This July, Doug Masiuk will begin his historic journey to become the first Type-1 diabetic to run all the way across the United States. Doug and his non-profit organization, 1Run.org, will fight diabetes by using the run to educate Americans about taking that first step toward healthier living and thwarting this epidemic, which is projected to afflict 1 out 3 people living in the U.S. by 2050.

I’m Doug and I’ve had diabetes since I was three. In less than a month, I’m going to start running from San Francisco and four months later I’ll be putting my feet in the Atlantic on the coast of New York. As the first Type-1 diabetic to run across the U.S., I’m terribly proud that Whole Foods Market is sponsoring me and my organization, 1Run.org.

Twenty-eight million Americans suffer from diabetes. Another 35% of adults over 20 years old in the U.S. are pre-diabetic. And those numbers are growing by the minute. Can you imagine a world where one out of every three of us has diabetes? That will be a reality in 2050 if we continue down this road. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

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For the past month, our hearts have gone out to the people of Japan as we’ve received ongoing news about how the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant disaster is affecting their country and how the crisis extends to the global community.

We’ve been assessing food safety concerns carefully and wanted to take this opportunity to share how this disaster is and is not affecting products in our stores.

First of all, we do not sell any meat, fresh seafood, any dairy products, or any produce that comes from Japan.

Next, none of our 365 Everyday Value grocery items are made in Japan.

Our stores stock a small percentage of products actually produced in Japan. Almost all of these are in the grocery department alongside Japanese-inspired foods like cooking sauces, sushi-style rice and seaweed. Some of these items may originate in Japan but others are produced domestically.

We are working with our vendors who provide products from Japan to determine how they are responding to this crisis. We will provide regular updates as we learn more, but given the devastation of their country we know that this will take time. In the meantime our major grocery vendors as well as many of our in-store third-party sushi vendors are responding in several ways, and they individually have assured us of one or more of the following:

• That their product comes from unaffected areas of Japan, far from the four prefectures that have been exposed to radiation near the nuclear plant;
• That they have switched their product sourcing to unaffected areas of Japan or other countries;
• That they are closely monitoring government reports and are relying on Japanese health officials and the FDA to prevent any contaminated food from entering the country without testing regimens;
• That they are testing the products themselves, either before they leave Japan or immediately upon arrival in the U.S.;
• That they have stopped sourcing products from Japan altogether; or
• That the Japanese products they offer currently were shipped prior to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

We are also in close communication with our U.S. dairy vendors, including the small cooperatives of farmers who produce our private label milk, about products from the Western U.S. states. They are closely monitoring ongoing FDA and EPA tests from multiple sites. As of today, these tests have consistently shown that milk from California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona is safe.

Our produce vendors on the West Coast of the U.S. are also watching test results closely, and many are currently harvesting products that are being grown in other regions.

Each day we monitor reports from the FDA, EPA and other government health agencies for the latest information on their efforts in assessing the safety of products from Japan. Of course, we don’t have all the answers and we expect more information to continue to unfold. Check back and we’ll keep you updated as we learn new things. You can rest assured that we are actively engaged in assessing the safety of the products we provide.

And please know that we will continue to work with our Japanese vendor partners to support them through this difficult time. If you would like to help survivors of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami meet their immediate and longer-term needs, you can donate through our fundraising page on Mercy Corp. The Mercy Corp team has delivered emergency supplies — including large shelters, tents, kerosene space heaters, blankets, instant rice and fresh produce — to families evacuated from their homes in four tsunami-stricken cities in northeastern Japan. They’ve also launched Comfort for Kids, a program to help children recover from the emotional effects of a large-scale disaster. Additionally, they’re exploring the possibility of an economic recovery program to help families meet their needs while infusing much-needed cash into struggling local businesses.

A few simple essential cooking techniques can help you prepare healthier meals without the use of added oils, a key aspect of our Health Starts Here™ program. One of the most common cooking techniques for healthy eating is steaming. This technique is great with fresh vegetables as it helps them retain optimum freshness, texture and nutritional content.

Steaming works by boiling water continuously, causing it to vaporize into steam. The steam then carries heat to the food perched above the boiling water in a bamboo or metal steamer. The steamer needs a lid placed on top during cooking to allow the steam to cook the food.

This is a great method for cooking vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, green beans, asparagus or leafy greens such as Swiss chard, kale or mustard greens. Steaming helps the vegetables hold their shape. I prefer my veggies a bit crunchy and vibrant green, so I know that I’m eating something that is full of life and full of nutrients. Steaming does this beautifully.

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I’m really excited to announce that we are providing shoppers with a new level of transparency about how farm animals are raised by now offering beef, pork and chicken certified under the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating system.

The rating system is the signature program of Global Animal Partnership, a nonprofit organization that facilitates and encourages continuous improvement in animal agriculture. Independent, third-party certifiers audit farms and rate animal welfare practices and conditions using a tiered system that ranges from Step 1 (no crates, cages or crowding) to Step 5+ (animals spend their entire lives on one farm). We are proud to adopt this new rating system that helps shoppers make even more informed buying decisions while offering them peace of mind that the animals from our producers are raised with care. Read the rest of this entry »

It is difficult to express how disappointed we are by the USDA’s decision to completely deregulate genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa without restrictions. This news means farmers will now be able to plant Roundup Ready GE alfalfa without restrictions, beginning as soon as this spring.

The USDA had been considering two potential decisions on this issue – either full deregulation or deregulation with restrictions. The latter would have set rules to protect non-GE crops from contamination. While Whole Foods Market and other advocates for non-GE and organic foods feel the USDA’s deregulation decision is a setback, we will continue the fight for the protection of non-GE food, as we have ever since genetically engineered crops first appeared in the marketplace. Read the rest of this entry »

October 2010 is our first (and hopefully annual) Non-GMO Month, an event that introduces and celebrates the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal, a first-of-its-kind certification program that Whole Foods Market fully supports. The appearance of this seal marks a major milestone in the course of many years of hard work for those of us in the natural and organic industry.

I’ve written about the Non-GMO Project on this blog once before, when we announced our strong support of the initiative and its seal. Now I’m extremely happy to announce that the actual seal is on actual products in many aisles of our stores! Read the rest of this entry »

Grilling can be one of the most satisfying and delicious ways to cook.  You’re outside; cooking over an open flame, sipping a refreshing beverage… it’s hard not to love a good old-fashioned barbeque! Yet, recent research indicates that grilling meat, such as red meat, poultry and fish, may pose certain health risks. So, while that gorgeous T-bone is sizzling on the grill, a variety of hazardous chemicals are forming.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), cooking over an open flame produces carcinogens called heterocyclic amines, or HCAs. Carcinogens are substances that might cause, increase the risks of, or promote cancer. While the risks are still being studied, there is concern that high levels of HCAs may increase the risk of breast, colon, stomach and prostate cancers.

In addition to HCAs, another class of cancer-promoting substances, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are formed when fat from meat drips onto hot coals or stones, causing flare-ups. PAHs are deposited back onto food by smoke and flare-ups.

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By mid-June we reach the approximate center point of the domestic cherry season where production transitions from California to the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington. It is a time of long hours and high anxiety where you are either riding a wave of cherry sales bliss or sitting at your desk wondering what possessed you to go into the perishable fruit business in the first place.

By now we generally have the lay of the land for the season and this year has been equal parts bliss and career choice soul searching. The fruit we’ve managed to secure this season has been exceptional — thanks to Bryan, our global cherry buyer, and Randy, Adam and Josiah (our field inspectors). But getting the fruit to market this year has not been easy (thank you El Niño) and the efforts of our grower partners have been truly heroic. The cherry season is chock full of incredible growers, and here are a few of the faces and stories behind this remarkable fruit. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 marks a monumental milestone for the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and its founder, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE. Fifty years ago, Goodall, who is today a world-renowned primatologist, conservationist and UN Messenger of Peace, first set foot on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in what is now Tanzania’s Gombe National Park. The chimpanzee behavioral research she pioneered there has produced a wealth of scientific discovery, and her vision has expanded into a global mission to empower people to make a difference for all living things.

Through product partnerships, JGI is able to continue its critical work while bringing focus to ethically produced products. Each day, with every choice you make, you can make a difference. Look for these featured brands:

Allegro Coffee Tanzania Kanyovu

Allegro Coffee Company is a proud supporter of the Jane Goodall Institute and the farmers of Tanzania’s Kanyovu Cooperatives. Their support of JGI helps fund reforestation projects in Gombe’s coffee growing areas that support protection for vital chimpanzee habitat and sustainable livelihoods for local people.

Late July Organic Mini Sandwich Cookies

Ten percent of profits from these organic Mini Endangered Animal Sandwich Cookies support the Jane Goodall Institute’s amazing work saving endangered chimpanzees, promoting sustainable living and nurturing the next generation. These “Good For All” cookies are made with real organic chocolate, are a good source of whole grain and calcium and feature endangered animals discussed in Dr. Goodall’s newest book.

Rishi Tea Masala Chai

For Rishi Tea, organic is more than a certification. It’s about working with people and the environment to provide a healthy and sustainable future. That’s why they’re honored to partner with the Jane Goodall Institute and introduce their Organic and Fair Trade Certified Chai, which is made from tea harvested in the biologically diverse, ancient tea forest of Manong-Manmai. Proceeds support JGI, including its global program, Roots and Shoots, the tea farmers and the preservation of their unique tea heritage.

Theo Chocolate Bars

Proceeds from the sale of these chocolate bars will benefit cocoa farmers, promote conservation in the tropical rainforest and directly contribute to the Jane Goodall Institute’s efforts to save chimpanzees, develop community-centered conservation programs in Africa and empower youth around the world to take action. When you taste Theo Chocolate you will experience why it is “Good For All!”

Alice is the founder and president of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). NFCA’s mission is to raise awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance and improve the quality of life for those living with these conditions.

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month. How aware of celiac disease are you? Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that can cause serious problems if even the smallest amount of gluten – a protein found in wheat, rye and barley – is digested. Millions of people struggle with the symptoms of celiac disease before being properly diagnosed. In fact, one in 100 Americans has celiac disease, and 95% of those are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is the product of my own personal experience with celiac disease. Before I was diagnosed, I suffered a host of health problems: my teeth were cracking, my hair was falling out, I had multiple miscarriages and stillbirths and yet I had been told by 22 physicians that I “looked fine.” Some actually suggested that I consult a psychiatrist. At last, the 23^rd doctor diagnosed a “rare” autoimmune disease called celiac sprue. I learned that there are no pharmaceutical cures for celiac disease, and a 100% gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment.

What a sense of relief knowing what was happening to my body. Then came the panic of wondering how I was going to deal with it!  What foods can I eat? Am I going to spend the majority of my time in the kitchen trying to prepare them? Where do I turn for food that is safe? That’s when I discovered that Whole Foods Market has an extensive selection of delicious, nutritious, easy-to-prepare, gluten-free products. What’s more, they make it easy to locate these products with gluten-free product lists and in-aisle labeling!

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