A Huffington Post article begins:

Is the ancient Indian practice of oil pulling a cure-all or snake oil?

A scientifically minded website devoted to debunking internet nonsense says:

“Oil pulling is a traditional Ayurveda method of oral care. It involves swishing sesame oil or a similar oil, perhaps mixed with other substances, in the mouth for 10-20 minutes as a means of preventing caries (cavities), reducing bacteria, and promoting healthy gums. In our internet-fueled age of misinformation, oil pulling has seen a surge in popularity as it makes the rounds on Facebook and other popular social media sites.”

The National Center for Biotechnology quotes a randomized, controlled, triple-blind study from 2009 (Indian J Dent) that studied oil pulling and determined:

There was a statistically significant reduction of the pre- and post-values of the plaque and modified gingival index scores in both the study and control groups (p < 0.001 in both). The oil pulling therapy showed a reduction in the plaque index, modified gingival scores, and total colony count of aerobic microorganisms in the plaque of adolescents with plaque-induced gingivitis.

Meanwhile, a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend on Facebook says, when I asked her:

oil pulling! one of my faves! doing it right now ;P and have for over two years on a regular basis! if you don’t yet know about this wonderful method of detox for your organs AND amazing, all natural powerful healing tool for your teeth, here ya go! enjoy!

Exclamation points notwithstanding, I do believe that she really has oil-pulled for over two years and that she’s really (!!) excited about it, and that she may even be doing it whilst Facebooking.

But…WTF, as the kids say?

What IS oil-pulling?

Again, let’s turn to NCBI for a description :

Oil pulling, in CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine), is a procedure that involves swishing oil in the mouth for oral and systemic health benefits. It is mentioned in the Ayurvedic text Charaka Samhita where it is called Kavala or Gandusha, and is claimed to cure about 30 systemic diseases ranging from headache, migraine to diabetes and asthma. Oil pulling has been used extensively as a traditional Indian folk remedy for many years to prevent decay, oral malodor, bleeding gums, dryness of throat, cracked lips and for strengthening teeth, gums and the jaw.

Oil pulling therapy can be done using oils like sunflower oil or sesame oil. The sesame plant (Sesamum indicum) of the Pedaliaceae family has been considered a gift of nature to mankind for its nutritional qualities and desirable health effects. Sesame oil is considered to be the queen of oil seed crops because of its beneficiary effects.

OK, we know what it is. Now I want to know if it really works.

How To Oil-Pull

To do this, I need some volunteers from the audience. Please try this yourself — at home, not at work. Place a tablespoon of cold pressed organic vegetable oil (sesame oil most sources say) in your mouth and swirl it around for about 10-15 minutes, then spit it out.

Practitioners of oil pulling say this has a few different effects.

1) The oils mix with the saliva, turning it into a thin, white liquid. Lipids in the oils begin to pull out toxins from the saliva.

2) As the oil is swished around the mouth, teeth, gums and tongue, the oil continues to absorb toxins, and usually ends up turning thick and viscous and white.

3) Once the oil has reached this consistency, oil and toxins are all spit out..

None of this is meant as an endorsement of the practice — I’m simply reporting what I’ve read about oil-pulling and would like to know more. Liike…

What The Heck Does Oil-Pulling Do?

Says FoodMatters, a site that’s almost as breathlessly pro-oil-pulling as my Facebook pal:

Oil pulling may also increase saponification in the mouth, creating a soapy environment that cleanses the mouth as vegetable fat is an emulsifier by nature. Most interesting is perhaps the ability of oil to cleanse out harmful bacteria, as well as reduce fungal overgrowth. These oils also possibly help in cellular restructuring, and are related to the proper functioning of the lymph nodes and other internal organs.

Other possible benefits of oil pulling for oral health include:

• Overall strengthening of the teeth and gums and jaws
• Prevention of diseases of the gums and mouth, such as cavities and gingivitis
• Prevention for bad breath
• Potential holistic remedy for bleeding gums
• Prevention of dryness of the lips, mouth and throat
• Possible holistic treatment for TMJ and general soreness in the jaw area

Is oil-pulling something you know about? Want to talk about oil-pulling? Want to hear other people talk about oil-pulling? Leave a comment on our Facebook page and tell us what you think — pro, con, non, or, especially, from your own experiences. We’d love to hear what you know about this.

Frozen grapes are terrific trick to keep in your summer tool kit. They’re great treats for kids, fun to make as an activity, make good “ice cubes” for kids’ fruit drinks (lemonade!) and/or grown-up drinks (sangrias!), or they’re just lovely to pop in your mouth on a very hot day.

And frozen grapes couldn’t be easier to make. Here’s the ingredient list:

* Your favorite organic grapes, as many as you like.

And here’s how you make them:

1. Wash your grapes and let them dry.
2. Place grapes on a cookie sheet or pan in a single layer.
3. Place grapes in the freezer for one hour.
4. Transfer grapes to a plastic freezer bag or your choice of freezer storage container.
5. Remove frozen grapes from the freezer as needed.

Photo is licensed by Dana Payne under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

June 5, 2014 –Reps from Sabathani Community Center Food Shelf received their record-breaking SEED check from Seward Co-op in a small but very moving ceremony today. Seward owners and shoppers gave more money in the monthly register donation program’s history at $18,470.

Sandra Richardson described Sabathani’s various programs for aiding low income people in the Bryant-Central neighborhood and what $18,000 would mean to the Community Center.

Kevin Sanders, who runs the Food Shelf operationally, spoke about his experience as a recipient of SCC’s Food Shelf and then becoming involved as a staff member. The Food Shelf’s message of healthy eating resonated deeply with Kevin, so, he says, he made key changes in his diet and lifestyle thanks to this program. He was touched by the large amount that Seward shoppers donated to Sabathani and how much food it would purchase.

From left to right: Cindy Book, Interim Director; Kevin Sanders, Basic Needs Supervisor; Sandra Richardson, Sabathani Family Resources.

As part of its forthcoming “Nourish” program, Seward Community Co-op has raised its store discount from five to 10 percent for Seward shoppers who receive various forms of needs-based assistance. The increase went into effect June 1, 2014.

“We’re very proud to make this higher discount available,” said Seward Co-op’s General Manger Sean Doyle. “It’s part of our overall strategy to make healthy food as accessible as possible through our Nourish program.”

Seward Co-op’s Nourish is a shopper-education program whose motto is “Simple, Healthy Eating.” Offering $10 or less recipes for a family of four, classes on cooking from scratch, and numerous shopping tips for saving money, Nourish is aimed at shoppers looking to make their dollars stretch at the co-op. The needs-based discount is a featured aspect of Nourish.

“Because Nourish is about eating better for less, anyone can benefit from the recipes and classes,” LaDonna Sanders-Redmond, Seward’s Outreach and Education Coordinator, explained, “But the discount portion of Nourish is needs-based.”

Eligibility for the 10-percent discount is based on financial need, which, in turn, is based on shoppers’ individual enrollment in Minnesota Food Assistance/Support (SNAP/EBT), Women, Infant & Children (WIC), MN Care and Minnesota Medical Assistance, or Social Security Disability.

As part of the Nourish program, Seward Community Co-op also offers a needs-based path to ownership. Shoppers receiving various forms of assistance can purchase a new ownership with an initial $15 payment (the remaining $60 is paid with future patronage refunds). As soon as the $15 payment is made, however, the full benefits of co-op ownership begin, including store specials, quarterly discounts, and a vote in upcoming co-op Board elections.

“We don’t think money should be a barrier to shopping or voting at Seward,” Doyle said.

The needs-based discount increase will apply at both Seward Co-op’s current Franklin Avenue store and at the coming Friendship Store, slated to open in summer 2015 in the Bryant-Central neighborhood.

When your thyroid doesn’t function well, it can affect every aspect of your health — depression, energy levels, weight, everything.

Since undiagnosed thyroid problems can dramatically increase health risks, it’s important to understand the complexities surrounding the thyroid. This Saturday at Seward Co-op, you can learn what key nutrients are needed for healthy thyroid function with Dr. Sara Jean Barrett, N.D. (left). Discover what you can do to naturally improve thyroid function and increase your energy, mood, and metabolism.

This is a terrific opportunity if you have questions or concerns about thyroid health. Dr. Sara Jean Barrett is a Naturopathic doctor in Bloomington, MN who treats patients of all ages with a variety of health concerns. Her passion for her practice is demonstrated in the strong relationships she builds with her patients. It’s those relationships that allow her to more deeply identify underlying causes of health issues and provide patients with personalized, natural health care options.

Register at the co-op Customer Service Desk, or get more details about the class here.

Have you ever tried goat before?

Right now, the Seward Meat Department has goat cuts from a new P6-producer Peters Family Farm in Fountain, MN, and we’re very excited for you to give them a try.

“We began raising goats in 2008. We have a 40-acre place,” Travis Peters of Peters Family Farm tells us, “situated on a hillside; the land is perfect for goats. The goats graze mixed grass pastures in season and are fed hay in the winter.”

Erik Sather, Seward’s Meat Depart Manager, says he found out about Peters’ goat farm from Bonnie Austin at Hill and Vale (a very old friend of Seward Meat Department). Travis Peters is a farm hand at Hill and Vale.

When asked about websites or pictures of the farm, Sather said, “Yeah, I don’t think their farm actually has a name. They’re a very small operation.”

“We actually don’t have an official name… other customers have simply listed ‘Peters Family Farm’ or ‘Travis and Jen Peters Goat’ or something similar,” Peters said. “Our farm is truly a family affair, as the kids help my wife (Jen) and I with chores year round.”

And while goat might seem an unusual meat to carry at Seward, the fact is, it’s only unusual in the U.S.. So, for all us Americans, and those of us not lucky enough to be on the Peters Family Farm, here’s the basic 411 on goat:

* Goat is the most widely eaten meat in the world. Seventy percent of red meat eaten worldwide is goat.

* Goat is quite similar to lamb in how it cooks, so you can cook goat all the ways you’re used to cooking lamb: Grilling, roasting, stews, and braising.

* You’ll notice that goat comes in most of the same cuts as lamb: Shoulder, stew meat, ribs, shoulder, etc.

* A key reason Seward Meat Department is excited about carrying this meat is that goats are a far less environmentally destructive livestock than cattle. This is because goats are like Google Chrome: They’re browsers. Seriously, they don’t pull up entire root systems and deplete the soil of nutrient-rich grasses the way cows do when they graze. Also, goats require far less space than cattle. These are small footprint livestock.

* Goat is one of the leanest meats you will ever eat (unless you can get your hands on some ostrich cuts). Chicken is twice as fatty, lamb is six times fattier, and pork has nine times the fat of goat.

So come and get your goat from Peters Family Farm and try the whole world is eating. Below is a recipe with goat meat for you, written by our buddy St. Paul blogger Amanda Paa. She writes the terrific blog Heartbeet Kitchen, (which you should also try!).

RECIPE: Gluten-Free Ravioli with Meat & Ricotta in a Lemon Dill Sauce (Heartbeet Kitchen)

Ten weeks into the capital campaign and we’ve passed the halfway mark with $1,362,750 in owner investments, which represents 52 percent of our goal. Thank you once again to our owners for your support!

At Seward Co-op we have 11,908 (and counting) owners. With $1,137,250 left to raise, if 2,275 owners (roughly 20 percent of our ownership) purchased a single share we would reach our goal. In reality, 141 owners have invested, making the average investment $9,665. Within this context, if 120 owners made the average investment we’d reach our goal of $2.5 million.

We can all positively impact the capital campaign and contribute to the success of our expansion projects. Talk with your friends and neighbors. Direct them to customer service and to me for more information. This is a great way to invest in our co-op, contribute to the health of our economy and our community, and at the same time benefit from financial returns.

by Hannah B., Produce staff

This week a customer asked me if the local spinach we have right now is a different variety than the kind we had last week, because the leaves are so much thinner and flatter, and also somewhat pointed.

Meanwhile, I spent some time researching Vidalia sweet onions to see what makes them different from other sweet onions.

In both of these cases, different varieties could be the answer – but growing conditions are really what have the biggest influence on flavor, texture and appearance of at least these two particular vegetables.

Which begs the question: What do we mean when we talk about growing conditions? It’s the amalgamation of weather, soils, hours of sunlight or anything else that occurs as the plant is growing. In the case of the spinach, it is the lengthening days and, yes, warming temperatures that are causing the changes. I suspect that this spinach was grown in a hoop house, where the temperatures would be quite a bit higher than outdoors. The Vidalia onions are grown in 20 counties in Georgia where the soil lacks sulfur, which means that they don’t develop the heat associated with other onions. We have Vidalias right now-enjoy them while you can, for they are only available for another month or so.

I’ve noticed that vegetables in the early spring are as a rule tender, mild, and very green,ramps being an outstanding exception to the mild rule. I’m not sure what the reason is for this scientifically, but poetically it makes sense that the first edibles to emerge from the soil would be cleansing and easy to eat. Some of the exceptional local products this week areasparagus, zucchini, and watercress-sounds like an excellent salad. Individually, here are some suggestions for quick preparations.

Asparagus is best when the stems are thick-a slender stalk is often starting to become stringy. You should prepare and eat this vegetable almost as soon as you acquire it. When I was growing up, we ate asparagus for every meal as long as it was in season. One way that we dealt with the bounty was to marinate it-steamed, laid in a pyrex baking dish and covered with a vinaigrette, it grew more flavorful overnight.

Zucchini has been coming in small but increasing amounts from Wisconsin Growers for the past couple of weeks. This looks to have been grown in a hoop house-it’s been too cold for zucchini plants to thrive outside yet. Fresh, young zukes should be cooked only briefly to preserve the texture, and with simple seasonings, so you can enjoy the flavor.

The watercress, wild-crafted from clear streams at Keewaydin Farms is the real thing. As the days grow warmer, it can become quite spicy, but this first batch is mild, with a radishy bite. Add it to salads, sandwiches or soups.

We love Kolo Kai ginger and turmeric. It’s not local, but it is fresh. Kolo Kai is an organic farm in Kauai. The farmers, Ben and Colette, harvest the roots to order and then ship it priority mail, so what ends up in our store is never more than a week old. This year, we couldn’t carry it during the winter, because it was so cold that the packages froze on the way to our store. We’re safely past polar vortices, so we’ve resumed ordering it, and wow, the turmeric is the best I’ve ever seen.

Lastly, pint containers of California blueberries have arrived. For as long as I’ve worked here, this has been the signal that the warm months have come to stay. My favorite way to eat them is mixed with Seven Stars yogurt and Nature’s Path heritage flakes. Something about the crunchy flakes and tangy yogurt really brings out the sweetness and juiciness of the berries.

by Hannah B., Produce staff

This week a customer asked me if the local spinach we have right now is a different variety than the kind we had last week, because the leaves are so much thinner and flatter, and also somewhat pointed.

Meanwhile, I spent some time researching Vidalia sweet onions to see what makes them different from other sweet onions.

In both of these cases, different varieties could be the answer – but growing conditions are really what have the biggest influence on flavor, texture and appearance of at least these two particular vegetables.

Which begs the question: What do we mean when we talk about growing conditions? It’s the amalgamation of weather, soils, hours of sunlight or anything else that occurs as the plant is growing. In the case of the spinach, it is the lengthening days and, yes, warming temperatures that are causing the changes. I suspect that this spinach was grown in a hoop house, where the temperatures would be quite a bit higher than outdoors. The Vidalia onions are grown in 20 counties in Georgia where the soil lacks sulfur, which means that they don’t develop the heat associated with other onions. We have Vidalias right now-enjoy them while you can, for they are only available for another month or so.

I’ve noticed that vegetables in the early spring are as a rule tender, mild, and very green, ramps being an outstanding exception to the mild rule. I’m not sure what the reason is for this scientifically, but poetically it makes sense that the first edibles to emerge from the soil would be cleansing and easy to eat. Some of the exceptional local products this week are asparagus, zucchini, and watercress-sounds like an excellent salad. Individually, here are some suggestions for quick preparations.

Asparagus is best when the stems are thick-a slender stalk is often starting to become stringy. You should prepare and eat this vegetable almost as soon as you acquire it. When I was growing up, we ate asparagus for every meal as long as it was in season. One way that we dealt with the bounty was to marinate it-steamed, laid in a pyrex baking dish and covered with a vinaigrette, it grew more flavorful overnight.

Zucchini has been coming in small but increasing amounts from Wisconsin Growers for the past couple of weeks. This looks to have been grown in a hoop house-it’s been too cold for zucchini plants to thrive outside yet. Fresh, young zukes should be cooked only briefly to preserve the texture, and with simple seasonings, so you can enjoy the flavor.

The watercress, wild-crafted from clear streams at Keewaydin Farms is the real thing. As the days grow warmer, it can become quite spicy, but this first batch is mild, with a radishy bite. Add it to salads, sandwiches or soups.

We love Kolo Kai ginger and turmeric. It’s not local, but it is fresh. Kolo Kai is an organic farm in Kauai. The farmers, Ben and Colette, harvest the roots to order and then ship it priority mail, so what ends up in our store is never more than a week old. This year, we couldn’t carry it during the winter, because it was so cold that the packages froze on the way to our store. We’re safely past polar vortices, so we’ve resumed ordering it, and wow, the turmeric is the best I’ve ever seen.

Lastly, pint containers of California blueberries have arrived. For as long as I’ve worked here, this has been the signal that the warm months have come to stay. My favorite way to eat them is mixed with Seven Stars yogurt and Nature’s Path heritage flakes. Something about the crunchy flakes and tangy yogurt really brings out the sweetness and juiciness of the berries.