FREE Seminar with Brendan Brazier 10/29 @ 8p

Brendan Brazier is one of only a few professional athletes in the world whose diet is 100 percent plant-based. He’s a professional Ironman triathlete, bestselling author on performance nutrition, and the creator of an award-winning line of whole food nutritional products called VEGA.

He is also a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion and guest lecturer at Cornell University teaching an eCornell course called “The Plant-Based Diet and Elite Athleticism.” Brendan was also chosen as one of the 25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians by VegNews Magazine and the Top 40 Under 40 most influential people in the health industry by Natural Food Merchandiser.

YOUR CHANCE TO MEET BRENDAN BRAZIER!

Brendan will be at Native Sun Natural Foods Market on Baymeadows for a FREE seminar about his book “The Thrive Diet” TOMORROW Thursday, October 29 at 8pm. Seating is limited and reservations are required by signing up in-store at our Nutrition Desk or by calling 904-260-2791.

Brendan will explain how to reduce nutritional stress by the means of plant-based whole foods. Improved sleep quality, greater energy, elimination of sugar cravings, superior mental clarity, a lean body and significantly enhanced overall physical and mental performance are just the beginning.

Visit the links below for more information and call to save your seat!

www.brendanbrazier.com
www.myvega.com

Stress Relief in Minutes, The Benefits of “Tapping”

Stress relief in minutes. Sound too good to be true? EFT Practitioner Sheri Baker is offering you a FREE 15 minute consultation to prove otherwise. Plus, her office is conveniently located upstairs at our Baymeadows store so you can book your appointment for the next time you plan to shop!

Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, is based on the ancient Chinese meridian system of acupuncture but without the discomfort of needles. Instead, while sittings side by side in chairs, Sheri gently taps on key acupressure points with her fingertips while helping you focus on the issue needing to be released – stress, trauma, anxiety, physical pain, fear, phobias, guilt, anger, self-sabotage, weight loss, performance issues (sports, business and the stage), depression, insomnia and the list goes on.

Watch this short video on EFT created by founder Gary Craig:

Additional benefits include:

• Simple technique; easy to learn and do
• Non invasive; no needles, drugs or equipment
• Gentle and physically painless
• High success rate, typically 80-90% or better
• Often provides relief in minutes
• Doesn’t matter how long you’ve had your issue
• Results are usually long lasting
• Can be self-applied
• Can be performed any time, any place
• Treats the cause of the problem, not just the symptoms
• Works in a complementary way with other therapies
• Process works whether you are skeptical or not
• Often works when nothing else will

ABOUT SHERI BAKER

Sheri has worked in the natural healing field for more than 15 years. In 2002, she combined EFT, a frontrunner in the emerging field of energy psychology, with her intuitive abilities to help clients achieve dramatic results with a variety of emotional and physical issues. She also teaches workshops for all three levels of EFT.

Contact Sheri directly at (904) 363-6361 or info@sheribaker.com to set up your FREE 15 minute consultation today.

*Sheri Baker is not an employee of Native Sun Natural Foods Market but we are excited to offer her healing services at our Baymeadows location for our customers interested in EFT and stress relief.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The National Cancer Institute, estimates that in the United States in 2009, we will see 192,37o women and 1,910 men diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,170 women and 440 men die from the disease. The many faces of breast cancer include celebrities like Melissa Ethridge, Olivia Newton John, Nancy Reagan, Sheryl Crow and Christina Applegate. When asked, most people will know a friend, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother or wife dealing with the disease.

In honor of these women and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’ve chosen The RITA Foundation as our GreenApples Charity of the Month for October 2009. RITA is a Jacksonville-based, volunteer-run, non-profit organization on a mission to raise awareness and money to help in the fight against all cancers, with emphasis on breast cancer. These may include clinical research, basic research, education, awareness, and patient related breast cancer programs.

While the name RITA is an acronym for “Research Is The Answer”, Foundation Chairman & President Charles Jantz shared with me that the first time he suggested this name to the women of Deercreek Country Club when organizing their first charity tennis tournament, one woman began crying because she’d had a sister named Rita who had passed away from breast cancer.

The Foundation generates revenue through special fund raising events, donates all net proceeds as unrestricted grants, operates with no salary or overhead expenses, and donates all funds to programs in the greater Jacksonville area.

Donate $1 with your purchase today to support the RITA Foundation!

DRINK GIVE. DO GOOD.
Also, every time you purchase a PINK bottle of GIVE water, the company will donate 10 cents to RITA on behalf of Native Sun and its customers. This program will extend past October, as long as we carry the product!

October Healthy Happy Hour is Thursday, 6-8pm

Join us for our October Healthy Happy Hour THIS THURSDAY October 15 – and EVERY third Thursday of the Month – from 6-8pm at our Baymeadows location (11030 Baymeadows Road, adjacent to 9A on the Southside). Enjoy free samples of all-natural and organic beer and wine paired with delicious hors d’ oeuvres made fresh in-store. Must be 21 or older to drink!

October’s sampling menu includes . . .

BEERS

Wolaver’s Will Steven’s Organic Pumpkin Ale
Not only does their brewing process include pumpkins going directly into the mash, they source ONLY organic pumpkins grown in Vermont, just 15 miles away from the brewery, and give credit to the farmer, Will Stevens, right on the bottle! Regularly $10.65 On Sale for $9.99/ 6-pack

J.K. Scrumpy Organic Hard Apple Cider
Organic apples are grown, crushed, fermented and bottled at Almar Orchard in Flushing, Michigan. Made in the traditional Farmhouse style. Online reviews describe it by saying, “There’s no mistaking the aroma: fresh, ripe, very sweet apples define the bouquet on this beverage, along with a very slight edge tartness. I could almost sense bees buzzing around apple blossoms deep in the orchard.” Can be enjoyed cold or hot. Regularly $5.39 On Sale For $4.99/bottle
 
WINES

Luzon Verde Organic Jumilla
100% Organic Monastrell. Spicy dark berries and cherry on the nose, complemented by gentle minerality and a cracked pepper flavor, gentle tannins and refreshing closing spiciness. Wine Spectator gave it 88 points! Regularly $9.99 On Sale For $8.99

Santa Julia Organica Torrontes
A pale straw color wine with floral aromas of violets and jasmine. Light and fresh, this wine exhibits good acidity, which adds structure. On the palate the wine exudes lush flavors of tropical fruits and fruit salad, with a touch of orange peel. Regularly $9.99 On Sale For $8.99
 
Santa Julia Organica Malbec
It is a purple-red wine, vibrant aromas of ripe fruits such as cherries, prunes and raspberries with a hint of spiciness. Full bodied and beautifully structured, this wine has a rich fruity character with soft mouth watering tannins and a long finish. Regularly $9.99 On Sale For $8.99

Hope to see you there!

FREE Seminar on Managing Inflammation 10/13

Back by Popular Demand! Please join us for a FREE seminar with Brian Hall, VP of Domestic Sales for New Chapter, on Managing Inflammation for Bone, Joint & Cardiovascular Health on Tuesday, October 13 at 8pm at our Mandarin location (10,000 San Jose Boulevard, one mile North of I-295). Seating is limited and reservations are required by calling 904-260-6950.

FRESH Movie Screening @ St. Mark’s on Sept. 23

Raymur Rachels, a Native Sun shopper and parent at St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, helped organize a screening of FRESH at her child’s school for 6:45pm on Wednesday, September 23 and kindly invited Native Sun Owner Aaron Gottlieb for a Q&A following the film. We are very excited to see this film for the first time ourselves and welcome all of you to join us!

This event is open to the public and will be held at Leatherbury Hall on the St. Mark’s campus in Ortega (4114 Oxford Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32210). A $2 donation is suggested and RSVP is requested by calling 904-388-2681 or contacting imagevney@stmarksjacksonville.org. The facility holds 200+ so pass it around!

FRESH is a film by Sofia Joanes celebrating the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist Will Allen, a 2008 MacArthur’s “Genius Award” fellow; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book “The Omnivores Dilemma”; and supermarket owner David Ball, who is creating a new market model for our family farmers. FRESH’s focus on these inspiring individuals and their initiatives provides the audience with actionable solutions. FRESH is a call to action.

Visit www.freshthemovie.com for more information.

Click here for a printable event flyer to hang in your office or at home.

Lemurs love Leapin Lemurs!

Funny photo posted on Twitter by @NaturesPath today.

Drink Give & Do Good for Children’s Home Society!

Established in 1902, Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) is one of Florida’s oldest private not-for-profit organizations providing services to children and families. The Buckner Division, located in Jacksonville, has over 100 employees providing services to children and families in Duval, Baker, St. Johns, Nassau and Clay counties.

CHS delivers a unique spectrum of social services designed to protect children at risk of abuse, neglect or abandonment; to strengthen and stabilize families; to help young people break the cycle of abuse and neglect; and to find safe, loving homes for children. Every year, CHS helps to improve the lives of about 100,000 children and family members by offering:

Birth Parent Counseling

Residential Maternity Care

Adoption Support & Services

Family, Teen and Therapeutic Foster Care

Next time you shop at Native Sun, ask your cashier to add a $1 donation to your total or drop any loose change you may have into the donation boxes available at each register. Several of our employees also donate money from each paycheck to our Charity of the Month. Together, we can make a difference!

PLUS! Every time you purchase a BLUE bottle of Give water, the company will donate 10 cents to CHS on behalf of Native Sun Natural Foods Market. This part of the program will run past September, as long as we carry this product!

About Give 
Give water was started by 20-year-old Univ. of Pennsylvania sophmore Ben Lewis who says, “Our whole selling point is that it’s not about the water, it’s about the movement.” What started as deliveries out of the back of Ben’s car with the help of a few friends has now raised over $75,000 for charities around the country.

Bottles come in different colors and a dime from each bottle sold goes to a local charity of the retailer’s choice. Blue helps children in need, orange helps the fight against muscular disorders, pink is for breast cancer research, and green goes to the environment.

Plus, Give is bottled regionally and delivered to local stores to help reduce their carbon footprint!

Ben was featured on CNN’s American Morning Program in March, click here to watch the video.

FREE Gourmet Honey Tastings on September 8

In conjunction with Shalom Jacksonville, Native Sun will be hosting TWO gourmet honey tastings on Tuesday, September 8 in honor of the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday when a piece of apple is dipped into honey in the hopes of a sweet year. Yum!

Tastings will be held at 4pm at Mandarin and 7pm at Baymeadows. Along with free samples we will also be offering a prize raffle and $1 OFF all Thomas Honey products. These events are free and open to anyone who wants to learn more about gourmet foods, the benefits of honey or Jewish traditions.

We are very excited to have Mike Thomas, owner of Thomas Honey in Lake City, as our host for the event. He will be sampling a variety of different honeys including Gallberry, Orange Blossom, Clover, Wildflower and Tupelo that you can spread onto crisp apples, crackers and fresh bread with cheese to sample. Mike will also have a living bee hive on display to help demonstrate how honey is made!

Here is an interesting video from LA’s Backwards Beekeepers about how they harvest local honey:

Did You Know?
- Honey has been used for over 2000 years for both health and healing purposes including wound care, digestion, sleep aid, asthma, energy, and as a food preservative just to name a few.

- Honey contains about 69% glucose and fructose enabling it to be used as a sweetener in place of sugar in many food and drinks. Further the sugars in honey can be easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs making it very easy to digest.

- Allergic to pollen? Honey made from local bees is said to work like an allergy shot. Rather than a drug that relieves symptoms, honey has small amounts of digested pollens that trigger responses in the body, possibly preparing it for the onslaught of pollens common in the spring.

- Though honey has more calories than sugar, honey when consumed with warm water helps in digesting the fat stored in your body. Similarly honey and lemon juice and honey and cinnamon help in reducing weight.

- Honey is good for maintaining blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout.

- Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and can be used as a natural antiseptic. For cuts, grazes, and scrapes, cover with honey and bandage!

- Honey contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body to improve immunity.

- Milk and honey are often paired together in beauty care products as both help in getting a smooth soothing skin.

Please RSVP to Isabel Balotin at Shalom Jacksonville at 904-448-5000 x206 or jewishnewish@comcast.net.

Lawsuits Against Aurora Dairy Dropped!?!?

Most of you have never heard of Aurora Dairy, but you definitely have seen their products. They are THE organic dairy producer for grocery stores’ “generic” brands of organic milk and butter products. Their goal is to make organic dairy affordable for the masses.  This sounds great, but at what cost?  Does the consumer prefer the word organic to be placed on the label or would they like organically produced milk inside the carton?

Ever since the USDA has taken over to “regulate” the organic industry, large companies have been working to degrade and evade the standards to fit the price and business model. What once was the marking of quality, purity and integrity, has becomes the USDA seal that represents that the manufacturer has paid to be certified and that an inspector will come check up on their paperwork and procedures once a year. Any violations found will result in giving the manufacturer time to correct the violations in order to keep the organic certification.

Aurora was accused of having “14″ willful violations of the organic rules when inspected by the USDA.

Accusations ranged from selling milk from non-organic cows awaiting the one year time frame to convert to organic, to not letting cows out to pasture due to over processing. I have not met an organic milk consumer who thought that cows that were not yet certified were appropriate milk sources for their organic milk, or one that felt organic cows that have no access (in some of Aurora’s cases) to pasture would make for a good end product. 

Aurora does not practice organics in the way that consumers expect or perceive it to be. They do follow the rules when an inspector is present, and that, they have proved in court.

I believe this represents a new trend of large food manufacturers manipulating the meaning and rules to make organic a marketing tool for them, while degrading quality and expectation for the rest of us (the real organic consumers).

Sonja Tuitele, vice president of communications for Aurora said it best, “Because Aurora Organic Dairy’s products have always been produced with valid organic certifications, this outcome ends any disputes or questions about whether our products are organic. This is also a victory for the organic industry as a whole, as it bolsters consumer confidence that they can trust products bearing the USDA organic seal.”

Mr. Tuitele is happy enough with what certifiers say and what a government agency can regulate, rather than what the consumer expects and has the right to be delivered. The organic industry he is speaking of is now lining the shelves of our country’s supermarkets and discount stores rather than our natural food stores where the concept was born.

Natural food stores with integrity are now doing their own reviews to ensure the customer gets what they expect despite the national organic standards. That is exactly what Native Sun has been doing since we opened in 1997, and it is what we will continue to do to ensure your health, safety and trust.