Future Hope’s Harvest Organic Food and Deli

“There are beautiful and wild forces within us.”
— St Francis of Assisi

“We are kept from the experience of Spirit because our inner world is cluttered with past traumas…As we being to clear away this clutter, the energy of divine light and love begins to flow through our beings.”
 — Father Thomas Keating

I have been visualizing expanding my store

to provide

for the greater good of our small community

a gathering place,

a bigger, more accessible

space to purchase healthy foods

and supplements, juicebar,

deli, and even a local potter

will be on board throwing pots

to provide functional, affordable

well-crafted pottery to the local folk,

and summer tourist folk,

and summer boater folk,

I’ve been dreaming

for a whole year…

vision boards,

meditation,

aligning with the Universal love energy,

taking action when I feel the inspired nudge,

everything I can think of

to manifest a dream

and

now it is happening,

a dream

is manifesting before us.

Oh yes,

there is still much

action to take,

when the nudges come,

and there is still

money flow to flow

to make everything happen,

yet the champagne toast

happened yesterday,

and the build-out began

yesterday,

and the leap of faith

that this dream will

blossom a thousand fold

is at the forefront

of my reality

and it feels

freeing

and wonderful!

Thank you,

Thank you,

I love you,

Universe.

I am thinking that eating

is an artform.

From the way I think about the food I am eating,

to how it looks,

to how it is grown,

to where it comes from,

to who grew it,

to how it is packaged,

all of this navigating becomes an artform.

How do I get all the nutrients my body needs?

The more I can create a pallet of beautiful colors

with all the fresh vegetables and fruits I eat,

the better I will feel from all the amazing nutrients,

and the more enjoyable the eating ritual

will be.

Also, I have been pondering that when

I do prepare food for myself, my family, friends,

when I’m coming from a happy, peaceful and calm place,

my food will transmit that peace, calm and beauty when it

is presented, served and eaten.

How wonderful to know that the food I eat is alive

and fills me up with nutrients and beauty and contributes

to my health, my peace of mind, and supports the

local food system and economy.

It is making more and more sense to me that

locally grown food is best for eating because of

freshness, sustainably grown food,

and thus the

environmental impact because of minimal

transport and fossil fuel useage,

support of the small family farm,

and keeping the local economy going.

The beauty and artform continues as I eat more

plant food so fresh, green and bright,

food lower on the food chain more often

than not

to keep my body happy and healthy.

Michael Pollan author of In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma,

writes in his blog

about how to eat healthy without obsessing about nutritional content

guidelines that I find extremely helpful and pertinent:

I try to distill this cultural wisdom into a series of eating algorithms–mental tools for navigating the food landscape and eating well. Instead of talking about how to get your antioxidants or probiotics, my rules of thumb go more like this:

1. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
2. Avoid food products with more than five ingredients; with ingredients you can’t pronounce.
3. Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot.
4. Shop the perimeter of the supermarket, where the food is least processed.
5. Avoid food products that make health claims.
6. Eat meals and eat them only at tables. (And no, a desk is not a table.)
7. Eat only until you’re 4/5 full. (An ancient Japanese injunction.)
8. Pay more, eat less.
9. Diversify your diet and eat wild foods when you can.
10. Eat slowly, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.

There are more, but this should give you some idea of how I approach the question of what and how to eat.

Since publishing the book last month, I’ve collected several more useful rules of thumb from readers and people I’ve met on my book tour. For example, someone told me her grandmother used to say, “The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead.” Another reader wrote that her grandfather used to say, at every meal, “I always like to leave the table a little bit hungry.” This cultural rule against eating until stuffed seems to be widespread. Muslims have told me that the prophet Muhammad addressed the issue of appetite by advising we should supply the stomach one-third with food, one-third with drink, and leave one-third for “easy breathing.”

A couple of others I’ve collected:

“If it arrives through the car window, it isn’t food.”
“Eat all the junk food you want–as long as you cook it yourself.”

Makes a lot of sense yes?

And how simple!

My grandma definitely said, ‘the whiter the bread, the sooner your dead’ and

‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away.’

And I know I have been listening to what my

body wants me to eat for the last 25 years,

which is organic food.

The results are I feel great almost daily.

Local organic farmer and acquaintance, Jack Hedin,

has had a tough time trying to accommodate

the demand for local fresh fruits and vegetables

on his 100 acre farm. In a New York Times

Op-Ed article he wrote on March 1st, Hedin

details how in attempting to rent 25 acres of land

on two nearby corn fields, after planting watermelons,

tomatoes, and veggies for natural food stores.

The farms didn’t get their subsidies because the Farm

Service Administration, the Agriculture Department

branch that runs farm commodities forbids farmers who usually

grow corn, soybeans, wheat, rice or cotton, from trying vegetables

and fruit on that land.

So the farmers didn’t get their subsidy and they were penalized the

market value of the crops grown on the land.

Jack had to pay an extra

$8700 for that season to cover the penalties these farmers incurred.

So, it appears another obstacle exists for the

small local farmer to grow organic fresh vegetables.

What a bummer when the fact is small farms are providing

a huge resource for the people on a grassroots level

in the US! Small farms are truly feeding the people

healthy food.

And they must continue to be able to do so

without the interference from corporate farms and their

lobbyists (huge organic farms in California,

Florida and Texas)

or the US Department of Agriculture.

I don’t mean to get gloomy and doomy here,

but the reality is that the people want fresh produce.

This demand is ever increasing.

We love the artform of eating beautiful

and locally grown food.

We love knowing we are contributing to

the sustainability of our local farmers,

the economy and

the environment.

We want to do good, feel good, and be good.

Let’s all grow gardens whenever possible

or become members of community supported

agriculture CSA farms or regular patrons

of farmers markets or stores like Hope’s Harvest

that carry locally produced foods, and may

we

pay attention

and participate in any legislation

that promotes the small organic farmer

being able to grow fruits and vegetables

on any land them deem farm-able!

Ok, I am female.

Obviously I don’t have prostate issues.

Yet,

as a health food store owner,

I need to be knowledgeable about

prostate cancer so I can

guide my customers who are

looking for a healthy alternative or

nutritional support for prostate health.

One in six men approximately will be

diagnosed with prostate cancer in

their lifetime. Second to lung cancer,

prostate cancer is a leading cause of

death in men.

Of course, the good news is that if

diagnosed early, most men survive

prostate cancer.

Soooooooo,

let’s move

on to remedies.

Lycopene, a member of the

carotenoid family and a powerful

antioxidant, has been researched and

is showing great success in reducing

the risk of developing the disease.

Eating tomatoes or tomato based foods

at least five times a week minimizes the

risk of prostate cancer, the research is showing.

Well, tomatoes are awesome, yes?

That seems easy, doesn’t it?

Some of my customers have taught me

that eating raw pumpkin seeds and

raw sunflower seeds are also excellent

sources for prostate nutritional support.

Pomegranate juice contains tons of antioxidants as well

anti-inflammatory properties.

By drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice

per day, post surgery men can stretch

their PSA (prostate-specific antigen)

doubling time and thus the growth of

cancer by years instead of months.

Thirty grams of flax seed (freshly ground or

in oil form) shows a 30 to 40 percent

slower growth rate of cancer cells.

Greater absorption of the omega 3

fatty acids and lignans can occur when

the flax seed oil is taken with a cultured

product like yogurt, cottage cheese or

keifer. The oil then becomes water

soluble and permeates through the cell

membranes more effectively.

High antioxidant teas such as green tea or yerba

mate tea also slow the progression of prostate

cancer with the high level of catechins (600 mgs per day).

The herb that has gotten the most press,

saw palmetto, has aided significantly in keeping

prostate enlargement down–a condition that can happen

in older men. I carry a product called, Adam’s

Prostate Care which is a unique herbal blend for men.

Adam’s contains saw palmetto, ginseng, pumpkin seed extract,

Uva-ursi, natural progesterone, natural vitamin C, rosemary

extract, carrot oil, and avocado oil. Wow….everybody loves it,

too.

Isn’t it marvelous that we have choices at our fingertips about

our health and about preventing dis-ease in our bodies?

Isn’t it wonderful that there are simple remedies that can

maximize our nutrient intake and keep our bodies in balance?

All right!

May we all continue to educate ourselves and take our

power back around our health.

Feel free to contribute to the discussion of

prostate care…we can all learn from eachother.

Life is joyous when we are present in our bodies

and taking care of ourselves.

We have discovered here in the northlands that

we don’t have to eat meat. (I still do because I source

it from local farmers and feel like I benefit from it at

this point, but

my co-workers don’t).

If we make our own keifer with

keifer grains and

raw milk picked up at a nearby

organic farm,

and drink a quart of it a day,

our muscle mass increases,

we are sustained all day

and we don’t have to eat meat.

The amino acids in meat are what we absorb as protein.

They exist in keifer, too.

Why raw milk?

Unheated milk has the enzymes kept in which make it much easier

to digest and more nutritious and great for the digestive track

and immune system.

What the heck is keifer?

Keifer ( pronounces by some kef fur, by others like me, keeeef fur) is one: a sparkly, thick, yogurt-like liquid loaded with protein, calcium, and fiber as well as ten or more live and active cultures including acidophilus to enhance the health of your intestinal track, boost your immune system, and help control high cholesterol levels. Keifer is the cousin to yogurt–adding appropriate bacterias where yogurt feeds those bacterias. Keifer’s roots trace back more than 2000 years in Europe.

One evening at bedtime, my co-worker tried to drag

her husband out of bed so she could change the

sheets. He woudn’t budge.

She realized that after a year of drinking raw milk keifer, he is

a bulldozer of a strong man right now.

And while her muscle mass has increased as well,

she still couldn’t budge him.

She also realized that her dog is the same size

after drinking raw milk keifer for a year,

but extremely dense.

When she tries to move her dog,

he won’t budge either,

he is solid, dense muscular dog, through and through

at age 11.

Granted this is an active couple of folks who regularly

work out at the gym. They are both in their early 50s

and have bodies that are sculpted like 20 year olds.

They owe it all to keifer and a raw food diet.

Fascinating, yes?

Raw milk keifer is so easy to make.

Just place a gallon of milk in a glass

container, put a few keifer grains in it,

leave the milk on the counter for 24 hours

at room temperature 68-72F, and soon,

you will have more keifer grains–they

multiply and have babies!–and

an effervescent, yogurt like drink.

Strain the grains and store them

in the refrigerator in a small container of milk.

It is possible to dry the grains by leaving them out

in open air and they still will remain cultureable and potent.

After a year, you, too, may notice

an increase in muscle density not to

mention fantastic digestive proprieties, an invincible

immune system and phenomenally

physical strength. Sound good?

Goji berries, native to China and Tibet, are loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants.

Yes, they have a subtle and mild flavor with a smooth, lingering aftertaste.

But, hey and here’s pet peeve of mine,

they are grown in China.

Do you live in China?

If so, you probably have access to fresh goji berries

at a fair price.

Excellent.

Mangosteen, a fruit with wonderful

medicinal properties, is from India.

So is the Amla berry, an East Indian

Goosberry which is another excellent source of Vitamin C.

Why are we health foodists paying for fuel costs

to ship the Tibetan goji berry

and

mangosteen all over the world when

nature has done an incredible thing?

Nature

has created healthy berries in every region of the world.

Ever explore the concept of bioregionalism?

Bioregionalism is a fancy name for living a rooted life. Sometimes called “living in place,” bioregionalism means you are aware of the ecology, economy and culture of the place where you live, and are committed to making choices that enhance them.

If we are what we eat

and we are where we live,

why aren’t we focused

on eating the berries of our bioregion?

Berries have enormous nutritional components

and disease preventing properties

with all the antioxidants and phyto nutrients present in them.

They are extremely potent and bioavailable to humans.

In other words, berries are a fantastic food to be eating.

Here in Minnesota the native berry of our region is the elderberry.

The elderberry is loaded with Vitamin C

and antioxidants perhaps equal or more to the

goji berry.

Like the goji, the elderberry has a unique

flavor all its own that is intriguing

and enjoyable.

Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are also native to this region.

A cup of any of these berries has so much more Vitamin C content than

orange juice.

Cranberries as many of us know are fabulous for bladder issues and kidney

infections.

Why, I ask myself, would we be shipping in Tibetin Goji berries and mangosteen–

yes, I love their flavor, don’t get me wrong–

when we have plenty of berries around us in

our bioregion

that are equally if not more

potent and powerful not only because of their nutrient content

but also their close proximity and therefore their amazing freshness

and great flavor?

I really think we need to take a look at where our food comes from

and ask ourselves, do we need a the latest ‘fad’ berry that is supposed to

be the cure all to end all cure-alls or

is something similar in nutritional content

available locally?

Can I buy a local berry that has similar health benefits without

the fuel costs to ship the product across the world?

I am reminding and suggesting that we scrutinize where our food comes from.

As health food junkies who care where our food comes from and how it is

prepared or produced, we can participate in reducing the environmental impact

caused by shipping fancy far away product all over the place.

Whenever possible, try to buy local first,

you will be supporting the local economy,

the local farmers and therefore reducing

fuel costs and environmental consequences.

Berries are a favorite.

Berries are political.

Find a local berry and make it your friend.

You and the Earth will be happier and healthier because of your choices.

Michael Pollen in his new book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,

describes eloquently the issue of becoming nutrient obsessed.  His manifesto

lays out a simple plan:

” Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.”

He also describes a new nervosa called, orthoexia nervosa which basically

describes people who become obsessed with all the food that is

either really bad for them

or

really good for them.

Dr. Steve Bratman coined the term and it is an actual diagnosable disease:

orthorexia as an unhealthy obsession (as in obsessive-compulsive disorder) with what the sufferer considers to be healthy eating . The subject may avoid certain foods, such as those containing fats, preservatives, or animal products, and suffer malnutrition. Bratman asserts that “emaciation is common among followers of health food diets.”

Extremely obsessed.

I actually haven’t read Pollan’s latest book that just came out.

I’m still reading Pollans’ brilliant The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Then I will start in on In Defense of Food.

My point today is,

yes,

we can get obsessed with our health.

I am guilty of this to a certain extent.

Heck, I own a health food store, people!

However,

I am a strong advocate in the concept of

everything in moderation.

And live it up a little.

And do it if it feels good.

And indulge your senses especially taste

because this is why we are alive….

to experience life fully.

Eat chocolate this week if you feel so moved.

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us.

Indulge in something rich.

Enjoy yourself in some comfort food.

Fall off the health food wagon for a spell.

Have some fun.

Live it up.

Let’s love ourselves fully in our imperfections.

We are perfectly imperfect and that is ok!

Let’s revisit Vitamin D again knowing what we know:

That Vitamin D is a magnificent vitamin

not only for bone health, but for cancer and disease prevention and

immune system building.

Brainstorm with me the sources:The obvious is 15 minutes in the direct hot sun.

Shiitake Mushrooms, dried in the sun have a WHOPPING 46,000 IUs

of Vitamin D per 100 grams!

In its sun dried form it has the highest content of vitamin D of any plant food. Only in fish, fowl, meat and eggs are higher levels of vitamin D found.

HOLY SMOKES!!!

Cod liver oil is a super high source of Vitamin D.

Folks around here gave it to there children prior to the

advent of fortified milk with Vitamin D to prevent rickets,

a bone disease found mainly in kids deficient in Vitamin D.

Salmon, tuna, mackeral, skate livers, shark oil and sardines rate right up there.

Beef livers and eggs as well.

1000 IUs for kids.

2000 IUs for big people.

Hypervitaminosis D may occur with chronic intake of high doses of vitamin D supplements or fish oils. Clinical signs of toxicity include elevated serum calcium and phosphorus levels, soft tissue calcification, headache, polyuria, polydipsia, and nausea.

The upper limit of safety for vitamin D established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine is 25 mcg (1000 IU) daily for infants and 50 mcg (2000 IU) for children and adults.

Any other sources?

Please contribute let us all know!

Your basic tube of toothpaste has enough fluoride in it to kill a baby.

Folks, fluoride is toxic!

Too much fluoride can lead to fluorosis,

a discoloring of your teeth and a breakdown of the enamel.

Damage to the nervous system

and even osteoporosis are side affects

of swallowing your fluoride toothpaste or brushing your teeth too much.

Ingredients to watch for on your labels:

Triclosan–a preservative that lead to toxicity in the organs.

Sodium lauryl sulfate: which is a cleaning agent and can lead to

developmental and reproductive toxicity.

Tetrasodium pyrophosphate: which is an oral care tool
that can impact your brain and nervous system even in small doses.

Hydrated silica–an anticaking agent that bioaccumulates in people.

FD and C Blue 1–a carcigenic food coloring.

At this point, between toothpaste and other preservatives,

we have so much bioaccumulation in our bodies

that we are

well preserved to the point that

we don’t actually require embalming when we die.

Yuck!

Toothpaste isn’t being regulated

and what is in it can really do damage to our bodies.

Toothpaste can be incredibly toxic.

There are at least a dozen non-toxic and free of

fluoride toothpastes

on the market.

Choose natural toothpastes and read the labels.

Some that are thought to be ‘natural’

contain one or more of the aforementioned ingredients.

Read carefully.

Seafresh by Jason is one of my faves and

an excellent toothpaste.

Xylitol, a natural cavity

preventer is in alot of

‘clean’ toothpastes.

Natural Dentist puts out a kid’s toothpaste called, “Healthy Teeth”

Sparkle Berry Blast which has xylitol in it.

Read labels, inform yourself on the toothpastes out there.

Want a safe way to brighten your teeth?

Crush one ripe strawberry and mix it with

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Spread the mixture onto your teeth

and leave on for five minutes.

Brush your teeth with a little

toothpaste (non-fluoride, of course)

and rinse.

This  works because of the presence

of malic acid which acts as an

astringent to remove some of the

surface discoloration on your teeth.

Yes, this is a perfectly safe method

for teeth whitening–just don’t do it

more than once a week because you

run the risk of tooth enamel damage.

A healthy diet is one of the best ways

of all

to promote healthy teeth.

Thanks, Jeff for all your hard work and research!

“Chocolate is sacred. There is an art to the alchemy of chocolate, an art we explore with mystery and integrity.” (Source: Dagoba chocolate bar wrapper)

News flash!

Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Dark Chocolate, when consumed in moderate amounts, is beneficial to humans.

All right!

Ok, let’s go over these bennies.

First off, the ORAC rating.

What does ORAC stand for?

Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity.

The ability and rate of absorption of a given food item or nutrient to

absorb free radicals with its level of antioxidants.

For dark chocolate, the ORAC is 13,000.

For milk chocolate, the ORAC rating is 6700.

So, that tells you dark chocolate has a lot more

antioxidants than milk chocolate.

What are the other positive attributes that validate our

increase in consumption of the rich dark chocolate we love and crave?

• It tastes good. Chew dark chocolate slowly. Let the flavors dismantle slowly on your tongue. Experience the diverse array of delicate palette colors with each bite you ingest.
• It stimulates endorphin production which gives a genuine feeling of pleasure.
• It contains serotonin which acts as an anti-depressant.
• It contains theobromine, caffeine, and other substances which are stimulating.
• It lowers blood pressure.
• It lowers cholesterol—the ‘bad’ levels.
• It has the highest count of flavonoids which help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide. Flavonoids act as antioxidants. Red wine, apples, and green tea also contain flavonoids, but not nearly as much as dark chocolate.
• It is low fat. One third of dark chocolate is palmitic acid which is a ‘bad fat’. The other 2/3 are oleicacids and steraric acids, both of which are ok and easier to metabolize.

You want to keep in mind that it is important to not drink milk with your dark chocolate,

because it will interfere with the proper absorption of antioxidants.

Enjoy the health benefits and the exquisite taste of dark chocolate.

It is a romantic food, dark, sensual, sweet.

70% or more cocoa present in your dark chocolate

is the recommended medicinal dose to know you are benefitting healthwise.

Eat small amounts.

Chew slowly.

Notice the beautiful bouquet of flavors.

Dark chocolate is rich and bountiful in its qualities…

Like life.

Divine.

Our favorite around here is Divine Chocolate.

It is fair trade chocolate from fine quality cocoa beans

from Kuapa Kokoo, a cooperative of small farms in

Ghana. The Divine wrapper reads,

“The cocoa is grown in the shade of the tropical

rainforest, and slowly fermented and dried in the sun

by the farmers, who take great pride in the chocolate

company they co-own. Choosing delicious Divine

gives you guaranteed pleasure, and the farmers a guaranteed

fair deal, as well as the chance to invest in a better future–

that’s good business.”

That’s fair trade. Yes, it is good business.

Good fair trade dark chocolate.

Life is so rich.

Oh

my

gosh.

Turmeric, that lovely East Indian spice

that comes from the Ginger root family

is a powerfully medicinal herb.

Yellow-orange in color,

turmeric is one of the

ingredients in curry powder.

Alone, it adds excellent flavor to rice dishes

and other grains and beans.

Native to SE Asia,

turmeric has also

been cultivated for a long time

in India.

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory!

It is excellent for:

• healthy liver function; it stimulates bile production in the liver
• respiratory issues; it decreases inflammation and mucus production
• the digestive track by reducing gas and bloating
• improving intestinal flora
• its antibacterial properties
• psoriasis outbreaks
• aiding in healing hemorrhoids; a paste directly applied works best
• reducing menstrual cramps with its anti-spasmodic properties
• being a potent detoxifier
• pre-skin cancer healing; topical or internal use–of course, it will turn your skin yellow!
• natural dye; used for dyeing fabric, yarn, clothing, and Easter eggs

Some folks have had success taking 1 teaspoon per day of turmeric powder to

eradicate their psoriasis outbreaks.

Some folks get a hold of the fresh turmeric root

and grate it into their dishes.

Still others put it in their rice and

eat yellow rice with a nutty flavor frequently.

I put it in my basmati rice all the time.

Herb Pharm has it in tincture form

if you want the medicinal benefits

but don’t want to cook with it.

And here’s a great reference to the spiritual side of turmeric:

“Turmeric gives the energy of the Divine Mother and grants prosperity. It is effective for cleansing the chakras, and purifying the channels of the subtle body.” Dr. Vasant Lad

Embrace the fabulous attributes of turmeric.

Your immune system will love you even more than it already does!

Thanks, Frederick for the link to The People’s Pharmacy