This month, we’re celebrating 25 year in business! We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to name this month’s special smoothie after our own brand, Basil Bandwagon. We took it a step further and decided to incorporate basil as an ingredient because it’s just that delicious. This favorite herb of ours that inspired our store name is both versatile and refreshing. It can be incorporated into savory or sweet dishes and treats. In this case, we’ve partnered it with creamy almond milk, a dash of ceylon cinnamon, a small spoonful of Vermont maple syrup, creamy bananas, and sweet mango. The end result is a refreshing cup of celebratory Spring that your belly will simply love. Come and get one while they’re available this month and celebrate our 25th Anniversary with us!
Blog
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Whole 30: The Reset You Might Need
This blog post chronicles the experience of one of our brave produce team members, Cheryl, who recently experimented with the Whole30 diet.
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Make sure your food is truly nourishing you.
Being constantly inside during the winter can encourage poor habits, such as sedentary behavior and unhealthy food choices. Sometimes even when we think we are making good choices, our bodies still don’t feel well due to food sensitivities. Foods that are labeled as nutritious, such as “whole grain,” “calcium-rich” or “vegan” may be causes for bloating, headaches, brain fog, low mood, aches, pains and a plethora of other symptoms.
This is where eliminating these culprits is a great way to start off the spring. With this in mind, a guide to help you do this is essential. One method available that I recently used is the Whole30 plan, named for its thirty day span and menu of unprocessed whole foods.
This plan really needs preparation, but in spite of that, I did it spur of the moment. I woke up one morning, tired of feeling bad after years of feeling tired, foggy, bloated, having periodic headaches and trouble sleeping. I stopped eating questionable foods that day and had the good fortune to work in place that sells healthy food and the Whole30 book. The plan’s goal is to create a healthy relationship with food, boost sluggish metabolism, improve the digestive system, boost immunity and eliminate chronic inflammation, thereby eliminating numerous conditions.
My diet generally consists of organic foods, not a lot of refined sugar and all of the food groups–It’s no accident that I work in a health food store. The Whole30 requires that for thirty days you eliminate sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy and legumes. This includes peanuts. Which means peanut butter. Which would have been the deal breaker, if I wasn’t feeling so bad.
The book has all of the information necessary and also gives you a day-by-day idea of symptoms may occur as you go through the month. I suffered many of these things and the knowledge made it a little more bearable. Even after three days I was fatigued and headachy from withdrawal–but not bloated. After that, there was no turning back.
I don’t miss many of the things and the simple fact that I don’t want to feel that way again has made me resist the foods that make me unwell. I’ve been off the Whole30 for a few weeks now and feel much better overall. I was sure the moment I was done I would jump into a vat of peanut butter, but nope–I wanted rice. Just rice. With pepper. It was marvelous.
So, give it a go. Start off Spring by eliminating food sensitivities and allowing the food you eat to do its job and nourish you! If you have any questions about the Whole30 or my experience, you can find me in the Flemington store produce aisle 🙂
Cheryl shared this amazing chicken recipe to help you find success like she did!
Cheryl & John’s Whole30 Approved Chicken
9 chicken thighs
1 lb Niman All Natural Italian sausage links
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
4 potatoes, quartered
8 oz. mushrooms (baby ‘bella or button)
1 large onion
1/2 head Garlic
1 large can Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Parsley
Oregano
Basil
Black pepper
Frontier Poultry Seasoning
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350.
Chop the peppers, onions, mushrooms and Garlic and add to a large roasting pan. Add the quartered potatoes, tomatoes, vinegar and wine (if using). Season to taste with the herbs and stir to combine. Nestle the sausage in the mixture. Season the chicken with poultry seasoning and arrange on top of the pan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve.
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Stolen Sleep: How to Get it Back with Three Self-Reminders
By Jenna Kohler, Certified Health Coach
Daylight Savings Time is in action and we’re “sprung ahead” this past weekend. How are you doing on sleep? Still missing that hour? Put down that extra cup of coffee and read on…
Don’t Compare Your Sleep to Others
First of all, your body is different than anyone else’s in this world. You’ve been told that before, right? Yes, you’re special. Your system responds uniquely to the unique set of biological, emotional, mental, and physical circumstances that life throws at you. So, if your neighbor, coworker, or gym buddy seems to be full of ten times the energy you have and remarks of “sleeping like a baby”, don’t get frustrated. Your zzzzzz’s will come.
Give Yourself a Sleep Hygiene Makeover
You shower, you put on deodorant, hopefully you even brush your teeth! Some of you take this a step further and put on make-up, tame your hair, and dress to impress. So, start seeing your sleep hygiene as you do your personal hygiene. You don’t expect to roll out of bed looking like a million bucks, do you? Then you can’t expect to feel great and get amazing sleep if you don’t put in some effort. Effort? Here’s what I mean:
1. Set the mood:
Ditch screens a reasonable time before bed. Especially if you were watching the latest action-packed, adrenaline-spiking series on Netflix. Mist your pillow with some calming essential oils. Take a quick hot shower to loosen tense muscles. Switch your radio station to something more calming. These are easy fixes. Quit the excuses and just do them!
2. Don’t fill up your belly right before bed:
Your body requires energy and focus to fall asleep, believe it or not. Don’t complicate things by making it digest food at the same time. In particular, stay away from alcohol, spicy foods, caffeine (including chocolate!) and sweets. If you need a cup of nighty-night herbal tea, be my guest.
3. Bring the right attitude:
Stressing out about trying to fall asleep or how late (or early) you’re hitting the hay is only going to reroute your brain in the wrong direction. Give yourself permission to fall asleep. A few minutes of inner dialogue with yourself may be useful to shush the critic and harness some positive brain waves to kick sleep into action. Then, focus on your breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth…
Be Aware Of What You Put In Your Body
Artificially giving your body the boost you may feel it needs to get through the day can throw off your chemistry. I’m talking about energy drinks, multiple cups of coffee, sweets, excessive or low quality “energy-producing” supplements. Using these, especially later on in the day, is bound to throw off your body’s natural rhythm of sleep. True quality sleep should not be artificially enforced, but naturally reinforced. If you must rely on substances to help with sleep and wake cycles, try to minimize them and choose only the natural, highest quality. And, once again, think hard about snarling down the sugar-laden snack after dinner, or the third cup of coffee at 4:00pm. Being dreadfully tired for a few hours one day may lead you to get the sleep you need to reset your cycle for the next.
Happy zzzzz’s!
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Cascadian Farm: Good from the Ground Up
Cascadian Farm – Good From The Ground Up
For over 10,000 years humans have depended on soil. Today, soil depends on us. Due to agricultural processes including higher volume tillage and the use of pesticides and fertilizers—the health of our soil is decreasing at an alarming rate, and without healthy soil, we face more pollution and less cultivation.Healthy soil is crucial for many important aspects of life on our planet:
- Soil Protection – Soil is a valuable natural resource, essential to creating healthy crops. Healthy soil helps plants soak up essential nutrients, capture carbon from the atmosphere, resist drought and disease.
- Water Conservation – Soil is crucial for a clean water supply, acting as a water filter, trapping pollutants before they enter the groundwater supply. Healthy soil can capture and store water during droughts.
- Vital Nutrients – Healthy soil contains micro-organisms, organic matter, carbon and oxygen to create a nutrient-rich and thriving ecosystem.
- Fresh Air – With low or no-till farming, soil works to capture carbon, preventing it from being released back into the air.
At Cascadian Farm, we’re dedicated to producing food you can feel good about eating. And it all starts with the soil we grow in. Taking care of the soil yields real world results we’d love to share. You can help create a sustainable future too; one bite at a time, by supporting brands like Cascadian Farm.For the month of March, all Cascadian Farm is on sale. On top of that, our store is giving away this Gardening kit; complete with a Tool Tote, Kneeling Pad, and Garden Gloves to one lucky shopper.
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Snow Day: Our Favorite Videos!
It’s snowy and everyone’s huddled in at home. Maybe you’re feeling bored or have cabin fever- how about a look back at our favorite videos and posts from the last year?
#1 Your Embarrassing Questions Answered Series:
Last summer we decided to tackle the questions we get MOST often from our customers.
https://vimeo.com/225881872
https://vimeo.com/229286703
https://vimeo.com/231419872
#2 How to Make Safe Slime:
Keep the kids entertained and yourself stress-free with this addictive stuff. Very satisfying!
https://vimeo.com/218507649
#3 Two Ways to Prep Zucchini:
One of our resident chefs shares his favorite ways to chop this versatile squash.
https://vimeo.com/206063032
#4 Immune Boosting Tonic:
Stay well with this time-tested elixir that’s surprisingly simple to make.
https://vimeo.com/204060448
#5 Postcards from Our 24 Stop Tour:
This was from our Anniversary Celebration in 2017, and each link goes to a live Facebook visit to a favorite place! Check it out! (And don’t miss our 25 Stop Tour starting in April!)
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the LUCKY SHAKE is BACK and still Better Than Ever
You told us and we listened: our Lucky Shake was our most popular monthly special smoothie of 2017, and so we’re bring it back again for the month of March 2018.Last year, we caught on to the hype surrounding a popular fast food chain’s seasonal ‘milkshake’. Everyone was talking about this tasty beverage, so we wanted to see what it was all about. What we discovered was unsettling to say the least…With ingredients like “whipping propellant”, “sodium benzoate”, “yellow 5”, and “blue 1”, we wondered how this drink was able to be sold as actual “food”. In fact, other than milk, sugar, cream, and water, the laundry list of ingredients includes nothing recognizable as edible. Furthermore, a medium one of these shockingly electric green liquids in a cup would cost you half of your day’s healthy allowance of saturated fat, zero grams of fiber, and a whopping 84 grams of sugar – which is more than a healthy adult should consume in two days‘ time. If you don’t believe us, check out the stats on this below, which we’ve pulled directly from this fast food chain’s website:
We’re all about celebration and treating yourself, but at Basil Bandwagon Natural Market, we believe this should involve doing so with kindness and nourishment to your body and mind. That’s why we created the Lucky Shake to give you this option. Our shake includes whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and plenty of fiber and protein. With ingredients like bananas, almond milk, cacao nibs, mint, plant-based protein powder, and spirulina (a nourishing seaweed extract), this is a treat you can enjoy comfortably while treating your body with care.Stop by and grab one today before March is over! -
Combatting the Winter Blues
Though we are in the home stretch as far as making it through the Winter here in northern New Jersey, the weather has still been cold, damp, snowy, foggy, cloudy, and wet. With the sun currently rising around 6:45am and setting at 5:45pm, we’re getting less than 12 hours of sunshine. Even the happiest of folks can struggle with low mood given these circumstances.
If you’ve been feeling blue and at a loss of what to do, here are some tips from our resident Health Coach, Jenna:
Be mindful of comfort food.
Many foods we tend to reach for instinctively in the hopes to heighten our mood are full of sugar, salt, or unhealthy fat. Pastas with cream sauces, baked goods, and potato chips are popular examples. Adopting a sense of mindfulness when making food choices for meals and snacks is an important part of ensuring your body remains nourished and your blood sugar levels stay steady. This can help prevent mood swings.
Instead of the pasta, opt for a superfood shake full of proteins and greens and void of common allergens. We recommend Navitas organic essential superfood blend for it’s 12 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar (derived from monk fruit – for those of you who are opposed to the taste of stevia).
Instead of the baked goods, opt for a QUALITY chocolate bar with REAL ingredients. We recommend local brand, Mishti organic and handmade chocolate with fair trade cocoa beans. If you haven’t heard, chocolate does help lift mood 🙂
Instead of the potato chips, opt for a crispy snack of a different sort. Seasnax makes a organic, gluten free, roasted seaweed snack that is as addicting and snack-worthy as potato chips. A great natural source of iodine and other sea minerals, its a delightful way to eat more mindfully.
Keep on top of your vitamin D levels.
If you’re not sure where they stand, check with your healthcare practitioner. A simple blood test can provide an answer. Our bodies derive vitamin D from sun exposure, which many of us get less of during Winter months. The solution is to supplement with a proper dosage. Collaborate with your healthcare provider to determine this.
Watch your caffeine intake.
When the weather is cold, many of us reach for coffee, tea, or, hot chocolate regularly throughout the day. Not only can this impact your sleep schedule, but it can throw your mood out of balance. If you are feeling agitated, consider opting for a decaffeinated or lower caffeinated herbal tea to support your energy levels and mood. We like Yogi’s Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy tea, which offers a bit of an energy boost without an overpowering punch of a caffeine.
Keep your gut bacteria in check.
We know that beneficial bacteria in the gut help promote reduced inflammation, digestive regularity, immune health. But what you might not know is that beneficial bacteria in the gut also promote healthy mood. We recommend a quality refrigerated variety with at least several dozen billion live and active cultures of various kinds. Megafood makes several great options.
Feed your body with healthy fat.
Omega 3 fatty acids are critical to balancing your body’s mood among other critical functions like your cardiovascular system and immune system. Many of us can benefit from supplementing with a quality EPA supplement – which is one of the two main constituents of Omega 3 fatty acids. We highly recommend Nordic Naturals’ EPA soft gels, which deliver a significant dosage of 850 mg.
Stay hydrated!
I find myself saying this a lot to folks – since the statistics out there show that many of us are walking around mildly to severely dehydrated on a daily basis unknowingly. Dehydration has an incredibly negative effect on mood. The heat of Summer months often helps instinctively remind us to drink more water, but in Winter months, we tend to neglect this in a state of pseudo-hibernation. Boost your water with a quality electrolyte formula like Superieur’s Fresh Citrus mineral powder complete with Vitamin C, which can help promote healthy immune function.
Count on herbs.
If the blues are hitting you hard and you feel like you could benefit from a boost, know that there are herbs clinically shown to support a positive mood. Lemon Balm, St. John’s Wort, and Ashwagandha root are just several examples. Oregon’s Wild Harvest has capitalized on these beneficial beauties, by blending them into a tasty, naturally-flavored lemon liquid tincture appropriately called “GoodVibes”.
Consider smart supplements.
At Basil Bandwagon, we stock a variety of pure and effective supplements formulated specifically to help support healthy mood. Natural Factors makes a blend called “Mental Sunshine” that contains Vitamin B6, Inositol, 5-HTP, and Saffron, which, separately, and collectively have been clinically proven to support a healthy mood.
Limit your screen time.
Cold weather generally means more time indoors for most of us. And more time indoors generally means more screen time for most of us. While the internet, telephones, tablets, and televisions can provide entertainment, valuable information, and efficiency, too much time spent hunched over a screen doesn’t contribute positively to our emotional health. Make time for no screen time!
Optimize activity and adventure.
Prioritizing regular adventure into your life can help promote positive emotions as you begin to look forward to activities that engage your thought or your physical body. Whether a mini road trip, a skating experience at a local rink, or a cooking class in a studio, new and exciting activities can help bring joy and inspiration to your life when things are feeling a little low.
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Hawthorn, a Tonic for the Heart
Hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers have been used as food and medicine for centuries. Their use as a heart tonic, though, is relatively recent. That story is interesting and goes like this:
A Dr. Green of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland practiced medicine in the 19th century and was known to have great success with patients with heart ailments. This Victorian era doctor was secretive about his methods, never revealing the ingredients of his cures for “dropsy” (edema), “flux of humor” (circulation problems), heart weakness in aging, and the like. When he died, his daughter revealed that his protocol consisted largely of administering tinctures of the ripe berries of the very common Hawthorn tree.
Hawthorn is a gentle herbal medicine. It seems to work primarily by enhancing the heart’s ability to utilize oxygen. It can be taken on a regular basis over a long period of time. In separate double-blind studies, patients with either cardiac insufficiency or weakened cardiac performance showed significant improvement. In other studies, Hawthorn exhibited the ability to increase coronary blood flow, decrease arterial blood pressure, decrease heart rate, and improve the contractility of the heart muscle.
There is no one constituent within the plant that can do all of the above. The whole plant extract is preferred, including the leaf, flower and berry. Hawthorn doesn’t work to stimulate the heart, like digitalis (a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials), but works on the nutrition of heart cells and their ability to store and release energy. Dr. Rudolf Weiss, MD, of Germany states that Hawthorn “has a long-term sustained effect on degenerative, age-related changes in the muscular tissue of the heart.”
Hawthorns are shrubby trees which grow prolifically in our area. They are in the genus Crataegus, and part of the Rose family. They have noticeable white flowers, but care should be taken to avoid the long sharp thorns on the branches! Extracts are available in both capsule and liquid form.
Come in and speak with one of our knowledgeable Wellness Ambassadors about Hawthorn today. We carry many options to choose from and, this month only, are featuring a special smoothie in our café that includes this wellness-promoting ingredient. Shot Through the Heart, appropriately named, is available through the end of February, so stop by and grab one to enjoy!
Written By Ralph Celebre, Registered Herbalist (AHG)
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20 of Our Favorite Self-Love Products
For us at Basil Bandwagon, Valentine’s Day is the celebration of love and human connection. In that spirit, it’s super important to take some time to give yourself a little extra love and care. While this is important every day of the year, we say that Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to grant yourself permission for the extra pampering you deserve! So, we put together a list of 20 of our favorite “self-love” products for you to come check out (many of them made with love by local artisans!):
Mishti Chocolate: delight your taste buds with this delicious local chocolate
Matr Boomie Earrings: treat yourself to a fresh new look with a pair of these
Pranarom Lavender Aromatic Hydrosol: soothe your senses with this versatile mist fit for a queen
Luv Superfood Bites: indulge sensibly with this locally-made delectable morsel
Zum Goat’s Milk Bar Soap: transform your bathing routine into a scent-sible aromatherapy session
Mineral Fusion Nail Polish: pamper your nails to pretty-up your look without the harsh chemicals
Redmond Earth Powder: give your smile a makeover with this miracle powder
John Masters Organics Essential Trial Set for Hair & Body: visit the organic salon in the comfort of your own home with this exclusive bundle
Mineral Fusion 3-in-1 Color Stick: get ready to get glowing with this easy-to-use addition to your natural makeup collection
Veriditas by Pranarom Rose Regenerating Facial Oil: nourish your skin naturally with this anti-aging miracle oil
Degage Gardens’ Lavender Sachet: refresh your pillow, closet, or your sock drawer with this handmade aromatherapeutic sachet
Just the Goods’ Vegan Herbal Spa Warm: take a time out to rejuvenate your whole body in this herbal bath soak that’s truly spa-worthy
Taza Cinnamon Chocolate Mexicano: wake up your mouth and your mood with this decadent dessert with a cinnamon-y twist
Cocokind Organic Chlorophyll Detox Mask: purify and brighten your complexion with this simple natural remedy for fatigued and flaky winter skin
Sunbeam Candles’ Rose Geranium, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli: breathe in the clean aromas of this sensual combination of oils in candle form
Andes Gifts’ Glittens: wrap your hands in cutest, warmest, most functional accessories ever
Hydro Flask 12 oz.: clean up your to-go beverage routine with a sustainable and sleek new beverage flask in ruby red
Andalou Naturals Polished to Perfection Konjac Facial Sponge Duo: polish away impurities to reveal your most youthful, glowing skin with this reusable duo
Andalou Instant Lift & Firm Hydro Serum Facial Mask: hydrate your thirsty skin with this age-defying hero
Acure Brilliantly Brightening Facial Scrub: step up your skincare game with this gentle scrub that’s a favorite among thousands of skincare junkies
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Let’s Talk Flu-Prevention
Maybe you have the flu, or you’re getting the flu- or maybe everyone around you has it. Think you’ve tried everything? Jenna and Carolyn talk about what they turn to amidst all the coughing and fevers popping up all over the place.
Here’s the products:
Basil Bandwagon Brand Elderberry
Gaia Quick Defense
Urban Moonshine Immune Boom
Fire Cider (Unsweetened)
X Clear Nasal spray
Neti Pot
Boiron: Oscillococcinum, Cold Calm, Throat Calm
Zach and Zoe’s Ginger Honey (local!)
Oranges!
Yum Earth Vitamin C pops
Renew Life Ultimate Flora or Basil Bandwagon Brand Suprema Dophilus
Emergen C
Four Elements Tea: Minus Sinus
