Somewhere Over the Co-op

On a recent trip to San Francisco, I encountered a luxurious and eco-friendly paradise. Welcome to Rainbow Cooperative Grocery. Located in the Mission district of San Francisco, this mural-filled warehouse come organic supermarket has an incredible commitment to both quality products and the environment. The Co-op While there are many cooperative grocery stores in San Francisco and all over the country, Rainbow has a long and distinguished history. Since 1975, Rainbow has been offering high quality and ecological products at affordable prices. They have also taken their position as one of the oldest and biggest health-food stores in the area seriously by offering a great deal of benefits and power to their members. Like most cooperative grocery stores, the operators are also the owners. Unlike some co-ops, however, full members of Rainbow are paid workers. While many hours of volunteer services are a necessary part of becoming a member, it is a serious job for those workers who in turn have an important role to play as part of the governing Rainbow body. An example of ideals established by the co-op members is their core mission statement. which includes livable wages and health insurance for workers, supporting fair labor, selling goods that are local, organic, or both, encouraging environmentally-friendly transportation, recycling and composting where possible, and creating an accepting, enriching, and diverse environment for both workers and customers. The Products Rainbow Grocery offers a comprehensive collection of food and living items. Many of their products are offered in bulk and Rainbow customers are encouraged, by small discounts, to bring their own reusable containers. These practices are extremely helpful in reducing the amount of plastic and excess packaging that has become a part of the everyday grocery experience. An honor system is in place as customers individually record the product’s item number, which corresponds to the price. While offering a wide selection cheese and other dairy products, one of the unique points of Rainbow Grocery is the fact that they do not sell meat. While limited in that respect, in most other ways Rainbow has more choices than you could imagine. From the multiplicity of seaweed and mushroom offerings to over 30 different types of flour include many completely unknown to me, Rainbow definitely has a lot to offer. They even have pink salt as mentioned in our October 20th blog, as well as red, black, and white quinoa! Beyond food, Rainbow offers a luxurious selection of natural bath and beauty products, beer and wine, vitamins, clothing, housewares, and even books. For more on Rainbow Grocery, check out their website. This site offers details on upcoming special, sales, and many other resources. Information about a co-op near you could be found here, with links to several cooperative databases. There is certainly a pot of gold to be found under this rainbow. Image Credit: Rainbow Cooperative Grocery

Coffee, Tea, or Something New?

If you’re an eco-conscious consumer looking for something new, look no further then your morning routine. While coffee is a delightful treat, and tea can be soothing and delicious, there are other natural drinks to be investigated. These luxurious alternatives are exotic and exciting. Yerba Mate: the What This hot drink is a delectable alternative to coffee or tea. While traditional in South America, yerba mate is a relative newcomer to American markets. The online Yerba Mate Café has a wealth of information about yerba mate and is a very helpful resource. Mate is made in a similar way to tea, by soaking the mate herb leaves in hot water. Traditionally, the mate is served in a hollowed out gourd with a special metal straw that acts as a filter. The gourd is what gives it the name mate, and the straw is called a bombilla. Yerba mate is easily made at home with the appropriate supplies. Yerba Mate: the Why Yerba mate has a wonderful bitter flavor, but beyond that, there are many health benefits to drinking it. According to the Yerba Mate Café, yerba mate is very high in antioxidants, even higher than the famed green tea. Mate is also a source of caffeine, with levels equivalent to that of coffee. Minerals, such as potassium, zinc, and many more are abundant in yerba mate, and it has even been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory due to the saponin compounds present in the yerba mate leaf. Available in some grocery stores, especially those with a well-stocked South American section, or online at many online retailers, yerba mate is a natural treat that will shake up your routine while still providing you with the health and wellness that you seek. So, look for a mate and a bombilla (gourd and special straw) and find out for yourself what yerba mate is really all about. Kombucha: the What According to Kombucha.org, kombucha, which is also served in the form of a beverage, refers to a colony of good yeast and bacteria which is both probiotic and symbiotic. Kombucha tea mixes this colony with sugar and black or green tea and is fermented for about a week. According to Gunther Frank, a German kombucha expert, the historical roots of kombucha are in East Asia. It spread to Europe around the turn of the century, and has since made its way to the United States. Kombucha: the Why The process of creating kombucha releases many important substances such as lactic acid, amino acids, antibiotic substances, and vitamins. While the official jury is still out on whether kombucha can be considered a “remedy for everything,” thousands of testimonials suggest that the interesting substance is doing something positive for the consumer. While the technology exists to make the culture at home or to have a pre-made kombucha culture mailed to your home, I would recommend trying a bottle bought from a store first. There are several brands of kombucha drinks (think bottles of iced-tea with a kick), and my personal favorite is the Wonder Drink brand, available in some gourmet grocery stores or by order online. So when it comes to a beverage that will rejuvenate and energize, look beyond coffee and tea to the wide world of other natural options and kick start your day with something new. Image Credits: Wonder Drink, Diamond Organics, Kay's Deli Winnipeg, Pura Vida Buenos Aires

The Wonderful Pomegranate

The pomegranate has an incredible reputation in legend, as an almost magical fruit able to bestow health and fertility on the eater. Is there any truth behind this story? I recently had the opportunity to sample some Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice and get to the bottom of this mystery. According to Pom Wonderful, pomegranates and their juice actually do possess amazing health benefits. Sure, lots of foods make this claim, but Pom Wonderful has the rare advantage of mainstream research to back up its story. In several clinical studies, participants drank eight ounces of Pom Wonderful pure pomegranate juice per day over a period of time. The findings were quite impressive. In particular, circulatory health was often improved. After several months, participants in various studies showed benefits such as increased blood flow to the heart and decreased arterial plaque. In as little as two weeks, LDL cholesterol was shown to decrease. In addition to these studies, Pom juice was tested and found to improve prostate health and erectile function in some cases, as well as containing incredibly high amounts of antioxidants which are healthy for almost everyone. The flavor of pomegranate juice is unique -- sweet and rich with a mildly bitter edge -- that may be a bit of an acquired taste. However, I found myself beginning to enjoy it quickly, and soon went back for more. If pomegranate juice just isn't your thing, though, Pom makes several different products with the healthy essence of pomegranate, from juice blends to tea and coffee beverages. Check out Pom Wonderful for more information. The website is unusually pretty, and includes lots of information and recipes about pomegranates, plus a location finder to figure out where you can try Pom products in your area.