Healthy Living

Put it on your calendar; the annual Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair in Fredericksburg is scheduled for Sept 22 - 24.

Always a lot of fun, the Roundup is the place to learn about local application of alternative, sustainable energy, building methods, and general green living.

Exhibits & demonstrations

Tent talks

Workshops on the grounds

Live music

Screening of Nobelities

Kids' learning activities

Rides in the "Jiggle-bug" (powered by bio-diesel)

New Belgium beer & ales for sale

Natural, organic food cafe

Keynote Speakers:

Friday,September 22, 5 -6 PM
John Ikerd
Breaking our Fossil-Energy Addiction through Organic Foods and Farming

Saturday, September 23, 1 - 2 p.m.
Turk Pipkin
What Nobel Laureates Think about our Future

Sunday, September 24, noon - 1 p.m.
Sandra Heffernan
Designing the McKinney Green Building to be LEED Platinum

Advanced tickets
Schedule (Go check it out)

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September 11, 2006 00:13 - New Coffees at Real Foods Market

If you were in the store this past week, you may have noticed a change in coffees.

All our coffee beans are organic, Fair-Trade, bird-friendly; that's not gonna change. But we found a new importer/roaster who can deliver the same great quality, and with prices low enough that we can lower YOUR cost by $1.50 a pound.

That's significant (I should know - I drink a lot of Java myself).

Real Foods is absolutely committed to buying as local as possible. And while we can't buy coffee grown in Texas, we can certainly get it roasted in Texas. Katz Coffee is in Houston... guess that can be local enough.

Come in and ask for a taste. And while you're here, get your thinking cap on and help us come up with a name for our new House Blend. Enter our contest by writing your suggested name, YOUR name, and your contact info, and drop it in the ballot box in the bulk foods section.

The winner gets a free pound of coffee.

Thank Goodness the Experts are Coming Around

I always knew that coffee couldn't be as evil as we've been led to believe.

Of course, some people just plain shouldn't drink coffee; and many folks don't enjoy it, anyway (??)

But if you do, you'll be pleased to read some of the health benefits of coffee. (Go check it out)

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September 14, 2006 00:02 - Monsanto Whistleblower Says Genetically Engineered Crops May Cause Disease

Many people in the world, including most Americans, eat genetically modified food everyday without knowing it. There is no disclosure on labels.

You'll be outraged when you learn how government and Big Agriculture have hidden the dangers of genetically modified crops and gambled with your health. (Read Article)

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September 17, 2006 11:45 - Update on Spinach Recall and Botulism in Carrot Juice

If you haven't already heard, there was a major "bagged spinach" recall last week due to a multi-state E. coli outbreak.

[E. coli causes diarrhea, and in rare cases, a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, or HUS]

All spinach sold in bags (in the US) have been voluntarily recalled, including the brand that is normally sold at Real Foods (Earthbound Farm).

Unfortunately, or I guess "fortunately" in this case, we haven't been able to even get spinach for the last several weeks.

The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) press release and the CDC ( US Center for Disease Control) press release have both been taken down already (?)

The Earthbound Farms press release is here if you'd like to read it http://www.ebfarm.com/press/foodsafe/

Lucky for Real Foods and the people in Blanco, we get most of our fresh greens locally at Amador Farms.

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On another front, there has also been a botulism problem reported in a bottle of commercially prepared carrot juice. It was not known if the juice had been refrigerated properly after it was opened (If I didn't know better, I'd say the health food industry was being specifically targeted).

The company name printed on the contaminated bottle reads "Bolthouse Farms, Bakersfield, California, 100% carrot juice." The use by date is 09-18-06.

This is NOT a brand purchased by Real Foods Market for re-sale.

Also, Fresh Carrot Juice (like the yummy stuff we prepare in our juice bar) isn't implicated at all.

So you should be fine drinking freshly squeezed juice at your local juice bar, assuming proper sanitation procedures are followed (Real Foods Market & Cafe has received a perfect score of 100 from the Health Department in four out of the last five inspections).

In fact, as noted on our website, the health inspector almost always stays for lunch after the "official " visit.

As a bonus, we only use organically-grown fruits and veggies in our fresh-made juice.

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September 19, 2006 22:18 - Texas Emissions Would Skyrocket with Planned Coal Plants

The Texas Planet Massacre
Texas may approve 16 new coal-fired power plants
Grist Magazine Summary, Sept 3, 2006

The state of Texas, which spews more greenhouse gases than Canada or the U.K., is set to reduce its emissions. And by "reduce" we mean "massively increase." Texas may soon approve construction of 16 new coal-fired power plants. And not the fancy new "clean coal" kind, either -- the old-school dirty kind, which would add an estimated 117 million tons of carbon dioxide a year to the atmosphere, more than the individual emissions of 33 states and 177 countries. Yikes.

Read the rest of the article

Mayors Fight Back

Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and 16 other mayors say they will fight proposed coal-burning plants.

A coalition of Texas mayors led by Dallas Mayor Laura Miller is stepping up opposition to 17 proposed power plants, vowing Thursday to take legal action unless the energy companies take steps to make the plants cleaner.

The group of mayors from 17 cities, including Fort Worth, Arlington and Irving, say they fear that the new plants -- 11 of which would be built by TXU Corp. of Dallas -- would pollute Dallas-Fort Worth, making it harder for the area to meet federal ozone standards.

Read the rest of the article

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September 24, 2006 10:03 - How Many Miles to the Bushel?

Leave it to Big Ag and Big Pharma (lots of overlap there, so maybe it doesn't matter what you call it) to take a promising idea and pervert it.

In an era of $3-a-gallon gasoline and growing concern about global warming from fossil fuels, seed and biotechnology companies see a big new opportunity in developing corn and other crops tailored for use in ethanol and other biofuels.

The new mission of agriculture scientists is to develop crops that can be more easily converted to ethanol and biodiesel.

Syngenta, for instance, hopes in 2008 to begin selling a genetically engineered corn designed to help convert itself into ethanol. Each kernel of this self-processing corn contains an enzyme that must otherwise be added separately at the ethanol factory.

Earlier this month DuPont and Bunge announced that their existing joint venture to improve soybeans for food would also start designing beans for biodiesel fuel and other industrial uses.

And Ceres, a plant genetics company in California, is at work on turning switch grass, a Prairie States native, into an energy crop.

"You could turn Oklahoma into an OPEC member by converting all its farmland to switch grass," said Richard W. Hamilton, the Ceres chief executive.

Developing energy crops could mean new applications of genetic engineering, which for years has been aimed at making plants resistant to insects and herbicides, but would now include altering their fundamental structure. One goal, for example, is to reduce the amount of lignin, a substance that gives plants the stiffness to stand upright but interferes with turning a plant's cellulose into ethanol.

Such prospects are starting to alarm some environmentalists, who worry that altered plants will cross-pollinate in the wild, resulting in forests that practically droop for want of lignin. And some oppose the notion of altering corn to feed the nation's addiction to automobiles. (Go check it out)

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September 25, 2006 21:44 - Low Vitamin D Increases Your Chances of Being Admitted to a Nursing Home

A study has shown that elderly men and women who were deficient in vitamin D were significantly more likely to be admitted to a nursing home than those with high levels.

Vitamin D deficiency is common among senior citizens. Up to 90 percent may suffer from the deficiency.

One reason is their lower sunshine exposure, along with the reduced capacity of older skin to synthesize vitamin D when exposed to light. Poor nutritional intake is also a factor.

Low vitamin D concentrations may accelerate age-related decline in physical health. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be one cause of lower muscle strength, loss of muscle strength, and poorer physical performance.

There is also an association between lower vitamin D concentrations and higher mortality risk. Several studies have shown improvements in muscle strength, body sway, fall risk, and physical performance following vitamin D supplementation.

The greater risk of nursing home admission can in part be explained by the high risk of osteoporosis, falls, and fractures related to a lack of vitamin D.

But it could also be related to the fact that vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be connected to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and numerous other health problems.

Insufficient vitamin D could be a main cause of poorer health, and higher health care costs, among older people.

Read the entire article (Go check it out)

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September 30, 2006 13:16 - Fighting Diesel Prices With Biodiesel

Using biodiesel in your diesel engine is one way to fight rising diesel prices. The idea is that the higher the blend of biodiesel that you use in your engine, the more money you will save per gallon on fuel.

Biodiesel is the name for a variety of ester-based oxygenated fuels made from soybean oil or other vegetable oils or animal fats.
The concept of using vegetable oil as a fuel dates back to 1895 when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the vegetable oil fueled engine. Diesel demonstrated his engine at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900.

He used peanut oil as fuel.

Today biodiesel is primarily made out of soy or canola oil. Buying biodiesel keeps diesel prices down and farmers in business!

Biodiesel fuel is also good for the environment and reduces emissions as much as 80%.

Owners of vehicles with diesel engines can use biodiesel fuel without having to make engine modifications. Some hoses may need to be changed however because vegetable oil degrades certain types of rubber.

If you're feeling really adventurous, you can make your own biofuel from used vegetable oil, which is available for free at many restaurants.

You can either purchase a small production system or make your own biodiesel to add to your diesel engine by mixing up a few chemicals in a blender.

You can also fight diesel prices by converted your car into a SVO (straight vegetable oil engine. In essence these kits, called grease car kits, allow you to build a small processor inside your car engine that heats and processes the oil so that it becomes biodiesel.

A heating element, thermostat and special rubber hoses that cannot be damaged by vegetable oil are components of this kind of kit.

Water heater processors help recovering excess methanol that is created during the chemical reaction that creates biodiesel. This cuts the cost per gallon for diesel even further.

Usually these types of converters cost anywhere from $249 to $3,000.00.

Like most products, you get what you pay for. However, if you install one that is effective you can fight rising diesel prices and make your own fuel for as little as .70 per gallon!

Read more on how to Make Your Own Biodiesel (Go check it out)

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