's Market, is located in the heart of the business district in downtown Seattle, and introduces a spacious open-market feel with a larger footprint than other Organic To Go Cafes in the area. In addition to traditional Organic To Go cafe offerings such as soups, sandwiches, salads and snacks, the flagship cafe serves an expanded menu including custom organic personal pizzas, hamburgers and hot dogs, made-to-order pasta and hot or cold sandwiches, a 16-foot salad bar, and last but not least, a comprehensive organic juice and smoothie station.

Organic To Go offers fresh, healthy, "clean" ingredients that are always free of harmful additives, antibiotics, chemicals, pesticides, growth hormones or genetic modification. Organic To Go ingredients are certified organic and locally sourced whenever possible.

"We are excited to have a flagship location in Seattle where we can now offer our full breakfast and lunch menu," said Jason Brown, CEO of Organic To Go. "A little more than three years after opening our first corporate grab and go cafe in downtown Seattle, Organic To Go is now available in over 170 locations in four regions. We have more than doubled the number of cafes in the past year from 13 to 33 cafes with 9 in the Seattle area, 10 in the Los Angeles vicinity, 8 in San Diego, and 6 in Washington, DC. We are extremely proud that this year our team has been able to continue our hometown expansion with 3 new locations in Seattle, while also launching our newest region on the east coast in Washington, DC."

Organic To Go has more than 120 wholesale locations, which includes 50 university locations on 17 campuses and 11 locations at Los Angeles international Airport. In addition to its retail and wholesale divisions, Organic To Go also offers corporate catering, counting such companies as Microsoft, Marriott, T-Mobile, Google, Safeco, Starbucks, and Amazon as customers.

In addition to the new Third and Madison location, Organic To Go Seattle area cafes are located at: Safeco Plaza, Two Union Square, Swedish Medical Center, Columbia Center Tower, Starbuck's Support Center, and Simon's Naturally at the IDX Tower. Organic To Go is also in Bellevue at the Symetra Financial Center and at One Twelfth at Twelfth.

About Organic To Go
Based in Seattle, Organic To Go is the nation's first fast casual cafe chain to be certified as an organic retailer with locations in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego and the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Organic To Go's delicious organic food is currently available in more than 170 locations including 33 cafes, more than 120 wholesale locations, 17 universities, 11 locations at Los Angeles International Airport and one franchise cafe scheduled to open soon at the San Diego International Airport. The company's multi-channel business model includes Retail, Corporate Catering and Wholesale operations. Organic To Go's mission is to become the leading branded provider of certified organic and natural, soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, entrees and other food products to corporate, university and other institutional customers in selected urban areas nationwide. All Organic To Go fare is made with organic ingredients whenever possible and is always natural, free of harmful chemicals and created with care. For more information, visit www.organictogo.com.

SOURCE: Organic To Go

Media Contact:
ICR
Stephanie Sampiere, 646-277-1222
Stephanie.Sampiere@icrinc.com
or

Investor Contact:
Bibicoff + MacInnis, Inc
Terri MacInnis, 818-379-8500
terri@BibiMac.com

A crazy post about Angela Stokes and a lot of other things, although reading it a couple of times I still have no real idea what it is about.

Check it out anyway it covers raw food, spontaneous combustion and other important issues.