The Natural Grocer Salad Greens Are Going Local Year-Round

March 16, 2021

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You may have noticed that our salad greens have been incredibly fresh recently, even during the dead of winter. We have shifted to using exclusively local New England grown greens year round in order to ensure the freshest, safest, most sustainable, and by far the most environmentally friendly greens around. Now our salad green don't need to travel across the country in trucks and can be harvested and in your Natural Grocer salad sometimes even the same day.

 

All of our salad greens now come from lēf Farms in New Hampshire which is a modern hydroponic growing facility. Their salad greens are completely pesticide-free and non GMO. Their modern farming practices utilize almost 90% less water than traditional farming and zero fertilizer, chemicals, or pesticides (yes, there are certain pesticides that are approved for use in organic farming) used anywhere on the farm. Water (filtered through a special sand filtration system), nutrients, and CO2 are recycled which reduces waste and improves sustainability, leaving an extremely low impact on the environment. Harvesting is hands-free, meaning an increased level of food safety. 

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The Natural Grocer, in addition to using lēf Farms' greens in all prepared salads, also carries several varieties of their greens for purchase. Rest assured these greens are much fresher than any organic greens coming from the west coast during the winter! What's more, we enjoy supporting local growers and small businesses, especially when the people associated with them are responsible, friendly, and easy to work with.  Learn more about lēf Farms.

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High Tech Bio-Defense System Installed at The Natural Grocer to Keep You Safer

February 2, 2021

 

Continuing our focus on keeping you, our customers, safe, we just installed innovative and continuously operating bio-defense cleaning technology that fights viruses and a variety of bacteria. This system not only cleanses the air but also surfaces, and has recently been tapped for use by schools, health clubs, municipal buildings, grocery stores, inns, restaurants, and professional sports facilities. It is proven to reduce the presence of influenza by 99.8% in just 60-minutes of use and is thought to have reasonably similar effect on other viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, this virus responsible for the current pandemic. Our units will run 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year.

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This system utilizes a patented technology that reduces viral microbes in the air and on surfaces without reliance on the exchange of air. The process uses naturally occurring oxygen and humidity in the air to create Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (DHP). Hydrogen Peroxide is a natural component of human lung tissue and this DHP circulates at very safe levels that are well below OSHA’s standard. A single unit would have to run non-stop for two and a half years to reach the same concentration of one droplet of the Hydrogen Peroxide you're familiar with in the brown bottle. The natural humidity and oxygen circulating in the air bind with viral and bacterial microbes. Once attached, DHP breaks down the microbe’s outer cell membrane leading to its destruction.

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"Denaturing renders a virus non-infective and destroys it. When DHP attacks the prongs on the outside of the virus and denatures those, it renders them non-infective. Then DHP creates rifts in the spherical body of the virus that causes it to rupture."

- Jim Lee, Founder of Synexis and Inventor of DHP technology

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Learn more details about this technology

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Strengthen Your Immune System Against COVID-19

January 21, 2021

 

This is the time of year when we all typically need a little boost to our immune system to help ward off the seasonal flu or colds, and to ensure our body’s natural defenses are highly functional. This winter, given the dangers of contracting COVID-19, it’s even more important to ensure our immune system is functioning at an optimal level. Over the next few months, The Natural Grocer will feature a series of informational posts highlighting different options for strengthening and supporting your immune system in order to decrease your odds of becoming infected by COVID-19 or the flu.

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While there are currently no completed studies offering definitive proof that adding certain vitamins and supplements to your routine will prevent you from contracting COVID-19, there are studies that have recently been completed that quantify the preventative effects of certain vitamins and supplements, and some appear quite promising. Vitamin D and C, along with zinc, elderberry, and a proprietary blend of wild oregano oil all offer your body immune support properties.

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Studies indicate that as much as 40% of the US population may be deficient in Vitamin D which our body produces naturally from exposure to the sun, though people with darker complexions may not generate as much as those who are lighter complected. Exposure to the sun is the best means of improving your natural levels of Vitamin D, however following a daily regimen of high-quality supplementation can help improve your levels significantly, especially during the winter months when hours of outdoor activity thus exposure to sunlight tends to be low.

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Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics and molecular medicine at Boston University, recently published a study which found that “a sufficient amount of vitamin D can reduce the risk of catching coronavirus by 54 percent.” He also believes that “being vitamin D sufficient helps to fight consequences from being infected not only with the corona virus but also other viruses causing upper respiratory tract illnesses including influenza.” The study also provides direct evidence that “Vitamin D sufficiency can reduce the complications of and ultimately death from COVID-19.”

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A number of recent studies indicate that supplementing with Vitamin D improves immune response and protects against upper respiratory tract infections such as influenza. There is also a study underway at Brigham & Women’s Hospital to determine whether Vitamin D can reduce COVID-19 symptoms in patients who have been afflicted with the virus.

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According to a study in The International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the most important aspect of Vitamin D in supporting the body’s natural defenses appears to be its ability, to “enhance the pathogen-fighting effects of monocytes and macrophages – white blood cells that are important parts of your immune defense.” It also decreases inflammation, which helps promote immune response.

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In addition to adding Vitamin D to your daily routine, there are other vitamins and supplements that can enhance your immune system in various ways. Aller C, a top Vitamin C supplement made by Vital Nutrients is designed to improve cellular level defenses and maintain normal respiratory function. Vital Nutrients’ Zinc Citrate supplements are thought to support a healthy immune response to colds and influenza. This leads to thinking that both would also aid in similar functionality where COVID-19 in concerned.

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One supplement that you may not be familiar with is wild oregano oil, which is considered to have antiseptic powers and may be an alternative to antibiotics. The Natural Grocer carries Oreganol P73 by North American Herb & Spice which was founded by a nutritionist who created the world’s first whole food/wild plant-based herbal medicine company and to introduce edible oil of oregano to the US. In the 30 years since being developed, Oreganol P73 remains the only wild-sourced organic oil of oregano acceptable for ingestion and daily use.

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The oregano used in Oreganol P73 grows wild high in the mountains surrounding the Mediterranean and, unlike farm-raised oregano, are handpicked by local villagers who benefit from the harvest. Once gathered, it is steam-distilled with pristine spring water to produce oregano oil with unrivaled quality, efficacy, and purity. Oreganol P73 is the truly the only choice for potency, safety, and better health. Other oregano oil brands are typically manufactured from a variety of herbs that cannot be used internally and contain little if any true oregano oil.

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Elderberry has been used in herbal traditions for centuries. Oregon based and family-owned Quantum Health produces one of the finest elderberry supplements available. Elderberry has been found to promote healthy immune system cells through its general antioxidant support. It also appears to positively affect macrophage (white blood cell) activity. Quantum’s Elderberry Liquid Extract (LE) is best for those who wish to rely on a premium dosage of elderberry in a high-uptake form. The LE is most appropriate in times of heightened immune system challenges like cold and flu season.

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HybridCR™ is a proprietary blend of natural ingredients that works to decrease severity and shorten the duration of immune challenges. It was recently recognized by Taste for Life Magazine as the Best Immune Support Product for 2020. Dr. Jason DuBois, a registered clinical pharmacist and educator founded Hybrid Remedies, a natural supplement research and development company. Ironically, Dr. DuBois penchant for natural supplements evolved from his initial skepticism as to whether supplements could truly be effective. Through his own research, he set out to determine if there was credible scientific evidence supporting the use of natural supplements for the immune system. After years of research, Dr. DuBois made several pivotal discoveries that converted his beliefs about natural supplements and led to the creation of the company’s novel immune blend, HybridCR™.

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A future post will focus on the use of the certified organic mushroom products grown and formulated by Washington state’s, Host Defense company. All of the products referenced in this post are available at The Natural Grocer, whose founder/owner holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Boston University. The Grocer’s staff can assist you in selecting appropriate products to strengthen and reinforce your immune system for optimal protection. As always, we suggest consulting your health practitioner to determine the safest and most optimal approach for your own personal situation.