I thought I’d married a German boy. But when St. Paddy’s Day comes ‘round, chef Roland captures the magic of the Irish in his cooking. His now-famous corned beef, cabbage and boiled new potatoes is beyond mouth-watering. It will be available, not just on March 17th, but the whole week prior – Tuesday March 11 through Monday March 17 (if supplies last!) Same price as last year: $11.99/Lunch. $14/Dinner. Grab yourself a pint of Irish Red Ale or Guinness Stout with your meal – 1/2 price ($2.50) all week long!
The Chocolate Challenge – tell me honestly, who doesn’t love chocolate? One of Joe’s waiters, Mark Reichard, who has also been a chef, is kindly donating his time and skill while Joe’s donates the supplies and ingredients to create a chocolate sensation (wait ‘til you see it!) for La Familia Medical Center Benefit. The Inn at Loretto hosts the event on Sat March 1, 2014 starting at 5:30 pm. Enjoy music, hors d’oeuvres, champagne, and sample chocolate treats prepared and donated by local chefs and restaurants. General admission tickets are $75, VIP tickets are $100. Tickets and info: (303) 895-5367, jo@pocomoon.com
DiJa Know? In the USA, 90% of all food dollars are spent on processed food. Dr. Ian Brighthope in the film Food Matters says, “we are poisoning ourselves with highly processed nutrient deficient foods.” Is it any wonder we’re sick and obese? Three quick fixes (because it’s beyond the scope of this month’s newsletter and because it’s a huge political economic corporate monopoly topic) are: 1. shop the perimeter of the grocery store where the fresh foods live. 2. KYG – know your grower. Shop the farmers market where it’s face to face with your food producer. 3. And eat in restaurants that buy significant amounts from local growers.
u I don’t know anyone who elects to eat genetically modified food. It has been thrust upon us without our vote and midst an ongoing battle for labeling. To help you avoid GMO’s while shopping, here are some hints:
1. Avoid foods containing soy, corn, cottonseed and canola. Unless they are certified organic, they are most likely GM. The center aisles of the grocery store – chips, snacks, crackers, cookies – almost all contain these GMO ingredients.
2. PLU codes on produce – 5 digits beginning with “9” are certified organic. 5 digits beginning with “8” are GMO.
3. Sugar – at least 90% of the US sugar beet crop is GM. So look for “cane sugar” or “evaporated cane juice”. Raw agave nectar, stevia extract and xylitol are safe non-GMO sweeteners.
4. Artificial sweeteners are likely GMO. Aspartame (trade names Equal, NutraSweet, AminoSweet) is produced from (get this!!!) GM bacterial strains of E.coli.
5. Dairy products that are not specifically labeled “No rBGH” can be considered to be GMO. rBGH (like aspartame) is created from GMO E.coli.
Memory Part 7 – Continuing this series on natural therapies for neurodegenerative conditions such as memory decline, dementia, unexplained depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS (see past newsletters, if you are interested.) This is a fascinating subject with a growing body of evidence, both anecdotal and clinical, to support some exciting natural therapies. Typically, the most effective results are gained early when behavior anomalies are observed. In other words, and I quote Dr. Mercola, “the BEST way to “treat” it is to lead a lifestyle that will prevent it in the first place. And I can confidently assure you that this is possible. I have absolutely no doubt that I will successfully avoid this disease as my lifestyle prevents it. It is important to understand that dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, is NOT a normal part of aging.” (Mercola.com)
Some health conditions that put one at risk for ALZ and related disorders:
– Obesity, especially belly fat
– Insulin resistance – Diabetics have up to 65 percent
higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s
– Elevated uric acid levels
– Thyroid dysfunction
– Heart disease
Nutritional deficiencies associated with Alzheimer’s:
– Insufficient omega-3 fats
– Elevated homocysteine levels due to vitamin B6,
B12 and folate deficiencies
– Vitamin K deficiency
I’ve found, there isn’t any real conflict when it comes to a natural approach to prevention and treatment, but the experts do have their favorite starting points. In Dr. Mercola’s case, he emphasizes the critical importance of dealing with insulin resistance as well as the necessity of mega doses of Vitamin B. That in no way obviates the need for a comprehensive supplement program.
Another expert I very much like is Dr. Datis Kharazzian. His book, Why Isn’t My Brain Working, is a masterful overview of the causes and treatments, from the perspective of functional medicine, of brain disorders and decline. I warn you it’s not an easy read, but not to be ignored if you deem this vital to your well-being.
There is great hope for sustaining brain health. Each person is unique. It could be as simple as adding coconut oil to your diet or it can be a more complex task of unwinding endocrine imbalances. Nonetheless, I’m finding there are many elegant natural remedies and preventatives for the deterioration of brain function. However, as you add anything new and powerful to your supplement regimen, if you are under a MD’s care, you are wise to review it with him/her.
Sheila’s caveat – when I speak of Magic Bullets and natural remedies, I am emphatic that the rock solid foundation for any health regimen is full spectrum, high quality, food-based nutrition. One then adds specific supplements and nutraceuticals. But you cannot expect permanent results without a stellar food base. Also remember not every therapy works the same for everyone.
Why is locally grown food so very important to Joe’s? Why do we keep hammering on this “buy local” theme? There are many factors that are out of our hands when it comes to our food supply. Most of what ends up on the American dinner table derives from a shockingly few giant agribusinesses. Their influence reaches from designing the (GMO) seeds to planting, harvesting, processing and shipping. We as consumers cannot with confidence hand over the entire stewardship of our food to these few multinationals. Our passion here at Joe’s is for a local sustainable food supply – food produced by growers who are accountable for what they grow. KYG – Know Your Grower. We are able to look our local farmer in the eye and ask him about his growing practices or even visit his operation. This gives us the confidence that we are eating food that is healthy, wholesome, non-genetically engineered, often better than organic, humanely treated and minimally processed. It is grown with a smaller energy-use footprint and transported short distances. We cannot divorce human health, the economy, ecology, personal (perhaps spiritual) satisfaction or honorable work from food. Food is fundamental. What we eat, where it comes from, the stewardship of food animals, the nurturing and building of soils – all these factors affect us at a cellular and visceral level … whether we slow down enough to be aware of it or not. We are fortunate in Santa Fe to have a dedicated farm base producing a wonderful array of goods.
Here at Joe’s we do our best to offer this bounty to you, keeping dollars in the community. In the interest of transparency, in 2008 Joe’s spent $30,000 on local foods. In 2009 that increased to $60,000. And since 2012 we have far exceeded $100,000 per annum. During the growing season as much as 95% of our produce is locally sourced.
Land, economy, health – inseparable.
*Here are some of the farmers/ranchers we have developed long-standing partnerships with – Monte Vista Organics (Dave and Loretta), Camino de Paz Farm & School (Greg & Patty), Shepherd’s Lamb (Antonio and Molly), La Mont’s Buffalo (Monte and Lana), Green Tractor Farms (Tom and Mary), Synergia Ranch (Mark), La Montanita Co-Op, Sweetgrass Co-Op, Matt Romero Farms.
Need a quick gift? Joe’s own “melt in your mouth” French chocolate truffles. $1.99 @ or 6 for the price of 5 — $9.95
Tired of still paying for BB’s (big banks) bailouts? Tired of lining the pockets of the uber-rich Wall Street bankers? DiJa know… in 2011 a congressional audit of the Federal Reserve found that the Fed gave 16 trillion dollars from American taxpayers to bail out the “too big to fail” banks with a hefty portion of it going to obscene CEO bonuses. Can you imagine — had this staggering figure been re-directed to the people of the US, how different the picture could have looked today? Manufacturing starts, job creation, skills training, roads and bridges repair, national parks, education, etc. Every time we use a credit card, part of that 3%-5% fee contributes to the BB’s. Now let’s be real – in today’s world you cannot function without a cc, but there are still (legal) alternatives that can save money and reduce our dependency on and subsidies to the BB’s. We have a couple of suggestions: (1.) Are you on Joe’s Check List? If you are a “regular” and wish to pay by check, please ask your waiter to get you on the list. (2.) Joe’s own credit card/gift card – purchase a $100 gift card with cash or check, get a $10 card free!
Have you noticed the “covered wagon” on the patio? Ingeniuos for growing in New Mexico’s unique and rather harsh conditions. You can get your very own – contact Ken at raisedbed.biz
Giggles: Before going in for surgery I thought it would be funny if I posted a note on myself telling the surgeon to be careful. After the surgery I found another note on myself. “Anyone know where my cell phone is????”
Joe’s
2801 Rodeo Rd (at Zia Rd) Santa Fe, NM 87507
505-471-3800 www.JoesDining.com
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