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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Rachael is part of our team dedicated to answering emails, letters and phone calls from our customers.

My job is all about talking to our customers and helping them get answers to their questions or concerns. I love my job, but I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone that customer service is a stressful line of work! When customers call me, they may have already talked to their local store and/or their nearest regional office and they haven’t yet been able to get a resolution to their concern. So, as a rule, the people I talk to can be pretty mad at times. So, I relish the customers who take the time to call us with their compliments.

Of course, it’s always nice to talk to someone who is kind, but these calls are especially nice because most of the customers who call to compliment us tell me about how awesome our Team Members are. Of course, I know how great they are but there’s something special about hearing our customers share their perspective about how our Team Members have gone far beyond the call of duty to help them in some way. One caller I talked to the other day really pulled at my heartstrings more than most and made me feel warm and fuzzy about what great people we have working for us. She said I could share the story in this blog post, so here goes.

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I am a first-time Mom on a budget. In this ongoing blog series, I explore ways to create healthy, organic meals that appeal to both my baby and husband. I’m having fun sharing my trials and tribulations of trying to cook healthfully and economically, while at the same time pleasing my family. I started out simple by turning mashed up baby foods into soups, like creating a vegetable soup out of a pea base and a carrot ginger soup from locally grown carrots. I even turned one of my purees into a zucchini pesto. But now, it’s time for my baby to move onto something more substantial. And, me too. So, let’s see what I can do with finger foods.

Every Mom has her fears. Some Moms fear germs. Other Moms fear accidents. (Picture a Mom chasing after her child with anti-bacterial soap in a completely baby-proof room.) But alas, I can’t judge. For some odd reason I have an even stranger fear:  a fear of finger foods. That’s right, finger foods. I have become so comfortable with baby food purees that making this transition to finger foods is flat out scary.

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Sometimes when I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is cook, but I still want a delicious, healthy meal. Summer is a great time to get creative in the kitchen with fresh produce and prepared foods at Whole Foods Market.

For an easy, versatile meal, I like to cut up a yellow squash and a zucchini squash (or grab a serving from the salad bar) and toss with lemon juice, salt, pepper and fresh herbs to taste (basil and oregano pair well for a light taste of summer). You can also peel the squash into ribbons using a vegetable peeler and top with shaved Parmesan cheese for a different texture reminiscent of pasta.

Starting with this, I’ll add a variety of items from Whole Foods Market’s salad bar or prepared foods to make an easy no-cook meal:

●      goat cheese and grape tomatoes

●      red onion and shredded chicken

●      pre-cooked salmon and capers

My very favorite no-cook meal is sliced tomato, crumbled feta and capers. Drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it’s filling and delicious. Want to make it heartier? Try a traditional Caprese salad (tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil) and add a few slices of good salami from the deli.

For a variation on the Caprese, I like to cut up a container of cherry tomatoes and toss them with a drained container of fresh perlini mozzarella, chopped fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. I will typically eat that for dinner, and save the leftovers in the fridge. The longer it sits, the more “dressing” it makes and it will keep for a couple of days. If I’m up for boiling water the next night, (trust me, sometimes it’s a stretch!), I’ll cook some pasta and top it with the leftover salad for a great summer pasta dish.

And, of course, don’t forget dessert! Did you know that you can find pre-reduced balsamic vinaigrette in many stores next to the vinegar? It makes a wonderful topping on sliced fresh peaches paired with a little goat cheese or on strawberries sliced on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Do you have any favorite no-cook summer favorites? Share them in the comments section.

The first signs of spring are finally here, and we’re breathing a sigh of relief at our store in Wayland, MA. Spring means the end of snow, cold, and the gloomy pall that can overtake the winter months. Finally, we can put away our boots and scarves and get a much needed dose of sunlight.

Spring also means the arrival of Easter and Passover, two holidays we get excited about at Whole Foods Market. We also start setting up our grilling and gardening displays for all of the early birds that want to get a jump on burgers and bulbs.

Some of my favorite things about spring in our store are the seasonal foods. Local produce becomes more abundant, seasonal items like Spring Onions make an appearance, and everything tastes a little fresher. Spring is also a great season to invest in some home-brightening flowers, and we always have great deals on bouquets.

But I have to admit, my favorite thing about this season is that sometimes, on my day off, it’s warm enough that I can wear flip flops. Here are some signs of Spring from around my store:

What are your favorite signs of Spring?

We’re excited about showcasing Brett Dennen in April’s “Artist Discovery” initiative. Brett’s new CD, “Loverboy,” comes out April 12 and is already creating quite a buzz. Brett opened for John Mayer and has toured with Dave Matthews, Rodrigo y Gabriela and the John Butler Trio. He’s also made big splashes at Bonarroo, Austin City Limits, Coachella, and the Newport Folk Festival. You may also have heard his work on Grey’s Anatomy, Parenthood, House – or a slew of other shows. We hope you enjoy his music along with his tips for eating healthy while on the road.

I eat very healthy. Ninety percent healthy. The other ten percent of the time I allow myself to indulge; but for the most part, I’m healthy. I consume lots of raw foods and when I eat cooked foods, they tend to be whole foods: vegetables, sea veggies and quinoa. I am pretty much a vegetarian, except for seafood. I love sushi! I love oysters!

Whenever I explain my eating habits to people, I always hear, “How do you eat healthy on the road?” It’s actually quite easy. Every city of some significance has a Whole Foods Market, or something similar. At every venue I ask that they stock up on foods I like so that it is there waiting for me when I arrive. When I have some time to kill, I go out shopping and stock up on items to put on the bus for days off or for some of the places I may go where I know that healthy food is harder to find.

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We want to make sure you don’t miss a very special, one-night only event. On Thursday, March 31^st at 7:30 p.m., theaters nationwide will premiere the Sundance Film Festival documentary, To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America. This film follows the powerful stories of women in Queens, New York, who receive microloans to start their own businesses through the first Grameen America branch.  Take a look:

Following the film screening theater audiences will be able to watch a simulcast panel discussion featuring Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and other special experts and celebrity guests. The panel will discuss the issues brought up in the film and explore opportunities for action.

The film premiere kicks off the To Catch a Dollar campaign, which aims to reframe perceptions of poverty, extend the reach of financial services to those in need, and celebrate women’s empowerment in America.

Here’s how Director Gayle Ferraro hopes her documentary and the overarching campaign will impact audiences:

“The stories that are presented in the film show a reality of what we don’t often get to view—not just the struggle, but the moment-by-moment living and discovery and development.  It is very inspiring to me how people keep going, the ideas they come up with [in entrepreneurship]; the spirit of it. I hope people around the U.S. see the desire that the type of people in the film we often forget about, have to participate and contribute in society, with their families and communities and that people recognize how hard they work.  I think the community organizing around the film can bring people to an understanding and hope of what can happen on a larger scale if we focus and allow all people to develop.”

Visit the To Catch a Dollar website to find screening in your area, buy your ticket and find out more about the campaign and the important work behind the film.

If you’re planning to tune in on February 27 to find out what films win top honors for 2010, why not make an evening of it and put together a menu in support of your choice for best film? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Black Swan: “Diet for a Prima Ballerina”

Get Your Greens Smoothie

Kale Waldorf Salad

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

The Fighter: “Food Fit for a Fighter”

Cheddar, Corn and Potato Chowder

Classic Baked Beans

The New Englandah Burgah

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It’s only the middle of February, but here in New England — and in much of the country — it feels like we’ve been permanently relocated to the arctic.

At our stores, protocol is different on a snow day, but the preparation starts the day before. As a store manager, I pay close attention to the weather all year round, but especially in the winter – lots of things need to be adjusted in the event of a storm. When we get word that snow is coming, we start by modifying our orders to make sure we have enough of everyone’s essential items, such as bottled water, milk, toilet paper and baby food.

Next, we take a look at our staffing. The day before the storm is typically quite busy, as customers understandably want to get their shopping in before the roads get icy. To keep up with demand, we call in extra Team Members to make sure everyone gets what they need. Depending on when the storm is going to hit, we also shift schedules around. We make sure Team Members who live close to the store are scheduled to work opening shifts if the store is going to hit overnight, and we make sure anyone with a particularly bad commute is scheduled to have the day off or to go home early. The safety of our Team Members is always our top priority.

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No matter what your team loyalty, everyone likes a “Game Day” party. And due to licensing issues, our team members have the opportunity to get really creative during our preparations for the Big Day. We can’t say “Super Bowl” or “Super Sunday” or a host of other licensed names in our marketing displays, and that makes for a lot of fun. Keep an eye out for the unique euphemisms throughout the store. Referring to everybody’s favorite Sunday as Game Day, The Big Game, or The Day New England Will Win Another Championship are just a few of our options here the North Atlantic region.

Of course, leading up to that one particular Sunday is the playoff season, and at our stores we take full advantage of the fun. We encourage team members to honor their favorite teams by wearing team hats on game day, create tailgating themed displays, and hold themed events. For example, at my store we are holding a special tasting event in honor of Coach Appreciation Week – a nice complement to playoff season. Our team members will dress in sports themed attire and create a tasty sample worthy of any athlete – we’ve even invited some local coaches to come to the store to enjoy the event.

We’re also playing up our Touchdown favorites with some creative merchandising – wings anyone? Party platters and extreme value deals are in abundance, so everyone can put together a great Game Day feast.

One thing that can be tough for some folks during this part of football season is the food. We’ve all over-indulged — at least a little — during the holiday season, and might be trying to watch our calories a bit. In our stores, we’ve been focusing on our Health Starts Here program and looking to our healthy eating team members to help us lighten up traditional favorites. In my store, Turkey Chili, Salsa with Lentil Chips, and Nachos made with naturally-light Fromage Blanc are just a few of the healthier options available.  A new recipe this year is Tandoori Chicken Wings with Yogurt Sauce — still satisfying but a little lighter than a typical buffalo sauce and blue cheese combination.

Personally, I’m a Pittsburgh fan, so on that fateful Big Game Day, I’ll be rooting for the Black and Gold. Who will you be cheering for…and what will you be eating?