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"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
Hi P2P Friends!
As 2008 draws to a close, I take time to reflect on all I have to be grateful for: my family, my friends, our health, abundant food on our table, laughter, love, a growing P2P community of enlightened individuals, and a true belief that 2009 will bring new and even greater gifts. Thank you all for a wonderful year! I wish the best for everyone in 2009!
We would like to announce our new partnership with Green Star Coffee (www.greenstarcoffee) a local Fair Trade, Organic Coffee Company located here in Santa Barbara. I have sampled their coffees and they are the BEST! Visit them on the Web and read about Dan and Kevin, their local company, fair trade, organic coffee and how they have set out to change the coffee world.
In your produce box this week you will find a list of the coffees we will be offering and the prices, if you are interested, please email us at mail@plowtoporch.com.
Also in your produce box this week you will find our Holiday Gift Ideas for 2008.
-We are offering Gift Certificates for all of our Plow to Porch Organic Produce Boxes and Extras. You design what you would like to give, email us and we will create your gift certificate and deliver it directly to you. Prices are the same as on the website, www.plowtoporch.com.
-We are offering 2 pound Gift Bags of Green Star Coffee. You choose the kind of coffees you would like to include, we create a beautiful package and deliver it to you for $35.00.
-Finally, we are offering Gift Certificates for Simply Pies delicious organic hand-crafted pies, cheesecakes and quiches. Once again, just let us know what you would like to order and we will deliver the Gift Certificates to your door. The prices are the same as on the website, www.plowtoporch.com.
We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season.
Stay healthy and Happy.
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| Fresh Ideas and Fun Facts |
Organic Facts of the Week
-If organic farming methods were practiced on all the planet's food-growing land, it would be like taking more than 1.5 billion cars off the road.
-You can increase your antioxidant intake by 30 percent by choosing organic.
-The average child in America is exposed to five pesticides daily in their food and drinking water.
-The U.S. water system is regularly contaminated above safe limits immediately following chemical fertilizer applications to farm fields.
-Farms in developing countries that use organic techniques produce an average of 79% more than farms that don't.
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| Food for Thought |
The next time you feel like complaining, remember that your garbage disposal probably eats better than 30 percent of the people in the world.
- Robert Orben
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| Recipes |
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Red Cabbage with Warm Spinach
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine and NewRoots Organics
For balsamic vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For salad:
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 oz sliced pancetta
(Italian unsmoked cured bacon), chopped
1 lb red cabbage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 (5-oz) bag baby spinach, any tough stems discarded
Preparation:
Make vinaigrette: Mash garlic with salt to a paste. Whisk together garlic paste, mustard, honey, and vinegar, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.
Make salad: Toast pine nuts in a dry large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until beginning to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add pancetta and cook until browned and crisp, about 2 minutes. Add cabbage, tossing to combine, and cook, covered, until wilted and just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add spinach, stirring gently until it just begins to wilt. Remove pan from heat. Add vinaigrette and toss. Serve immediately!
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Warmly,
Pam and the Plow to Porch Team
Plow to Porch Organics
PO Box 2514
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
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Optimal Health with David Gaynes, L.Ac.,
M.T.O.M.
Holiday Offer
Whether you anticipate that you might need to lose a few pounds after the holidays or you think you might over do things and would benefit from a little clean out, a cleanse is a great vehicle for both. Easy to do and highly effective, the vast majority who do cleansing experience great health benefits and lose between 5 and 15 pounds. Take action on your New Year resolutions now. Schedule a comprehensive cleanse evaluation before December 21st with the intention of starting your cleanse in the new year and your evaluation is free. Contact me to schedule your appointment or for more information.
David Gaynes, L.Ac., M.T.O.M.
Total Health- A Center for Wellness
3710 State Street, Suite C
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
805.682.6492
davidgaynes@SBtotalhealth.com
Health Through the Holiday Season
Fast forward to the end of Winter, when the weather starts to warm again and you feel that extra layer of "padding" you put on during the holidays. Let's face it. There's lots of fun stuff to eat during the holiday season and you don't want to deprive yourself of the joy that can bring. Indulging in excess can have ill effects not only on your waist line but on your immune system. However, if you choose to indulge a bit, here are a few simple strategies to maintain your weight and overall health during the holiday season.
Increase your opportunities for exercise & movement: Whether you are getting regular exercise or not, try introducing small amounts of movement whenever you can. This will keep your lymphatic system moving and activate your immune system. Park you car on the far side of the lot, walk the kids home from school in the afternoon, take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator, walk an extra lap around the shopping mall or supermarket. Each movement keeps your system flowing.
Drink more H2O: Whatever you do and wherever you go, bring your water with you. It will keep you hydrated and flush toxins out so that your metabolism and body systems can working at their best. Many times hunger and the munchies are a result of slight dehydration. If you feel some hunger coming on and it is earlier than you might normally eat, try drinking a large glass of water first.
Holiday party tips:
-Eat some healthy food before you get to the party. Celery with peanut butter, a small salad or cup of soup works well for this. Taking the edge off your hunger will make it much easier to either avoid rich/unhealthy party foods or taste them in moderation.
-Try to keep your alcohol consumption moderate. A typical drink can range from 100-300 calories which add up quickly and sabotage an otherwise healthy eating plan. Try limiting yourself to one drink and then switch to carbonated water with a squeeze of lemon.
-If you like to graze on appetizers and other snacky party foods, try filling your plate with the higher fiber foods such as salads and items from the vegetable platter first. The fiber in the veggies will give you a sense of fullness with fewer calories.
-Keep the sweets to the minimum. Refined sugar not only has a negative effect on the immune system, but has the tendency to increase your appetite and consequently your consumption.
Lastly, focus more on talking and socializing than eating. Stay away from the food table and you make it less tempting to eat while you mingle.
Give these tips a try and you will stay much healthier during the holiday season. You will be thankful when it is easier to put on your swimsuit in the spring.
David Gaynes, L.Ac., M.T.O.M. is a local acupuncturist and natural healthcare practitioner. His years of clinical experience have shown him that the key to creating exceptional health is building a foundation with whole food nutrition. Focusing on finding the root of the problem, he successfully integrates healing philosophies from both East and West to help his patients achieve optimal and radiant health.
If you have healthcare questions please contact David Gaynes at info@SBTotalHealth.com or 805-682-6492.
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Open Letter to the President-Elect by Michael Pollan: Farmer in Chief
Dear Mr. President-Elect,
It may surprise you to learn that among the issues that will occupy much of your time in the coming years is one you barely mentioned during the campaign: food...The era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact - so easy to overlook these past few years - that the health of a nation's food system is a critical issue of national security...In the past several months more than 30 nations have experienced food riots, and so far one government has fallen...All this suggests that a political constituency for change is building and not only on the left: lately, conservative voices have also been raised in support of reform. Writing of the movement back to local food economies, traditional foods (and family meals) and more sustainable farming, The American Conservative magazine editorialized last summer that "this is a conservative cause if ever there was one."... We need to wean the American food system off its heavy 20th-century diet of fossil fuel and put it back on a diet of contemporary sunshine...
Read the full letter, printed in the New York Times, | http://www.organicconsumers.
org/articles/article_15101.cfm
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