Let's Do Lunch

Tired of the same old turkey sandwich? Sick of the local restuarant's salad? Join Melissa Majumdar, Registered Dietitian, and Wendy Pecache, Whole Foods Rockville's Food Demo Specialist as they whip together some delicous, nutritious lunch box recipes. Melissa will teach you how to balance a lunch to prevent the afternoon slump and latenight cravings. Wendy will show you how spending just a few minutes a day can entertain the noontime tastebuds.


Who: You! Sign up at customer service or email Gina
Lanacaster at gina.lancaster@wholefoods.com
What: Cooking Demonstration
When: Wednesady, August 11 at 6:30 pm
Where: Whole Foods Rockville, 1649 Rockville Pike
Why: To eat a more balanced, natural lunch by brown bagging it
How: It is FREE to attend!

Can't wait until next week and need some ideas for tomorrow's lunch? Check out what other Whole Foods' customers are eating and enter the Pack-a-Lunch contest by visiting the Whole Foods blog.

Summer Cooking Demo

Mark your calendars and work up an appetite for EB Nutrition's Summer Cooking Demo on Thursday, June 24 at 6:45 pm. Resident dietitian and meal planner extraordinaire Melissa Majumdar, RD, LDN, CPT, will prepare a lovely lunch or dinner option using local and seasonal products. Melissa will transform simple, fresh ingredients from Whole Foods in Rockville into a delicious and balanced meal in no time at all! Samples will be available, so get ready for flavor and fun during this night of cooking. Space is limited and this event will be popular, so make sure to reserve your spot today!

In Office Seminar - Nutrition, Stress & Metabolism

How many calories does stress have? We agree that this is a ridiculous question, but ask almost anyone if stress makes you gain weight and you will receive a resounding "yes." But, if stress has no calories, then how does it affect your weight? The truth is that the calorie model is not the whole story on fat loss. Stress and other lifestyle factors work through hormonal and metabolic mechanisms that alter not only the amount of calories we eat, but where on the body we store them, and most importantly what we burn: sugar, fat, or muscle.

Join Melissa Majumdar, Registered Dietitian, as she delves into the biochemistry of stress, nutrition, and metabolism. She will set the foundation with a scientific explanation of the function of your adrenal glands, cortisol, and insulin. You will learn the unique ways in which the metabolism and immune system respond differently to the type of stress - acute or chronic. Be prepared to walk away with precise tools to use through diet and nutrition to reduce stress levels, stimulate metabolism, improve mood and optimize health! You do not want to miss this valuable seminar!

We look forward to seeing you all for the April 22nd lecture on "Nutrition, Stress & Metabolism" at 6:45 pm! Healthy snacks and beverages will be provided, courtesy of Whole Foods Market in Rockville. Advanced registration is required, so please visit our website to register for your seat at this and upcoming seminars.

Casein Free Recipe

Whole Foods Rockville and EB Nutrition demonstrated some wonderful casein free/dairy free recipes Tuesday night. This recipe was delicious! It is a gorgeous bright green color and makes you feel as good as eating a salad.


Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Sweet Pea Soup with
Lemon-Pepper “Cream”
Serves 4 to 6

Even staunch pea-haters love this elegant soup, which bears no resemblance to traditional split pea soup. Delicious hot or cold, it can be made one or two days before serving. If you don't have fresh shelled peas, don't worry. You'll get great results with frozen peas.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large ripe (still firm) pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups gluten/casein-free vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 cups fresh shelled peas or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, preferably organic
1 cup chopped fresh watercress, arugula, Swiss chard or sorrel
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

In a 4-quart pot, heat oil. Add potato pieces, pear pieces and chopped onion. Cook covered over low heat, stirring often until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add broth and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add peas and watercress. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper and lemon zest.

Puree soup in food processor or blender. Serve soup hot or cold, topped with Lemon-Pepper Cream.

Lemon-Pepper "Cream"

½ cup gluten/casein-free sour cream substitute or plain soy yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Whisk together all ingredients. Drop a dollop for garnish onto each serving of Sweet Pea Soup.

Eat Right for Your Type

Eating for function is the best way to "diet." Since food effects every cell in the body, it is essential to consider which foods to put into our mouths and when. Each food has a purpose, whether it be for energy or immunity or anti-inflammation, and if each person keeps their individual biochemistry in mind, they can reach optimal health. One component of an individual's biochemistry is their blood type. Blood type is one component of our genetic code, dictating how our body functions and therefore how our body digests and reacts to food.

The four blood types, O, A, AB, and B have evolved in response to physiologic development to strengthen our immune and digestive systems. Distinct blood types have helped us ward off bacteria and viruses but has also made us more vulnerable to specific foods. Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo discusses the unique reactions of each blood type in Eat Right 4 Your Type and Cook Right 4 Your Type. Designing a nutrition plan around blood type, among other things, can help individuals lose weight or just feel great!

The basics..

O- Does well on animal proteins but cannot digest wheat well.
A- Functions best on vegetarian-based proteins (beans, legumes, soy) and unprocessed grains.
B- Handles a varied diet, including dairy. Has a hard to digesting chicken and gluten.
AB- Can tolerate a variety of most foods but gluten and dairy may prevent weight loss.

Join Melissa Bosslet, RD, LN, CPT, at Whole Foods, Rockville (located on Rockville Pike), at 6:30 on Tuesday, March 10, where she will be presenting the basic concepts behind eating for function and specifically for each blood type. Whole Foods will join Melissa and cook a well-rounded meal to demonstrate each specific blood type diet.

Whole Foods Cooking Demos

Melissa partnered with Whole Foods on Tuesday to offer shoppers a cooking demonstration on Gluten Free Cooking. Wendy and Susan, Whole Food's employees, and Melissa helped customers sample brown rice noodles, amaranth blended noodles, and quinoa. The emphasis was on healthy, whole grain gluten-free alternatives. Often times, gluten free products are made from white rice or a processed corn, leaving the food very processed and devoid in nutrients. They also cooked up a Black Bean Salad and served it over flavored polenta. If you've never cooked with polenta, you are missing out on a tasty, versatile dish. Polenta can be served sliced, baked, or like a porridge and makes a great substitue for noodles. Whole Foods has a ton of gluten free recipes on their website as well as shelves and shelves of gluten free products. Join Melissa Thursday night at 6:30 PM as she tours the Whole Foods on Rockville Pike to learn all about these great products!

WHOLE FOODS Cooking Demo

Whole Foods and EB Nutrition are partnering together to bring you "Holiday Hangover, " Wednesday, January 13, 2008, at the Whole Foods on Rockville Pike in Rockville from 6:30 until about 8:00. Melissa Bosslet, RD, LN, and the Whole Foods staff will present ways to compensate for the holiday indulgence and start the new year off on the right track.

What Makes Milk Organic?

On my way to work this morning, I heard a very interesting story on National Public Radio. Standards for labeling milk organic could be changing to incorporate mandated grazing times for the cows. Some large scale organic farms host large numbers of cows in a small field, leaving very little room for grazing and grass feeding.

As of now, regulations for "USDA organic milk" include cows that are free of BGH (bovine growth hormone) and antibiotics, the cows feed is grown without pesticides and chemicals, and that the cows have "access to pasture." Specific pasture time may be required due to the growing desire to know what the term "organic" is describing and because of the disparity in the health content of the milk. Depending on the grazing facilities, cows eat different grasses, including clover, or a combination of a grass and corn-based diet. The milk from the clover fed cows was 60% higher in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 content differed per season as well because of the decreased amount of time cows grazed in the colder, winter months. Gillian Butler, an animal nutritionist with the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group at Newcastle University in Great Britain, published this research in the Journal of Food Science and Agriculture.

Keep your ears percked for more information on organic milk. In the meantime, notice that Whole Foods has the lowest prices around on organic dairy!