Archive for September, 2009
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International Coastal Clean-Up Day!
by aventura, September 23, 2009 | Permalink
Each year on the third Saturday in September, hundreds of thousands of volunteers comb lakes, rivers and beaches around the world for litter. Last year nearly 400,000 people from 100 countries and 42 US States removed 6.8 million pounds of trash from our waterways.
To honor International Coastal Clean-Up Day, on Saturday October 19th about 30 volunteers; including Team Members from Whole Foods Market Aventura and students from St Thomas Aquinas University, participated in our own community beach clean-up at Hallandale Beach Boulevard & A1A.
International Coastal Clean-Up Volunteers
At our initial glance, the beach seemed to be very clean with no visible litter…
Hallandale Beach - looks pretty clean, but is it?
We broke up into teams of 3-4 people and were given sheets to tally everything we picked up. Did I mention we had to count and tally everything? As we began walking the beach we found that the sand was not as clean as we originally had judged. Actually, in a matter of 3 hours the collective teams picked up over 10K cigarette butts alone. Scary when you consider we were covering a 1.5 mile stretch, a minute fraction of our states coastline.
Many smokers think cigarette butts are small and will break down, but used butts are actually quite toxic. They take up to 15 years to breakdown - but that doesn’t mean they actually biodegrade. Instead, they become tiny filter particles, which clog up ecosystems with even more plastics and man-made junk. Of course, before they break down, butts can also pose risk to animals who mistake them for food.
An estimated 1.7 billion pounds of cigarette butts gum up the world’s waterways a year, delivering nicotine, heavy metals, benzene and other carcinogens, along with plastic fibers. All that nasty stuff in those filters can also enter our drinking water supplies, where it can be tricky to remove (think of second-hand pollution).
A sea-creature crusted lighter pushed in by the tide.
The second item of we consistently found was small bits of plastic. With each wave the tide pushed in endless streams of small plastic bits and Styrofoam. For many Whole Foods Market Team Members who had recently viewed a news clip about the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch‘, the sight was numbing. As Floridians, we are quite proud of our beaches; and many of us were shocked and saddened to see the extent of plastic pollution in our local waterways.
Bits of plastic & Styrofoam flow in with the tide.
These bits of plastic are actually toxic killers. When plastic bottles and trash slowly degrade, they turn into increasingly smaller bits of plastic. Seabirds, fish and turtles mistake these bits for for food which they ingest. As the larger animals and marine life eat the smaller animals, this plastic eventually ends up in the human food supply, too.
Within each incoming wave we found endless bits of plastic entangled with seaweed.
We found many bits of plastic entangled within all of the seaweed we came across.
The data which we collected and recorded was submitted to the Ocean Conservancy. Each year they compile a comprehensive report which details how many pounds of trash were picked up around the world, and what types and sources of litter are impacting our waterways. The results of the dedicated work of volunteers around the globe inspires recycling efforts, and shapes policy decisions from the local to the international level.
Check back here in upcoming months when we post the results of this phenomenal global effort!
Looking for Kosher Poultry?
by aventura, September 18, 2009 | Permalink
We got it! That’s right, just in time for the Jewish High Holy Days, we now offer a new line of certified kosher chicken and turkey.
These new products are provided by Kosher Valley™, a new certified kosher brand from Hain Celestial Group (Hain Pure Protein), and are certified by Rabbi Yechiel Babad and the Orthodox Union. Kosher Valley’s antibiotic-free kosher line is one of the first of its kind in the United States.
According to Kosher Valley, many steps in kosher poultry processing are still performed by hand. Specially trained rabbinical inspectors check each bird ensuring that it is of the highest quality and processed in accordance with the kosher standards of cleanliness, purity and wholesomeness. All Kosher Valley poultry is hand-salted, inside and out, to remove blood since meat with blood in it is considered non-kosher. After salting, each bird is soaked three times in icy water to thoroughly cleanse the bird and remove the salt.
Like all poultry sold at our stores, the new Kosher Valley products must also meet our strict standards requiring that the birds are raised on a vegetarian diet with no antibiotics. Looks for kosher poultry in our stores now, including fresh and frozen whole young turkeys, ground turkey, fresh and frozen chicken, and tray packs of both turkey and chicken.
Don’t be an egghead; take a crack at reducing the cost of a satisfying meal.
by aventura, September 17, 2009 | Permalink
Don’t be an egghead; take a crack at reducing the cost of a satisfying meal. In the newest Whole Story Blog post, The Value Guru Cracks the Egg.
The Value Guru Cracks the Egg
by Susannah Simone, September 16th, 2009 | Permalink | Email this
I’m not one of those people who love breakfast, but I do truly appreciate the power of the humble egg. With the exception perhaps of bananas, eggs are presented in the most perfect package nature provides. They cook quickly. They are versatile. They have just enough flavor to stand on their own, yet combine with other flavors wonderfully. Best of all, the egg is one of the most affordable sources of high-quality protein. Here are some of my favorite ways to take advantage of the nutritional and financial benefits of eggs. Most are probably obvious, but maybe you’ll pick up a new idea or be inspired to save some money by making a meal around eggs more often.
Breakfast Tacos are a staple food item in my opinion. For two soft tacos, it only takes one scrambled egg when you combine it with other ingredients to make a nutritious and portable breakfast. Again, I use what I have on hand and quickly microwave or sauté as needed: spinach, zucchini slices, bell pepper, tomato, potato, onion, black beans, cheese, rice, bacon, sausage. I’ve even pulled a few frozen French fries from the bag! You don’t need much of any one ingredient. Just roll ‘em all up in warmed tortillas with salsa or a sprinkle of hot sauce.
Scrambled Eggs and Omelets are perfect for using up small bits of leftover cheese, vegetables and meats or smoked fish. One of my favorite omelets uses broccoli-I simply thaw a few frozen florets in the microwave or in a bowl of warm water, and then chop it up-along with onion and cheese. 
Dress up the cooked omelet by drizzling with a little sour cream mixed with lemon juice. I also love scrambled eggs with a bit of neufchâtel cheese and flakes of smoked salmon. (In most of our stores you can buy just a small amount of smoked salmon from the full-service seafood case.)
Fried Rice is another one of those catch-all, use-up-the-leftovers meal. But somehow it seems more like a special dish than a cop out. Learn to make it well with the desirable texture and seasoning. It usually starts by cooking a thin crepe-type layer of beaten egg that is removed from the wok or pan, rolled up and sliced into strips that you will toss back into the dish just before serving. Yum.
An Egg Sandwich can be as simple as a fried egg between toast, as mainstream as a homemade version of the fast food muffin sandwich or as sophisticated as the open-faced, fork-and-knife Eggs Benedict. Recently, I made a sandwich of sliced hard-boiled egg with tomato and basil from my garden and a little mayo on toast. And don’t forget egg salad, especially with a few leaves of flavorful arugula or crisp lettuce.
Pasta dishes can use eggs in a variety of ways. There’s pasta salad with hard-cooked egg, raw eggs cooked into Pasta Carbonara and egg yolk used to thicken some other pasta sauces. I’m partial to finely chopped hard-cooked egg as a condiment for pasta with pesto. Offer other self-serve condiments, too, such as chopped olives, tomatoes and nuts. A really fun, filling and budget-friendly meal, even for company!
Quiche and Deviled Eggs are true budget friends for parties and potlucks. People love them so much they would never even think about how little money you spent on your contribution to the gathering. And you can come up with some really delish additions to these that will make them seem even more special. For example, I really enjoy the pleasant surprise on people’s faces when they discover I use a dash of pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika) on my deviled eggs instead of the usual plain paprika that seems to only add color. Get creative!
Salad is made more filling when hard-cooked egg is chopped and tossed in or left in halves for a nice presentation. Caesar salad dressing mashes boiled egg or whisks in raw egg to “cook” in the lemony dressing. We make a meal of Caesar Salad in my house with some pita toasted with olive oil and Parmesan on the side instead of croutons in the salad.
Got any egg-cellent ideas of your own? I’m sure you do. Let’s hear ‘em!
Healthy Tip: Sleep Well
by aventura, September 14, 2009 | Permalink
Originally posted by Alana Sugar, September 7th, 2009 | Permalink | Email this
Do you ever wake up feeling less than refreshed after what should have been a good night’s sleep? If so, move over! Falling asleep and staying asleep is a widespread problem. Stay tuned, though, there may be a few natural and relaxing strategies you can employ to help set the mood for a good night’s snooze.
When I first began researching this blog post, I wanted a scientific explanation as to why we need to sleep in the first place. I went digging around for the answer and learned something surprising: Scientists can tell us exactly why we need to eat, drink and move around, but they don’t know exactly why sleep is so critical to our survival.
The good news is that how you live your day can affect how you sleep at night. For example, your dietary habits, level of exercise, daily stress levels and caffeine or alcohol intake, as well as medications, hormone changes and illness can all affect the quality of your sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, most adults need between seven and eight hours sleep each night. During deep sleep, our bodies restore themselves. Scientists believe during that time, our bodies regenerate and help the healing process such as repairing tissues and releasing hormones.
Here are some simple strategies to help you get a good night’s sleep.
- Keep regular hours. Over time, this trains your body to sleep and wake close to the same times daily.
- Get regular exercise. It may be best to exercise early in the day since evening exercising may be too energizing for some people.
- Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening as this can affect sound sleep. (Check back next week for my post all about caffeine.)
- Avoid going to bed on a full stomach; this can cause digestive distress and keep you up at night.
- But don’t go to bed really hungry either! Have a light snack if needed: a small glass of warm milk, a little piece of fruit, or a few whole grain crackers.
- Don’t drink too much water or other liquids before bed-time as this often requires middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom.
- Keep your diet as healthy as possible with a focus on whole foods – fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, proteins and healthy fats. Avoid junk foods, heavy fried foods, sugary sweets and desserts as these can tax the digestive system.
- Create a natural winding-down period by keeping to quiet activities for a couple of hours before bedtime.
- A small cup of chamomile tea after dinner may help you begin the relaxing process.
- Read a book or listen to soft music.
- Try some gentle yoga stretches.
- Enjoy a warm bath at night. Often, warm water helps relax the muscles from a stressful day.
- Try some comforting and relaxing essential oils, such as lavender and chamomile. A few drops on an eye pillow or cotton ball at night may help you relax into a peaceful sleep.
- You also may enjoy a soothing foot massage with a little lavender oil.
- Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature. For many people, it’s easier to sleep in a cooler temperature. Try using a fan.
- Make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable – not too firm or too soft.
- Be sure to keep your bedroom quiet and dark when sleeping.
- Try a natural, safe homeopathic remedy for calming and sleeping. Check with our Whole Body Team Members for recommendations.
Remember that lots of people have periodic nights when sleep seems to elude them. If you have trouble on an ongoing basis, though, it may be worth consulting a qualified health care practitioner for further advice.
Got a good tip for a good night’s sleep? I’d love to hear.
