CLASSES IN THE GULCH

Starting February, we will be hosting a series of in-store classes in our Gulch location store led by members of The Turnip Truck staff and/or visiting educators and specialists.  The class will be held every 2nd Thursday of each month and repeated on the 2nd Saturday of each month.

The class will begin with a brief tour of the store where you can learn what we have to offer. The tour will end in a specific area of our store for a more in-depth discussion.

For FEBRUARY, we will feature our Supplement Department Manager and resident supplements expert Dolly Thomas, who will will lead you on a tour and give an overview of all that we have to offer in supplements and vitamins, with a special focus on Heart Health. She will have samples to hand out and everyone who attends the class will be offered a special one-time discount for that day.

Here are the details:
Thursday February 9th 6:00-7:00pm
Saturday February 11th 10:00-11:00am
(321 12th Ave South- Nashville 37203)

Space is limited. To sign up for one of these classes, please email Kathryn@TheTurnipTruck.com

We hope you will join us.

LOVE YOUR HEART!

Healthy Hearts Need Healthy Fat

February is the perfect month to focus some extra attention on our hearts. The heart is the hardest working muscle in the body. Did you know that the average human heart beats an average of 72 times per minute? This means that by age 66, one's heart will have beaten close to 2.5 billion times. An organ that works this hard deserves a little extra love and attention. Consuming more fat is usually not the first idea that comes to mind when trying to care for one's heart. However, the types of fats one consumes could be the most crucial factor in determining one's cardiovascular health. Most are unaware that healthy fats are the primary energy / fuel source for the heart.  In fact, if one's diet is lacking in these important fats the heart can not possibly function at optimum capacity.

The healthy fat most Americans are deficient in is omega 3 fatty acid. Omega 3 fatty acids are found primarily in wild-caught fish, flax and chia seeds, walnuts, & sea weeds. Fish oil tends to be the most bio-available source of these health promoting fats. Omega 3 fatty acids not only provide excellent nourishment to the heart muscle but also benefit many other organ systems as well. Research shows that Fish oil can boost healthy HDL cholesterol levels while helping to lower triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure. Fish oil also has a slight blood-thinning effect. This is very helpful for many Americans whose arteries are full of plaque which can lead to blood clots and eventually a stroke or heart attack. Research shows that these fatty acids break up clots before they can cause any damage. Fish Oils have also been found to help maintain the elasticity of artery walls and promote healthy heart rhythm.

The Turnip Truck sells several high quality brands of fish oils. Brand names to look for include Nordic Naturals, New Chapter, and Barleans. All of these fish oils are pharmaceutical grade and often recommended by doctors. When in doubt, have one of our supplement experts assist you in finding the right one for you.

Choose Heart-Healthy Foods

Making healthy food choices is one of many lifestyle changes that can help reduce your risk for getting heart disease.
To help keep your heart healthy, it has often been recommended to choose foods with:

• less fat
• less sodium (salt)
• less cholesterol
• fewer calories
• more fiber

There has been a considerable amount of research done on healthy diets for good heart health. All of the lists for top heart healthy foods always include the following:

1. Oatmeal is full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

2. Flaxseeds are full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Make sure to grind them for optimum effect.

3. Fresh Berries are full of anti-inflammatory properties, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Berries also contain polyphenols which are another set of antioxidants that may protect blood vessels, lower blood pressure, reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol. 

4. Nuts are a good source of fiber and healthy fat. They are loaded with mono- and polyunsaturated fat.

5. Olive Oil is full of monounsaturated fats and can help to lower bad LDL cholesterol and can possibly reduce the risk of developing heart disease. 

6. Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fat. They have been known to help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body. They help in the absorption of other carotenoids—especially beta-carotene and lycopene—which are essential for heart health.

7. Spinach contains lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

8. Legumes are high in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and soluble fiber.

9. Salmon is super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It has been known to effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clottingat bay. Salmon contains the carotenoid astaxanthin, which is known as a very powerful antioxidant. Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines can give your heart the same boost.

Reduce the Stress in Your Life

Reducing the stress (or learning how to effectively manage the stress) in your life can also be beneficial for optimal heart health. This is something each of us has to figure out on our own as everyone deals with stress in their own personal way. The Turnip Truck has many amazing stress-relieving products such as handmade aromatherapy candles and soaps made by local company, Alchemy of Sol. We also have several varieties of bath salts, massage oils and potions, and essential oils by different companies, including local, East Nashville company, Essencetree, and Aura Cacia (pictured below). Reminder: these make excellent gifts for your friends and loved ones this Valentine’s Day.

AWESOME CHOCOLATES

There has been lots of research done on the healthy benefits of eating chocolate. Whether you believe them or not, one thing most of us can agree upon is this simple statement: Chocolates are delicious! The Turnip Truck has an amazing selection of some of the best chocolate bars on the market, if we don’t say so ourselves. Here is the run-down…

One of our personal favorite chocolate bars and the one to travels the shortest distance to reach our shelves is made by local chocolatier, Olive & Sinclair. Olive & Sinclair uses single origin cacao beans. Their Sea Salt & Black Pepper chocolate bar is simply divine. Another favorite with our customers is their Mexican-style Cinnamon Chili bar.

Another favorite amongst our staff is Theo Chocolate bars, made in Seattle, WA. Theo Chocolate is proud to be the only organic, fair trade, bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the United States. They use only pure ingredients that are grown sustainably. They source their ingredients locally whenever possible. They partner with their cacao bean growers to ensure they earn a living wage and have access to education for their families. They control every step of their own manufacturing process which allows them to honor and respect all of their employees and supplies. Theo Chocolates uses green energy sources to power their factory, use sustainable packaging and printing methods, and educate the public about social and environmental accountability 7 days a week through public tours of their artisan factory which is located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle.
Theo Chocolates has an unwavering commitment to changing the way the cocoa industry conducts business. They believe there is no luxury in products that benefit us today, while jeopardizing future generations’ ability to meet their needs. When you taste their chocolate you will experience their passion and integrity in every luscious bite!

We also carry Endangered Species Chocolates. Not only are their chocolates tasty, but they donate 10% of their net profits to species and habitat conservation efforts. Each ingredient that goes into their chocolate is carefully sourced to benefit and support the environment.  They seek out farmers that practice sustainable farming and use the highest quality organic and all-natural ingredients for all of their chocolate bars.  By supporting organic and sustainable agriculture, they believe they are putting fewer chemicals into the earth, protecting rainforests, and supporting sustainability for farmers.

You can also find a large selection of Green & Black’s Chocolates at The Turnip Truck. Green & Black’s Chocolate bars were first introduced in England in 1991 and made the voyage to the United States in 2003. Green & Black’s is Fair Trade Certified and is the only global organic and Fair Trade Certified Chocolate brand. In addition to their popular chocolate bars, chocolate lovers also can enjoy Green & Black’s hot chocolate and baking bars.

We also carry several other awesome brands of chocolate bars including: Angell candy bars, Alter Eco, Chocolove, local Colt Bars, Crispy Cat bars, Dagoba, Divine, Equal Exchange, Jocalat, local Nashville Toffee, Newman’s Own, and Ritter.

Other Options for Cacao

Not interested in eating sweet chocolate treats but still interested in reaping the benefits of the powerful cacao bean? Lucky for you, The Turnip Truck carries some great products from Navitas. Navitas specializes in organic and wild-crafted functional foods. Health conscious consumers choose their nutrient-rich products because they are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Their food philosophy is simple: Nutrient rich whole foods are best produced using organic agricultural methods with minimal processing. Their premium quality “superfoods” are always free of additives and trans fats; the absence of these elements speaking to the purity and effectiveness of the products.

Their company is committed to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. Navitas sources their premium functional foods through direct partnerships with farming communities around the world. An essential part of their mission as a business is to create economic opportunities among indigenous people in developing countries. Their support of native agriculture helps expand development of global organic farming practices. Their facility is Organic, Kosher and GMP/HACCP Certified. In addition, they utilize methods such as freeze-drying and low temperature processing to ensure maximum nutrition and safety. The Turnip Truck is proud to carry a large variety of Navitas products.

Anyone in our supplement department will happily help you find the right product for you!

WHO OWNS OUR FOOD?

(This is an interesting article from one of our distributors of organic produce, Albert’s Organics. We felt it was an important article to share.)

The companies who make the genetically modified seeds also own the rights to the technology and they require farmers to sign agreements when they buy their seeds that prohibit them from saving and replanting the seeds. Farmers are forced to buy new seeds each year from the biotech companies. Leading the charge in this strategy is St. Louis, MO – based Monsanto, who between 1997 and April 2010, has filed 144 lawsuits against farmers in at least 27 different states for alleged infringement of its transgenic seed patents and/or breach of its license to those patents.

Even if you are an organic farm and would never consider using Genetically Modified seeds, you can still be sued by Monsanto. If your farm shows more than “trace amounts” of their seed, even if the seeds entered your field(s) blown in by the wind or carried in by birds, Monsanto can and will go after you. Recognizing this, a group of organic farmers in the U.S. and Canada have filed a “pre-emptive” lawsuit against Monsanto in order to protect themselves should any of Monsanto’s transgenic seeds accidentally make their way into their fields.

U.S. District Judge Naomi Buchwald said she will hear oral arguments Jan. 31 in Manhattan on a motion by St. Louis, Mo.-based Monsanto to dismiss the suit filed last March 31 by a group of 83 farmers, seed growers and farm organizations.

The suit “seeks court protection for innocent family farmers who may become contaminated by Monsanto seed,” according to a release last week from the Colorado-based lead plaintiff, the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA).

The suit, the plaintiffs claim, is “to protect themselves from being accused of patent infringement should their crops ever become contaminated by Monsanto’s genetically modified seed.”

“Monsanto’s technology is harmful for organic producers and processors,” COG executive director Beth McMahon said in a separate release this week. “To penalize our growers for GMO contamination adds insult to injury, and we won’t back down from this fight.”

Monsanto’s previous suits against farmers for alleged infringement on its patented seed suggest the company “intends to assert its transgenic seed patents against certified organic and non-transgenic seed farmers who come to possess more than ‘trace amounts’ of Monsanto’s transgenic seed, even if it is not their fault,” the plaintiffs claimed last year.

The irony here is that Monsanto is a leading company fighting against what it considers the over-reach of government regulations, all the while, its tight grip and regulatory hold on farmers is unprecedented and bringing the control of our food supply into the hands of a few biotech companies who (despite their promotional materials) are not interested in the democratization of our food supply.

http://blog.albertsorganics.com/