Cantaloupe at Naturally Yours Grocery

You may have heard reports that Listeria, a potentially fatal bacterial disease, has contaminated some cantaloupe originating from Colorado. Jensen Farms recalled its Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupes on Sept. 14, but had previously shipped the cantaloupes from July 29 through Sept. 10 to at least 17 states, with possible further distribution.

The CDC recommends that people at high risk for Listeriosis do not eat Rocky Ford brand cantaloupes from Jensen Farms. Other consumers who want to reduce their risk of Listeria infection should also not eat Rocky Ford cantaloupes from Jensen Farms either.

The majority of Naturally Yours cantalope comes from local farmers but some may come from B & B Organic out of Mishawaga, Ind. Their cantelope is certified organic and does not come out of Colorado.

-- Roger Hutchinson

More about Listeria Cantaloupe: "Cantaloupe Food Poisoning" from About Lawsuits.com.

[QUOTE]

Listeria infections can live in the gut for up to two months before the carrier gets ill, and diagnosed cases of listeriosis are typically associated with a death rate of about 25%.

The cantaloupe food poisoning outbreak has already hit people in 14 states, with 43 of the 55 sickened requiring hospitalization. Most of the victims are over the age of 60 or have a compromised immune system due to health issues, the CDC reported. Of the eight deaths, two were in Colorado, one in Maryland, four in New Mexico and one in Oklahoma.

A Jensen Farms cantaloupe recall was issued on September 14, and subsequent inspections have found listeria strains associated with the illnesses on machinery and cantaloupes at Jensen Farms’ packing facility. The company already faces at least three listeria food poisoning lawsuits over the outbreak; two in Colorado and one in Texas.

The recall was expanded on September 23 to include 594 pounds of Carol’s Cuts fresh cut cantaloupe. The recalled cantaloupe, supplied to Carol’s Cuts, LLC by Jensen Farms, was sold in 8-ounce clamshell containers labeled Fruit Medley and in 5-pound bulk trays. The cantaloupe was shipped to institutional food customers and restaurants in Overland Park, Kansas, Kansas City and Maryland Heights, Missouri, and Omaha, Nebraska. All of the recipients of the recalled cantaloupe have been notified.

The recalled Carol’s Cuts cantaloupe was sold in clamshell containers with an oval label sticker with the words “Fruit Medley” and a “Best If Used By” date of September 3, 2011 or September 19, 2011. The 5-pound bulk trays have lot numbers of 72361 and a Best If Used By date of September 3, 2011, and 72700 with a Best If Used By date of September 19, 2011.

Listeria infections, also known as listeriosis, pose a particular risk for children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. For pregnant women, illness from Listeria bacteria can cause miscarriages and still births.

Blood tests are usually required to diagnose listeriosis, which can be treated with antibiotics. Symptoms of listeriosis include muscle aches, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, severe headaches and fever. If the bacteria spreads from the intestines to the bloodstream and nervous system, it could cause meningitis and other complications.

[END QUOTE]

When Comfort Food Becomes an Unhealthy Addiction

Heather Nauta is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who helps women (and men) get on and stay on a healthy diet and healthy weight loss plan.

Check out the entire text version of her article on Comfort Foods Becoming Unhealthy Addictions.

[QUOTE]

We all have our own comfort foods. Some people like a warm stew, some people like pb and j sandwiches, some people like french fries. I went through a period of work-related stress when I hit the gummy bears pretty hard.

There's nothing wrong with taking pleasure in your food, and even something you'd consider a treat is fantastic if it gives you the energy or peace of mind that you're looking for. Try not to be so rigid with your healthy eating plan that you can't enjoy yourself.

When there is a problem is if the food is unhealthy or is just temporarily helping. Sometimes eating is about shutting off your brain from dealing with the actual issue. Eventually, I had to emerge from the haze of gummy-induced denial and find a better working environment.

As you start to look at and recognize the connections between what you eat and how it makes you feel, it makes it easier and easier to shift your eating decisions to healthier foods - ones that nourish and energize you, rather than drain you.

If someone put some gummy bears in front of me right now (even the really delicious fruit juice-flavored ones I was eating), I wouldn't want any because I know they'd make me ready to fall asleep in an hour or so.

Sometimes, all it takes to get over bad cravings is to find another way to indulge in that craving. That might mean a healthier version of the food, or it might mean that what you really want is to spend time with someone, or to do something special for yourself. For me, the gummy bear issue was resolved when I quit my job - but I don't want to imply that you need to quit your job to get over a food addiction.

[END QUOTE] 

Art and Society visits Naturally Yours

Art and Society magazine, a class act of magazine publishing, the gold standard of local celebrity and social events reporting, has chosen Naturally Yours Grocery, Peoria, IL to obtain photos of organic produce and other natural items. Selected photos will be included in an upcoming article on vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.

It was fun showing photographer Kim Johnson around the store, helping her find the items she wanted to focus on.

Kim liked the recently installed new flooring and used it as a backdrop for photographing various products.

Look at those lovely red onions.

We are thrilled that of all the grocery stores in the Peoria area that sell "organic produce", Art and Society magazine chose Naturally Yours Grocery. I put "organic produce" in quotes, because the second city water hits those vegetables, they're no longer organic. At Naturally Yours, only purified water, free from chemical pollutants, is used to spray the organic produce.

I have no idea how anyone can stomach the weirdly tasteless tomatoes sold at mainstream grocery stores. These organic tomatoes have great flavor and no harmful pesticides.

Just look at how perfect this organic produce looks. Have you ever seen such nice bananas? No chemicals needed when you know how to properly grow and harvest organic fruits and vegetables.

It was a great idea to do this photo shoot at 8:00 AM before the doors opened to the public at 9:00 AM. Kim was able to get a lot done quickly, without being interrupted by or interfering with customer traffic.

We can't wait to see the finished article on vegetarian and vegan lifestyles at Art and Society magazine. There will be a special sidebar mentioning Naturally Yours Grocery as the go to place to find all the items you need to be healthy and satisfied nutritionally.

Again, we are honored to be showcased in this high quality, classy magazine, the sister publication of InterBusiness Issues and Peoria Progress.

Natural Anti Inflammatory Substances

Some medical conditions are accompanied by pain and inflammation. Having broken my back twice, and having had an epidural steroid injection needle in my spine slip and hit my sciatic nerve, I am pretty immune to most pain. I now tend to just ignore pain and not seek any analgesic to relieve it.

Besides, most pain medicine, especially the NSAIDS, come with some pretty harsh potential damage or side effects to your system, which may result in much worse pain further into the future.

Pain and inflammation are not necessarily important to stop. Pain can be a reminder to avoid doing certain things that might aggravate and further damage your body. Inflammation is the body's way of protecting tissues and organs. It's the immune system beginning a healing process. You need some inflammation, or the healing will be delayed or not start at all.

However, chronic inflammation can be a problem and must be dealt with, whenever possible, with natural remedies for inflammation.

Several days ago, you may recall, I was diagnosed with costochronditis, and it is rapidly getting better. I think that plenty of rest, combined with frequent walking, is helping me overcome this condition.

I'm also trying to spend less time on the computer, because I'm pretty sure my slouching at the computer is what caused this condition. Add costochronditis to geek neck, dry eyes, and carpal tunnel syndrome to the potential dangers of computer abuse.

I refuse to take the prescribed NSAID Naproxen. It has potentially harmful effects on the heart, and I'm trying to strengthen and heal my heart and lungs lately, so there is no way I'd use that wretched Big Pharma product.

When you seek to alleviate inflammation, there are some natural ways to do it.



Natural Anti Inflammatory Substances



* watermelon

* brown rice

* grape seed extract

* alfalfa

* aloe vera

* cayenne

* bilberry

* garlic

* fresh pineapple

* ginger

* flax seed oil

* extra virgin olive oil

* pumpkin seeds

* fish oil

* green leafy vegetables

* brightly colored vegetables

* pure water

* herbal teas

* nuts

* tofu

* tempeh

* turmeric (curry)

* salmon

* shiitake mushroom

* fresh papaya

* horsetail extract

* green tea

* broccoli

* blueberry

* sweet potato



See also Dr. Weil's Anti Inflammatory Food Pyramid.


Come to Naturally Yours Grocery for all your organic produce, supplements, vitamins, bulk herbs and flours, and other natural substance needs. Great prices and friendly service.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet constitutes a set of skills, knowledge, practices and traditions ranging from the landscape to the table, including the crops, harvesting, fishing, conservation, processing, preparation and, particularly, consumption of food. 

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a nutritional model that has remained constant over time and space, consisting mainly of olive oil, cereals, fresh or dried fruit and vegetables, a moderate amount of fish, dairy and meat, and many condiments and spices, all accompanied by wine or infusions, always respecting beliefs of each community. 

However, the Mediterranean diet (from the Greek ''diaita,'' or way of life) encompasses more than just food. It promotes social interaction, since communal meals are the cornerstone of social customs and festive events. It has given rise to a considerable body of knowledge, songs, maxims, tales and legends. 

The system is rooted in respect for the territory and biodiversity, and ensures the conservation and development of traditional activities and crafts linked to fishing and farming in the Mediterranean communities which Soria in Spain, Koroni in Greece, Cilento in Italy and Chefchaouen in Morocco are examples. 

Women play a particularly vital role in the transmission of expertise, as well as knowledge of rituals, traditional gestures and celebrations, and the safeguarding of techniques.

C Diff the Hospital Disease

Here's a heads up on a growing problem in hospitals and nursing homes, especially for older adults.

There's a very contagious disease going around called C. Diff and it is generally triggered by the use of antibiotics, without giving the patient probiotics, such as yogurt or kefir, to help restore intestinal flora (healthy benevolent bacteria).

The main reason this disease is frequently encountered in hospitals is because of the over-reliance on powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics for so many health problems. Another cause is medicine given to patients to alleviate acid reflux. Many of these health problems could be treated with more natural substances, but there's not much money to made from these remedies.

It's a vicious cycle. People are not practicing good hygiene. They spread C. Diff by not washing their hands good enough. The bacteria, which is found in soil and other places, is enabled to proliferate. When the environment is where antibiotics are used, it's a paradise for C. Diff germs.

A major symptom of C. Diff is extremely foul smelling diarrhea with pain and discomfort in the gut.

The Mayo Clinic provides some information on this serious and sometimes fatal C. Diff disease.

[QUOTE]

Clostridium difficile (klos-TRID-e-uhm dif-uh-SEEL), often called C. difficile or C. diff, is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. Illness from C. difficile most commonly affects older adults in hospitals or in long term care facilities and typically occurs after use of antibiotic medications.

In recent years, C. difficile infections have become more frequent, more severe and more difficult to treat. Each year, tens of thousands of people in the United States get sick from C. difficile, including some otherwise healthy people who aren't hospitalized or taking antibiotics.

Mild illness caused by C. difficile may get better if you stop taking antibiotics. Severe symptoms require treatment with a different antibiotic.

C. difficile bacteria are passed in feces and spread to food, surfaces and objects when people who are infected don't wash their hands thoroughly. The bacteria produce hardy spores that can persist in a room for weeks or months. If you touch a surface contaminated with C. difficile, you may then unknowingly ingest the bacteria.

People in good health don't usually get sick from C. difficile. Your intestines contain millions of bacteria, many of which help protect your body from infection.

But when you take an antibiotic to treat an infection, the drug can destroy some of the normal, helpful bacteria as well as the bacteria causing the illness.

Without enough healthy bacteria, C. difficile can quickly grow out of control. The antibiotics that most often lead to C. difficile infections include fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, clindamycin and penicillins.

Once established, C. difficile can produce toxins that attack the lining of the intestine. The toxins destroy cells and produce patches (plaques) of inflammatory cells and decaying cellular debris inside the colon.

Emergence of new strain
An aggressive strain of C. difficile has emerged that produces far more toxins than other strains do. The new strain is more resistant to certain medications and has shown up in people who haven't been in the hospital or taken antibiotics. This strain of C. difficile has caused several outbreaks of illness since 2000.

[END QUOTE]

If you have a loved one in the hospital or a nursing home, and you are told that they have C. Diff, ask a lot of questions. Often, antimicrobial drugs are mis-administered to patients.

Do not touch the infected patient or anything in their room. Wear protective gloves just to be sure you don't pick up the C. Diff bacteria. Often when a patient has C. Diff the nursing staff will quarantine ("isolate") the patient in a room with another C. Diff patient. This seems self-defeating, because then they might keep re-infecting each other. C. Diff bacteria spores can settle down in a room and live there for months.

Your best bet for your own safety is to not visit a C. Diff patient until their condition is completely cleared up.

Remember that broad-spectrum antibiotics can kill too much of your good bacteria that protects your immune system. Be sure to take yogurt or kefir or probiotic formula when antibiotics are unavoidable for a serious illness.

Livestrong "Diets for C. Diff"

Great Depression Cooking: Pizza

94 year old cook, author and great grandmother, Clara, recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. Learn how to make simple yet delicious dishes while listening to stories from the Great Depression.

Pizza is Clara's favorite meal.

She cuts it with scissors! LOL

Chest Pains from Costochondritis

I was having chest pains for about two weeks. I tried to ignore them and they would go away, then return. Suddenly at midnight, as I reached for my boombox to play a CD while lying in bed, I got a very sharp pain that freaked me out. I got up, took a shower, and prepared to go to the emergency room.

Was I having a heart attack? Did I have a lung tumor? What on earth was going on? I am not a worry wart, but this chest pain had me very concerned.

I went to the Mayo Clinic website and researched chest pains, symptoms, causes, and treatments.

I called Methodist hospital, spoke to a nurse about what I was experiencing, and she assured me it was probably not an emergency, but I should see a doctor today. I printed out 12 pages of the Mayo Clinic  information to read while at the doctor's office.

I went to MedPoint up past Green Chevrolet, out Knoxville, in Peoria. They took my blood pressure, listened to my heart with a stethoscope, and took a chest X-ray. I felt more alarmed during the chest X-ray. Having never had one, I suspected this might show more than I wanted to know.

I gave the nurse a list of the supplements I take, about 12 total. I was hoping they wouldn't think I was a hypochondriac, or tell me to stop taking supplements. They didn't.

Good news. All I had was inflamed cartilage in my sternum, where your ribs connect to your breastbone, a condition called Costochondritis. All that you do  for it is rest, put a heat pad on your chest, and take anti-inflammatory medications. Walking is good, if you can do it without increasing the pain.

I am pretty sure this condition was caused by my stupid habit of slouching as I work on the computer. I must constantly remind myself to sit upright and not hunch over the keyboard. I need to be far more mindful of my posture at all times.

The doctor prescribed Naproxen 500 mg tablets to take twice a day. Now this NSAID is being prescribed just for reducing inflammation and for pain relief. I don't want to reduce the inflammation because that's a natural part of the healing process, and I don't mind the pain, now that I know what is causing it.

I have plenty of anti-inflammatory supplements and substances that I can take should I decide to reduce the inflammation. Thus, I see no reason to take the prescribed medicine, especially since it has the risk of a variety of very bad side effects. I broke my back twice and no NAID did a thing for relieving pain. The only things that worked were Darvocet (now taken off the market due to heart concerns), Codeine, Vicodin, and occasional shots of morphine.

So, here's yet another case where I imagined something terribly wrong was going on, but the reality was not so bad at all. I'm so thankful for that, let me tell you.

Natural Remedies for Costochrondritis at Regenerative Nutrition

Herbal Treatments for Costochondrities at LiveStrong (arnica, celandine, chamomile, devil's claw, dong quai, fennel, ginger, ginseng, goldenrod, gotu kola, kava kava, passionflower and willow.)

Mediterranean Diet intro VIDEO

Armstrong Atlantic State University (Savannah, Georgia) "Mediterranean Diet"

Even the mainstream medical world acknowledges the tremendous values of the Mediterranean Diet.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the Mediterranean Diet is good for heart health, among many other benefits.

[QUOTE]


If you're looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet might be right for you. The Mediterranean diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating — plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine — among other components characterizing the traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Most healthy diets include fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and limit unhealthy fats. While these parts of a healthy diet remain tried-and-true, subtle variations or differences in proportions of certain foods may make a difference in your risk of heart disease.

Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. 

In fact, a recent analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of overall and cardiovascular mortality, a reduced incidence of cancer and cancer mortality, and a reduced incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

For this reason, most if not all major scientific organizations encourage healthy adults to adapt a style of eating like that of the Mediterranean diet for prevention of major chronic diseases.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes:

* Getting plenty of exercise

* Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts

* Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil

* Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods

* Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month

* Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week

* Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)

The diet also recognizes the importance of enjoying meals with family and friends.


[END QUOTE]

The Food Movement of Farming Democracy

There is a great article at Common Dreams.org on the Food Movement. What is the Food Movement?  It's a farming and diet revolution sweeping the world. It's not just a trendy thing to do, to eat organic and care about the environment. It's now a matter of individual, cultural, and social survival.

Fast Food, Junk Food, Corporate Food, Stupid Food, Genetically Modified Food -- it's all coming under attack from multiple directions. While strong forces are trying to dominate the food that is eaten globally, people are rising up and giving stiff resistance.

[QUOTE]

As food growers, sellers and eaters, we’re moving in two directions at once.

The number of hungry people has soared to nearly 1 billion, despite strong global harvests. And for even more people, sustenance has become a health hazard—with the US diet implicated in four out of our top ten deadly diseases. 

Power over soil, seeds and food sales is ever more tightly held, and farmland in the global South is being snatched away from indigenous people by speculators set to profit on climbing food prices. Just four companies control at least three-quarters of international grain trade; and in the United States, by 2000, just ten corporations—with boards totaling only 138 people—had come to account for half of US food and beverage sales. 

Conditions for American farmworkers remain so horrific that seven Florida growers have been convicted of slavery involving more than 1,000 workers. Life expectancy of US farmworkers is forty-nine years.

There is, however, another current, which is democratizing power and aligning farming with nature’s genius. Many call it simply “the global food movement.” In the United States it’s building on the courage of truth tellers from Upton Sinclair to Rachel Carson, and worldwide it has been gaining energy and breadth for at least four decades.

Some Americans see the food movement as “nice” but peripheral—a middle-class preoccupation with farmers’ markets, community gardens and healthy school lunches. But no, I’ll argue here. It is at heart revolutionary, with some of the world’s poorest people in the lead, from Florida farmworkers to Indian villagers. It has the potential to transform not just the way we eat but the way we understand our world, including ourselves. And that vast power is just beginning to erupt.

......

This rising global food movement taps universal human sensibilities—expressed in Hindu farmers in India saving seeds, Muslim farmers in Niger turning back the desert and Christian farmers in the United States practicing biblically inspired Creation Care. In these movements lies the revolutionary power of the food movement: its capacity to upend a life-destroying belief system that has brought us power-concentrating corporatism.

[END QUOTE]

Read more of the article "The Food Movement: Its Power and Possibilities"

Salad Suggestions from Naturally Yours Grocery

You can really get some wildly nutritious salads going -- with ingredients from Naturally Yours Grocery. I have been studying olive oil and balsamic vinegar and trying to get more fresh organic produce into my system.

See, I'm more of a hot wings, pizza, and chili kind of guy. I hate steaks, but sometimes eat more hamburger and bratwurst than I should. I eat a lot of grapes, brown rice and soy sauce, and I love to drink soy milk (mostly to counteract stomach acid heartburn -- works quickly and reliably), and try to avoid anything that is not organic and natural.

Now I have to focus more on salads, vegetables, and healthy salad dressings.

Walden Farms has a nice salad dressing, this Raspberry Vinaigrette. If you like sweet salad dressings, this is very nice. Other natural brands offer good Raspberry Vinaigrettes, too.

This Walden Farms salad dressing is Sugar Free, Fat Free, Carb Free, Gluten Free, and Cholesterol Free.

Sometimes I will add tuna or sardines to a salad. Rarely a bit of chicken. Also I will occasionally add some radish, celery, or green pepper. What do you like to put in your salad?

Now here is a salad I am constructing with red leaf lettuce and sprouts from Naturally Yours Grocery organic produce section.

Red leaf lettuce, 1/2 cup (28g) (raw, shredded)

Calories: 5
Protein: 0.36g
Carbohydrate: 0.98g
Total Fat: 0.08g
Fiber: 0.53g
Good source of: vitamin A (532 IU)

Far more nutritious than Iceberg Lettuce.

I love adding Alfalfa Sprouts to my salads. Then I cut up some home-grown organic tomatoes and jalapeno peppers -- and add some croutons. Salad perfection.