Locally Owned Health Food Store Donates $53,000.00 for Hudson Valley's Hungry

Hudson Valley emergency food outlets have served 3 million more meals than in they did in 2006 - an average increase of over 35 percent. It has undoubtedly been a record year, though thanks to a generous donation of $53,000.00 from Mother Earth's Storehouse, Hudson Valley's hungry will not go unnoticed.


Food Bank Shortages And Record Hunger Rates

2010 has been a record year for food bank shortages. In the Hudson Valley, more than 90,000 households do not know where their next meal will come from. However bleak these figures may seem, some local businesses have stepped up to help. This will be the second year in a row, that the small locally-owned health food store has made a substantial contribution to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley (FBHV). Mother Earth's Storehouse and the Hudson Valley based food bank has partnered to help alleviate hunger in Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Putnam and Rockland counties in the mid Hudson Valley region of New York.

The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley was created by a group of food pantry coordinators and anti-hunger advocates in 1990. Over 20 years later, it has established a successful history of helping distribute food to area families in need. Their mission has never been more important, contributing support and food distribution for over 360 food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters. Even with so many emergency food organizations united to feed the hungry, many have found themselves forced to turn away the hungry because of shortages.

Charitable Giving Has Fallen For The First Time Since 1987

In a time when the Hudson Valley has reached record unemployment rates, few businesses have made the commitment to give back to its neighbors like Mother Earth's Storehouse. Kevin and Chris, the two brothers who own three Hudson Valley health food stores, have made a statement of solidarity with their neighbors who are less fortunate. Standing in front of last year's Food Bank's Cosimo DiBrizzi Humanitarian Award, Chris Schneider explained, "Our business is all about nutrition and health awareness. We can't think of a better way to give back to our community." Kevin reiterated his brother's feelings, pointing to last year's donation of $25,000.00 to the Food Bank, "This year, our customers have helped us raise an astounding $53,000.000 through our Rewards Plus Card program." He added, "We encourage all our customers to present their Rewards Plus Card at checkout. When they do, 1% of their member's rewards will be donated directly to Food Bank of the Hudson Valley."

Never Losing Sight of The Big Picture

The two brothers from Kingston believe that philanthropy makes good business sense, especially in the current economic climate, "Our customers believe in being socially responsible. Their spirit of generosity has made this program a success. They [customers] feel good knowing that a percentage of their grocery purchase will be donated to local charity." After 30 years in business, Mother Earth's Storehouse has grown to three stores (Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Saugerties) though they haven't lost sight of the big picture; providing healthy food for their customers and helping feed Hudson Valley's Hungry.

For more information Mother Earth Storehouse and Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, please visit www.motherearthstorehouse.com or www.foodbankofhudsonvalley.org. The donation event will be held Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 2:00PM in the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley offices located at 195 Hudson Street, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York. For inquiries or ways that you too can help, call Toni at (845 )534-5344.

Harmony through a Healthy Diet

In traditional Chinese medicine, “chi” is essential for good health. It represents a perfect balance, a state of equilibrium within your body, mind and soul. Within all of us there is the potential for perfect harmony, though we sometimes ignore the obvious relation between our body parts and especially the effect of diet on our brain. It’s this connection, which exists between our mind and our diet that we all need to recognize.

Nutrition for Your Brain

Imagine streams of synapses making electrochemical connections, enabling us to complete everyday tasks or make complex decisions. The food that we ingest is the fuel that provides the energy for those connections to exist. Everything we consume acts as a pharmaceutical compound that affects your brain negatively or positively. We’ve all witnessed (or personally experienced) of how some recreational drugs impair your cognitive functions. The reverse is true for proper nutrition. Every aspect of how we react, sense and process complicated tasks are directly related to what we place in our gullet.

Essential Fatty Acids

Not all of us can control when, where and what we eat. Our daily lives are busy, with tight schedules and precious little time to reflect on our intake. The adage, “you are what you eat” holds true as many of us find the convenience of fast food irresistible. It’s the oils and additives that are used in the manufacturing of fast foods that are the most harmful to your body and your brain. That’s where nutritional supplements come in handy. Your brain is rich in two essential fatty acids, both of which provide a vital role in contributing to the “chi” factor mentioned earlier. One form is omega-3 fatty acids which are found in flax, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and some cold water fish like salmon and tuna. The other kind of fat needed for healthy brain cells is omega 6 fatty acids found in oils, like sunflower, corn, sesame and safflower. The later can be harmful if taken in excess, e.g. diets rich in hydrogenated fats and fried foods.

DHA and EPA

No, they’re not acronyms for federal regulatory bodies, but they are indispensable in regulating your brain. When your body lacks the essential fatty acids it needs, it will build replacement fatty acids which are similar though not at all healthy. So, it’s important to use DHA and EPA supplements if your diet doesn’t include foods rich in these two essential fatty acids. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 fatty acids are obtained by food and quality dietary supplements. Once eaten, the body coverts these acids to DHA and EPA, which are readily used by the brain.


All Natural is Better

Foods that contain these nutrients are available in most food stores. Though shopping for the freshest and safest product can be time-consuming and not very practical. Most "Big Box" food store employees don’t have the nutritional expertise to offer reliable advice. On the other hand, Natural food stores that sell organic products generally have a broad understanding of the nutritional products they sell. Mother Earth Storehouses in the Hudson Valley New York with three stores in Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Saugerties (www.MotherEarthStorehouse.com) and is one of the areas oldest health food store with a knowledgeable staff that is well-versed on the latest in nutritional news. In addition to popular name brand supplements, they sell a complete line of their own supplements and vitamins. Along with their all natural organic supplements, they carry many DHA-fortified dairy products like milk and yogurt and algae-derived DHA vegetarian food products and supplements.

Harmony can be found, though you need to eat well, exercise and give your body all the nutrition it needs for healthy “chi”.