Valley Natural Foods, 13750 County Road 11, Burnsville, MN 55337

“A chickpea leaps almost over the rim of the pot where it is being boiled. ‘Why are you doing this to me?’ The cook knocks him down with the ladle. ‘Don’t try to jump out. You think I am torturing you. I’m giving you flavor, so you can mix with spices and rice and be the lovely vitality of a human being. Remember when you drank rain in the garden? That was for this.’” And so goes “Chickpea to Cook” by renowned Sufi poet Rumi writing in the 13^th century. What a lovely vision of soft garden rain bringing us vitality. And considering their nutritional punch, there simply is nothing in our co-op that is healthier for you and your pocketbook than the legumes—the dried peas, beans and lentils found on our bulk trail. 

Only fresh dark leafy greens compare with legumes for nutrient-dense, calorie-sparse economical eating.  Not only a great source of low or no-fat plant protein and fiber, legumes are outstanding champions of the low glycemic foods that offer a slow, steady source of energy. They are loaded with nutrients that our bodies crave and need, including B vitamins necessary for a healthy brain, skin, nervous and digestive systems; calcium for strong bones and teeth and to keep the body more alkaline than acidic; and potassium, reducing the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Along with the leafy dark greens, legumes are a stellar source of folate, the B vitamin that our bodies wisely utilize in protection against heart disease and cancer.

Humans did not start eating beans, peas and lentils after first reading about their nutritional goodness. Legumes have been a tasty meal staple across millenia, grown by wise gardeners worldwide. Visualize cowboys and cattle drivers keeping strong with pots of beans around the camp fire. Native Americans have grown and enjoyed a diversity of beans for generations, as East Indian families have survived on split peas and lentils. Vendors were selling hot pea soup in the streets of Athens as far back as 2500 years ago. Sick of city life, the Roman poet Horace longed for a rustic dish of chickpeas and pasta

Located conveniently closer in Welcome, Minnesota, Doug and Lin Hilgendorf of Whole Grain Milling Company grow and process the green split peas, red kidney beans and black turtle beans found on our bulk trail. About 140 miles southwest in Martin County and certified organic since 1989, the Hilgendorf’s commitment to high-quality, earth-friendly foods has helped them flourish for over 20 years. North Bay Trading Company, a small family-owned business in Brule, Wisconsin, brings healthy convenient “32 Bean & 8 Vegetable Soup Mix” to our bulk trail. Exercise your family brain cells by trying to name 32 beans over dinner hour!

Legumes make terrific soups, stews, chili, main dishes and salads. Cooking time can be shortened by soaking overnight first. Either way, fill a pot of water two inches above the dried legumes, cover and simmer until cooked (30 minutes to two hours depending on size and hardness), checking occasionally to add water as needed. Season during or after cooking, but add salt last. Beans love a touch of acid from tomatoes or vinegar, as well as Mediterranean and south-of-the-border spices.  It’s impossible to tell you all delicious ways that legumes can be your next best friends. Here are a few ideas that will have your taste buds begging for more. (You can always substitute canned legumes if you are short on time and longer on cash. Support BPA-free companies such as Eden Organic.)

• Cook or drain chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), throw them in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and nutritional yeast (also found on the bulk trail), and enjoy their mild nutty flavor warm or cold. Did you know that “hummus” is Arabic for chickpea?
• Toss warm cannellini (white kidney beans) with sautéed garlic and fresh rosemary. Toss cooked yellow or green lentils with diced and sautéed celery, onions and carrots. Combine red lentils with olive oil, red onion and balsamic vinegar.
• Simmer green split peas in water or vegetable stock with sautéed onion and garlic until soft. Puree, swirl in a little Greek yogurt and top with fresh mint. Enjoy warm or chilled.
• The deliciously creamy texture of cooked pinto beans makes them idea of mashing and refrying or using in bean dips. Pinto beans play well with chiles, cilantro and lime.

Our new booklet “Discovering Bulk Foods: A Co-operative Guidebook” (available soon) and my FRESH & LOCAL demos and classes in February and March will show you how to easily buy and prepare package-free, earth-friendly bulk foods, while saving an average of 30 to 50% on our 300+ choices. Are you ready to reap all these healthy benefits in your life?

FRESH & LOCAL DEMO, VALLEY NATURAL FOODS: Chickpea Tacos, Tuesday, February 14, 11 am -2 pm. Stop by for a tasty sample and my recipe plus receive complimentary coaching for FRESH & LOCAL eating. 

FRESH & LOCAL CLASS, VALLEY NATURAL FOODS: Easy Healthy Meals on the Bulk Trail, Tuesday, February 21, 6:30 -8:30 pm, $17 for VNF members; $20 for non-members

Sign up for classes at least one week ahead. Register online here or call VNF Customer Service at 952.891.1212, Ext. 221.

Valley Natural Foods, 13750 County Road 11, Burnsville, MN 55337

Follow us, talk to us and just stay informed at www.valleynaturalfoods.com

FRESH & LOCAL health coach Loris Sofia Gregory is based in Apple Valley and can be reached at 952.431.5586 or www.lorissofiagregory.com. Loris would love to hear your ideas and questions about eating FRESH & LOCAL. Request her earth-friendly seasonal recipes if you miss her monthly demos and classes.

If “eat healthier,” “try new foods” and “save more money” are on your list of resolutions for 2012, consider the dazzling diversity of our bulk foods trail from nourishing soups to energizing nuts. Our new helpful booklet “Discovering Bulk Foods” and my FRESH & LOCAL classes from January through March will show you how to easily buy and prepare package-free and earth-friendly bulk foods, while saving an average of 30 to 50% on our 300+ choices. Most of us are not looking to “get bulkier” in this New Year. So what’s the real story behind “buying bulk”? Read more to realize the benefits of shopping on our bulk trail.

First of all, don’t confuse “bulk foods” with buying in bulk from a big box store. For instance, when you purchase eight cans of soup in bulk at a big box store, you might get the soup in cans that are usually placed in a half box, and then wrapped in plastic. When you purchase fresh bulk foods out of package-free bins, you buy as little or as much as you need. Bulk foods are economical, fun to explore, easy to use and guarantee less waste for you and the earth.

Shopping on the Valley Natural Food’s Bulk Trail promises to:

Save you money: Buying natural, organic and many locally-produced foods in our bulk section offers an average savings of 30 to 50 percent over pre-packaged products. Stop by my BULK TRAIL DEMO at Valley Natural Foods on Tuesday, January 10, from 11 am to 2 pm to find out just how much you can save. Pick up a “Packaged or Bulk?” cost comparison handout and my monthly recipe, try a few samples and receive free coaching to create an FRESH & LOCAL inspiring kitchen for yourself and your family this year.

Introduce you to new foods while improving your health: There are infinite possibilities for creating easy delicious healthy meals from “mix and matching” the beans, lentils, peas and other legumes, whole grain pastas and rices, soups, seeds, seasonings and more found on our bulk trail. Bulk bins are an excellent way to expand your food repertoire. Purchase a small portion of something new, and return for more if you like it. Buying in bulk also offers hearty doses of plant-based vitamins, minerals and fiber, essential to heart health, building muscles, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and keeping waistlines trim.

Offer convenient flexibility to buy a pinch or a pound: Buying in bulk offers you a broad selection that can be purchased in the exact quantity you desire. If you need a large bag of nuts for a party or just a pinch of chili powder for a new recipe, our bulk foods, herbs and spices provide many options. When your winter soup calls for 1 cup of dried beans, you can purchase exactly 1 cup from our bulk foods bins and put that amount in one of our convenient bags or jars or use one of your own reusable bags or containers. (Just remember to weigh your container first to subtract that amount from your final product weight.)

Ensure FRESH & LOCAL: Buying “as you need” on our bulk trail is always fresh, as opposed to purchasing a pre-determined packaged amount that may sit on your shelf for months (or years) and may not get used before its expiration date. The purity and quality of our bulk products are always visible prior to purchase plus we clean, fill and rotate our bulk foods regularly, rotating the scoop bins daily. Come to my January demo and class to learn more about the LOCAL companies who help keep our bulk trail FRESH.

Reduce waste and improve our environment: Buying in bulk radically reduces the amount and costs of packaging and transportation required from farm to table, as well as the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills. Nearly 80 million tons of waste is generated from packaging and containers annually, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and adds up to a third of our annual municipal solid waste. Bulk “fill-er-up” stations are the best way to cut back on food packaging, especially if you tote along your own reusable bags and containers.

Ready to reap all these benefits in your life? Sign up for my FRESH & LOCAL CLASS “FROM SOUP TO NUTS ON THE BULK TRAIL,” Tuesday January 17 (6:30 to 8:30) to learn more about the basics, the unique and the surprises of our 300+ bulk trail choices; including trail tips and etiquette; cost comparisons of your favorite packaged brands also in bulk; nutritional and allergy information and our local bulk producers and partners. Take home plenty of inspiring healthy ideas for “rise and shine” breakfasts, healthy super suppers and sustaining snacks. Bring your questions for what you would like to know about our bulk trail.

Please sign up classes at least one week ahead by calling VNF Customer Service at 952.891.1212, Ext. 221. Only $15 for members and $18 for non-members per class (ask about a discount coupon).

FRESH & LOCAL health coach Loris Sofia Gregory is based in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Contact her directly at 952.431.5586 or through her CONTACT page. Loris would love to hear your ideas and needs for eating FRESH & LOCAL, and request her healthy recipes if you miss her monthly demos and classes.

Nature and local producers collaborate to bring us fresh succulent green and red gifts this month. Even after we have been gifted with a moisturizing blanket of pure white snow, local producers still deliver FRESH & LOCAL, including lush deep green upland cress, crisp bright green and white bok choy, crinkly red bib lettuce and juicy rich red vine-on tomatoes.

Look closer at the bunches of upland cress (the hydroponic version of native watercress and also called winter cress) in the produce department and you’ll notice long white roots have grown in water rather than soil. Hydroponics is the official name and it’s a splendid way for us to be gifted with fresh local produce through our winter. Michele Keller, owner of LaBore Farms of Faribault, Minnesota, has been growing chemical-free hydroponic greens since 2004. Her co-op and restaurant customers are amazed and satisfied, proclaiming these water-loving winter veggies, including her upland cress and red bib lettuce, to be crisper, fresher, tender and sweeter. 

A dark green member of nutrient-dense Brassica family along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, mustard and turnip greens, upland cress offers a spicy bold flavor. A bouquet of this winter cress will cheer up your kitchen counter for about a week, if the roots are supplied with fresh water. Upland cress will give a healthy peppery punch to your sandwiches or wraps, mixes well with other salad or smoothie greens, can be chopped or pureed into soups and offer a lively raw, steamed or sautéed compliment to fish or meat.  A holiday salad idea from a local chef who uses LaBore Farms upland cress is to toss it with red Craisins, chopped walnuts or pecans and a light balsamic vinaigrette. Sprinkle goat or other favorite crumbly cheese on top, as desired. The red bib lettuce delivered from LaBore Farms also offers an excellent FRESH & LOCAL accompaniment to healthy holiday salads and sandwiches.

Throughout December, Harmony Valley Farm gifts us with fresh organic bok choy, grown in an isolated southwestern Wisconsin valley near Viroqua. Bright green bok choy has a mild crunchy taste with thick juicy sweet white stalks and an even-sweeter “choy sum” heart. A Chinese member of the Brassica family and the healthiest type of cabbage, one cup of bok choy has roughly the same amount of calcium as ½ cup of milk, as well as rich in fiber, Vitamins A and C and potassium, with only about 20 calories. Great eaten raw, lightly steamed or stir fried, be sure to slice off and discard about ¼ inch at the base and thoroughly rinse off any collected dirt within the stem. Harmony Valley is a family-owned farm that has been growing high quality vegetables and berries while nourishing their family, soil, nature and customers for over 30 years.

Don’t forget to consider the healthy holiday possibilities for the fresh and cheery red vine-on tomatoes, delivered from the hydroponic greenhouses of Living Water Gardens, 100 miles southwest on the outskirts of Wells, Minnesota. With each juicy bite, envision an acre of greenhouses “full of life, full of water and full of healthy nutrients” tended through Minnesota winters by producer Steve Klingbeil, his wife Miriam and their daughters.  The Klingbeils have grown nearly 7,000 hydroponic tomato plants for the past 17 years, from seed to maturity, without pesticides or contaniments. Now that’s FRESH & LOCAL!

Want more inspiration for eating FRESH & LOCAL?

1) Stop by my FRESH & LOCAL demo at Valley Natural Foods on the second Tuesday of each month from 11 to 2, including December 13 and January 10. Enjoy tasty samples and recipes, receive free coaching to create a FRESH & LOCAL healthy kitchen, and pick up a colorful catalog of all our healthy classes and educational opportunities. December Recipe: Red Quinoa with Apples,  Pomegranate Seeds and Cress

2) Sign up at least one week ahead for my FRESH & LOCAL class on the third Tuesday of each month, including December 20 and January 17. Call Customer Service at 952.891.1212, Ext. 221. Only $15 for members and $18 for non-members per class. Ask about a discount coupon.

3) Keep reading my FRESH & LOCAL blog each month.

FRESH & LOCAL health coach Loris Sofia Gregory is based in Apple Valley. Explore more at www.lorissofiagregory.com. Contact her directly at 952.431.5586 or lorissofia@frontiernet.net. Loris would love to hear your ideas and needs for eating FRESH & LOCAL, and request to be on her email list if you want to receive her monthly healthy FRESH & LOCAL recipes.

Mushrooms are easy to overlook in our nutrient-rich rainbow of fruits and vegetables. But research increasingly reveals why fresh mushrooms join the ranks of “super foods” such as broccoli and blueberries that are nutrient dense and calorie sparse. In Asia where food and medicine are one, mushrooms are a staple. “Mushrooms may seem plain, but they really are a super food.” says dietician Dr Sarah Schenker, “They contain virtually no fat, sugar or salt and are a valuable source of dietary fiber as well as five B vitamins,” not to mention a good source of plant protein and essential minerals.  Most significant among their minerals is selenium that protects against viruses. Adding mushrooms to your warming November stews will make you feel satisfied and healthy without boosting calories.

How about making mushrooms one of your main dishes this month, and adding them to your pasta and rice dishes, pizzas, soups, salads, sauces, stir frys, Thanksgiving dressing or holiday shish kabobs? Portabella, shitake and crimini mushrooms are delivered FRESH & LOCAL from Forest Mushrooms in St. Joseph, MN. Led by owner Kevin Doyle, Forest Mushrooms has been researching, cultivating and distributing edible specialty mushrooms since 1985.

With a little butter or your favorite oil, mushrooms can be sautéed or grilled with great flavor enhancers like fresh basil, garlic, ginger, marjoram or thyme, mustard, colorful sweet or hot peppers, leeks, shallots or onions. A simple marinade or balsamic vinegar may be left to soak in the upturned cap of the larger portabella mushroom. Portabellas can be served whole as a tasty vegetarian “burger” or sliced on top of salads. Eaten raw or sautéed, crimini mushrooms are the brown more distinctive-flavored “cousins” of the familiar white button mushroom and also the “baby stage” of the full-bodied portabella.

Generally not eaten raw, shiitake mushrooms are believed to have numerous health benefits, including reducing cholesterol, preventing high blood pressure and stimulating the immune system. First removing their fibrous stems, sauté shitakes in oil for 5 to 7 minutes, or cook them in a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan for 15 minutes. The distinct smoky flavor of shiitakes complements chicken or fish.

Most mushrooms will remain fresh from seven to 10 days. Wipe each mushroom clean and trim off its stem. Refrigerate and store in a porous bag where air can flow freely around the mushrooms.  To learn everything else you’ve always wondered about mushrooms, visit Forest Mushrooms.

Don’t forget that tart tangy organic Sandhill cranberries are delivered fresh from Wisconsin throughout the November and December holiday season. Recognized for consumer popularity, nutrient content, antioxidant properties and enhancing everything from cereal to salsa, cranberries have attained commercial status as a “super fruit.” Located in the heart of cranberry country near Wisconsin Rapids and Vesper, Sandhill Cranberry managing partner Dan Wandler and employees produce just under 50% of the certified organic fresh cranberries marketed in the United States. Dan proudly proclaims, “Our family-owned market share is the result of producing the best quality cranberry in the United States.” Organic cranberries are 10 to 20 percent naturally sweeter than conventionally-raised cranberries.

On average, every acre of an organic cranberry bog is supported by six to seven acres of wetlands, woodlands and uplands, offering a healthy refuge to a rich variety of wildlife.  Since turning towards organic production in 2001, Sandhill cranes have raised their chicks in the land that surrounds the bogs. Northern pike, perch, bass, bluegills and croppies are now plentiful across the wetlands that support the 55 acres of low-growing vines at Sandhill Cranberry and employees who like to fish reap the benefits of a fresh catch. Owner Dan, family and employees enjoy bald eagles and other birds flying overhead, with great blue heron, osprey, wild turkeys, deer, wolves and bears also finding home at Sandhill Crandbery. Read more about Sandhill Cranberry in “This is Living Naturally.”

Want more inspiration for eating FRESH & LOCAL?

1) Stop by my FRESH & LOCAL demo at Valley Natural Foods on Tuesday, November 8th from 11 to 2. I will be handing out samples and recipes for “Cranberry Salsa with Pumpkin Seeds.” Receive free coaching to create a FRESH & LOCAL healthy kitchen. Valley Natural Foods is located at 13750 County Road 11, Burnsville, Minnesota, 55337.

2) Sign up at least one week ahead for my FRESH & LOCAL class at Valley Natural Foods on Tuesday, November 15 (6:30 to 8:30 pm). Call Customer Service at 952.891.1212, Ext. 221 at least one week ahead. Only $15 for members and $18 for non-members per class, take one class or keep FRESH & LOCAL the third Tuesday of each month, including December 20. Get a $3 off class discount coupon here.

3) Keep inspired by reading this FRESH & LOCAL blog each month.

FRESH & LOCAL health coach Loris Sofia Gregory is based in Apple Valley, MN.  Contact her directly at 952.431.5586 or on her website contact page. She would love to hear your ideas and needs for eating FRESH & LOCAL.

Visualize bringing the jewel tones and earthy tastes of autumn to your dinner table. Beware: eating a cornucopia of deep reds, oranges, yellows and greens can lead to radiant optimum health. The USDA currently recommends eating at least four cups of red and orange vegetables per week and 1 ½ cups of dark green veggies for an average adult. The good news is that you most likely can’t eat too much FRESH & LOCAL. And your wallet and your waistline will breathe a sign of relief.

To invite more diversity, energy and health into your life, explore the whole colorama of vegetable and fruits delivered fresh each week in October from local Minnesota and Wisconsin farmers:

Orange, green & yellow squashes and pie pumpkins: Acorns and Spaghetti squashes offer a sweet nutty flavor, while the Buttercups, Hubbards, Kobochas and Turbans are richer in flavor. Butternut is similar in taste to a sweet potato. Consider the yellow-fleshed Delicata for flavor reminiscent of sweet corn. Consult the helpful chart above our squashes and try a new one each week.  The cute pie pumpkins from L & R Poultry and Produce are “New England Sugar,” a smaller variety with thick sweet succulent flesh. You can bake and eat like the squashes or make a super smooth pumpkin pie that will be eaten in no time.

Root vegetables including Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes, bright copper super-size Beauregard sweet potatoes, yellow and red Candy Apple onions and creamy horseradish root: Yukon Golds are less starchy and a little sweeter than the Russets. One colonial physician called sweet potatoes the “vegetable indispensable.” Their moist deep orange flesh is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, not to mention low in calories with zero fat. Candy Apple onions are much sweeter than a typical onion and are great eaten raw or to add amazing zest to any recipe. Folk medicine suggests a teaspoonful of fresh grated horseradish mixed with local honey to clear one’s autumnal nose in minutes.

Leafy and cruciferous greens, including broccoli, cabbage, kale, microgreens, dandelion and turnip greens: You can’t beat the high fiber, vitamins, minerals and proteins of the dark green veggies. Consider keeping a variety of greens on hand for quickly tossing into fresh salads, light steaming or blending into a green smoothie for a super jump start every day.

Don’t forget to eat a FRESH & LOCAL apple every day, Explore the tart, sweet, crisp and crunchy taste treats of our Cortland, Freedom, Haralson, Honeycrisp, Northern Lights, Sweet Sixteen, SweeTango and Zestar! apples.

Want more inspiration for eating FRESH & LOCAL in October?

1) Stop by my FRESH & LOCAL demo on Tuesday, October 11^th from 11 to 2. I will be handing out samples and recipes for “Spicy Squash & Lentil Soup.” Receive free coaching to create a FRESH & LOCAL healthy kitchen.

2) Sign up at least one week ahead for my FRESH & LOCAL class on Tuesday, October 18^th (6:30 to 8:30 pm). Call Customer Service at 952.891.1212, Ext. 221. Only $15 for members and $18 for non-members per class, take one class or the whole series that continues the third Tuesday of each month, including November 15 and December 20.

3) Keep inspired by reading this FRESH & LOCAL blog the first Wednesday of each month.

FRESH & LOCAL health coach Loris Sofia Gregory is based in Apple Valley. Explore more under “Classes”  at lorissofiagregory.com and contact her directly at 952.431.5586 or lorissofia@frontiernet.net. She would love to hear your ideas and needs for eating FRESH & LOCAL.

As September arrives on our doorsteps, we notice a change in the air and in what’s FRESH & LOCAL at Valley Natural Foods in Burnsville. We may still have a few fleeting days to savor our last bites of fresh cucumber, sweet corn and watermelon. Our supplies of ripe red local tomatoes and aromatic basil are winding down, to be upstaged by the arrival of all that thrives in cooler weather, including the nutrient-rich Brassica oleracea family of luscious greens, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and kohlrabi.

All cousins to wild cabbage native to the wind-swept limestone sea cliffs of coastal England and Europe, these hardy Brassica veggies love our autumnal weather and offer the highest level of disease-fighting nutrients per serving of anything FRESH & LOCAL, not to mention naturally low in calories, fat and sodium. You can’t find a healthier return on your grocery dollars than serving these beautiful greens to your family.

Consider trying the eye-popping member of this cabbage family this month: lime green Romanesco delivered FRESH & LOCAL by Gardens of Eagan of Farmington.  Crunchy and nutty, this unique veggie offers a sweeter and milder flavor and a creamier texture than the white cauliflower. Serve it raw with a dip, steam and season with butter, salt and pepper or toss with a little olive oil and roast in the oven, just until the edges start to brown.

Take note of the imminent arrival of red and yellow onions and red, russet and Yukon gold potatoes, delivered FRESH & LOCAL by L&R Poultry and Produce, a family owned and operated woodland farm near Kenyon in Goodhue County.  This organic farm offers Valley Natural customers a wide variety of delicious, fresh earthly root crops in September. Expect a fall cornucopia of beets, carrots, radishes, rutabagas, radishes, turnips and the start of the winter squashes.

About mid-September, look for L&R’s popular “Speckled Hound” kabocha squash, a squatty round specimen with bluish gray speckled skin and tummy-warming sweet orange flesh on the inside. Originally hailing from Japan, kabocha squashes are increasingly becoming favorite dining companions in the U.S., as well as the budding stars of ornamental autumnal displays.  Rae Rusnak, farmer/owner of L&R Poultry and Produce, says that these stellar squashes can be enjoyed into March, if stored in a cool dry place. She advises laying out squashes on newspaper, paper bags or wood without touching one another for adequate air circulation and optimum winter preservation.

Check out my FRESH & LOCAL monthly series of blogs, demos and classes under CLASSES and Valley Natural Foods at 13750 County Road 11, Burnsville, MN 55337 or www.valleynaturalfoods.com (952.891-1212).

Loris Sofia Gregory, Healthy Kitchen Coach, August 3, 2011. Written for Valley Natural Foods, Burnsville, Minnesota.

Follow my FRESH & LOCAL blog the first Wednesday of every month at http://valleynaturalfoods.com/wordpress/

August brings some of the healthiest peak pleasures of the summer.  This month gives us a dazzling abundant palette to tantalize our taste buds: the crisp greens of broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, kale and zucchini; the succulent oranges and reds of beets, carrots, peppers, radishes, melons and tomatoes; the sunny yellows of sweet corn and summer squash, not to mention a fragrant riot of flavorful herbs.

Satisfying meals and optimum health are not the only benefits of eating a rainbow of our FRESH & LOCAL produce. You are also supporting 25 Amish families who comprise the Wisconsin Grower’s Cooperative. These farmers of rural Black River Falls and Mondovi use horse-drawn plows and hand tools to provide VNF shoppers with some of the highest-quality produce grown in the Midwest. Most of the farms are certified organic and all grow their produce to organic standards. Nourishing their soil and growing crops without pesticides is a time-proven way of life for these farmers, while supporting health for themselves, their farms and our shoppers.

Al Weinrich, former logger and neighbor of one of the families, serves as the cooperative’s sales and delivery man. Al only delivers farmer-satisfied produce. Hand picked fresh the day before, stored on ice and delivered twice a week to VNF, buying produce from these farmers enables parents and children to work side by side in their fields while making a living. Wisconsin Cooperative Growers exemplifies sustainable agriculture at its best and is proof that small family farms can still thrive.

The best medicine for our fast-food culture is as close as a kitchen brimming with FRESH & LOCAL food. Gather family and friends for a satisfying summer picnic of life-sustaining local food and conversation. As author Barbara Kingsolver has noted, “Food is the rare moral arena in which the ethical choice is generally the one more likely to make you groan with pleasure.” What’s fresh, local and inspiring in your kitchen right now?

Look for this FRESH & LOCAL blog the first Wednesday of each month at http://valleynaturalfoods.com/wordpress/ and be inspired by my monthly FRESH & LOCAL class series starting on August 16.  See my “CLASSES” for all the tasty details.

Loris Sofia Gregory is a holistic health coach and writer based in Apple Valley, Minnesota.  Contact her at 952.431.5586 CDT or through my contact page.

Do you ever sit there craving something salty or sweet, but you know that hunger has absolutely nothing to do with your craving? Instead, this craving for that sweet brownie or bag of salty chips has everything to do with an emotional hunger within you.

When this happens to you, it is helpful to pause, ask yourself, “What am I really hungry for?” Now, when you ask this, you must think BEYOND food. When you do this, you can begin to open up your emotional world that wants and needs you to listen. If you throw food at these emotions, the emotions will still be there and so will added pounds. 

The work of Marshall Rosenberg, PhD, talks about acknowledging your basic needs. These include: Meaning and Purpose • Autonomy (independence) • Safety • Empathy • Sustenance (food, nourishment for body, mind and spirit) • Creativity • Love • Community • Rest/Relax/Play.

When you begin to untether your emotional need from food, your authentic self comes shining through, weight is lost and a new body can be reclaimed.

This week practice this 4-step process when you hunger for something emotional that isn’t related to food:

1. Close your eyes and ask yourself “What am I really hungry for?”
2. Identify what you are emotionally hungry for – whether it be meaning and purpose, autonomy, safety, etc.

3. Congratulate yourself for identifying this emotion.

4. Take action –address your emotional need by finding purpose, feeling safe inside your body, doing something creative, connecting with others, or whatever addresses what you need most.

Marna Thall, CHT, weight loss coach and non-diet expert, publishes a weekly ezine to help you think and live thin from within. If you’re ready to slim down through a soulful journey, get your complimentary emotional eating assessment at ThinWithin.com.

Struggling to love your body? You”ll love Marna Thall and explore all she offers here.

This time of year is the time of year where we are all connected to how amazing and wonderful we can be. You know what I’m talking about, we start the year off thinking and day dreaming about how this year is different.You may be doing a really great job right now of capturing the essence of all you can be and holding this “new you” up in the air and it feels exciting, motivating and so incredibly special.

Well how can you make a fresh start in 2011 and keep it alive?

1) Craft one goal for this month of January (no more then four goals at a time). At the beginning of each month, write down specifically what you’d like to see change. You may say something like this, “By Feb. 1, I am wearing a size 10!” or “I’m eating only when I’m hungry 80% of the time.” Make sure your goals are specific, positive, measurable and in the present tense. This will focus your energy quickly and easily.
 
2) Create one small new habit out of one of your goals. So often I hear people tell me 12 new things that they want to commit to this new year. It becomes way too overwhelming for the mind.  What ends up happening is overwhelm, and then nothing actually manifests. Choose one small new habit you can take on and when you accomplish it, move to the next.
 
3) See yourself achieving this new goal. If your goal this year is to eat when you’re hungry – like the naturally thin do, then see yourself eating at each meal when your body is hungry. See yourself placing your hands on your belly, checking in and enjoying this new thin feeling of eating when you’re hungry. Keep with this visualization and keep seeing it until it becomes a new habit.

4) Feel how good it will feel when this one goal is realized. Feel how good it will feel when you’re eating only when you’re hungry. How awesome you’ll feel waking up feeling lighter, leaner, in control of your eating.

Connect to feeling great and alive. See how proud you’ll be of yourself as you’re living thin and feeling alive and full of joy. Connect to this feeling and every cell in your body will move you toward your goal.

If you’d like help crafting your goals for this up and coming year, I will be leading a workshop on Tuesday, January 11th at 8pm Eastern Time for members of ThinWithinU.com. Later in the month I will be doing a visualization to hone in your goals to help you manifest and realize them into being.

Marna Thall, CHT, weight loss coach and non-diet expert, publishes a weekly ezine to help you think and live thin from within. If you’re ready to slim down through a soulful journey, get your complimentary emotional eating assessment at ThinWithin.com.

Thin is not in our future as we cannot live in the future. There is no such place or space and we will never get there. We are all already naturally thin from birth. We may be currently in camouflage, but we are all in the soulful process of returning to our selves, to our birthright, to our natural radiance. I know we were all born as divine sacred beings at our optimum weight and we are returning to that as well. Who is keeping us separate? Who is keeping ourselves in struggle, pain, suffering, and working hard? Who is defining ourselves with every thought and every word we say about ourselves? Recently during a coaching session I had a sense of my right arm being tired and weak from struggle. I saw myself pushing against a brick wall with the right side of my body…doing, pushing, trying to make my life happen as I think I want. On my left inutitive receptive insightful side I saw a lovely peaceful flower garden that was just sitting, inviting me to relax and enjoy as much as I choose to do so. Ummmmm? Which do I continue to choose? What wonderful self adjectives, thoughts, lives and friends do we choose to live with, moment by moment, day by day? Various words and thoughts carry whole different vibrations. We can choose to relax into our authentic, true, optimally healthy selves with each breath and each bite. Blessings on lightening and brightening our lives, within and around!