Stacy Lane has completed the first-ever, Great Greens+ Experiment. For several months, Stacy — a dedicated triathlete who is very conscious of food and nutrition — tried our bars and Wild Berry Burst powder. She announced the experiment on her blog, Eating to Live Love Laugh Tri.  Stacy updated everyone during June and July and recently finished all the items

The final verdicts: The energy bars were addictive, Mel and H liked the taste of Wild Berry Burst better than Stacy; and all products gave Stacy more energy and a feeling of a better health. For a complete review in her own words, please visit her blog.

Thank you Stacy for sharing your time and thoughts. Good luck with running, biking, swimming and healthy eating.

If you are blogger and would like to conduct your own Great Greens+ experiment, add a comment labeled “private” telling us about your blog and how healthy, nutritious foods fit into your lifestyle.

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Berkowitz

Can you say Ch, Ch, Ch, Chia? The 4th forgotten Superfood is chia seed. What is chia seed? It is the seed from the desert plant Salvia hispanica and a member of the mint family. Chia seeds contain significant levels of antioxidants (chlorogenic and caffeic acids, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol flavonols) and is an excellent source of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Read more at the blog by noted dietitian and author Valerie Berkowitz.

Jimmy Moran, a member of Team Greens+, recently climbed Mt. Hood as part of a long-term goal of scaling some of the highest peaks around the world. Mt. Hood is the highest mountain in Oregon  at 11,245 feet. It is also the second most climbed mountain in the world, after Japan’s Mount Fuji, according to National Geographic.  Mt. Hood was formed from lava flows, with the main cone taking shape about 500,000 years ago. The mountain is popular for its outdoor activities: skiing, hiking, fishing, biking and camping. The mountain overlooks the Hood River Valley, which is one of the largest fruit-growing regions in the state. Local crops include apricots, apples, blueberries, pears and wine grapes.

Of his recent his climb of Mt. Hood, Moran says, “Don’t let the size of the mountain fool you. It is very challenging, so much so that at around 9,000 feet I had to turn around due to weather. This is a very hard thing to do when you have spent so much time and money to get to the top.  It makes not making it even that much more of a letdown. On the flip side, when you do make it, that is when the whole thing feels like it came together and you are on a high that lasts a lifetime.

“In order to get more of those highs, you have to know when to trust your decision and live to climb another day. Any activity is very hard at high altitude. Simple things like opening your water bottle become a major task when you are wearing big gloves and the wind is blowing 50-plus miles an hour, while your hanging on to the side of a mountain that sometimes doesn’t want you there. But that’s also what makes it so interesting!

“I bring the Greens + Veggie capsules on trips. They are easier for me to use in capsule form than powder. I also use Pro Relief every day; I feel it helps me with inflammation and soreness. The protein bars work great and they are easy to transport in your pack.”

Dr. Oz and Oprah discuss chia muffins

If you did not have the chance on July 14 to see Dr. Oz on the Oprah Winfrey Show, he was talking again about the health benefits of chia. In a segment on how to fight the effects of aging, he discussed the best ways to get fiber into the diet. Here’s what he had to say about chia:

“Chia is as chock full of fiber as other whole grains, but it packs in even more vitamins. Remember that broccoli I had before? [One of these muffins] has more magnesium than about 10 of those heads of broccoli, and it’s got as much calcium in it as a couple cups of milk. It adds one other thing, too, by the way. It’s very rich in the next big category, which are omega-3 fatty acids.”

Greens+ offers chia for its high anti-oxidant and dietary fiber content. The natural product is also a good source of Omega-3, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron zinc and other minerals. Chia (pronounced chee’ah), is the richest and only unprocessed, whole food source of pure Omega3. A member of the mint family, chia is native to Central America and has been used traditionally for over 3,000 years.

Chia can be added to foods such as cereal, soup, salad, yogurt smoothies and baked goods. Dr. Oz has a special recipe for pumpkin chia seed muffins.

Omega3 Chia is available in both a one-pound container and in stick packs, which are ideal for students, busy moms and rushed workers. You mix one packet with 12 ounces of lemonade, thin juice or other beverage for a refreshing, performance-enhancing energy drink.

This week, we added four more flavors of coffee to our selection. As always, we take great care to ensure quality and work with the best suppliers. The new varieties are:

Colombian Popayan: Grown in the most famous coffee region in South America, this complex Colombian has hints of jungle flora and walnut tones.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe: Grown at altitudes of 7,000  to 9000 feet, Yirgacheffe is also known as “Mountain Spice”. This organic coffee is sweet, bright, spicy with hints of lemon, chocolate and floral tones. You will sense a “chili peppery” sensation in each cup.

Honduran Copan: This certified organic coffee grown high in the mountains of northwestern Honduras, near the Mayan Ruins at Copan.  The beans are naturally sweet, with a firm body and citrus, mango and chocolate tones.

Sumatra Rain: Another certified organic coffee, it is grown from elevations of 5,000 feet and higher in the Gayo Mountains of  Sumatra. The beans are full bodied with low acidity and mild on the palate.

We especially like working with the folks at Rio Coco because they return a portion of their profits to Project Ezra. Thge non-profit organization helps educate the Miskito Indian children of Nicaragua. Each order you ploace with us helps to pay teachers’ salaries, to provide school supplies and to deliver logistical support to more than 2,500 students in 17 villages along the Rio Coco.

Stacy Lane

Our office recently heard about Stacy Lane, who has a blog named, “Eating to Live Laugh Love Tri.” The TRI has to do with the fact that she is a triathlete. Stacy (at left, before a run) had tried one of our products and wanted to learn more about Greens+. We obliged and provided her with some samples.

Now we are looking forward to the results of what Stacy calls “The Great Greens Plus Experiment.” She is trying a bottle of the Wild Berry Burst powder. We look forward to seeing her follow-up posts. So far, so good. If anyone else would like to try their own version of the “Experiment” and post the results online, please let us know with a comment here and link to your blog.

Charles Mattocks

You can read the inspiring story of the woman behind Greens+ — Lani Deauville — in the next issue of “The Poor Chef.” Charles Mattocks, who appears on NBC TV as “The Poor Chef,” created the magazine and accompanying Web site. Each monthly issue is filled with feature stories and recipes for cooking healthy, tasty and affordable meals.

Lani’s story appears on the Web site under the headline “Quadriplegic Deauville Beat the Odds.” You may know Lani from her from the Greens+ Web site or her blog. The “Poor Chef” should be on newsstands later this month.

With a new strain of deadly swine flu found in the United States, consumers should take steps to prevent infection. With a possible vaccine months away, individuals can today reduce their risk of illness by improving hygiene and strengthening their immune systems.

“Everyone should be extra-cautious in these times,” said Greens+ executive Christopher Daniels. “That includes keeping your immune system strong.”

Immune Guard from GREENS+ has been clinically proven to lessen the incidence and duration of cold and flu symptoms and enhance immune system function. A University of Florida 2006 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial showed that Immune Guard reduces:

• Incidence of cold and flu symptoms by more than 30%
• Duration of cold and flu symptom days by more than 30%
• Fever over 50%
• Nausea over 50%
• Sore throat over 30%
• Cough over 30%
• Runny nose over 30%
• Diarrhea over 60%

Two capsules contain the active ingredients in 10 cups of decaffeinated green tea.

Current flu vaccines are ineffective in battling the new strain of swine flu called H1N1, the Centers for Disease Control said April 27. CDC officials advised citizens to practice better preventive hygiene, such as constant hand washing and use of skin sanitizers.

Greens+ celebrated its 20th anniversary with a reception on April 6. About 100 customers, supporters, friends and other invited guests gathered outside the company’s headquarters in Vero Beach. Here is a video report on the event.