We’re excited to introduce our August Charity of the Month: the Fill-a-Bookbag Drive sponsored by the Glen Cove Youth Bureau. This is the second time we’re supporting this bookbag and school supplies drive, a critical effort for this local nonprofit.
The Fill-a-Bookbag Drive brings individual donors and businesses together to provide needed school supplies to some 300 Glen Cove students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them. Making the GCYB our Charity of the Month for August allows us to do our part to make sure lack of school supplies is not a deterrent to academic success for any child in the Glen Cove School District.
***Rising Tide is a collection point for the Fill-a-Bookbag Drive. Simply leave supplies in the box outside the store. Ask cashiers for a complete list of needed items***
In addition to the Fill-a-Bookbag Drive, other GCYB programs intended to close educational and recreational gaps for Glen Cove students include Glen Cove After 3, after-school and summer enrichment opportunities for students grades K-8; and the Drop-in Center, open for homework help and after-school fun for students grades 1-5, and to teens looking to socialize in a safe, drug- and alcohol-free environment in the evenings. The Summer Youth Employment Program teaches 16-18 year olds skills for entering the workforce including how to prepare a resume and cover letter, and how to dress for success, interview for a job, and more.
Thank you for supporting this amazing local charity through our Charity of the Month program…we’re so grateful we can always count on our customers!
We all love eating refreshing (hydrating, cancer-fighting, heart healthy) slices of plain watermelon. But that’s not all you can do with the juicy, pink fruit! Use the recipes below to work watermelon into your next summer gathering.
Soups & Starters
Watermelon Gazpacho
Grilled Watermelon with Blue Cheese and Prosciutto
Watermelon Rind Pickles
Watermelon Salsa
Watermelon Cocktails & Mocktails
Summer Melon Rose Sangria
The Murricane
Watermelon Margarita
Watermelon Mint Cooler
Watermelon Ginger Mojito
Mint-Cucumber-Watermelon Infused Water
Desserts
Flag Kebobs (fun for July 4th!)
Watermelon Pizza
Watermelon Sorbet or Granita
Hemp History Week is June 3-9! Join us in the 10th celebration of hemp (this year’s theme: The Return of the Plant!) and celebrate its many uses. Did you know…hemp is more than just a healthy whole food source of plant-based protein? It’s also a growing U.S. industry with more than 78,00 acres farmed in 2018. Were you aware that hemp is an environmentally sustainable solution for thousands of non-toxic products ranging from car parts and building materials to paper products, textiles, plastics and even ethanol? Hemp also sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and puts it right back into the soil, healing distressed farmlands when other regenerative agricultural practices are used.
Hemp and Your Health
The more you learn about hemp, the more you’ll want it in your life. Boost nutrition with hemp, which contains all 9 essential fatty acids, Omega-3 and 6, plus a host of vitamins and minerals. Hemp adds a rich and slightly nutty flavor to any dish; enjoy sprinkled on avocado toast, add hemp seed oil to your favorite salad dressing, blend hemp hearts in a smoothie, yogurt or cereal, or mix into cookie dough or granola. You can also pamper yourself with moisturizing hemp body care, or relax with CBD products derived from hemp. (Click here for a rundown of our carefully vetted CBD offerings here in the store.)
As lawmakers, farmers, and families embrace how hemp can support a healthy future for people, planet and our economy, the laws surrounding U.S. cultivation are currently being rewritten. The recent passage of the 2018 Farm Bill with the Hemp Farming Amendment has removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, legalizing hemp farming in the U.S. During Hemp Week, we join together in victory across the country as we celebrate the Return of the Plant! and embark on a new era of hemp cultivation in American soil.
Learn more about hemp at HempHistoryWeek.com.
As with most holidays in the U.S., the original meaning tends to fade, replaced by a more modern interpretation. Mother’s Day is no different. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis started “Mother’s Day Work Clubs” to teach women how to care for their children. Following Ann’s death in 1905, her daughter, Anna Jarvis, conceived of “Mother’s Day” to honor the myriad sacrifices mothers made for their children. She wanted it to be an intimate day of celebration between mothers and families; she envisioned children wearing white carnations and visiting their mothers or going to church with them in honor of the special day.
Anna successfully campaigned to make Mother’s Day a national holiday but once she saw the commercialization of the holiday, she grew to regret it. She later spent much of her time and resources actively lobbying the government to get it removed from the U.S. calendar.
Quite a sordid past for what should be a lovely holiday! Let’s take Mother’s Day back, making it a day to share with the moms in your life in the way that will mean the most to them. Check out these options, something for every kind of mom:
1. Be of service. What can you do to help? Clean for mom, or help her with some techy project she can’t get a handle on—or hire a professional to do either one. Fix something that needs mending, or bring along a handyman to do the job. Wash and fold her laundry. Cook her a meal, or better yet, come stocked with multiple meals that she can freeze and parse out over time.
2. Quality time with mom. Schedule brunch or High Tea with mom. Take a walk in a beautiful place, or enjoy a little pampering together at a local spa. Visit the Nassau County Museum of Art, home to indoor art exhibits and interesting outdoor installations.
3. Alone time. Maybe Mom would love a little time to herself to do whatever it is she likes to do best. Let her off the hook for the traditional Mother’s Day meal, and let her do her thing. Spend the time without her to tackle a project she doesn’t have time to get to, shop for a little something you know she’ll love, create a piece of art in her honor, or make a simple but thoughtful dinner for her return.
4. Plant a garden. Due to the good weather and generally warm temps, Mother’s Day is the unofficial start of planting season. Take mom to pick out some veggie, fruit or flower seeds, then break ground on her 2019 garden. In addition to the beautiful organic plants from Long Island’s own Marion Gardens, Rising Tide also carries dozens of organic seeds from High Mowing Seeds, including handy collections of seeds like “Summer of Sunflowers”, a “Bee’s Garden”, “Three Sisters”, “Easy Salad Greens”, and “Kid’s Garden” (a fun collection of “easy to succeed” seeds!). If a full-scale garden is too ambitious, purchase a beautiful pot and help her plant some lavender, rosemary, mint or other herbs she can use all summer long.
5. Eat (or drink) outdoors. Nothing cues the shift in seasons like a picnic. Head to the beach, or the park, or lay out a blanket in your backyard. Source some healthy, delicious salads and sandwiches from Rising Tide or another favorite spot. Or how about a sunset cocktail on the water? This area offers many opportunities for sipping something tasty alfresco. Take it one step further and take a bottle of rosé in a water taxi for a cruise around Hempstead Harbor.
6. Buy a green gift. You want Mom to be healthy and to make choices that lead to a long, happy life; this year, choose a gift that reflects that desire. We’ve got something for every kind of mama.
- HydroFlasks: Hydration is so important, especially as we head into summer. We’ve got stainless steel HydroFlask water/coffee bottles in all shapes and sizes, and in beautiful spring colors.
- Women’s Supplements: No matter what Mom’s age, there are hormones to contend with; Womensense supplements are there for every stage of a woman’s life, and can help her through things like adrenal fatigue, menopause, thyroid issues, and balancing estrogen.
- Organic & Fair Trade Sweets: If she’s going to indulge on Mother’s Day, it might has well be with the good stuff! (Plus…so many studies lately point to the merits of having dark chocolate in your life. If chocolate equals health, we are ON BOARD.) Choose from an array of healthier alternatives, including Chocolove Chocolate Bars, Bark Thins snacking chocolate, Skinny Dipped Almonds, Alter Eco Chocolates and Dark-Chocolate Covered nuts & fruits from Tierra Farm.
- Mama Care: We’ve got all kinds of clean, toxin- and cruelty-free goodies to make Mama feel good and look her best. (Check out the Mother’s Day display at the front of the store..there is something for every mom!) Among our favorites are the CBD Bath Bombs by CBD Living. Aromatic and healing and made with 60mg of nano-CBD, these make bath time oh so special. Available in Lavender, Eucalyptus, and Coconut Lime. And for clean facial care for mom, there’s the Sweet Treats git set from one of our favorite natural skin care co.’s, MyChelle Dermaceuticals. This lovely little gift set contains the Refining Sugar Cleanser and the Lip Hints™ Conditioning Lip Balm.
7. Give the Gift of Charity. You and Mom will both feel good when you donate to a great cause in her name. The International Rescue Committee offers many ways to do this, including helping to pay for health pregnancies for woman in Kenya ($52); funding emergency food for malnourished children in places like Nigeria and Yemen ($68 gives three meals each to 50 children), and providing a year of school for children in crisis in war-torn countries like Syria ($58). If there is a local nonprofit that means a great deal to your mom, make your donation there instead.
Of course this is just a quick guide; only you know your favorite moms and what would mean the most to them on Mother’s Day. Reflect on this, and it will be a holiday to remember for all!
You may not have felt it yet…but it’s coming. Allergy season is nearly upon us, and according to the folks at Patch.com, it’s set to be a particularly intense one for New Yorkers. (Excess moisture has given the grass and trees lots of fuel to create the dreaded pollen…lucky us!)
Are you or someone you love a seasonal allergy sufferer? If you get hold of these natural allergy fighters now, you may be able to head the spring pollen peril off at the pass…naturally, with no groggy/foggy feeling or other side effects.
1. Oregon’s Wild Harvest’s Aller-Aid with Quercetin. For more manageable allergies in springtime, this verified non-GMO herbal formula contains freeze-dried nettle and quercetin to support the body’s normal histamine-producing response, and N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) to break down mucous and increase antioxidant activity.
2. Kick-Ass Allergy from Wishgarden. This potent blend of traditional Southwestern herbs (Yerba Santa leaf, Echinacea, Nettle, Orange Peel) supports a healthy respiratory system and helps bring allergy sufferers back into balance. We love the Wishgarden line, family-owned and women-run, making small-batch artisanal products with only the cleanest ingredients.
3. Y.S. Bee Pollen. High in protein, antioxidants and vitamins, bee pollen is one of nature’s perfect superfoods. Great for both seasonal allergies and energy, you can find the Y.S. Bee Pollen granules in our refrigerated case (with the probiotics).
BONUS: If you can do only one thing to prevent allergies, Rebekah from the RT Wellness Department recommends getting a daily dose pf nettles tea; Traditional Medicinals makes one she really likes. In addition to curtailing seasonal allergies, nettles have been used for thousands of years to support joint health and promote whole body wellness. Happy Spring!
Note: As always, we recommend consulting with a healthcare professional before starting any supplement program.
When these lovely spears pop up in the markets, you know spring is around the corner. Loaded with fiber, folate, and Vitamins C, E and K, asparagus has all kinds of health benefits, including managing blood pressure, fighting cognitive impairment, and balancing blood sugar. Bake it, eat it raw, or puree it into a creamy, savory soup. Pair it with some of its spring produce cohorts, especially peas. Keep it really simple or make something (see tart recipe) fit for company. But whatever you do, do it now, while these beauties are in their prime.
The New York Times Butter-Braised Asparagus
Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup
Vegan Risotto with Asparagus and Peas
Fettuccini with Shitakes and Asparagus
NY Times Raw Asparagus Salad
Asparagus Tabbouleh
Asparagus and Cheese Tart
A garlic compound known as allicin can potentially reduce the risk of developing heart disease and help regulate high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Chopping or crushing the garlic clove and consuming it raw is the best way to reap the benefits. (On a side note: raw garlic is thought to be good for any number of other conditions, including boosting immunity, reducing the risk of certain cancers, curing athlete’s foot and other fungal infections, and more.)
On its own, raw garlic can pack too much of a whollop, but incorporated into these dishes/beverages it adds amazing flavor. Check out these easy (vegan!) recipes for garlic-full dishes you’ll make again and again.
Homemade Hummus
Alton Brown’s Guacamole
Gazpacho
Basil Walnut Pesto
Martha Stewart’s Garlic Vinaigrette
Homemade Spicy Fire Cider
Garlic cocktails
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Here at Rising Tide we’re excited for another year of giving to the amazing charities right here in our own neighborhood.
Year Two of our Charity of the Month program gave us the chance to meet a whole bunch of new people doing heroic work in this community. As the first full year of the program (we launched in April 2017 to honor Earth Day), we were able to donate almost $8,000 to 12 charities. This includes our Holiday Roundup, which benefited two of our favorite local hunger relief organizations: Island Harvest and the North Shore Soup Kitchen (formerly the North Shore INN).
As always, we could not have done this without YOU! The monies for the Charity of the Month originate from our Bring Your Own Bag program, also launched in 2017. The objective: to encourage our customers to bring their reusable bags, lightening our carbon footprint by significantly reducing our use of paper bags. Each time a paper bag is given out, 10 cents is charged to the customer, then donated to our Charity of the Month. Reusable bags are the same—bring in your own bag and 10 cents will be donated to the charity, as well. So…eco-healthy habits are built while our neediest charities are funded. We love this program!
Wanted: New Local Charities
We’re always looking for new local nonprofits to add to our program. If you’re involved with a local charity that you feel would fit within our mission (we prioritize groups that fall into the following categories: children’s health and education, hunger relief, environmental awareness and education, organic and sustainable farming, and animal welfare), please fill out and submit a Request a Donation form on the Rising Tide website.
Thanks again for all you do to help us give so much too so many!
It’s the giving season, and this year we’re asking our customers to support the neediest in our community by helping provide for basic needs such as food and hygiene.
For every purchase you make, we will give you the option of rounding up to the nearest dollar. All “round up” proceeds will be sent to two charities that target hunger on Long Island: Island Harvest and The INN. The two charities will use the donated monies to purchase their most-needed items at their optimum cost. (Island Harvest is also our December Charity of the Month for the second year running…we choose them for the relentless energy they devote to making the holiday season bearable for so many! Read here about their Kids Weekend Backpack Feeding Program, ensuring kids don’t go hungry when they are out on school vacations.)
*Rising Tide will MATCH all Round Up monies collected between December 10 and December 31, 2018*
Thank you as always for your generosity!
Note: if you’re planning holiday donations outside of your rounding up at Rising Tide, do your due diligence first by vetting your favorite cause through this Charity Navigator. In addition to Island Harvest and the INN, some of our favorites are our former Charity of the Month recipients:
The Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club
Harbor Child Care
Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor
Community Solidarity
Glen Cove Youth Bureau
Cove Animal Rescue
Orkestai Farm
Healing Headbands
S.A.F.E.
All Our Energy
The North Shore Sheltering Program (Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to: NSSP, P.O. Box 415,
Glen Cove, NY 11542
The Finley Middle School Food Pantry (email Kirsten Kenney at kkenney@glencove.k12.ny.us to make a donation)
We’re so excited to introduce our customers to our new and improved Organic Juice Bar! The reason for the reboot is simple: to provide you with the absolute best quality juices and juice products you’ll find anywhere.
Customize your own organic juice by choosing from a series of bases (apple, celery, carrot, pear or cucumber) and add-ins (beet, ginger, kale, lemon, lime, chard, grapefruit, cilantro, collagen and orange). Or opt for one of the magical elixirs dreamed up by the RT mixologists:
Grateful Greens: Detoxifying organic greens for days. Kale, Chard, Bok Choy, Celery and Cucumber
Mexicali Ginge: Sweet and spicy, with a cleansing kick. Apple, Cilantro, Ginger, Cucumber and Lime
RT Roots: All matter of goodness that grows underground. Carrot, Beet and Ginger
Golden Goddess: Mildly sweet (and a little tart!) with a blast of Vitamin A. Carrot, Pear, Lime, Turmeric
Cool Cucumber: Nothing is more refreshing…or better for digestion. Cucumber, Pear, Lime, Ginger and Mint. Served over ice.
In addition to the new juices, one of the most exciting new additions is our Shots program—your daily hit of concentrated immunity and organic nutrition:
* Wheat Grass: Packed with chlorophyll, this is your fresh, organic, one-stop-shop for liver cleansing and detoxification, amino acids, enzymes that aid with digestion, blood strengthening, vitamins and minerals, and more. Available in 1, 2 or 4 oz shots, or a full tray.
* Turmeric: The curcumin that gives turmeric its orange color is anti-inflammatory and a powerful antioxidant. Available in 1 oz shots.
* Ginger: Another potent antioxidant/anti-inflammatory to have in your toolkit. Plus, juiced ginger can aid digestion, boost immunity and regulate blood sugar. You need this shot this winter! Available in 1 oz shots.
* Fire Cider: A must-have if you feel a cold coming on. Made from turmeric, lemons, habanero pepper, ginger, oranges, horseradish, raw honey, garlic and onions, this is guaranteed to kill all the bad stuff (letting the good stuff thrive). Available in 1 or 2 oz shots.
As always, when you buy 10 Rising Tide juices or smoothies, you receive the 11th FREE. Don’t worry, you don’t need to keep track of your juice card anymore; your Juice Bar purchases are all recorded electronically.
This month we celebrate our right to make the kinds of non-GMO choices that influence retailers and food manufacturers, and ultimately, our food supply. Non-GMO month at Rising Tide allows us to showcase our favorite Non-GMO Project Verified companies and the products that make them so special.
Take the Challenge
What better time to make Non-GMO part of YOUR healthy lifestyle? The Non-GMO Project has created a program to get you started. The Non-GMO Challenge, established in 2012, is a monthlong experience that empowers shoppers, brands and grocery stores to support the right to know what’s in our food. Take the challenge and tailor it to your own particular goals. Maybe you pledge to eat only non-GMO snacks, or to eat one completely non-GMO meal each day. Maybe you go all in and vow to eat non-GMO the whole month long. Get creative; there are as many ways to pledge as there are eco-conscious consumers like you.
Whatever your pledge, be happy in the knowledge that you are driving change around the world! You’ll also be entered to win a non-GMO DreamBox filled with non-GMO Project Verified goodies, thoughtfully created by our friends at the Non-GMO Project.
Take the Non-GMO Challenge this month. Here’s how:
1. Make your Non-GMO Pledge and encourage friends, families, coworkers and others to join you.
2. Post a photo of yourself to social media and state your pledge in the caption. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #nongmochallenge.
3. Complete your entry on livingnongmo.org to be entered to win a Non-GMO Dreambox and other big prizes.
4. Click here for further details.
Look for the butterfly when shopping, as it will always lead you to a non-GMO Project Verified company and product!
DIY PROBIOTIC-RICH FERMENTED FOODS AT HOME
Nourish your gut—naturally. Brimming with probiotics, tangy lacto-fermented veggies are a delicious way to maintain a balanced microbiome and healthy digestive system. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to make at home. Follow these simple recommendations for the best results.
1. Get the right gear.
No need to buy a fancy fermentation set. All you need to get started is a wide-mouth mason jar, wooden spoon and some sort of weight to keep the veggies submerged in brine (a cabbage or apple core or even a smaller mason jar resting on top of your ferments will do the trick). Run your jars through the dishwasher before using.
2. Choose organic.
Starting with clean, pesticide-free produce will guarantee a better outcome. Select high-quality organic veggies from your garden, or shop for them in Rising Tide’s 100 percent organic produce department! Not convinced? (In honor of September being Organic Month, here are some more reasons why it’s more important than ever to buy organic.)
3. Wash veggies well.
Wash produce carefully under cold water and make sure to remove all dirt and debris before fermentation, as this could affect the taste of the final product. After washing, slice your produce in uniform pieces for even ripening.
4. Use purified water.
Always use distilled or purified water for your brine. Tap water contains chlorine, and often fluoride, which can disturb the growth of good bacteria.
5. Don’t skimp on the salt.
Along with adding flavor and creating a crispier texture to your veggies, salt kills harmful bacteria and prevents mold during the fermentation process. Be sure to use the exact amount that the recipe calls for. Opt for high-quality Himalayan or sea salt instead of table salt.
6. Give veggies time to ripen.
Cover your jar with an airtight lid, and give the fermentation process at least a week on your kitchen counter before checking. You’ll know they’re ready when you see bubbles forming in the brine and the mixture omits a sour, though not unpleasant, odor. If you see mold on top, simply scrape it off with a wooden spoon and discard. Shaking the mixture once a day; this helps inhibit mold growth. It’s a good idea to taste the product to determine if it could use a few more days to culture. If your veggies smell rotten, toss them and try again.
7. Store your finished product in the fridge.
Finally, it’s time to move your veggies to a refrigerator or cellar. Cold temperatures slow the growth of healthy bacteria, so the flavor of ferment will continue to deepen and evolve. Your veggies will keep in cold storage for up to a year.
Start your own fermentation adventure. Check out a bunch of make-at-home fermentation recipes here.
It’s still summer, but we’ve got Back to School on the brain! We’re specifically thinking about our own local schools, and how we can help them be all they can be for the children of our community. Enter Box Tops. Since 1996, Box Tops—featured on some of your favorite natural and organic brands—has helped schools just like the ones in our neighborhood earn over $868 million for things like building playgrounds, installing computer labs, and funding for other school enrichment programs.
This month, help us help our own local schools earn cash by clipping Box Tops. Throughout August, visit Rising Tide to purchase Annie’s and Cascadian Farm products on display at the front of the store and ON SALE for 2 for $6. Clip the Box Tops and either bring them to your local school or back to the store, where they can be placed in the available collection boxes. Save money, clip Box Tops, and help our schools thrive!
To learn more, visit http://www.boxtops4education.com.
We’re so excited to be able to support one of our favorite local charities, the Glen Cove Youth Bureau, at one of the most critical times of the year for the nonprofit. Each August, the Bureau conducts a Fill-a-Bookbag Drive, which brings individual donors and businesses together to provide needed school supplies to some 300 Glen Cove students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them. Making the GCYB our Charity of the Month for August allows us to do our part to make sure lack of school supplies is not a deterrent to academic success for any child in the Glen Cove School District.
We’ll also be collecting school supplies in the store. Ask cashiers for a complete list of needed items.
In addition to the Fill-a-Bookbag Drive, other GCYB programs intended to close educational and recreational gaps for Glen Cove students include Glen Cove After 3, after-school and summer enrichment opportunities for students grades K-8; and the Drop-in Center, open for homework help and after-school fun for students grades 1-5, and to teens looking to socialize in a safe, drug- and alcohol-free environment in the evenings. The Summer Youth Employment Program, which Rising Tide became involved with for the first time this summer (with great success!), teaches 16-18 year olds skills for entering the workforce including how to prepare a resume and cover letter, and how to dress for success, interview for a job, and more.
Thank you for supporting this amazing local charity through our Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) program…we’re so grateful we can always count on our customers!
The Rising Tide Grateful Card has successfully entered its second phase with greater functionality and customized rewards for our amazing customers (for whom we are so very GRATEFUL!). Come into the store today to enroll in the program and receive these valuable rewards:
- Grateful Card Coupons: As you accumulate points in your Grateful Card account, you’ll receive bi-monthly, hassle-free “Grateful For You” e-coupons through your email. Why hassle-free? You won’t ever need to present the coupon or have it scanned from your phone; when you qualify for a coupon it will automatically appear in our system and we’ll tell you about it at checkout after your Grateful Card is scanned. The more you spend, the more valuable your coupon will be. It’s that simple.
Spend $200-$600 in two months: Receive a 10% coupon
Spend $601-$1000 in two months: Receive a 15% coupon
Spend $1001+ in two months: Receive a 20% coupon
(Note: it’s important you scan your card every time, so that every point you earn finds its way into your account.)
- Birthday Coupon: Check with our cashiers to be sure we have your birthdate in our system.
- Social Media Coupon: Be on the lookout for targeted emails to share on your social media platforms. Share and receive a coupon for $2 off a $10 purchase. (You’ll receive your coupon the day after you share.)
- Digital Juice/Smoothie Card: Buy 10 16 oz. Juices or Smoothies and the 11th one is on us. No need to carry your card around; we’ll have it all in our system.
- Senior Discount (65 and older): 5% off entire purchase at every visit.
- Supplement Discount: 20% off Rising Tide brand supplements at every visit.
We’re so excited to be sending out your Grateful Card rewards! You deserve it!
We’re beyond excited to announce that the Rising Tide Grateful Card is entering its second phase with much greater functionality and customized rewards for our amazing customers (for whom we are so very grateful!).
NEW Grateful Card Features Starting Aug. 1:
- GRATEFUL CARD COUPONS: As you accumulate points in your Grateful Card account, you will receive bi-monthly, hassle-free “Grateful for You” eCoupons through your email. Why hassle-free? You won’t ever need to present the coupon or have it scanned from your phone; when you qualify for a coupon it will automatically appear in our system and we’ll tell you about it at check out after your Grateful Card is scanned (it’s important that you scan your card EVERY TIME, so that every point you earn finds its way into your account). The more you spend, the more valuable your coupons will be. It’s that simple.
- Birthday Coupon: Check with our Cashiers to be sure we have your birthdate in our system
- Social Media Coupon: Be on the lookout for targeted emails to share on your social media platforms. Share and receive a coupon.
- Digital Juice/Smoothie Card: Buy 10 16 oz. juices or smoothies and the 11th one is on us…no need to carry your card around; we’ll have it all in our system.
- Senior Discount (65 and older): 5% off entire purchase at every visit
- Supplement Discount: 10% off Rising Tide Brand Supplements at every visit
- FREE Reusable Bag for new Grateful Card sign-ups
- More valuable rewards in the works…stay tuned for details!
In the weeks to come, we’ll post signage in the store explaining the program for shoppers. If you have any questions about the program, feel free to ask one of our Cashiers or ask to speak with a Manager.
We can’t wait to start sending out your Grateful Card rewards! You deserve it!
Summer’s here, and outside is the best place to cook (flipping burgs with a cocktail by your side is surely one of life’s great joys). Grilling can be a delicious, healthy way to prepare all kinds of foods; you get loads of flavor in a short period of time (without the ubiquitous batter coating you find in so many summer foods). Nutrients also stay intact when grilling when compared to other forms of cooking. Plus, grill lines look pretty on just about anything you toss on those flames and just about scream summer.
While grilling is healthier than frying, etc., there are certainly some grill techniques and food choices that are healthier than others. Research indicates that some grilled foods (particularly meat) can be linked to certain types of cancer. There are two components in play here. First, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been linked to colon cancer and are found in well-done foods, most specifically in the charred or “crispy” portions of the food that turn black from the grill. Then there are heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, formed from intense and concentrated high heat.
The good news, these nasty PAHs and HCAs can be avoided without giving up grilling. Here are some super easy hacks for making this grill season your healthiest one yet.
Shorter is better. Try to not eat overcooked food from the grill (well-done meat has 3.5 times more HCAs than medium-rare meat).
Keep it clean! Make sure your grates are clean of any leftover burnt food particles.
Marinate. Marinating your meat with herbs, specifically thyme and/or rosemary, can cut back on HCA’s by up to 99%. Black pepper, allspice, and/or chives can also provide powerful protection against carcinogens. Avoid sugary marinades (which actually make things worse); go for lemon or vinegar and herb-based ones, instead.
No flare-ups. This can help with both kinds of carcinogens. Keep a spray bottle of water with you to put them out (without putting out your coals).
Seafood says summer. Fish and shrimp produce much fewer HCAs from high heat exposure than meat, and their lower fat content minimizes fat drippings to reduce PAHs from smoke.
Grill fruits & vegetables. PAH’s and HCA’s don’t form on produce, so create a rainbow this summer by grilling healthy fruits and veggies. Even when grilling meat, mix in some grilled veggies as well; the antioxidants from (hopefully organic) produce can help counteract the carcinogens formed as a bi-product of the grilling. (Remember: Rising Tide Natural Market boasts a 100% organic produce department, guaranteeing our customers the healthiest, most carefully curated produce at every visit.)
Some fruits and veggies that are awesome on the grill:
- tomatoes
- onions
- bell peppers
- zucchini
- eggplant
- endive
- fennel
- pineapple
- mango
- apple
- pear
- peach
- banana
Grill lean cuts of meat. The leaner the meats, the less fat dripping on the grill, and the fewer PAHs and HCAs formed. Also pick smaller cuts of meat, which cuts down on grill time.
Flip your burgs. Like we said above, there’s something to that flip. Turns out it also reduces the amount of HCAs that form. Use a spatula so you don’t pierce the burgers, causing fat to drip and HCAs to form.
Recipes for Healthier Grilling
Grilled Carrots with Cumin-Serrano Yogurt
Grilled Broccoli with Avocado and Sesame
Grilled Halibut and Bok Choy with Coconut-Lime Dressing
Charred Cabbage with Goat Cheese Raita and Cucumbers
Chili Lime Clams with Tomatoes and Grilled Bread
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Scallions
Grilled Citrus Shrimp Lettuce Cups
Teriyaki Portobello Mushroom Burger with Garlic Mayo
Stuffed Peaches
Grilled Pineapple Sundae
Grilled Watermelon Salad with Arugula and Feta
Lastly, here are some general tips for successful grilling this summer!
For National Dairy Month, we’d like to talk a bit about some of our favorite milk and milk products: those that come from 100% grass-fed cows.
The reasons for our passionate support of these products are two-fold. First, there’s nutrition. One study showed that organic whole milk from grass-fed cows contains more than 60% more omega-3 fats and 25% fewer omega-6 ones than conventional milk (a ratio of more omega-3s and fewer omega-6s is a formula for lowering risk of chronic disease). A study in the British Journal of Nutrition shows that consuming grass-fed milk products also means a boost of certain important nutrients, especially iron and vitamin E.
Second, grass-fed milk is better for the environment. In order to produce the highest-quality milk, pasture-fed cows are moved to different pastures throughout the season, a pattern that prevents overgrazing, creates healthier water tables, puts carbon back in the soil by increasing grass production, and improves the health of grazing land.
Our Milks Are Better
At Rising Tide, we’re proud to carry a variety of grass-fed milk products from family-owned farm cooperative Organic Valley, along with smaller, artisanal dairy companies like Pennsylvania’s Trickling Springs Creamery, and Maple Hill Creamery, based locally right here in New York State. The standards these companies adhere to are outstanding. Click here for a look at what food and farm policy watchdog group Cornucopia Institute has to say regarding the many dairy companies on the market. (Hint: the Big Food options don’t fare well!)
We’ve also got a bunch of grass-fed milk CHEESES that you will want to work your way through (take your time; enjoy yourself!):
Maple Hill Stone Creek Cheddar
Maple Hill One Year Cheddar
Maple Hill Dharma Lea Dutch (Gouda style)
5 Spoke Creamery raw milk Harvest Moon
Organic Valley Grassmilk Cheese in Raw Cheddar
Organic Valley Grassmilk Cheese in Raw Sharp Cheddar
Diva Cheese, made with certified mountain meadow milk from the UNESCO Biosphere Mountain Dairy in the heart of Switzerland.
***GRASS-FED DAIRY ON SALE***
Maple Hill grass-fed Kefir in Plain and Strawberry are on sale all month. reg. $5.99, ON SALE $3.99.
On May 12, join us in celebrating World Fair Trade Day and the movement of small-scale farmers and artisans around the world. Consumers and mission-driven brands are a key part of this movement; to shop these brands is to invest in food and farming systems that feed the planet and give back to the land.
Each fair trade brand’s products and its producers tell a different story: Alaffia’s deodorant helps support reforestation projects in rural Togo, increasing food security and helping to slow erosion. Alter Eco’s chocolate partners are reintroducing heirloom cacao varietals as part of an agroforestry project in Ecuador. In India, Dr. Bronner is partnering with a project that is revitalizing land into a rich, regenerative ecosystem to grow mint oil that puts the tingle in your soap—and a wealth of food and cash crops. Equal Exchange’s coffee helps power deep organic practices, and farmer-led workshops that pass the wisdom on to the next generation of Honduran farmers.
Small-scale producers are growing food and farming systems that give back to their communities and regenerate our planet. When you support the fair trade brands that support them, you’re helping grow that future, too.
Look for special in-store deals throughout May, and let your purchases be Fair for Farmers every day!
There are lots of reasons to anxiously await the coming of spring. For us there’s no better reason than the bounty of gorgeous fruits and veggies Mother Nature bestows on us at this time of year. Delicate ramps, tender and vibrant asparagus, seemingly impenetrable (but then magically melt-in-your-mouth!) artichokes…peas, beets, strawberries…they’re all colorful reminders that the Earth is in renewal mode. Add some of these beautiful specimens to your routine in the next month for the full spring experience.
Note: Be sure to check the weekly flyer for produce specials when you come in to shop…you might be in for a great deal on your favorite springtime produce.
One Skillet Steak and Spring Veg with Spicy Mustard
Springtime Barley Pilaf with Spring Peas, Artichokes and Asparagus with a Mint Pesto
Egg Noodles with Asparagus and Grated Egg Yolks
Asparagus and Ramp Soup with Yogurt
Rustic Beet Tart and Wilted Greens
Strawberry Salsa
A foolproof way to trim an artichoke
You have a slow cooker; do you really need an Instant Pot? The answer is…maybe. Depending on how you plan to use it, and for what. We are Instant Pot newbies, but have already had great success with a few dishes.
What Instant Pots do REALLY well:
- Make legumes: They are magic at cooking beans of all kinds, no pre-soaking necessary.
- Saute: Unlike a slow cooker, you can saute in the Instant Pot. This is ideal when you want to brown meat or caramelize veggies before cooking the rest of your dish.
- Make broths, soups and stews: Use the saute function to get some real flavor going on your meat or veggies before adding your liquid. You can adapt most every soup or stew recipe for the Instant Pot.
- Hard boiled eggs: Finally you can make them perfect—and a cinch to peel—every time.
You can also use your Instant Pot to make beautiful rice and other grains, desserts, and even yogurt.
Before you run out and purchase one, It’s important to note that the Instant Pot is NOT for everything. While it makes magic of some meats, and is sublime for soups and stews (and risotto, etc.), it does not, as this NY Times article notes, do crispy or crunchy very well. It’s not all that Instant either; it takes a full 20 minutes to heat up and then release steam. Make sure to build that into your cooking plans.
For everything you ever wanted to know about your Instant Pot (but were afraid to ask!), Melissa Clark of the NY Times has got you covered with this in-depth Instant Pot cooking guide.
**SPECIAL INSTANT POT EVENT**
Join Chefs Christine Sanchez and Maggie Odell for an evening of Instant Pot magic at the Glenwood Life Center on Tuesday, March 20. These creative chef/moms will school you in the art of the Instant Pot, taking all the mystery out of pressure cooking. Learn 4-5 recipes including a dessert.
RECIPES: Fire Up Your Instant Pot
Here are some Instant Pot recipes we’ve experimented with already (can you say Boef Bourguignon in 90 minutes?!) and some we are dying to try:
Garlicky Beans with Broccoli Rabe
Coconut Curry Chicken
Classic Boef Bourguignon*
Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs
Instant Pot Bone Broth*
Indian Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Onions (Chana Masala)
Melissa Clark, Dinner in An Instant
Yields: 6 servings
1 lb dried chickpeas
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 onions: halved, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
3 TBS grapeseed, safflower or peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, grated on a Micriplane or minced
1 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 jalapeño or other green chile, seeded if desired, minced, plus more for serving
1 TBS tomato paste
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
This very classic Indian dish features soft chickpeas simmered in a spicy tomato gravy. Here, the dish is made entirely in the pressure cooker, beginning with the dried chickpeas and ending with the bubbling sauce. However, if it’s more convenient, you can just cook the chickpeas in the pressure cooker, preparing the sauce and finishing the dish in a skillet. That will leave your pressure cooker free for rice which is just perfect to serve underneath a pile of these fragrant, ruddy chickpeas.
1. In the pressure cooker, combine the chickpeas, 7 cups of water, 2 tsps of the salt, the onion halves, and the bay leaf. Cover and cook on high pressure for 40 mins. Allow the pressure to release naturally. if the chickpeas aren’t done, cook at high pressure for another 5 minutes, then manually release the pressure. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the broth, and return the empty pot to the pressure cooker.
2. Using the sauce function (or do this in a skillet over heat), heat the oil in the pressure cooker. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeño and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant, another minute. Then stir in the tomatoes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook until the sauce has thickened, 1-3 minutes.
4. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute; then stir in the chickpeas. If the mixture looks too thick, add a few tsps of the reserved chickpea cooking broth. Simmer for another 5 mins to let the flavors meld. Then taste, adjust the seasonings if necessary, and serve with more jalapeño on top if you like. Extra reserved chickpea broth can be frozen for up to 3 months and is an excellent substitute for chicken stock.
*For the Beef Bourguignon and the Bone Broth, pre-order the beef/bones from Rising Tide Market; ask for Ashley.
If you’ve been trying to cut down on added sugars (yet you have a serious sweet tooth, like us!), you might wonder how you’ll get through Valentine’s Day. There are chocolates, and restaurant desserts, and the artificially colored-and-flavored-and high fructose corn syrup-heart-shaped treats your kids bring home from school. Even recipes for most homemade desserts contain plenty of added sugars.
We don’t think Valentine’s Day has to leave you with a sugar hangover for the rest of the week. This year, treat those you love to naturally-sweetened, truly delicious desserts without any refined sugar (many rely on alternative sugars such as dates and maple syrup, which contain assorted nutrients and won’t spike your blood sugar like refined white sugar, or stevia, which doesn’t spike your blood sugar at all). It’s a healthy(er) kind of love!
Raw Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Paleo Brownies with Almond Butter
Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Fudgy Chocolate Tarts
Healthier Cookie Butter
Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups
Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups
Vegan Raw Salted Caramel Slices
As we dive into a new year, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who made it possible for Rising Tide to donate more than $7,000 to local charities in 2017.
–The launch of our Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB)/Charity of the Month program was an unmitigated SUCCESS! Since the program began on Earth Day 2017, we’ve raised more than $4,000 for amazing charities in our local area, at the same time raising awareness about the use (overuse!) of paper bags. Thanks to YOU all, we were able to reduce our paper bag usage by ***23%***, and we are well on our way to meeting our goal of cutting our bag use in HALF in one year’s time.
The BYOB donations not only help local Charities of the Month to continue to thrive and meet their own goals—they also allow us to meet the people behind the charities, and to learn more about the wonderful and exciting work going on in our own backyard. So…a great big thank you as well to all those folks that work to serve the neediest members of our community!
–Our first-ever Round Up for the Holidays allowed us to reach our goal of $3,000 ($1,500 from our customers matched by Rising Tide Natural Market). This money will be evenly split between two local charities that help fight hunger in Glen Cove and beyond:
the North Shore INN and Island Harvest. This cause is near and dear to our hearts…we’re always ready and willing to help others get the food they need to thrive.
Looking forward to more giving this year! Thanks, as always, for your support…
You’re working hard to right the diet wrongs of 2017…why throw it all away with a game day menu packed with less-than ingredients that would never make the cut any other day? Here are a bunch of healthier, but equally delicious, options to share with friends and family during the big game. Vegan noshes, too!
Chili
Ellie Krieger’s Three Been and Beef Chili
NY Times Turkey Chili
Rachael Ray Green and White Lightening Chicken Chili
Mole Chicken Chili
Snacks
Cajun Shrimp Guacamole Bites
Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Healthy Seven-Layer Dip
Vegan Goodies
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
Pineapple Serrano Pico de Gallo
Roasted Carrot Hummus
Twice Baked Potato Bites
Sriracha Roasted Chickpeas
Dessert Bites
Chocolate Dipped Apricots
Apple Nachos
No-Bake Brownies with Chocolate Ganache
We are pleased to introduce you to our January Charity of the Month: All Our Energy.
All Our Energy advocates, educates, involves and empowers the public to support renewable energy and act on environmental issues. Their core missions: renewable energy advocacy and awareness, environmental stewardship, and public education and involvement through events and outreach opportunities that lead to action from participants.
In keeping with these missions, one of All Our Energy’s main efforts has been to reduce the proliferation of single-use bags on Long Island. In 2016, the group was instrumental in getting a $.05 bag tax passed in their hometown of Long Beach, and is currently working to see the same law established in Rockville Centre, Sea Cliff and other Long Island towns. As many of you know, this is also a cause we are passionate about…in fact, our Charity of the Month program is funded by our very own Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) initiative—a policy that charges customers $.10 for every paper bag we give out at checkout, then donates those monies to a different local charity each month.
Upcoming Film About Plastic Bag Pollution
On January 25 at 7 p.m., All Our Energy in conjunction with Sea Cliff Village Environmental Conservation Commission and the Sea Cliff Village Library will present a free screening of the award-winning film “Bag It” at the Sea Cliff Village Library. Don’t miss a chance to learn more about how plastics are affecting our lives…and what we can do about it.
In the past, we have devoted this space to a local food vendor, but this month we decided to broaden our definition of Local Flavor to include successful local businesses that help make our ‘hood such a great place to run ours. First on our list was our neighbor across the street, Strong Island Styles. Since Brian Basile opened his barbershop in 2006, he has had a few very notable experiences; among them, he entered a reality show hosted by Cedric the Entertainer in 2015 (and won 1st place!), and last summer was given the honor of cutting MMA fighter Conor McGregor’s hair prior to his press conference with Floyd Mayweather. Brian is a self-taught barber, and uses a combo of old-fashioned straight razors and “new school” techniques to create the kind of shave designs and patterns he is known for. (He also created his own hair product, which is said to ward off evil spirits.) His shop, now home to 10 barbers, is always buzzing, and while it can’t be judged on flavor, it’ s a great example of local color.
RT: Why did you open Strong Island Styles?
BB: As a young man I was into fashion, which led me to cutting hair for fun. Once I started getting very good, my customers were lining up around the block. I absolutely love giving people makeovers. It’s something that makes me happy to go to work every day. Getting a haircut is one of the cheapest ways to change your mood and feel good.
RT: Who is your ideal customer?
BB: Contrary to all these very expensive salons and corporate-style men’s grooming parlors, I wanted to take the most talented barbers and cater to the customer that cares solely about quality.
RT: What should people know before they come to your shop?
A few of our barbers cut women’s hair. Being that we are a barbershop and we cut hair kind of fast, we give haircuts to women who don’t want to go to the salon and spend $100 when they can spend $20 on a haircut from us.
RT: What is one thing about Strong Island that most people don’t know?
One thing people don’t know about me is that I enjoy speaking to very old customers and hearing about when they were young and how different our generations are.
RT: In what ways does Strong Island give back to the Glen Cove community?
Once a year during the St. Patty’s Day Parade in Glen Cove, we do a fundraiser for St. Baldrick’s. We shave heads to raise money for childhood cancer. This will be our ninth year doing this.
RT: Of course we’re always interested in what people like to eat. What’s your favorite product from Rising Tide Market?
My favorite food is the salmon burger. I also love the coconuts that the friendly staff cuts a hole in so I can drink right out of it with a straw.
We’re kicking 2018 off the way we do each year, with our annual New Year’s Day party!
Enjoy yourself on New Year’s Eve, then come in and soak up the healthy New Year’s vibes with family and friends at Rising Tide Market. We can’t THINK of a better way to ring in the new year.
- Everything in the store* will be 20% off, ALL DAY LONG!
- RAFFLES: Enter to WIN more than 30 amazing raffles from many of our most popular vendors. From now until the end of the year, you will receive THREE raffle tickets for every transaction at Rising Tide Market. Put your ticket in the jar of the raffle(s) you most want to win. We’ll be awarding raffle prizes all day on Jan. 1, including some REALLY juicy ones (the Solgar raffle features a Fitbit Flex2, and the New Chapter raffle has a Nutri Ninja!
- GRAND PRIZE: We are giving away an Apple iwatch! You must shop on Jan. 1 to enter to win the Grand Prize.
- FREE 8 oz greens drink, bone broth tasting, and lots of free samples.
- Music and more!
We’ll see you on Jan. 1!
* Except Everyday Low Prices.
With New Year’s Eve parties (and all of 2017!) behind you, it’s time to take your first healthy steps into 2018.
Spend the first day of the new year with your friends at your favorite natural food grocer. The Rising Tide New Year’s Day bash is the place to spend Jan. 1, 2018:
- SHOP for healthy, organic, GMO-free groceries, supplements and produce…20% off the entire store!*
- Enter to WIN dozens of awesome raffles from many of our best-selling vendors…a raffle is awarded every hour!
- SAMPLE our health-boosting RT Bone Broth, along with loads of other tasty items.
- CHILL to the laid-back musical stylings of our very own Josh and Steve.
- TOAST your friends and neighbors—with FREE Rising Tide greens drinks!—for a beautiful, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful year to come.
- GRAND PRIZE...everyone who shops on Jan. 1 is entered to win a brand new Apple Watch! We look forward to seeing you there!
* Customers will receive 20% off everything in the store EXCEPT Every Day Low Prices.
The holiday season is a magical time of the year—but can also be a wasteful one. The time period from Thanksgiving-New Year’s has a huge environmental impact in terms of water use, greenhouse gases and land disturbance caused by the production of some of our favorite holiday treats and staples. The good news? If we take even tiny steps toward reducing our footprint this holiday season, the results an go a very long way. (FUN FACT: If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 28,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the Earth!).
Here are some easy ‘green’ shifts to consider this year:
DIY Gifts. If you’ve been given a homemade gift lately, you know how special it feels to receive such a treat. Keep it simple, keep it healthy, and keep it from the heart this holiday season.
Gifts in a Jar
Edible Food Gifts
Gifts Kids Can Make
Or…buy eco-friendly gifts. Resist buying gifts that will end up in a landfill. Purchase Earth-forward gifts that will improve the life of the recipient without harming the planet. Some of our favorites:
Use recycled wrapping paper. Did you know traditional gift wrap is not always recyclable? Reusing and recycling materials you find around the house (paper grocery bags, magazines, newspapers, old bits of fabric) is a better (and free!) way to go—at least your wrap served a purpose at one time. Or purchase reusable wrap like this.
Make your own decorations. Most of these DIY decoration ideas—based on recycling and upcycling what you have at home and foraging for what you don’t—cost next to nothing to make and are fun family activities (with a subtle environmental message attached!).
Use LED holiday lights. A household with an extravagant Christmas light display will spend enough money to heat and power an average house for six weeks, and produce 882 pounds of carbon dioxide. Save energy and reduce harmful CO2 emissions by purchasing LED (light emitting diode) lights this holiday season. LED lights are pricier, but they last longer and use 80 percent less energy than conventional lights. Solar lights—charged on a sunny winter day and glowing by night—are also a better bet, and require no electricity source.
Buy an organic tree. Like conventionally grown produce, the pesticides used on conventionally grown Christmas trees have been associated with a range of health issues including cancer, birth defects, asthma and more. Find an organic Christmas tree farm on Long Island/NY State, then make sure you dispose of it the right way.
Don’t waste food. Americans throw away roughly $165 billion in uneaten food every year, according to government data. To help combat all this waste, the NRDC’s Save the Food Campaign has come up with a dinner party food calculator…just in time for the holidays. Make what you need, eat what you make.
Enjoy your holidays! And if you start a new holiday habit with an eye on the environment, post it on Instagram, and tag Rising Tide Market. We’d love to see what you’re up to! Little changes can go a long way…
Plans, parties, shopping, cooking (not to mention the occasional night of overeating/drinking, later bedtimes, etc.)—this time of year everyone is go, go, go. Sometimes this perpetual activity can lead to trouble sleeping when you finally stop at the end of the day.
Our resident Wellness guru, Jen, has three great products that she consistently recommends to those who suffer from intermittent insomnia—at the holidays or anytime.
- If you like tea… try Gaia Sleep & Relax Tea. As part of a relaxing nighttime routine, sip a cup an hour before bedtime. Let the chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower do their thing, relieving tension and quieting the “Monkey Mind” that can prohibit restful sleep.
- Not a tea person… Try Sleep Better by Oregon’s Wild Harvest. A nutritional supplement featuring organic valerian root, organic ashwagandha root, organic passionflower tops, and organic hops, Sleep Better has helped many a troubled sleeper when nothing else would.
- If you had a crummy night and need a boost to make it through the day… try Four Sigmatic Stay Awake Mushroom Coffee Mix. Coffee plus Mushrooms, add it to your morning brew and it’ll feel like you’ve had a Red Eye—all energy, no jitters. You’ll also get the benefit of amazing functional mushrooms like cordyceps (for energy) and chaga (to boost immunity).
Here are some great tips for changing behaviors that can inhibit your ability to get a solid night of zzzz’s.
Rest easy this holiday season!
Our new hummus obsession is the freshest, most homemade-tasting we’ve found. Ithaca Hummus will stand up to all your chips, crackers, and veggies, and makes an AMAZING sandwich spread or salad topper. We sat down with Ithaca Cold-Crafted founder and president Chris Kirby to see what makes their hummus so tasty and their mission, so admirable.
RT: What’s the origin story of Ithaca Hummus?
CK: We started out at a stand in the Ithaca Farmers’ Market; selling one flavor of hummus (Lemon Garlic) which we made fresh for our customers every day. We made deliveries to local Co-ops ourselves, packing the hummus in coolers on ice and into our cars for delivery all over upstate NY. It wasn’t the easiest or most efficient system, but it was what we needed to do to keep the hummus fresh. Our food ethos is to keep the flavors of our raw ingredients alive, and this idea is really what unites us as an organization. It’s the common goal that we all work for, it’s what we’re passionate about, and it’s what makes our hummus taste so fresh.
RT: What was the impetus behind the creation of Ithaca Hummus? In other words…why hummus?
CK: Hummus is becoming a staple item in the U.S. and we felt like there was a huge difference in flavor between what we could make ourselves at home and the premade stuff in the grocery store. We thought there needed to be a better option for people like us who were unimpressed with bland tasting store-bought hummus, but didn’t want to go through the annoyance of making it themselves at home.
RT: What makes Ithaca Hummus different from other hummus out there?
CK: ‘This hummus tastes so much fresher than any other brand.’ That’s what we hear from almost every person who tries it. Customers want to know why, and honestly, the answer isn’t a simple one. Unfortunately, food manufacturing has become a very industrialized practice in our country. Artificial ingredients, heat pasteurization, and preservatives all have a very negative impact on the nutrients in our food and the way it tastes. We’re using cold-pressed, raw ingredients that are never heated or compromised with preservatives. So, it’s really a combination of selecting super fresh ingredients and being very intentional about the way that we process them that makes our hummus taste so fresh and unique.
RT: What’s an interesting thing about Ithaca Hummus that most people don’t know?
CK: We have an entire section of our facility that is dedicated to handling raw produce and cold pressing the fresh juices we use in our hummus. I think we are the only hummus company that is part cold-pressed juicery.
RT: What’s the latest news from Ithaca Hummus? Anything new in the pipeline we should know about?
CK: We are a passionate team and we love food so of course we’re always thinking up new product ideas, but we think it’s important to incorporate customer feedback into the ideation stage of new product development. What we’re hearing most frequently from customers today is that they just want more of what we’re already doing. Right now, we are focused on making our products more accessible and increasing our distribution. In the next month, we’ll be launching a direct to consumer online store and we are working on developing larger sizes of our current flavors.
RT: When you’re not noshing on fresh hummus… What are you loving to eat right now? What is your top go-to (snack, drink, wellness product or other)?
CK: Emmy’s Organics Coconut Cookies. If you haven’t tried these they are indulgent little superfood bites that are perfect for a quick snack. Our favorite is the Dark Cacao flavor.
RT: How has it been to open a business in NY State? What’s it like to be a “local” food business?
CK: New York State (specifically Tompkins County) was an awesome place to launch our business. We have had the full support of local organizations like the farmer’s market and cooperative extension from the beginning. When we opened our first plant in 2015, Tompkins County Area Development helped us with the loans we needed to buy equipment and get started. Small “local” businesses are usually too risky for traditional bank financing, so without local organizations like TCAD we wouldn’t have been able to grow as fast as we have.
RT: As an extension of the last question…so many in our community dream of starting their own local business. What’s your one piece of advice for launching a successful local biz?
CK: The difference between an idea and a business is customers. To thrive, a business needs to solve a real problem that its customers are facing. Ask yourself: what is the value proposition of my business? Ours is: hummus at the grocery store that tastes like it just came out of the blender. Multiply the impact of the problem your business solves times the number of customers that face the problem. That’s the value your business creates in the world. Starting a business is hard work. Make sure you’re not putting all that hard work towards an idea that there aren’t any customers for.
**ON SALE ALL MONTH: Rising Tide has all three flavors of Ithaca Hummus (Lemon Dill, Beet, Garlic) on sale for the month of November. Regularly $5.79, now $4.99. Pick some up for Thanksgiving!**
“Gratitude is the wine of the soul. Go on. Get drunk!”
— Rumi
It’s easy to focus on all the things you want to own, create, or experience, but research shows that appreciating what you already have may be the key to living a healthier, happier life. As we gather with friends and loved ones around the Thanksgiving table (or any time, for that matter!), take a few moments to stretch your gratitude muscles—maybe even jump start a regular gratitude practice that can have a serious impact on many aspects of your health. An ever-growing body of research confirms that gratitude has a number of potent health benefits:
* Improves physical health by lowering inflammation and blood sugar; improving immune function, blood pressure and heart health, and encouraging general self-care
* Increases happiness and life satisfaction by lowering stress and emotional distress
* Improves emotional resiliency, which also helps combat stress and anxiety
* Improve mental health by triggering the release of mood-regulating chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and oxytocin, while inhibiting the stress hormone cortisol
* Improves sleep, which can have far-reaching benefits for physical and mental health
Simple Gratitude Practices
Start a tradition for the month of November by creating a Gratitude Tree (you don’t need to be crafty or coordinated to pull this off and the trip out in to nature to collect your branches is an added bonus!). You’ll have a ready-made Thanksgiving table centerpiece and a conversation piece built into one.
Check out these other suggestions for being more thankful, more of the time, summarized from Robert Emmons’ book, “The Little Book of Gratitude,” (adapted from www.mercola.com).
- Focus on the kindness of others instead of being self-centered. This will increase your sense of being supported by life and decrease unnecessary anxieties. Cherishing the kindness of others also means you’re less likely to take them for granted (which improves relationships, which makes you happier, and so on and so on!).
- Along the same vein…Give credit to others while also acknowledging your own contributions. Being grateful for someone’s help does not negate your own contributions. (In other words…being grateful for YOU can have huge payoffs!)
- Focus on what you’ve received rather than what’s been withheld. “The ‘surplus’ mode will increase our feelings of worth; the ‘deficit’ mode will lead us to think how incomplete our life is,” Emmons says.
- Acknowledge your positive emotions rather than suppressing them. “Gratitude recruits other positive emotions, such as joy, contentment and hope, and these produce direct physical benefits through the immune or endocrine systems,” Emmons writes. “A grateful perspective on life is a stress-buster, so grateful people are more equipped than others to deal with uncertainties, ambiguities and situations that trigger anxiety.”
- Avoid comparing yourself to people you perceive to have more advantages. As Emmons notes, “Wanting more is related to increased anxiety and unhappiness. A healthier comparison is to contemplate what life would be like without a pleasure that you now enjoy.” This might mean reframing your relationship to social media (leaving more time for things that really matter) or scheduling periodic social media breaks.
If it’s Good Enough for Oprah…
Here’s a tried-and-true way to make gratitude a regular part of your day, perhaps with long-lasting effects. It takes just five minutes.
Have a very grateful November!
Breakouts are a part of life! In Jen’s Top 3 for October, the Rising Tide Wellness guru dishes on her go-to skin solutions for teens and adults.
Mother Dirt: Just brought these amazing new products in and have already had incredible feedback from staff and customers. Based on the idea of nurturing and restoring the skin biome (healthy bacteria = healthy skin), these products are perfect for anyone looking to lose the chemicals in their skincare routine while also enjoying awesome results. Try the Face & Body Cleanser, the Moisturizer and don’t miss the AO + Mist—a probiotic spray that’s magic at reducing oiliness, blotchiness, bumpiness, and dryness. Spray on in the morning and again at night.
Burdock Root: Burdock root is one of the most well-known detoxifying herbs, used in both Western and Chinese herbal medicine. Often recommended as a blood purifier, burdock eliminates the toxins that can cause chronic skin conditions (acne!). Jen recommends Burdock capsules from Oregon’s Wild Harvest. Take three at bedtime.
Evening Primrose Oil: The key ingredient in evening primrose oil is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)—an omega-6 essential fatty acid that helps strengthen the skin barrier, reduce moisture loss, and reduce the inflammation and redness associated with acne. Our bodies can’t make GLA, but we can get it from other sources, including evening primrose oil. Jen recommends Rising Tide’s own brand of Evening Primrose. For best results, try 1,300mg daily for adults; 650mg for teens.
As always, feel free to talk with Jen about any of your concerns around acne or other skin care issues. And if you try her Top 3, let us know what works for you!
Welcome to the first edition of our new website series: Jen’s Top 3. We’ll check in once a month with Jen, Rising Tide’s resident Wellness guru, to find out what you need to be taking or doing RIGHT NOW to heal any aspect of your health.
Hard to believe it when you step outside, but cold and flu season is just about here. We asked our resident Wellness guru, Jen, about how best to protect ourselves from the most potent of the season’s bugs.
- Host Defense Comprehensive Immune: Mushrooms may look kooky, but they are actually some of the most powerful natural medicines on the planet. Host Defense’s blend of 17 potent mushroom species encourages resistance to cellular invaders (yuck!) and helps balance the immune system.
- MegaFood Vitamin D3 2,000 IU: Sufficient Vitamin D can reduce your risk of infectious disease by strengthening your innate immune system, allowing you to quickly and effectively fight off invaders before a full-blown infection develops. Jen likes Mega Food’s Vitamin D3; take one 2,000 IU capsule daily; take two or three if you’re under the weather.
- Garden of Life Once Daily Ultra Probiotic: Since 80 % of your immune system is located in your gut, it makes sense that probiotics (“good” bacteria that keep your gut healthy) would help ward off cold and flu viruses. Eat naturally fermented foods (sauerkraut, yogurt, miso, kefir) or take a high-quality probiotic supplement like this one from Garden of Life: 15 diverse strains and 90 billion CFUs of cold-and-flu-fighting probiotics are packed into a once-a-day capsule.
We are pleased to introduce you to our September charity of the month: S.A.F.E (Substance Abuse Free Environment).
Since 1981, S.A.F.E has been dedicated to eliminating alcohol and substance abuse in the Glen Cove community. Combining the strengths of the public and private sectors, S.A.F.E provides Glen Cove residents with alcohol and drug intervention, prevention, and educational outreach services.
Executive Director Dr. Sharon Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist, oversees a number of programs through the nonprofit agency, including a free community walk-in program for mental health and substance abuse. S.A.F.E. also works closely with the Department of Social Services to provide housing support, domestic violence intervention, and evidence-based life skills classes for elementary and middle school students and their parents. The annual Family Awareness Day in Morgan Park, aimed at helping kids make good choices surrounding drugs and alcohol, is also a S.A.F.E.-run project.
Educating Glen Cove’s Kids & Teens
S.A.F.E.’s close relationship with the Glen Cove City Schools means excellent substance abuse prevention programming for Glen Cove students. S.A.F.E. pushes into the high school along with the Glen Cove Police Department for pre-prom presentations on alcohol and substance abuse, and has worked with the Nassau County District Attorney’s office to put a “crash car” on the lawn of Glen Cove High School. They also send a Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) to HOFTRA for training, then sends these high school juniors and seniors into the middle school to present on healthy decision-making skills, engaging in positive activities, and building individual resilience.
Check out the S.A.F.E. website to see just how many initiatives they’re part of, and how much they are doing to protect and educate our neighbors here in Glen Cove.
Years ago, Ashley P.’s mom dragged her to the beach in the middle of the winter to view a meteor shower. They brewed their coffee, bundled up, and headed out to take in a not-to-be-missed natural phenomenon. (The shooting stars made it remarkable; the coffee, bearable!)
This weekend (Aug 12-13), you have a shot at experiencing a similar astral explosion –a Perseid Meteor Shower—for yourself. And while it’s summer, the nights still get cool, so bring along your hot tea or coffee in a new 12oz Hydroflask Coffee Cup, with Hydro Flip cap ($19.99). Your brew will stay nice and warm while you bask in the glow of a celestial wonder you’ll remember forever.
Check out these tips to make the most of your pre-dawn star search (hint: the more you minimize moon glow, the more meteors you’ll see!)
