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2001 » Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Special Edition
2002 » Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Special Edition
2003 » Winter
Inside this issue:It's Springtime! Now when I think of springtime I think of cute things like little bunnies, baby robins and buds on the trees just waiting to sprout. I like the newness of Spring. Everything starts over. I can see the circle of life and it warms my heart to know Mother Nature is reborn every Spring.
As a child I hated Spring. I had terrible allergies and had stayed indoors. I wasn't able to walk in the woods and explore. I couldn't smell all of the new flowers and enjoy the warmness of the sun after a cold winter. Because of this I couldn't relate to Spring except sickness and entrapment. As I've become older and my allergies are under control, I have been able to witness the joy of Spring. I can finally smell the flowers and explore in the woods. It has been a wonderful experience and I feel reborn. I have discovered the beauty of Spring and what a gift! Because of this discovery, I realize I can start anew every spring.
Our newsletter this month talks about just that - starting anew. We have great articles about starting over with your health, garden and even getting to know staff members! I hope you enjoy this newsletter as much as I enjoyed putting it together! Enjoy!
Virtually everyone has built up wastes in their colon. Most people in developed countries eat a lot of processed foods. As these (un-natural) foods move through the colon, fluids are absorbed during the digestive process, and a very sticky waste is created. These wastes cling to the colon walls and rot, giving off toxins that the body has already rejected.
State-of-the-art equipment is used to gently introduce purified water into the colon. During a colon hydrotherapy session, a trained and experienced colon hydro-therapist controls the pressure and temperature. The temperature and pressure are kept at a level that is comfortable for the client. Colon hydrotherapy is safe and sanitary. Each client receives his or her own brand new speculum and plastic hose, which are immediately disposed of after use. Since all water and wastes (two separate tubes) are completely contained in a closed system, there is no mess and no odor. The client's dignity is preserved by the use of a private draping room. The procedure is professionally performed and preserves modesty.
The process is not painful. The pressure that is felt is less than naturally occurring gas. The most one feels is the urge to have a bowel movement. This urge is satisfied by the constantly circulating water, which is removing, first new waste, then old, long term wastes.
It is important to understand that it took a long time to build up the long-term waste in your colon, so in order to remove it gently; it will take more than one session. Depending on health conditions, level of toxicity, and desire to improve a person might need from 10 to 12 sessions. After the series, a person may cleanse once a month.
Colon hydrotherapy has very little affect on the balance of electrolytes. The proper eating or the fresh juices that you might drink later replaces the few electrolytes that are lost.
Some ailments that may be relieved by Colon Hydrotherapy:
Allergies
Colitis
Halitosis
Lack of Energy
(Osteo) Arthritis
Food Sensitivities
Digestive Problems
Bursitis
Constipation
Headaches
Low Back Pain
Skin Disorders
Colds
Fatigue
Indigestion
Parasites
For more information on colon care call (302) 730-1106, see the ad for Kemetic Health Care in this newsletter or check the Kemetic Health Care website: http://AlexAmun.cjb.net. Colon therapist, Alexander Moore, is the owner and operator of Kemetic Colon Care. He received his training through the Reilly School of Massotherapy. Alexander holds a BS in Education, a Masters of Education, and is a Doctoral candidate for a Ph.D. in Naturopathy. He is also working toward certification in the Thef Neteru Yoga system
RL: "Let's see, well, 1978 I worked part time as I was going to college. Left for four years and then in 1983 I came back to work full time. I have been here ever since."
RL: "I'm the produce manager, morning shift leader. Really what job haven't I done! I have other responsibilities."
RL: "I think being a cancer survivor tells me what is important in life. Enjoy what is important and enjoy everyday!"
RL: "It's pretty much the same as the vision statement of the Co-op. We are here to serve the membership and be a resource for people who are ill and give them alternative sources of treatment other than conventional medicine. We also provide the best quality at the best prices."
RL: "A lot! The Co-op being what it is, a democracy, brought out individual philosophies over the years, as how the Co-op is being directed, and created various conditions. The changing conditions have been both positive and negative over the years."
RL: "I do. Ok, at the old store on Haines Street, on a Saturday, this father came in with his two year old son to shop. I was at the register when he came up and said, 'my son was sitting on the tahini tub (and it was full and he was still in diapers!) and he fell in.' We had to throw it out! Kids seem to be attracted to those buckets!"
RL: "Well, I would wake up one day and find out I was an owner of a light house in Maine. Always been my dream to be alone with my husband in a setting like that."
RL: "Well gardening has always been my love of loves. Recently bought a computer. I'm getting into quilting, but I've been saying that for years!"
RL: "[In the Co-op] to peruse my career as long as I feel fulfilled and hopefully that will take me to retirement. (Life) I think I would like to become an inspector for organic foods but the feds stepped in. Other than that I would like to continue to learn about the planet and someday go back to school and get my geology degree. To be happy in life, it is all that really matters!"
RL: "Ah, my husband. My relationship with my family members, I have one parent who is dead and my mom is getting older so I want to spend time with her."
RL: "One of the contributions that has helped the Co-op was when we were going through financial difficulties. I was co-manager with Cory and we saved the Co-op about twenty thousand dollars. Supplying the community with good wholesome foods. I enjoy my job with the produce."
In the winter and early spring, it is a pleasure to browse through the many seed catalogues and to dream of a 'summer garden' with its abundance of luscious fruits vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The following list of mail-order seed catalogues are being offered to help you in this endeavor. The seeds from these catalogues are coming from companies that require their products to be GMO and pesticide free.
18001 Shafer Rd.
Willits, Ca 95490
(707) 459-6410
www.bountifulgardens.org
1190 Old Salem Rd. N.E.
Albany, OR 97321-4580
(800) 422-3985
www.nicholsgardennursery.com
1 Parkton Ave.
Greenwood, SC 29647
(800) 845-3369
www.parkseed.com
P.O. Box 2209
Grass Valley, CA 95945
www.groworganic.com
P.O. Box 361
Redwood City, CA 94064
www.ecoseeds.com
3076 N. Winn Rd.
Decorah, Iowa 52101
(319) 382-5990
HAPPY GARDENING!
For further information refer to Jill J. Cebenko's article in the November '01 issue of Mother Earth News.
The relationship between the health of the liver and the overall health of the entire body is often greatly underestimated. For this reason, few people consider the importance of regular strengthening and toning of this, the largest, most metabolically diverse organ in the body. Yet a little nurturing attention given to the liver could go a long way in improving the functioning of all the body's systems.
The daily tasks of this multifaceted organ are diverse indeed. The liver is an integral part of our digestive system. It processes and transforms all ingested material, converting the food we eat into both fuel and building materials for our body. It stores fat soluble vitamins and glycogen for energy production. In fact, the liver stores all the energy for our highly specialized brain cells. As herbalist Michael Moore puts it, "if your brains had to store all [their own] fuel (like other cell have to) we would need a wheelbarrow to carry our heads around in."
The liver also digests worn out red blood cells, deactivates and balances hormones, and cleanses the body of toxins and wastes.
With all this work to do it's worth taking a moment to consider if our livers are strong enough to perform these vital tasks efficiently. Oftentimes the effects of a stressed liver will cause symptoms to manifest in other areas. Rosemary Gladstar proclaims that "many of the imbalances and diseases associated with the kidneys, heart, skin, respiratory and glandular systems are the direct effect of an over burdened, over taxed liver." So how do we insure our livers remain strong and healthy?
We can start with eliminating unnecessary toxins from our diet. The liver's job description is big enough without burdening it with overtime. We can also use herbs to tone and strengthen our liver.
Herbs that support healthy liver functions generally fall into two categories, alteratives and hepatics. Although alteratives have been recognized and used for hundreds of years (if not longer), the way in which they often dramatically improve liver health is only vaguely understood. Most herbs in this category tend to work by either eliminating waste buildup in the kidneys, liver, lungs, and skin, or by stimulating the digestive function. Alterative herbs include burdock, yellow dock and nettles. Hepatics are herbs that directly aid the functioning of the liver. They tone, strengthen and in some cases increase the flow of bile. Hepatic herbs include dandelions, milk thistle, and oregon grape root.
The following herbal liver tonics, when taken daily for one to two weeks will give a sluggish liver a cleansing boost. Those who feel that their livers require extreme nourishing may consider incorporating these tea blends, or other liver protective herbs into their diet for an extended period of time. Although these tonics can be used when needed throughout the year, spring is often a traditional time to cleanse and strengthen the liver, thus preparing the way for increased energy and overall well-being.
1 t. each:
dandelion root
milk thistle seed
roasted chicory root
½ t. each:
sarsaparilla root
licorice root
ginger rhizome
1 quart water
Simmer ingredients for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain and drink throughout the day.
2 parts red clover blossoms
2 parts nettles
1 part alfalfa
3 parts peppermint
2 parts lemon balm
½ part parsley
*optional: stevia to taste
Bring 1 quart of water to a near boil. Pour over 2 to 3 tablespoons of the blended herbs. Cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes or longer. Stain and drink throughout the day.
If both of these recipes are too time consuming for your busy 21st century lifestyle, slow down! Taking the time to exist in a more peaceful way is often good medicine in and of itself. However, for the chronically frantic, I offer this simple liver stimulant: Juice one lemon and dilute with 8 ounces water. Add a teaspoon of maple syrup and a pinch of cayenne.
Whichever herbal tonic you choose your liver will thank you for it, and the benefits will be felt throughout your entire body.
Before you buy your next bottle of vitamins and supplements, I ask you to take the "New Chapter" challenge. Ask yourself "do I want to eat a highly compressed tablet of synthetic chemicals, or do I want to eat a unique blend of superfoods, herbs and cultured nutrient?" We think we know how you will answer that question. Welcome to the New Chapter family.
New chapter grows its vitamins and minerals to maximize the benefits of culturing. They start with pure water and add to soymilk from non-GMO soybeans. To that they add, depending on the vitamin or mineral that they are growing, appropriate fruit and vegetables and a very small amount of the USP vitamin or mineral. That creates a "soup" or super broth, which is inoculated with just the right nutritional yeast (Brewer's Yeast) to culture the process.
The nutrient-dense broth is cultured, converted and bio-transformed into something new and wonderful: an easily digested, highly active, and natural food rich with target nutrient. Yes, it is food, and we experience and metabolize it as such!
Every single New Chapter vitamin and mineral is grown in this way. There are no exceptions. New Chapter deeply respects the important if the herb and of the extraction process. They have developed a unique, patent-bending line of the finest botanical formulations available, and these therapeutic formulations all feature what scientists call the "supercritical" extraction process. This advanced extraction process yields a superior herbal extract that is highly concentrated, as much as 250 pounds of fresh herbs reducing to just one pound of superficial extract. In addition, the supercritical process does not use any chemical solvents at all, so the resulting extract is absolutely free of chemical solvents such as hexane or acetone.
At New Chapter, they never test their products on animals. They just happily take them themselves!
This led to researchers conducting a human intervention study in which Lactobacillus acidophilus supplements were given for 30 days to omnivores eating a "Western-type" diet, which resulted in lowering â -glucuronidase levels comparable to vegans and lactovegetarians. They found that the average levels of â -glucuronidase for omnivores decreased 50% which was comparable to baseline values for vegans and lactovegetarians.
Researchers clearly demonstrated that oral administration of viable L. acidophilus of human origin causes an alteration in the metabolic activity of the intestinal microflora of healthy individuals; however, the L. acidophilus they used were not related to the species commonly used in most commercial yogurt production (i.e., Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus lactis, and Lactobacillus casei).
Researchers realized that Lactobacillus from human origin was crucial to the health benefits they had observed, and to clarify the point, they showed in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that 4 weeks supplementation of yogurt containing active cultures of Lactobacillus GG decreased fecal â -glucuronidase levels by 30% as compared to the same yogurt that had been pasteurized (which deactivates the live cultures).
Although it has not yet been confirmed clinically, these previous studies suggest that supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus of human origin can significantly effect the circulating levels and types of estrogen hormones. It is also interesting to note that a vegan or lactovegetarian diet might achieve the same therapeutic effect without Lactobacillus supplementation. This could have profound implications in the treatment of female endocrine conditions including breast and endometrial cancer, polycystic ovaries syndrome, dysmenorrhea, and menopause to name a few.
Paul Faust, N.D. is a Naturopathic Doctor and Executive Director of the Chesapeake Natural Health Center located in Towson, M.D. (410) 821-1788
Just in case some of our members haven't had the chance to meet me, my name is Jennifer Mullican and I am the Membership Coordinator. I have (finally) started to update the billing for the membership. Now that the billing is up to date, I need some help from the membership. If every member could pull their card each time they are checking out it would help a great deal. There are some "founding" members that still owe the Co-op member payments and I would like to clear this problem as soon as possible. Also, could you please update you address and phone numbers by leaving a note on my desk. With your help my job will be a lot easier. If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to me. Thank you all for your continued support.
With spring fast approaching, many of us comfort ourselves through the final weeks of winter with thoughts of the gardening season to come. Being an amateur gardener, I also felt the need to temper those thoughts with the wisdom and insights of the more experienced. So, I finally took up long time co-op members Marna and Steven Goddard on their open invitation to visit their garden in West Grove.
The Goddards have been gardening organically on the same plot of land since 1968, and grow nearly all the produce they consume. I've wanted for some time to see their garden for myself, though Steven thought it strange that I should choose February for the visit. "There's not much to see now," he had said on the phone. But articles for spring gardening must be written in the winter, so I went anyway.
What I found was Marna and Steven in their element. Gardening had become their lifestyle, and Steven launched easily into detailed explanations of gardening practices.
As we entered the wire fence surrounding the first garden (50' x 50'), Steven explained that he had never tilled the ground. For over thirty years they have built up the soil by spreading dairy cow manure on top and using compost when they plant. This is done by first digging a hole, then adding compost before putting in the plant.
The result of these practices is that the soil in the garden is mostly humus, better able to hold water and provide vital nutrients to the plants. Steven explained organic gardening is not about negatives (i.e. not using chemical pesticides and fertilizers), but about nurturing the soil, giving it what it needs, that it may better support the needs of the plants. "Everything depends on the soil," he expressed.
Weeds are kept to a minimum by covering the earth in between each row with black plastic of varying widths, depending on the crop. This method also serves to protect the garden from drought. Although the Goddards rely mainly on gray water from their house to water the garden, they rarely have a problem during dry spells. The water simply runs under the plastic, into the earth and is prevented from evaporating back into the atmosphere. In this garden they plant crops like lettuce, snow peas, and spinach that need the protection of the fence from vegetable munching critters.
The second garden (50' x 100') was outside the fence, yet it too required protective strategies. Two areas had already been planted with garlic and onion sets. These areas were mulched heavily and criss-crossed with twisted flash tape that shimmered and tossed reflected light at us in the slight breeze. This method was employed to ward off migrating birds who would otherwise disturb the beds. In this garden space, the Goddards also plant crops such as potatoes, winter squash, peppers, asparagus, and tomatoes.
Along the length of the garden stands a row of raspberry canes. Thick mulch could be seen through the leafless stalks, the result of raking leaves from a huge ginkgo tree and tossing them into the raspberries.
Beyond the raspberries we find a congregation of drums and barrels. This is the composting industry that supports both gardens. The Goddards use two tumblers and over a dozen standing barrels for their composting needs. They have refined both equipment and technique in order to arrive at a method of composting grass clippings in only eight weeks. It is for their composting practices Marna and Steven are most known, having been interviewed by local papers and spoken publicly on the topic.
If it seems like a great deal of work, that's because it is. As Steven put it, they both do about 60% of the work. "And, yes it is over a hundred percent and that is as it should be." Their reward is delicious food and the knowledge of the quality and nutritional value of their harvests they just don't have with grocery store bought produce.
Finally, I asked the Goddards about advice for beginning gardeners. Steven replied without hesitation, "start small!" He suggests remaining within a 20' by 20' space in order to get a sense of the work required without getting frustrated with a garden too big to handle. Marna added that amateur gardeners should plant for instant gratification. Crops like lettuce, tomatoes, and pole beans with quick yields offer encouragement to keep at it.
I left Steven and Marna with a great deal of garden advice and a five gallon bucket of Goddard compost (veritable black gold). I realized that Ed and I would have to rethink our over ambitious garden plan, and I'm aware of potential pitfalls this visit has helped me to avoid. For, more valuable then the Goddard's compost, is the wealth of knowledge these seasoned and thoughtful tenders of the earth have to offer.
Thank you, Marna and Steven.
For the latest revision of Steven Goddard's tumbler composting technique, visit the London Grove web site at http://www.london-grove.pa.us/compost.htm.
Spring is a time to awaken from our winter slumber. Many of us come alive when the weather begins to warm, the sun sets later, and the trees and flowers begin to bloom. We look forward to the days where our exercise routine can be done outdoors. A time of renewal and rebirth, spring is a joyous time for many Delawareans.
As technology enables Americans to increase their sedentary lifestyles, it is important to create a focus on activity for yourself and your family. The benefits of a regular exercise routine are proven and plentiful, including lowering the risk of heart disease, increasing energy levels, lowering both high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and combating depression. A good routine involves increasing your heart rate for fifteen to thirty minutes three to four times a week. As a general rule, people over 35 should check with their doctor before starting any kind of work out program. With spring on the way, Delawareans can give up the crowded gyms for the great outdoors. Located between the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, our small state offers a surprisingly large variety of outdoor activities. Fourteen state parks grace our state, providing local and inexpensive opportunities for fresh air and hands-on nature education for the entire family. Some of the closest parks to Newark include Bellevue State Park, Wilmington State Parks, Brandywine Creek State Park, Lums Pond State Park, and White Clay Creek State Park.
There is a first-rate web page where you can get information regarding events, directions, and making camp site reservations, etc. on www.delaware.com.
If hiking or going on nature walks are your exercise of choice, you have many options in Delaware. Each state park offers miles of scenic trails. Bird watching, photography, and picnics may enrich your hike. Also, most parks offer educational programs such as full moon walks led by a park naturalist, and hiking expeditions that visit local historical landmarks. The parks also host nature centers that highlight local wild life. Disc golf adds an exciting twist to any hike and is available at Brandywine Creek, Lums Pond, and White Clay.
If boating is your pick, you have it as good as the hikers. You can rent row boats, canoes, water bikes, kayaks, sailboats, and pedal boats. Lums Pond, Killens Pond, Trap Pond, and other parks in the southern part of Delaware offer a myriad of water sports available by the hour ($5-$12) or daily (around $30). Or, your family may prefer lounging on the 2,799 acres of beach at Delaware Seashore State Park. Fishing is also available in most of Delaware's parks.
Don't worry if water sports don't thrill you; our state parks additionally offer tent, cabin, yurt, and RV camping, game courts, horse trails, mountain biking, jogging and fitness trails, and pavilions that may hold special events. Utilizing our state park system is a great way to stay fit, promote family activity, and support your community. A small fee is charged ($2.50 per day per Delaware-registered vehicle) where proceeds stay within the park system. Annual permits, season passes, and group discounts are also available. The money is used to protect open space, fight urban sprawl, support our natural habitats, and to educate people about the beauty of nature.
As members of this organization, we choose to support the Co-op because we have a vision for an ecologically sound, sustainable, more peaceful world. Our state park system has a similar vision to protect and enjoy what land we have left. So, skip the gym this spring and instead explore one of our many beautiful Delaware State Parks.
