Dedicated to informing and educating IN THIS ISSUE members and the public about food and agriculture, consumer food concerns, New products, page 6 and the cooperative business model. Good carbs, easy meal recipes, page 7 No. 512 • February 2016 Did USDA cover up pesticide research?, page 8 SOUND CONSUMER Has your diet changed? Has your diet changed AVOIDING CARBS? much over the years? Do you eat differently now than you did in the past? We’d like to A LOOK AT understand how personal di- etary choices have evolved and THE LOW- would value your input. • How has your diet changed over the years, and why? CARB CRAZE • What factors have driv- en your personal food by Nick Rose, M.S. evolution? • When you buy food, what do you consider? Taste? ere’s some news throwing Health? How it impacts the Paleo dieters for a loop: environment or the people even our pre-agricultural who produce it? Price? Paleolithic ancestors ate • Do you avoid certain foods? grains — upending the no- What are your favorites? Hgrain basis of the diet. Archaeologists say they pounded grains and cooked • Do you believe your new choices are healthier or bet- them. In fact, the ability to cook ter in some way? starchy foods might have fueled the evolution of humans’ large brains. These are just suggestions Carbs continued to be in fashion — feel free to get creative with throughout most of history: grains, your responses. Please send us tubers and beans nourished humans a paragraph about your dietary for thousands of years. From rice in journey to eli.penberthy@ South Asia and corn in the Americas, to potatoes in the Andes, carbohy- pccnaturalmarkets.com by drates have formed the foundation of March 15. We certainly will version of we eat plant almost every diet in human history. keep your name and identity the popular foods, their car- Yet today’s popular diets advocate private, if desired. Paleo diet, which bohydrates are limiting carbs and grains, claiming that Thank you! restricts all grains and transferred into our even so-called “health” foods, such as beans, arguing their “anti- circulation, where we can measure them quinoa and oatmeal, actually cause nutrients” cause nutrient deficiencies, as blood glucose. This system of weight gain and pretty much every Sign up for PCC damage digestive systems, and aren’t fit carbohydrate metabolism evolved single chronic disease on the planet. for human consumption. in our bodies long before refined Advocates This carb-phobia can be traced back The consensus in nutrition sugars were invented, so the If you haven’t already, to the early 1970s when the Atkins Diet is that yes, there are bad carbs system works best when we eat consider signing up for PCC promoted very-low-carb consumption as such as refined flour and sugar unprocessed whole foods, such Advocates, our e-newsletter the magic bullet for weight loss. Bacon, that contribute to obesity and as vegetables, fruits, whole butter and cheese were king. A new that keeps you informed about disease, but eating the good grains and legumes. wave of low-carb diets evolved in the current food and agriculture carbs found in whole grains, The processed sugars ’90s (Zone, Sugar Busters, South Beach), controversies. From quality vegetables, fruits and legumes and refined flours found in claiming new and improved low-carb phi- standards and genetic engi- is optimal for personal and processed foods today cause a losophies that also could prevent cancer neering to organic standards planetary health. much quicker spike in glucose and heart disease. Gone was the bacon, and nutrition, we’ll share our and insulin after eating. This replaced with skinless chicken breast. position on policies that can Good carbs, spike leads to fat storage, pro- Today’s carb-phobia has gone to affect the food supply and motes inflammation — increas- the extreme in books such as “Wheat bad carbs help you take action to ensure ing the risk for chronic diseases Belly” and “Grain Brain” — on the New Plants combine a more sustainable future. — and can cause overeating. It’s York Times best-seller list for months — carbon dioxide from air We promise to send an a predictable cycle. prohibiting grains and promising better with water to produce glucose email only when it’s really health. Then there’s the modern-day and other carbohydrates. When CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 important, so you don’t have to worry about us cluttering your inbox. We’ve been sending out PCC Natural Markets CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED PRSRT STD PCC Advocates for more than 4201 Roosevelt Way NE US POSTAGE PAID six years and we expect to take Seattle, WA 98105 SEATTLE, WA action on a number of impor- PERMIT NO. 401 tant issues this year, so please join our ranks! Sign up at pccnaturalmarkets.com/enews. YOUR CO-OP COMMUNITY Find out more about community events at pccnaturalmarkets.com/events Be Mine, Valentine Food bank packaging work parties Saturday, February 13 Volunteer at one of our partnering food Greenlake Aurora PCC – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. banks by packaging bulk foods into family- Columbia City, Edmonds, Issaquah, sized portions. We at PCC Cooks think savoring a meal Greenlake Village, Redmond, West Seattle Monday, February 8, 7 p.m. – West Seattle with your loved ones is a perfect pursuit PCCs – 9 a.m. to noon Food Bank every day of the year, but since it’s the month of love, why not treat yourself and Drink great wine, save Join us for a morning of fun as kids Wednesday, February 10, 6:30 p.m. – the important folks in your life to a special wild salmon create special valentine cards and crafts for Redmond Hopelink Food Bank culinary endeavor? Join our team of chefs Saturday, February 6, 3 to 5 p.m. their friends and family. PCC will supply Wednesday, February 17, 7 p.m. – North as they share their favorite techniques and Columbia City PCC materials as well as treats! Children 12 and Greenwood Food Bank (new location) well-loved recipes with you in demonstra- younger, free. Join us to meet and talk with Jacques Thursday, February 18, 7 p.m. – Chicken tion or hands-on classes. White, Executive Director of Long Live the Soup Brigade Food Bank Some delectable options this month Kings (LLTK), and Kay Simon and Clay Kindiependent kids rock series For more information, including include Dinner for Six, geared toward Mackey of Chinook Wines. Learn about Mount Baker Community Club addresses and future dates, visit maximizing fun and efficiency in dinner the exciting work LLTK is doing to restore 2811 Mt. Rainier Dr. S., Seattle pccnaturalmarkets.com/foodbank. parties for a few close friends; Flatbreads wild salmon and steelhead in Pacific NW 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. of the World, where you’ll warm up as waters, and taste Chinook’s delicious Long you knead a diverse array of international Rock out with the kids at a Kindiepen- Thank you for helping the hungry Live the Kings white and red blends. breads; and Italian Winter Soups, which dent concert! Kindiependent is “Seattle’s Since 1988, PCC has used cash will have you embracing the cold weather independent kids and family music scene” donations from shoppers to purchase Mister Rogers’ Sweater Drive with a bowl of steaming goodness. Cul- and features some of the best, local chil- nutritious bulk food at wholesale prices tured and Fermented: Coconuts, Nuts and Now through Sunday, February 7 dren’s entertainment groups. to feed the hungry in neighborhoods Seeds and Cooking By Numbers offer options Help neighbors in need stay warm this Saturday, February 13 — Brian Vogan served by PCC. Volunteers from the com- for adventurous cooks. Teens will love winter by donating your new or gently & His Good Buddies munity repackage the bulk food, making exploring the hidden forces behind food worn sweaters, coats and cold-weather gear Saturday, February 27 — The Not-Its! the program a great example of neighbor in The Science of Baking. Visit PccCooks. helping neighbor. to KCTS 9’s annual Mister Rogers’ Neigh- More information at kindiependent.com, com or give us a call at (206) 545-7112 to The PCC Food Bank Program had join us in the kitchen. borhood Sweater Drive. All donated items tickets at brownpapertickets.com. go to Wellspring Family Services, Queen another successful year in 2015. The program raised $133,001.19, which sup- Anne Helpline and Northwest Center, serv- A day at the zoo ing Seattle and King County. Look for col- ported 12 local food banks by purchasing FEBRUARY CUSTOMER SERVICE STAR lection bins at any PCC store or drop your Woodland Park Zoo 109,805 pounds of bulk food. More than items off at KCTS 9’s Seattle Center Studio. Friday, February 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 950 volunteers pitched in to help repack- age the food. Join PCC at the zoo! We’ll be there with Give mason bees as gifts the TasteMobile doing a Kid Picks taste test. Come visit us next to the penguin exhibit. Food drives Our food supply depends on bees for PCC collects contributions for our 12 pollination, but bees are in peril. Be part local food banks three times a year. In 2015 Reusable bag donation of the solution by renting mason bees! these food drives collected $75,483.78. Dur- They’re native, non-stinging pollinators For every bag you reuse at the register, ing these food drives customers can make that live in nesting blocks you can hang PCC will donate 5 cents, equally shared a donation by visiting their local PCC, find- in your yard or garden.