Whole Foods-Aventura Having Party

Posted on 04. Sep, 2010 by Howard Salus in Green Events, Healthy Foods, Healthy Products

SEE WHAT’S GOING ON AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET, AVENTURA

By Nancy Powell Radlauer (PowellReviews@aol.com)

Sunday, September 19; Whole Foods Market 30th Birthday and awesome 80’s Party! 12 noon – 4pm FREE; Whole Foods Market is turning the big 3-0 and we’re celebrating by turning the clock back to 1980 when it all began! Featuring your favorite 80’s music, a birthday hat challenge and lots of silliness just to prove we’re still as young as we feel! Stop in for some birthday cake and ice-cream, and see if you can win the 1980’s Costume Contest or ‘Pin the Tail on the Grass Fed Cow’ for a chance to win a free gift card. Plus, while you’re loading up your cart with anniversary deals, kids will have fun with face painting, party hat making and cupcake decorating in the café. No birthday party is complete without party favors, so throughout the day,  customers who can answer our 1980s Trivia questions will get prizes.  And lots of delicious, highest quality natural and organic products to sample!

SEPTEMBER EVENTS:
• School Lunch Revolution: Salad Bar Fundraiser: Register Donation Campaign, thru September 29 This school year Whole Foods Market has partnered with Renegade Lunch Lady, Chef Ann Cooper for a salad bar fundraiser! Our goal? For every Whole Foods Market location (that’s 300 stores) to raise enough green to build 300 salad bars in local schools across the country. For every $2,500 we raise in Aventura, a local school will receive a “grant” of a salad bar from Chef Ann Cooper & F3! Local schools may apply at: http://www.saladbarproject.org/
• Wednesday, September 1; SPEED BIZ BREAKFAST: Hallandale Beach Chamber of Commerce; 7:30 am – 9 am; FREE for Members, $ 5.00 Non-Members; A morning of fast paced Networking with over 50 other businesses in our area – 3 minutes at a time. The early-bird gets the business!!!
• Thursday, September 2; Spice Up your Labor Day Weekend with Branford; 4–7 pm, Meat Department; Spice up your Labor Day weekend grill with Branford’s Originals! Come over to our meat department to sample our high quality, all natural grilling favorites while you meet and greet the creator of our very own LOCAL Branford’s Original Sauces. Who knows? If you’re lucky, he just may share a recipe or two with you!
• Friday, September 3; Health Starts Here Demonstration with Ira Luft, RN; 11 am–1 pm FREE; Trying to eat well, but not sure where to begin in the kitchen? Join Ira Luft, RN and Demo Specialist Nadeige as they teach us to prepare Tangy Bean Salad with Carrot & Green Onion Dressing.
• Saturday, September 4; Clean up with Hugo, from Hugo’s Naturals! 4 pm–7:30 pm; FREE; Join us as the award-winning Chef and Founder of HUGO NATURALS shares his philosophy of ‘food grade quality’ all natural body care products. He will be sampling his luxurious products and highlighting his newest additions to his collection, bath bombs and bath salts.
• Monday, September 6; LABOR DAY Forgot something for the grill? We are open 8am–10 pm for you.
• Rosh Hashanah – Shana Tova!  Sundown Wednesday, September 8; Ends nightfall Thursday, September 9; The words Rosh Hashanah mean “Head of the Year.” It is the anniversary of the past creation of the world, and Jewish tradition sees everyone as being created anew at this time every year. On Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to eat foods that are sweet and nourishing. Come in and pick from the very best organic and natural additions to your holiday table. Whether it’s Challah, apples, local honey or a kosher dessert to round out your meal, we’ve got it.
• Saturday, September 11; Health Starts Here Demonstration with Ira Luft, RN; 12 pm–2pm FREE; Trying to eat well, but not sure where to begin in the kitchen? Join Ira Luft, RN and Demo Specialist Nadeige as they teach us to prepare Tangy Bean Salad with Carrot & Green; Onion Dressing.
• Sunday, September 12; Grandparents Day; Pick up a beautiful bouquet, potted orchid or fabulous dessert to share!
• Tuesday, September 14; Gluten-Free Basics Tour with Ira Luft, RN; 10:30 am–12 pm FREE; Are you or a loved one living the gluten free (GF) lifestyle and not sure what to eat? Not even sure what gluten is or where it is found? Join Ira Luft, RN on a journey through the aisles as he shares gluten-free choices and information for those on special diets. Sample delicious gluten-free products and find some new favorites. Don’t suffer from a limited selection or compromise on taste anymore! To RSVP; sign up at Customer Service, phone 305.933.143 or email  Vanessa.Hassele@wholefoods.com. Tour size is limited to 10 persons.
• Yom Kippur; Begins Sundown Friday, September 17, Ends nightfall Saturday, September 18
• Friday, September 24; Top 5 Wines @ 5 pm! 5–7pm TGIF! Stop by our Wine Department to receive a complimentary wine glass and sample up to 5 carefully picked wines and cheeses, each selected to start your weekend off right! Limit one glass per customer, while supplies last.
• Sunday, September 26; Seafood 101:  Harpoon Caught Swordfish, 1 pm–3pm; With fisheries around the world in search of finding more sustainable and environmentally friendly means of bringing their catch to market, fishermen are now returning to the ancient art of harpoon sword fishing. Stop by and learn about what Whole Foods Market is doing to ensure sustainable fishing, try a new recipe and taste a sample of this unique catch!
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30; HALL-O-GREEN MONSTER MASH!
Join us for a GREEN-HALLOWEEN celebration featuring your favorite monster-mash music, a “Recycled~ Repurposed~ Reused Costume Contest” plus lots of zero waste party tips!
 
Whole Foods Market®, founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, is a leader in the natural and organic foods industry, is America’s first national certified organic grocer,  and was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” in 2008 by Health magazine. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement.
Thanks to its 53,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 12 consecutive years. There are currently more than 275 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & WildTM, and Harry’s Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP.  Wild Oats® and Capers Community MarketTM are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc. Whole Foods Market Aventura 305.933.143

Successful Weight Loss

Posted on 31. Aug, 2010 by Howard Salus in Education, Florida News, Healthy Foods, Healthy Products, Products

 5 Steps To Successful Weight Loss and Good Health

By Rodi Alexander Friedman C.H.C. (rodialexander@yahoo.com)

 It is absolutely shocking to me, how many people let themselves go and
continue to live a lifestyle in poor health. Even after learning how detrimental
certain foods and drinks are on the body. I associate it to the smoker who
knows that cigarettes can cause cancer and heart disease, but continues to
smoke anyway. In case you didn’t know, 64% of American adults are obese,
as are 1 in every 4 children. We are headed for disaster!
Dr. David Katz, Director of Medical Studies in Public Health at the Yale
University School of Medicine, has stated, that our children have a shorter
life expectancy than our generation. Not only is that horrifying, but totally
preventable. We have lost sight of quality of life, purely from bad habits and
wrong choices. Eat to Live, don’t Live to Eat!
If you want to lose weight, keep it off and maintain a good healthy state of
being, there are 5 important steps you must take; The first step is the most
important. #1- A strong, positive mind set. This applies to anything and
everything you ever want to accomplish in your life. It is the foundation for
discipline. If you set your mind to it, you can do it! For those of you who find
it difficult to stick to a certain regiment, you must change your way of
thinking. There are plenty of self help books and groups out there to help you
get motivated and keep you motivated. There is nothing wrong with that. Do
whatever it takes to help gain control of your life. When you come to the
realization that you are fed up with the way you look and feel about your
body and you want to get in shape, your mind set is your success.
The second step is, Make water your #1 choice of drink. Forget the diet
drinks, juices, sports drinks and alcohol. Drink half your body weight in
ounces every day. This is further substantiated in one of my previous articles,
http://envmagazine.org/?p=1180, Soda is a No No, Water is a Go Go! By
drinking water you will help rid the body of excess toxins, clean the intestines
and improve absorption of nutrients. Water is used by the liver to metabolize
fat into useable energy. Stay Hydrated! This is an excellent start to successful
weight loss.
Step # 3 is Exercise. You’ve got to keep your metabolism active. I have
found exercise to be instrumental in losing weight successfully, and the more
you keep a consistent exercise schedule, the easier it will be to maintain your
weight. Stop making excuses and do it! Choose a workout that works best for
you. Running, jogging, walking, swimming, biking, yoga, palates, tennis
etc…Whatever you do, MOVE! For more in depth information, read my
previous article, Exercise – The True Fountain of youth. Click on
http://envmagazine.org/?p=1687
Step #4, Incorporate more Fruits and Vegetables into your diet. There are
thousands of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables.
They are a pure, unprocessed food source with a 90% content of water, and
have enough nutrition to sustain life. They are so good for you, and contain
benefits that can literally save your life! Fruits are best digested when eaten
on an empty stomach. Eating fruits first thing in the morning works well when
trying to lose weight or maintain your weight. Try a bowl of melon or berries,
½ a grapefruit, or fruit shake. Whatever you do, Don’t skip breakfast! An
apple, pear, mixed berries etc…works well as an in between snack. Be sure
not to skip meals, and try your best to eat dinner before 7:00 pm. Salads are
the best way to incorporate an array of vegetables. Eat a rainbow of colors.
There are all sorts of different benefits from eating a variety, but, watch your
dressings! Creamy, fatty, cheesy dressings may taste good, but will prevent
you from losing weight because of the high calories and fat content. Stick to a
pure virgin olive oil and or vinegar, (balsamic, red wine, or apple cider).
Eating a larger quantity of vegetables and a smaller portion of meat, (fish,
turkey, chicken), will fill you up and aid in the weight loss process. You can
eat red meat 1 or 2 times a week, but make sure that it is lean, grass fed or
organic. All sorts of beans are a great source of protein and nutrition. Slightly
cooked vegetables or steamed are acceptable. Remember, you want to lose
weight, but you also want the nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables are also
naturally high in fiber. The consumption of high fiber foods contributes
greatly to an individuals ability to achieve and maintain optimal weight. Fiber
is also found in grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. There is NO fiber in animal
foods. A high fiber diet keeps bowel movements regular and soft. An
appropriate amount of fiber in the diet can:
* Reduce the risk of Heart Disease
* Lower Blood Cholesterol
* Satisfy hunger longer
* Keep blood sugar levels balanced by slowing down
carbohydrate absorption
The average American consumes approximately 17 grams of fiber per day.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 25 grams. Most Nutritionists
recommend a daily consumption of 35 grams. But, in countries where cancer
and heart disease rates are very low, fiber exceeds 45 grams per day.
Many people eat only 1 or 2 meals a day. It is far better to eat several smaller
meals throughout the day. Not feeding your body consistently throughout the
day, can cause your blood sugar to drop and your energy to decrease. Eating
several meals can keep you from over eating.
If you can successfully implement steps 1 – 4, you can definitely accomplish
step #5. You may find this step to be the most challenging, I did, but once you
master it, not only will you see the pounds come off, you will feel lighter, less
bloated, have better digestion and be healthier overall.
Step #5, Cut out ALL white foods; Sugar, Flour, Dairy, Potatoes, Rice.
Once you’ve reached you’re ideal weight, you can add them back, but in
moderation. Sugar has been proven to be addictive, and consuming large
amounts, promotes weight gain and depresses the immune system. According
to one study, 100 grams of sugar (the equivalent of a 5 oz chocolate bar and
soft drink) can suppress the immune system for up to 6 hours. DO NOT
substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar. They are detrimental to one’s health.
Honey, molasses and fructose in their natural state are good ingredients.
Flour, bleached and enriched flour is not a whole grain. It has been processed
and chemically treated with virtually all of the nutritive value removed.
Products containing bleached and enriched flour (most breads, cookies,
crackers, cereals, pasta, desserts, etc..) act like simple sugars in the body, in
that they cause blood glucose levels to rise quickly, triggering production of
insulin. Look for whole grains as ingredients, such as, oats, oat flour, millet,
whole spelt flour, barley, quinoa or whole rye.
Dairy is an entire article within itself. I will be discussing dairy in depth next
month, but for now, just know that if you want to lose weight and be
healthier, you are better off cutting dairy out of your diet. It is gas forming,
creates mucus and bloating, as well as being a major contributor to
degenerative disease, as proven in many studies and research. We are the only
mammals that drink milk into adulthood. Cows milk is to nurture a baby calf
into a full grown cow. Today you can substitute cows milk with unsweetened
Almond Milk or Rice Milk. White Potatoes and White Rice are not good
choices when you are in the process of losing weight. They convert to sugar
quickly and get stored as fat because they are starches which does not
disseminate quickly through the body’s system. Better choices are sweet
potatoes and brown rice. Do not deprive yourself of the good carbohydrates.
They help fill you up and satisfy your hunger.
Let’s recap The 5 Steps to Successful Weight Loss and Good Health;
1) A Strong, Positive Mind Set
2) Make Water Your #1 Drink
3) Exercise
4) More Fruits and Vegetables
5) No White Foods; Sugar, Flour, Dairy, Potatoes and Rice
The bottom line is that these steps depend on you and you alone. No one can
do them for you. Get your mind set for success. The results are totally worth
it! You will feel better about yourself, be more energetic, significantly reduce
your incidents of illness and disease, and have a healthier existence.
Stop putting it off and start taking it off!!!

One Way to Reduce Miami’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by Howard Salus in Business, Education, Environment, Florida News, Green Business

By Susie Glass, LEED AP

When one thinks about green house gases being emitted into the atmosphere the natural assumption would be that transportation contributes the greatest number of total combined emissions. And, although transportation does rank close to the top of the list, Miami’s number one ranking is actually held by buildings. An overwhelming 54% of greenhouse gases can be attributed to buildings alone here in Miami. Just as a refresher, green house gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation emitted from the earth, and as a result temperatures rise and raise sea levels. Greater Miami is one of the most vulnerable urban areas in the world when it comes to rising sea levels. At current, there is 400 billion dollars of property at risk by rising sea levels and based on current trends that number is expected to increase to 3.5 trillion dollars by 2070. Although Miami is in such a challenging position it should be noted that the city’s greenhouse emissions do rank in the lowest one third in 100 metropolitan cities.
In Miami, commercial buildings represent 35% of the built square footage yet consume 60% of the city’s electricity.  In fact, 90% of Miami’s energy usage comes from electricity. One of the main reasons buildings consume so much electricity is that Miami, unlike most other metropolitan cities, relies heavily on electricity versus natural gas for energy. This is due to the fact that Miami’s climate does not have as much of a need for natural gas since the majority of the energy usage relates to cooling. Nationally 47% of energy usage is for heating and in North Florida that number drops to 15%. In Miami, only 2% of the energy used is for heating. In addition, an average Miami home’s cooling, refrigeration, lighting and water heating account for 77% of electricity consumption.
This leads us to the obvious question, how can Miami reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere when it comes to energy? There are many ways to incorporate lowering energy consumption across the board; in fact, there are actually too many to mention in this short amount of space. Since the largest contributor of green house gas emissions are buildings, it would logically follow that the first order of business is to reduce the amount of gases that buildings emit. How can this be done? One of the answers lies in a building certification process that is starting to gain traction here in South Florida, and that certification process is called LEED. Developed by the United States Green Building Council, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and there are over 63 certified LEED projects here in South Florida with 16 here in Miami-Dade County. LEED is essentially a process of building commissioning which verifies a building is operating and built as designed. LEED standards are not necessarily easy to achieve, the process is thorough and requires numerous minimum building, design and performance standards that focus on building efficiency as well as the impacts the project will have on the environment. LEED is flexible enough to be incorporated into existing buildings, interiors, schools, homes, new construction and major renovation projects.
According to recent studies, 30% of the energy used by buildings are used inefficiently or unnecessarily. Amongst the many benefits that LEED certification has to offer, LEED certification helps to reduce wasteful usage of energy and demands efficient energy usage. Depending upon the size and scope of the project, a certified LEED building can no doubt greatly reduce the amount of energy a building consumes, in turn lowering the amount of green house gases emitted into the atmosphere which then lowers the risk of rising sea levels. Municipalities are also seeing the need for more efficient buildings, including the City of Miami which has previously released MiPlan, a climate action plan that seeks to reduce green-house emissions by 25% as early as 2015 (based on 2007 levels) and part of that reduction includes encouraging LEED certification for buildings. In addition, Miami-Dade County offers incentives for business that operate out of LEED certified buildings and implement energy saving technologies as well as expedited permitting for LEED registered projects. The benefits of a LEED certified building are many and to learn more about LEED certification in South Florida your first step is to visit the South Florida Chapter of the United States Green Building Council’s website at www.usgbcsf.org. This site provides information on LEED certified projects that have been completed, a database of LEED accredited professionals and educational workshops, seminars and meetings all pertaining to green building. The Chapter’s database makes it easy for you to locate professionals in your specific area that can walk you through the LEED certification process. As a caveat, LEED may not be the best choice for every project and there are other green building certification options available here in South Florida, including the Florida Green Building Coalition. The wise choice is to consult with green building professional to see if LEED certification is the best choice for the project.
References & Resources:
www.usgbcsf.org – USGBC South Florida Chapter
www.floridagreenbuilding.com – Florida Green Building Coalition
www.miamigov.com/msi – City of Miami Office of Sustainable Initiatives
www.miamidade.gov/oos -Miami-Dade County Office of Sustainability

Healthier Meal Options

Posted on 29. Aug, 2010 by Howard Salus in Dining, Florida News, Green Business, Healthy Foods, Healthy Products

MIAMI STUDENTS GET HEALTHIER MEAL OPTIONS FROM EVOS®

 
By Nancy Powell Radlauer (PowellReviews@aol.com)

EVOS® is a quick-service restaurant chain serving burgers, fries, and shakes. One exception from the norm; their philosophy is to use healthier ingredients such as naturally-raised hormone/antibioticfree beef and organic ingredients, as well as alternative cooking techniques. The result is 50 to 70
percent less fat without sacrificing flavor.
Dino Lambridis, Alkis Crassas and Michael Jeffers expanded their business to include stores in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and California since starting the franchise expansion in 2005. The company employs sustainable business practices that range from purchasing renewable wind energy to utilizing environmentally-friendly materials in the building of its stores.
EVOS, the restaurant known for great tasting, healthier menu options is proud to
announce the EVOS® Healthy School Lunch Program. Now available at public and
private schools throughout the Miami area this year, it offer an easy, affordable option for parents that ends daily lunchbox dilemmas.
Schools that choose to adopt the EVOS® Healthy School Lunch Program this year
are being rewarded for their efforts because the restaurant chain has committed to
donating a portion of each lunchbox sale back to the school from which it was
purchased.
“This year alone, more than 31 million students will consume 30 to 50 percent of their daily calories during their 30 minute lunch break,” says Jackie Macaluso,community ambassador at EVOS. “Packed with high amounts of salt, fat and sugar today’s school lunch simply “fails” miserably. The EVOS Healthy School
Lunch Program hopes to not only make a direct nutritional impact in the lives of those students we serve, but to also help schools get one step closer to meeting their unique fundraising milestones.”
While many people may assume that the idea of a healthier school lunch would be a
hard “sell” for students used to devouring the first slice of pizza, bag of chips, or
cookie assortment that comes their way, EVOS has succeeded in building a solid
following. From naturally-raised, beef burgers and hotdogs (free of added
hormones, antibiotics), to air-baked chicken strips and even a vegetarian option,
EVOS’ great tasting food and hip, trendy attitude has set the stage for great things to
come. Students are expected to talk about their “Most Talented, Most Likely to
Succeed, Most Athletic and Most Attractive” form those all packed into their tasty
lunchbox.
For more information on EVOS Healthy Lunch Program, menu offerings or for information on how your
school can get involved, log on to www.evoslunchroom.com. And, for those of you who just can’t get
enough EVOS during your lunch hour, visit EVOS’ Miami location at 9537 South Dixie Highway,
Pinecrest, Florida. The restaurant is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. www.evos.com.

Mayors Alvarez and Bower Host MB Green Event

Posted on 26. Aug, 2010 by Howard Salus in Climate, Education, Environment, Green Business, Green Events, Products

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and City of Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower host first Mayors’ Green Initiatives for Economic Growth Workshop and Trade Show

Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, Mayor Alvarez and Greater Miami Convention & Visitor’s Bureau President and CEO William Talbert

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and City of Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower hosted the first Mayors’ Green Initiatives for Economic Growth Workshop and Trade Show on Wednesday, August 25, 2010, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

“This workshop and trade show exemplifies how developing relationships between residents, businesses, community based organizations and government – all stakeholders in taking action to make a difference – can ensure we are doing what is necessary for a sustainable future,” Mayor Alvarez said.

More than 450 green exhibitors and attendees from as far as Tallahassee participated in the day-long event. Participants were able to meet one on one with representatives from governmental agencies and private businesses to learn more about green business practices, green lodging certification and economic development opportunities.

The workshop was a collaboration between Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Beach, the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Environmental Coalition of Miami & the Beaches (ECOMB), and several private companies.

For more information about Miami-Dade County’s green programs, call the Office of Sustainability at (305) 375-4790.