Schools can apply for salad bar kits thru Whole Foods grant

Whole Foods Market announced this week that it has teamed with Chef Ann Cooper, the "Renegade Lunch Lady," for a project that funds  salad bars for public schools across the country.

From now until Sept. 29, shoppers can donate to the project at the check-out or make a donation online through saladbarproject.org. Each salad bar kit costs approximately $2,500 dollars, and includes a Cambro® portable 5-well salad bar unit with all the necessary insert pans, cutting boards, knives and shipping costs.

Salad bar training tools and videos for school nutrition staff will also be available through TheLunchBox.org,

The salad bars will be donated to local schools through a simple online grant process. Any public elementary, middle or high school within 50 miles of a Whole Foods Market is eligible to apply with the support of the school principal, nutrition service director and the superintendent of the district. The online application and full criteria is available at saladbarproject.org.


For more information about The Salad Bar Project as well as solutions for affordable, healthy lunches and recipe ideas visit Whole Foods Market's Web site at: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/backtoschool/.

Apolo Ohno, Chris Bosh, endorse chocolate milk and the Refuel America program

Apolo Ohno has signed on as an endorser of the "Refuel
America program promoting lowfat chocolate milk.

I thought the "low fat chocolate milk is good for you" shtick had long since passed, but apparently the press about the new research was just the opening salvo in a new milk marketing campaign.    

Today a press release came out, announcing that eight-time speed skating medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and USA Basketball Men’s National Team member Chris Bosh are the latest celebrities to don a Milk Mustache and join some of America’s most-loved and top-performing athletes to announce a new campaign highlighting the importance of the two-hour recovery window after they have left the court, training and locker rooms. The “Refuel America” program aims to educate Americans that no matter what sport they play, lowfat chocolate milk is an easy, effective and cost-efficient way to refuel the body after a tough workout.

According to the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), a growing body of research supports chocolate milk’s recovery benefits.  Most recently, a series of four studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine suggests that drinking lowfat or fat free chocolate milk after exercise can help the body retain, replenish and rebuild muscle to help your body refuel and could even help prepare muscles to perform better in a subsequent bout of exercise.

The group is also promoting a campaign to educate teen athletes on the role of chocolate milk in refueling their bodies after exercise and reward them for choosing milk. Teens can join the “Refuel & Reward” program which provides them with a “virtual personal trainer” via their mobile devices.  By texting REFUEL to 80800, teens will receive tips from world-class athletes and opportunities to win cool prizes including autographed gear.

"White foods have no nutritional value" and other diet myths

One of my favorite online "wonderfully trashy pop culture" publications is BettyConfidential. In the issue emailed August 11 is an article titled the 7 Biggest Diet Myths, that is definitely worth the read.

Here, for instance, is one myth, that I admit, I'm guilty of spouting:

1. Myth: White foods offer little nutritional value
Truth: Many white foods are nutrient-dense. White potatoes, white asparagus, cauliflower, white cranberries, white beans, and white onions are just a few of the foods that offer a variety of powerful health-promoting nutrients. For instance, raw cauliflower beats raw tomatoes for antioxidant content. But Gans suggests that if foods become “white” due to processing—for example, when whole grains are stripped of their naturally nutritious, fiber-containing bran and germ in order to become “white” grain foods--their overall health value decreases. So stick to plant foods that are naturally white.

Check out the article for the other 6 myths...http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/ld/a/The-7-Biggest-Diet-Myths.html

San Jose Jazz Festival a good time to get out, get moving

There's an article today over on San Jose Fitness Examiner about the upcoming (August 13-15) San Jose Jazz Festival, and all the streets that will be closed starting Thursday night, August 10.  It's always a little intimidating to go downtown during the Jazz Festival, what with all the streets different than they usually are.

But don't let the street closings stop you. It's a great event, one of the "must do" events each year.  I'm not crazy that they put a fee on it -- it was much more interesting when it was free -- but the $15 ticket is modest for all the entertainment available.

There's also a Salsa Flash Mob happening at this year's festival and you can be part of it.  They even have how-to videos available so it's an entire experience.  I love the spirit of the Festival, and the Festival itself, and really, have never met anyone who considers it a disappointment experience.   I volunteered at the event for a couple of years, but the dates shifted around somewhat, and I missed it for two years. After that, I couldn't find a friend to do it with me any longer and I never "re-entered" the volunteer spot.  My loss!

Check it out - at www.jazzfest.sanjosejazz.org

iPod, iPhone, iPad, iBike.

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

On August 5, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple Computer, that...
Keep Reading »