Azure Standard

I have mentioned Azure Standard in previous blogs, and thought it might be a good idea to elaborate on how to order from Azure.

Azure Standard, is a food distribution company located in Dufur, Oregon. They specialize in natural, organic, earth-friendly foods and products. They deliver directly to customers, buying clubs and retailers by semi truck and UPS.

You can order pretty much anything from Azure; produce, dairy, nuts, bread, dried fruits, flour, etc. They carry a lot of the brands you will find at Whole Foods or New Seasons. If you currently shop at WinCo or Safeway you won't see much of a savings shopping at Azure, but you will get a better quality product. If you currently shop at Whole Foods or New Seasons you will save some money, especially if you buy cases. Products periodically do go on sale. A new sales catalog comes out every two months.

You can order from Azure at anytime. They will ship non-perishable items via UPS. If you'd like to order perishable or frozen items, or not pay for shipping you can order for delivery (or drop). The drop point must have a minimum group order of $550. Paula Clark and I run a drop out of Camas Friends Church in downtown Camas, on the C-1 and D-3 routes. We have a large group and meet our minimum for every order. To join the Azure drop you will need to:

1. Create an account with Azure at http://www.azurestandard.com/. They will mail you a schedule of deliveries (our deliveries for C-1 and D-3 come in one day earlier than the schedule states).
2. Send an email to minda@eatwellbewell.net and request to be added to the azure list. I send out email reminders a few days before the order is due and another one with the time of delivery. 
3. Place your order on Azure, using drop point number 519577. At the checkout you will pay for your order using a credit/debit card or COD. 
4. Watch your emails the day of delivery, as I'll be emailing those that ordered the delivery time. The driver calls me approximately 2 hours before he will arrive. Currently both of our drops are in the evening.
5. Show up at Camas Friends Church, 1004 NE 4th Avenue, Camas 98607, on time to help unload the truck and take your order home.

A few things to be aware of:

• Once your invoice is pulled at the warehouse you can view it online (under your name on the left side of the website) and see what items actually shipped (items that are out of stock will have a zero in the total column).
• Azure does not track backorders. If you want to order an item that didn't ship, you'll have to put it on your next order. 
• Every now and then you may get charged for something you did not receive. In that case you need to call Azure and they will credit your account. Not your credit card, but your azure account.
• Your non-perishable and refrigerator items come in a box labeled with your name. The frozen items will come in a box containing all frozen items from our order. So if you have frozen please don't leave until the frozen box(es) have been unpacked. 
• If you would like to order but cannot be here for delivery, please arrange with someone to pick up your order. 
• If you'd like to share a case, please feel free to send an email asking if anyone would like to share.
• If your individual order is less than $50 you will be charged a $5 handling fee.

Nutrient Dense Breakfasts

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Maybe it is because I am breaking the fast of the previous 12 hours, and I am really hungry. Or because I love breakfast foods in general, especially farm fresh eggs.

Here are some of my favorite nutrient dense breakfasts:
Oatmeal - My all time favorite that I could eat every day. I purchase organic steel cut oats in bulk from Azure Standard, and mix in peanut butter, cinnamon, ground flax seeds and raisins. Sometimes I'll put in some molasses, maple syrup or raw sugar.
Poached Eggs - My favorite way to eat poached eggs is on either toasted multigrain and seed cereal or Grandma's Grain Recipe. Take the time to seek out farm fresh eggs - the nutrition and flavor of eggs from chickens eating their natural diet of bugs and grubs does not compare to store bought eggs.
Teff Cereal - Teff is the world's smallest grain, with a bit of a nutty flavor and high in fiber, protein, and minerals such as calcium, copper, and iron this is an excellent choice to start of the day. I mix the cooked cereal with some banana, chopped pecans, cinnamon, some flax and raw milk for a yummy breakfast. You can use any leftover cooked teff and mix with cocoa powder, vanilla and maple syrup to mix up some chocolate pudding. The recipe can be found on Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Teff package.

Do you have a favorite breakfast to share?

Connecting with Nature

A plant is a beautiful gift the earth gives to us - a seed, nourished by the soil, sun and water, creates food to nourish us. When we cherish these gifts from the natural world, by eating fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes, we give ourselves the gift of good health. The nutrients from the plants that nature gives us (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants) translates to magnificent bodies that function optimally and shine radiantly; clear, smooth skin, shiny, thick hair, strong nails, a bright spirit, energy, and focused, sharp minds.

The beauty of the natural world will be mirrored in our health and our spirit, if only we remember to connect with it. Spending time in nature appreciating the quiet, stillness and breathing fresh air is good for our soul and eating foods from healthy soils, in whole forms as natured intended is what makes our bodies alive, healthy and radiant.

Camas Healing Arts

The fall Camas Healing Arts Series is focusing on women's health. There are 3 parts left.

Nov 7 Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Women's Health: Diane Wintzer www.wintzeracupuncture.com/
Discover how Chinese medicine, including the use of herbs and Acupuncture, can support your general health through all of the phases of life. Learn what you can do at home to support your personal healing process.

Nov 14 Put Yourself First For A Change, Superwoman!: Geoff Walker
http://www.healingearthcamas.com/
Women make 90% of the decisions about our families' diet, communication, and self-care.
Feel overwhelmed? Put the skills from this series into practice - and learn new ones to
reduce your load!

Nov 21 Hormones 101: The Basics: Kathleen Hensch-Fleming, CNM, MN, ARNP, Menopause
Clinician, Pacific Midwifery Service
http://www.pacificmidwifery.com/
Your body needs hormones for metabolism, energy, movement, clear thinking and digestion.
As women, we will explore how hormones work in a women's body... those produced by your
body, and medications that we take to regulate them. We'll talk about periods: heavy,
irregular, crampy; moodiness; weight gain; decreased libido; menstrual migraines; acne;
contraception; infertility; puberty and menopausal symptoms. Join me and bring questions.

For information contact Paul Cheek via email at cha@camashealingarts.com or call 360.834.5994.

How to Host a Soup Swap

Soups are a great way to nourish, comfort and warm ourselves during the fall and winter months. Homemade soups are packed with lots of nutrients. Whether making a creamy soup or chunky stew the options for nutrient dense soups are endless; winter squashes, kale, carrots, yams, beans, onion, garlic, chard and mushrooms all provide vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals for strong immune systems and healthy bodies. Not to mention great taste and flavor!

A great way to get a variety of soups without making them all is to host or attend a soup swap. They are fun and easy to do. Simply, pick a date; invite your friends, instructing them to:
• Choose their favorite soup recipe and email it to you a few days before the swap. If you receive a duplicate you might want to let them know, giving them the option to make another soup, so there is more variety at the swap.
• Fill their containers with 4 cup servings of the soup. The soup should be cooled before going into the containers - especially if storing in a plastic container. A quart size mason jars work well as long as you leave 1/2-1 inch at the top for expansion.
• Label the soup. They can bring the soup frozen or if they have just made it, the person receiving the soup can then freeze.
• Bring about four containers of soup to trade. If you come with four containers you'll leave with four, come with three leave with three.
• You may want to direct them to this link for more information on freezing soups - there is a reheating section that talks about the challenges of freezing cream, pasta and potatoes.

It is a nice idea to compile the recipes into one document, emailing to the group, so everyone has the recipes.

For those of you in the Clark County area, I will be hosting a soup swap on Thursday, November 12th from 11:30am to 1:00pm. In addition to swapping soups, soup will be served for lunch. Please feel free to bring some bread, muffins or whatever you desire to share (it is not necessary though). In addition to swapping soup and eating some lunch I am sure food, cooking, health or nutrition will be a part of the conversation. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to minda@eatwellbewell.net or 360.904.0678.

Continental Breakfasts

This morning I entered the "breakfast room" at the hotel we stayed at in Federal Way, knowing choices for healthy continental breakfasts are always limited. Walking past the waffles, syrup, muffins, jam, biscuits, danishes, cereals, bagels, toast and juice bar I thought, this isn't breakfast but a sugar fest. Alas, beneath some chrome domes were some scrambled eggs and a frittata dish. It was nice to see a couple protein choices amongst all the refined carbs - foods that spike your blood sugar, and then within an hour or two (depending your bodies' ability to manage blood sugar), your blood sugar plummets and you may experience low energy, fogginess, hunger or many other reactions associated with low blood sugar.

My daughter plays on a premier soccer team for WSA. We had a game Saturday and Sunday in the Seattle area, thus the hotel stay. Another mom commented to me that she was glad we were playing the higher ranked team on Saturday vs. Sunday as she thinks the girls do not play as well after a night of sleeping in a hotel. And sure enough, their performance today was not up to par. I am beginning to think it isn't how they sleep, but the continental breakfast they are eating two hours before game time.

To maintain stable blood sugar levels (between 90-100mg) it is best to eat meals that consist of a balance between healthy fats, clean proteins and complex carbohydrates. The majority of foods at a continental breakfast are refined carbs, with very little protein. The girls didn't stand much of a chance of performing their best on a soccer field two hours after their high sugar meals.

Hotels with continental breakfast have become the norm in most hotels these days. Guests love the fact they don't have to go out and buy breakfast. But take a minute and really think about the foods you are eating from continental breakfasts and how your body reacts to them. It may be free dollar-wise, but health-wise there is some cost.

Nut Butters

Eating a variety of nut butters, rather than eating Peanut Butter consistently, will give you more nutrition, as each nut has a variety of vitamins and minerals. Walnuts are high in Omega-3s, Peanuts are known for their Niacin (Vitamin B) content, and Almonds are a great source of Vitamin E.

To make your own nut butters, simply toast your nuts of choice (one type or a combination) in an over for about 20 minutes at 275 degrees. Straight from the oven place them in a food processor and run until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Delicious, economical and healthy!

Sourcing Your Nuts: http://www.azurestandard.com/ has raw, organic nuts at good prices.

Snack Ideas: apple slices with almond butter, sprouted grain english muffin with walnut butter, bananas with peanut butter.