The Blog » artificial colors

Audrey’s Poem about her Healthy Home

earthfare — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:15:33 +0000

Audrey’s story (in her own words):

Kids, Junk and Hyperactivity

After my divorce, my daughter and I went on a junk frenzy fueled by my guilt for all of the pain she was experiencing.

I just couldn’t say “no” to cookies and candies and high fructose ; OH MY!

We were spiraling down every day from our sugar high.

Laughing then crashing, repeat repeat.

She would do anything for an ooey gooey treat.

We decided enough was enough, to Earth Fare we go!

Dashing and slashing our cravings you know.

Over the Ravennel and away like a flash,

we found our new treats and built quite a stash.

So thank you Earth Fare for changing our meals.

We are oh so grateful and got lots of deals!

You can share YOUR story with Earth Fare’s readers (and win a $50 gift card for yourself) by clicking here.

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Together We Will…Eliminate Artificial Preservatives!

earthfare — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:00:26 +0000

Artificial preservatives have been deemed ‘necessary” to not only preserve food for longer periods of time, but to protect us from food borne illness. “Preserve” and “protect” sound like good things, but do we really need artificial preservatives to “police” our food?

The truth is that we have been safely preserving foods for hundreds of years with ingredients like salt, sugar, vinegar, and citrus along with processes like canning, smoking, and freezing.

Like other artificial ingredients, artificial preservatives are chemically made and cheaper to use. They also pose the same health risks. In 2001, the Lancet Medical Journal found that ALL artificial ingredients, including preservatives, can cause or exacerbate ADD and ADHD symptoms in children.

Food is made from living things. It is only natural that at some point they are going to discolor, spoil and become harmful to eat. Many products containing artificial ingredients have less actual food product – and therefore less food to go bad. Other foods contain artificial ingredients and suffer from a lower nutritional value because of the chemical manipulation. Sure, these foods may stay “fresh” for over a year…but does that really mean we should be eating them?

The easiest way to avoid artificial preservatives is to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy. Most have a shelf life of 3-5 days. Many of us take grocery trips and shop for food to last us up to two weeks. With smaller and more frequent grocery trips, along with meal planning, you can eat fresher foods free from artificial preservatives and avoid dumping unused produce at the end of the week.

You can also find a canning class in your community. Many of our Earth Fare locations host classes in their community rooms. Even without a garden of your own, you can purchase bulk produce in season and can or freeze for the rest of the year. You’ll be able to open a jar of summer tomatoes to add to a stew this winter, and canned goods make great gifts for your friends and family.

Earth Fare is here to help you avoid artificial preservatives. We preserve and protect by offering food free from all artificial ingredients. Start this week with a coupon for free bacon – artificial preservatives not included! Click here to get your freebie.

Together We Will…Eliminate Artificial Flavors!

earthfare — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:00:20 +0000

Adding artificial flavors to food just sounds…well, silly. Don’t you think?

Food, by its nature, is FILLED with flavor. The only reason to add an artificial flavor would be if the ingredient you want to taste isn’t in the food.

Adding artificial flavors to food tricks the mind into thinking that it is eating something it isn’t – either through taste or through smell. As a matter of fact, the same companies that produce chemical replications of food flavor make world renowned perfumes.

Like other artificial ingredients, including colors, preservatives & sweeteners, artificial flavor can increase or exacerbate ADD & ADHD in children. And, like other artificial ingredients, artificial flavors are EVERYWHERE.

Food manufacturers don’t even have to tell you what chemicals they are using, as this is proprietary – just like in perfume. As long as the formula contains any of the FDA approved 3000 food additives, they can simply put “artificial flavoring” on the label. It is much cheaper to manufacture vats of chemicals that taste like chicken or strawberries than to actually use chicken or strawberries.

Recently, a major cereal giant came under fire for a Blueberry Pomegranate cereal that contained no blueberries and no pomegranates. The box featured pictures of fresh fruit tumbling into a bowl when in reality, it contained artificially colored and flavored bits of sugar.

Wouldn’t you rather eat the real deal? Stop settling for fake flavors, and start choosing foods that are naturally delicious. We’ll help you get started with this week’s Welcome Home coupon – just click here to get yours.

Together We Will…Eliminate Artificial Colors!

earthfare — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:00:35 +0000

Walk into our Produce section and feast your eyes on an array of colors. Pretty, right? Nobody does it better than Mother Nature. Bright beautiful colors simply draw you in to taste and try.

The artificial coloring of food makes it look so pretty, our brains can be tricked into believing the taste. For example, pieces of sugar dyed red can become strawberries in cereal or granola bars. Not only is dyed sugar not real fruit, the red dye was probably produced with chemicals and petroleum products.

As our diets become heavier in processed foods, food allergies and sensitivities are on the rise. Artificial food additives, including artificial colors, have been proven to increase ADD & ADHD symptoms in children.

Earth Fare products contain no artificial colors. There’s just no need when a rainbow of possibilities exist with spices, fruit juices and vegetables.

Instead, you can make your own vegetable food colorings at home. Not only will you avoid ingesting dangerous chemicals, you can actually boost nutrition.

Start with:

Spices such as saffron & turmeric – bright colors without strong flavors
Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
Beets or any vegetable that changes the color of water when boiled
Tea – bags or loose

To make your dye,

Boil or mix items in enough water to liquefy
Strain to remove any pieces of undissolved food
Add to icing, cookie dough – or make fun colored mashed potatoes

You can also:

Dehydrate colored veggies like carrots, red cabbage & celery
Grind in coffee grinder
Mix as above to make icing, colored dough, etc.
Add to soups, meat loafs or dips for added nutrition

Remember – natural colors often come from foods that have a flavor. Test before you add your color to make sure you are not changing the flavor or your dish in an unfavorable way!

Your Health: Finding Health with Samantha

earthfare — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:38:24 +0000

Samantha’s story (in her own words):

An ever present problem in my life has always been weight. By the time I was in the third grade my mother was restricting what I ate. For years upon years I played the game; diet, exercise, lose weight, stop and gain it back.

It was not until 2007 that I realized the name of the game was not solely weight loss. The most pressing matter was that I needed to be healthy. If I could make healthy lifestyle changes, the weight loss would come.

I began to read, research and absorb any information I could find about which foods contained which vitamins and nutrients, how to naturally raise my metabolism and how to get the most out of exercising. Nutrition and overall health is now my life’s passion.

My highest weight in 2007 was 214 lbs. I would have been considered morbidly obese by any standard. Now in 2010 I am at 162 lbs, still working on my goal weight of 115 lbs.

I have learned to make good choices whenever I can and not to let small mistakes defeat my ambition. My weight used to cause knee problems but now I jog and play tennis. I know the weight I have lost is mainly due to progressive changes I have made to my diet.

Everyone’s body is different so I had to determine what was right for me. Low carb, low saturated fat and more frequent, smaller meals are the very basis of my diet. A diet rich in what my body needs provides the fuel for calorie-burning work outs.

I find difficulty in finding foods that do not have a laundry list of ingredients that would hinder all of my hard work. Not to mention foods that are plant-based.

For the first time, I live in a city that has an Earth Fare. In the past I’d only see it in magazine listings of healthiest grocery stores. Now I am able to add a stop to Earth Fare to my list of healthy habits. I am reaching for my goal at a steady, healthy pace and working toward becoming a registered dietitian because I am so enthralled by working with others toward a common goal of a healthier life.

You can share your story with Earth Fare’s readers by clicking here.

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Solving Health Mysteries with Brenda

earthfare — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:00:11 +0000

Brenda’s Story (in her own words):

Years ago, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and a host of other chronic health problems.

After years of taking medications, and becoming increasingly sick and crippled, I finally made a connection between the foods I was eating and my symptoms. After much journaling of what I was eating on a daily basis, I realized that I was poisoning my body with loads of unnecessary chemicals, colors, and artificial flavors.

I discovered that EARTH FARE was only an hours drive from my home, and began making a trip there every week to buy (and learn about) healthier alternatives to the foods I had been eating. The EARTH FARE staff was great at pointing me towards more nutritious, and even tastier options, for the foods I was used to. Much to my delight, my health QUICKLY improved dramatically, and eventually I healed completely!

I learned that genetically modified, chemical laden foods were actually causing an allergic response in my body. I also discovered that I had undiagnosed celiac disease, and needed to switch to a gluten free diet. By switching to EARTH FARE’S organic, wholesome ingredients, my body detoxed and I am now fit and healthy. Their variety of gluten free products made the transition easy and fun!

I STILL travel an hour each way, once or twice a week, just to shop at Earth Fare. Thank goodness they offer such great deals and coupons-more than makes up for the gas! THANK YOU, EARTH FARE!

Want to know how you can share your story with Earth Fare’s readers? Click here and then click “Share Your Story” in the right sidebar. We want to hear your health story!

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More posts you may like:

Living Organic with Katie

Making the Best of Allergies with Heather

The Healthy Lunch Challenge

Parents: Taking School Lunch into Their Own Hands!

earthfare — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:20:19 +0000

If you’ve been watching the news or keeping up on food blogs, you may have noticed something recently. Parents are restless. From their keyboards, kitchens, and school lunchrooms, parents have decided to take matters into their own hands. They’re starting a movement.

They’re waging a war against unhealthy school lunches.

Perhaps the most famous lunch crusader is the anonymous Mrs. Q, who took on a project (Fed Up With School Lunch) that garnered her national attention – she decided to start eating the school lunches her students were eating. She also photographed and blogged each lunch, and shined a harsh light on what kids are eating in many schools nationwide.

We asked our facebook fans to weigh in on the issue, and the response was immediate and emphatic! Most of you said you typically pack your kids’ lunches. Bonnie told us about the turning point for her, writing:

“We have always packed their lunches because our daughter has food allergies. We did let them buy on pizza day last year a few times, but that stopped when I volunteered one day at my son’s school.

It was pizza day and the lunch monitors were walking around with GIGANTIC bottles of ranch dressing and pouring it all over the pizza (which didn’t look all that good) for the kids. Some of the kids near where I was sitting actually ate the dressing with a spoon and then they got more put on their tray! It was disgusting to watch and that was the last time we gave money for lunch.”

So, what’s it like in your house? How are the options at your kids’ school? Are you waging your own war on school lunches? Let’s hear your story!

Kids Eat FREE!

earthfare — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:00:45 +0000

Every Thursday at Earth Fare, we throw a party and invite every kid we know. Parents are invited, too, of course – but Thursday nights are really all about the kids. We have fun activities and performers, and, best of all, kids eat FREE!

You read that right! Every Thursday from 4-8pm, if an adult spends at least $5 on dinner, up to SIX kids eat free! Yes, six kids! We told you that it was a party!

Kids get to select from a variety of healthy options made fresh in our store from the best ingredients according to our Food Philosophy.

Well? What are you waiting for? Round up all the kids you know, and we’ll see you at Earth Fare on Thursday!

Skip Artificial Colors In Food

earthfare — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:08:25 +0000

Ever wonder why some food is neon pink and bright purple? Ever ask, “Where did that neon come from because neon is definitely not natural?!” Artificial colors of course!

Gummy Worms

Why are artificial colors added to so many foods? According to the FDA, color additives are used to make food more appealing to the eye. We may think it’s normal to see blue and neon pink foods because the FDA says that color additives are “an important part of practically all processed foods we eat.”


Itty Bitty Bites Collectible Trading Cards

Just because it’s become important, does that mean it’s necessary and more importantly, healthy? No! Actually, artificial colors have some scary side-effects, especially in children. Research shows that artificial colors can increase hyperactivity in children who did not normally exhibit the behavior before.

In a study done by Southampton University, children ages eight and nine displayed serious hyperactivity after receiving juice with coloring additives. Three-year-old children were even more adversely impacted.

So, it may not be the sugar in those jelly beans or packaged snack cakes that are making the kids bounce off the walls!

But, how could artificial colors ever be considered safe and healthy? Most of them are derived from petroleum – the stuff in gasoline and in tar. These chemicals were never intended for human consumption because they have been shown to cause disorders and mutations. Yet they’re on conventional grocery store shelves!

Well, the good news is: you won’t find artificial colors on Earth Fare’s shelves.

Jessica and Miranda shared their success stories with us – they tamed their kids’ hyperactivity by booting artificial colors from the kids’ diets! Do you have a similar story to share?

Auburn: Get Your Pantry Makeover for FREE!

earthfare — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:00:18 +0000

Earth Fare is excited to join the Auburn community! So excited, in fact, that we’re inviting EVERY resident of Auburn to join us on the health journey – starting with a FREE Pantry Makeover! That’s right – boot out the bad, unhealthy ingredients from your pantry and get healthy Earth Fare food for FREE!

What do you need to do to get a FREE pantry makeover? It’s simple! Get on the health journey, and then get the reward. You can use your coupon to trade in FIVE unhealthy staples from these five categories: (1) Peanut Butter, (2) Soda, (3) Cereal, (4) Salad Dressing, and (5) Jelly.

Check out the pantry makeover in action:

Earth Fare Boot Patrol: Pantry Makeover from Earth Fare on Vimeo.

Sign up now for the health journey. Once you register, you can print out the coupon and bring it with you to Earth Fare. (Psst – you can get your pantry makeover even if you’re not in Auburn. Just take your coupon to your local Earth Fare store! We’re all for equal opportunity health!)

Get my pantry makeover!