June 2009 Archives

Consumers are still committed to healthy, natural and organic foods, but are changing their buying habits to maintain these priorities during the economic recession. That's according to a recent MamboTrack(TM) quick poll by Mambo Sprouts Marketing, the leader in natural and organic product marketing and promotions. The company surveyed the buying habits of natural and organic product consumers to identify recent changes in organic shopping and eating patterns.

Even with the tight economy, natural and organic consumers remain committed to eating healthy with 9 in 10 (87%) reporting that they were not willing to give this up. A majority (about 55% each) would not forego healthy and eco activities such as natural and organic products, vitamins and supplements and "green" environmentally friendly products.

Those adjusting their organic buying and eating habits (45% of respondents) are frugal shoppers seeking value and ways to purchase organics more economically such as being more selective when buying organics (67%), buying organics on sale (65%), using more coupons (50%), and buying more store brand/private label organics (48%).

Respondents see this change in the way they purchase organics as long term. Most will (52%) or may (32%) continue these new buying habits when the economy improves. The outlook for organic products looks strong, with more than 8 in 10 respondents planning to buy the same amount of organics (46%) or more (36%) when economy improves (1 in 6 were unsure; only 2% will buy less).

Store brand/private label organics remain part of the cost saving strategy with 9 in 10 (88%) buying on a regular (38%) or occasional (50%) basis. One in four (26%) are buying more of these products since the recession started. Grocery staples such as cereal, grains and pasta (80%), dairy (72%), condiments (61%) and household cleaning products (61%) displayed the highest store brand/private label category purchasing.

"For branded organic products, the challenge is to regain market share through brand building initiatives such as layered promotions, education regarding brand values and coupons so that they are well positioned post-recession," said Matthew Saline, CEO for Mambo Sprouts Marketing.

SOURCE Mambo Sprouts Marketing

This week marks the official start of summer. People everywhere will be shedding their spring raincoats and spending time outdoors in the sun's rays. But, before basking in all the sunshine, it's important to practice skin sun safety. MoleSafe, (www.molesafe.com), a company that offers an advanced skin cancer early detection program, is encouraging the public to shield their skin from the summer sun and also remind those at risk to get their skin checked for suspicious moles and lesions.

Cancer survivor Elizabeth Moore describes her experience with melanoma (the deadliest skin cancer) and how the disease has changed her life. She stresses the importance of early detection and explains how it can save lives.

Click here to enter MoleSafe's website and view Elizabeth's video

Skin Cancer Prevention Tips and Facts

• Examine your skin from head to toe every month
• The risk of developing melanoma doubles if you have had 5 or more sunburns
• Your chance of getting melanoma increases significantly if you've already had a previous melanoma, but also increases if you have had either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, the more common forms of skin cancer
• Melanoma appears most frequently on the torso area in fair-skinned men and on the lower leg in fair-skinned women
• It is estimated that 20 percent to 40 percent of melanomas arise from an atypical mole
• Utilize services like MoleSafe that detect new, changing and/or suspicious lesions by monitoring and comparing the images over time
• Even after the summer, continue to monitor any changes in moles year-round including change in the size, shape, color, or feel; a black or blue-black area

Statistics/Data Skin Cancer

• More than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year
• One in 55 people will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime
• Contrary to popular belief, 80 percent of a person's lifetime sun exposure is not acquired before age 18 -- the number is closer to 23 percent
• Skin is the largest organ in the body; it helps regulate body temperature, prevents excess fluid loss, and aids the body in removing excess water and salt
• Survival rate for patients with early detection is about 99 percent. The survival rate falls between 15 and 65 percent or higher, depending on how far the disease has spread

Quote

"During the summer it is imperative for Americans to take full action to protect their skin from the sun. Additionally, early detection lowers the risk of melanoma, so the best thing you can do is get your skin checked for suspicious moles and lesions," said Dr. Richard Bezozo, president of MoleSafe. "With the expansion of MoleSafe locations in the U.S., our company's advanced detection program will be readily available to more communities, ultimately saving lives from this deadly disease."

SOURCE MoleSafe

BLUM Enterprises, LLC will open a new progressive restaurant named Green Canteen in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York on June 9, 2009.

Green Canteen is based on the simple philosophy that you can savor the great taste of fresh, delicious food and feel good afterwards. The "Eat Well. Feel Well" menu consists of Mediterranean inspired food and American classics prepared in an innovative way.

Green Canteen offers an array of dishes using the freshest and highest quality ingredients available. These items include fresh antipasti, flatbreads made in an earth-stone oven, a bounty of fresh salads with grilled seafood, chicken or meats, distinctive hummus bowls with skewers of meats and vegetables, handcrafted mini burgers, freshly made soups and chilis, plus homemade sodas, shakes and desserts.

Green Canteen's menu allows you to feel good because the food is clean and wholesome. The restaurant uses fresh, high quality ingredients sourced locally wherever possible. The ingredients are free from hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, artificial flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats. Our chefs seek out sustainably grown food and free-range meats in an effort to provide our guests an "Eat Well. Feel Well." menu.

Green Canteen offers everyday enjoyment at a good value. Whether you are on the go, want to eat in a cozy booth or at the community table or just hang out and relax, you're always welcome at Green Canteen.

Green Canteen is the first New York State restaurant to be SILVER LEED Certified. In addition to the reclaimed wood for the community table, all other woods are certified from the Forest Stewardship Council. Green Canteen features many other eco-friendly innovations: solar panel hot water system to provide hot water, low-flow plumbing fixtures and has committed to 100% wind energy usage. Most of the design and construction materials for Green Canteen have been sourced form local manufacturers, suppliers and vendors.

SOURCE BLUM Enterprises, LLC

NIAHC, The National Institute of Alternative Health Care announces today the first nationally coordinated alternative health care website, The Alternative Health Connection (www.althealthconnect.com).

The Alternative Health Connection was launched on May 26th in Santa Cruz County located on the central coast of Northern California, and it is now positioned to be the single point of destination for people who are seeking a path to radiant health. For the first time ever, visitors can search for alternative health care professionals, wellness centers, schools and earth conscious businesses based on geographic location, all in one place! They will even find Wholessence, our online e-zine which is filled with topics ranging from alternative therapies, to live interviews with our practitioners. It is a social live magazine where the public can interact with our wellness community and find more information on health conditions, nutrition, tips on living green and other solutions for attaining balance for mind, body and spirit... that's self-care!

President and founder, Tricia Hancock, a clinical hypnotherapist, business coach, yoga instructor and entrepreneur, observed the rapid growth of the industry and yet saw how fragmented the information on the internet was and committed to creating a cohesive borderless wellness community.

"In my own practice, I found it difficult to find a professional network of quality referrals for my clients. I met many educated, caring alternative health practitioners who were struggling to grow their practice and in need of proven marketing strategies. The watershed moment in committing to build this website came from a meeting with a lovely elderly healer who told me 'We lose an extraordinary number of gifted healers every year because they don't know how to market or build their practices.' On the public side, our market research revealed a real craving for a one-stop online wellness resource that they could trust. We simply had to provide the platform to do that."

The site is designed to bridge the public to local, qualified health practitioners, a full library of educational information, and earth conscious businesses; while at the same time offering unparalleled marketing tools that support the alternative health field.

Practitioners and earth conscious businesses are invited to join a professional community that provides them with strategic marketing tools, localized client leads and the opportunity to publish articles. Our technology platform along with local, regional and national advertising will elevate The Alternative Health Connection to top ranking on all of the major search engines, resulting in unrivaled exposure for our members.

The Healthy Marketplace is dedicated to providing visitors with top quality green goods, yoga studios and people who are passionate about health and wellness. In this section, you'll find restaurants and health food stores that support your journey in sustainable living.

We have been so well received here in Santa Cruz County, that we're excited to say we are now spreading throughout the entire state ready to go national. NIAHC was founded by a group of alternative health care and marketing professionals who are fiercely devoted to servicing the long-term needs of the public and its members with the highest degree of integrity and trust. For more information please call 1-800-670-1980.

SOURCE National Institute of Alternative Health Care

Remuda Ranch Reports Many Patients with Eating Disorders Exhibit Weight and Body Checking Behaviors

Everyone checks their body to some extent, but many people with eating disorders repeatedly check their body and often in a way that's unusual.

"Sometimes body and weight checking becomes second nature and many individuals with eating disorders don't even realize they're doing it," said Dena Cabrera, PsyD, psychologist at Remuda ("Commonly, they check to feel for fatness, bones and any physical change in their body to subconsciously or consciously motivate their eating disorder behavior."

Many individuals with eating disorders weigh themselves at frequent intervals, sometimes many times a day. As a result they become obsessed with the daily weight fluctuations that are a normal part of the body and would otherwise pass unnoticed. The movements on the scale then determine their mood and eating patterns.

Body checking is influential in maintaining dissatisfaction with shape and appearance. Other common behaviors associated with body checking include: looking in the mirror (or at reflective surfaces); measuring body parts with tape measures or hands; pinching or touching body parts; assessing the tightness of particular items of clothing or accessories; looking down at one's body and touching collar bones to check for boniness.

"Body checking perpetuates the eating disorder cycle and increases self loathing and low self esteem," adds Cabrera. "Patients look in the mirror and they see fatness, then they restrict or binge, then they check themselves again, which has the same result."

Remuda Ranch tries to progressively address the following questions with patients:

• What are you trying to find out when you check your body?
• Why are you checking yourself so frequently?
• Do you ever look at parts of your body that you like?
• Do you feel better after checking your body?
• Do you think your body checking has any adverse effects?
• Do you trust the mirror?
• How do we know what we look like?
• Do we believe what we see?

Remuda Ranch believes there's a need to assess the time spent on body/weight checking behavior as well as the consequences to determine if there needs to be a change in behavior. Most of the time body/weight checking needs to be stopped in an effort to uncover other influential factors that may trigger eating disorder behaviors, such as emotional regulation issues, trauma and maturity fears.

"If we address body and weight checking behaviors and the thought processes behind them, much of the eating disorder behavior will be reduced," said Cabrera.

SOURCE Remuda Ranch Programs For Anorexia & Bulimia