Healthy Traditions Network

January, 2010 Newsletter

In this issue:

-From Our Director
-Leadership Team Changes
-Save the Date
-Info on the Flu and Vaccinations
-Senate Food Safety Bill
-Nourishing Gift Idea
-Product Review: Glass Dharma Straws
-Farmer Product List

From Our Director

Each year a group of us gals heads up north to spend a weekend at another friend’s cottage. For one day we pack up the car and head out in a new direction, never knowing what fabulous galleries, restaurants or people we will meet. We look forward to it every year and call it “our grand adventure”. When I took over as Director of Healthy Traditions Network four years ago from our founding chapter leader, Lisa Capraro, I saw this as another grand adventure. I had no idea how I was going to fill those shoes or where the journey would take me...

Leadership Team Changes

Please allow me to take this opportunity to thank Kelly Genzlinger for her past efforts as a member of the leadership team. Kelly is stepping back for 2010. Dawn Divito has been a member of the leadership team for the past 5 years. Her talents in putting together our flyers and conference programs as been invaluable. She has been a steady voice and a tireless volunteer on our team and she will be missed.

As we move into 2010 our team consists of Birgit McQuiston, director, Joan Hartzell, administrator, Lisa Imerman, newsletter editor, and Patty Marshalek super volunteer. As you can see there is room on the team for YOU!

Save the Date

Wise Traditions Conference Videos to be shown on March 20 and 27th in Wyandotte. Nutrition Unlimited is hosting this opportunity for you to see the following video taped presentations from November’s Wise Traditions Conference. March 20th will be Louisa Williams, MD, Radical Medicine, followed on March 27th with Tom Cowan, MD speaking on Fourfold Approach to Cancer and Nick Gonzales, ND on The Use of Proteolytic Enzymes Against Cancer: The Origins of an Idea.

St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, 138 Goodell. 10am to 3pm. There is no charge to hear this important information. Local vendors and farmers are invited to be a part of this community outreach, contact Mark Meyerson at 734-284-2357.

Info on the Flu and Vaccinations

There is currently a plethora of news about the seasonal flu, the H1N1 Flu strain and also about vaccinations for both these flu strains and vaccinations in general. It hard to know what is the truth and what isn’t when you are constantly bombarded with information from friends, family, doctors, the government and the media. I urge you to do your own research and to also ask those you trust in both the medical field and in your journey to better health. You also have to take a look at the source of most of the mainstream information.

Senate Food Safety Bill

Start the New Year off right, by talking with your Senators about safe and healthy food!

Big Ag and Big Food have distributed melamine-contaminated milk from China and salmonella-contaminated peppers from Mexico. Yet Congress hasn't gotten the message that they need to solve the real problems - the centralized food distribution system and imported foods - and not regulate our local food sources out of business.

Nourishing Gift Idea

Layered Mixed Bean Soup Mix

This is a gift idea I saw many years ago and I made some changes to make it a bit more nourishing (like not using bouillon cubes and water , blech!!). I have made these for many holiday gifts, teacher gifts and used them for scout projects when learning about nutrition and when making gifts!! They have always been a hit and are fairly inexpensive to make (using organic beans, I would say about $5 a jar) and the soup is a very frugal meal when made, as it makes a big pot. The recipe is flexible so you can add as many vegetable or meats as you like. You can also vary the type of beans you put in the mix to suit your needs.

Product Review: Glass Dharma Straws

By Lisa Imerman, J.D.

As our e-newsletter and our organization gains popularity in the public we have been given some opportunities to review not only books but products. To be honest and most forthright about this, I want to be clear that my review is exactly what I thought about the product rather good or bad. I was sent free samples to try of the following products, but was not otherwise paid or have any ties to the manufacturers of these products.

Farmers Product List

Though snow may blanket the fields, many farmers have products available for you. Please check out the listings from these farmers and support local foods!