Cutting back on less nutritious dietary components is a great way to lose weight and boost overall health, just in time for summer. Soda is one of the most popular items to give up. However, you can replace it with something that gives you the caffeine boost you crave, plus the good stuff that’ll keep you going strong.

Green tea, which is the least-processed type of caffeinated tea, is made from the dried leaves of Camellia sinensis. Black, red and oolong teas also come from this plant, but they are dried, crushed and fermented. Green teas are processed simply by quickly steaming the leaves, which better preserves the beneficial elements of the plant. The resulting brew is lighter in color and flavor than other types of tea.

Green tea is available in many forms. Japanese sencha green tea is a basic green tea with a pure flavor. Jasmine green tea has a sweet, delicate scent that pairs well with Thai food. The leaves of gunpowder tea are rolled into tiny balls that unfurl as they soak in hot water and produce a darker brew. Young hyson tea is picked before the rainy season to impart a bright, sunny taste to the leaves.

Green tea has quite a few health benefits. First off, studies have shown that the brew can help people lose weight and stay thin. Doctors aren’t exactly sure why, but they suspect it has something to do with phytochemicals called catechins that are found in the leaves. Catechins may encourage weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and drop fat.

Green tea also contains polyphenols, which some researchers think can help prevent cancer. Some studies have shown that consuming four to six cups of the tea daily can cut your risk of gastric, skin and esophageal cancers. Polyphenols can also help to lower cholesterol levels and prevent clotting.

For those who are trying to take in less caffeine, green tea can be a lifesaver. A cup of brewed green tea has 40 milligrams of caffeine, while a cup of coffee contains 85 milligrams.

Given all the great benefits that green tea offers, it’s worth giving it a whirl. Try sipping a cup instead of your usual coffee or soda and let the warm, mild drink’s soothing powers wash over you.

As we continue to expand our organic offering, we came to the realization that we can now create our very own organic trail mix. This is very very exciting. I know

On Thanksgiving my Aunt Elsie was reminiscing about the olden days and how my Poppy Sol would roast chestnuts for the employees in the back of the nut shop. We haven’t had chestnuts in a while, but it’s never too late to bring back a tradition. And just in time for the holidays. Fresh chestnuts and dried chestnuts are now available! I am so excited!!!

This just in from Alabama A&M University’s Department of Food and Animal Sciences…A new study by a group of Huntsville researchers found that boiled peanuts bring out up to four times more chemicals that help protect against disease than raw, dry or oil-roasted nuts. These phytochemicals have antioxidant qualities that protect cells against the risk of degenerative diseases, including cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

Sandy (left) and Kenny man the nut cart at our opening night at the Rock! Those peanuts are fresh roasted and as delicious as ever!

Come by and say hi if you’re out in Newark and NUTS for the Devils!

Maggie Wright

What should we feed our pet birds?

Did you know?
* Our pet birds are members of different SPECIES from each other, instead of being BREEDS of the same SPECIES, like dogs and cats.
* Not only that, they are actually tame, wild animals. They are not yet domesticated like dogs and cats. That means they still have their wild instincts intact, and their nutritional needs are similar to their wild ancestors of the rainforests. These wild ancestors live in different parts of the world where there are different climates and environments.
* As a result, they have different nutritional needs. Each species of bird may require a higher or lower level of fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water in their diet. Therefore there is no one diet that meets the needs of all of our pet birds.

It is our responsibility to make sure that our pet companions get the appropriate nutrients they need. A seed/nut only diet is not sufficient because it does not provide all of the nutrients our birds need to keep healthy. There should be a balance of vegetables, fruits, grains/beans, and pellets, as well as nuts and seeds.

For African Grey parrots, I generally recommend the following guideline: vegetables 30%; legumes 20%; pellets 20%; seeds/nuts 15%; fruits 10%; and grains 5%. Discuss the specific daily food requirements for your bird with an avian nutritionist and/or avian veterinarian.

Fresh, organic vegetables served in the raw live state are great because they give our birds the most nutrients and they contain the needed enzymes to maintain proper digestion. There are many different ways to serve vegetables to the birds, such as chopping them fresh daily, or lightly steaming some of them, and so on. Birds will not eat something unless they know it is food. In the wild, they learn to eat by watching their parents. In the home, they have to learn from us humans. Here are some tips for teaching your bird to eat vegetables.

Nuts and seeds for our birds should be unsalted, organic and of human grade quality. Check out many of the different nuts and seeds available on this site.

A healthy bird lives on a healthy diet. That is our charge.

African Grey parrot expert Maggie Wright authored the popular Barron’s book, AFRICAN GREY PARROTS: A COMPLETE PET OWNER’S MANUAL. She created Nature’s Corner magazine, which explores animal intelligence and sentience. Maggie is owned by three beautiful Grey Parrots: Merlin, Sweet Pea and Kyo.
Read more about Maggie:
www.AfricanGreys.com
www.AfricaNature.com
www.NaturesCornerMagazine.com

Hey nutty friends….have you noticed that our pages just got wider?

After a lot of research, we discovered that most of our customers have bigger computer screens than we thought. So…we decided to give ourself a tiny facelift! Our pages are now about 200 pixels wider than they were before.

What did we do with all that space? We added the groovy new navigation bar on the left. That’s right, it is now easier to find your way around the website. Try it out and let us know what you think! We think it’s easy and fun to use…plus it shows off how much great stuff we have in all our departments.

Hey friends! We are so very proud to be launching a wonderful new initiative. As many of you know, most of the peanuts that we shipped to CBS through the NUTS for Jericho campaign ended up in the hands of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we constantly ship snacks on behalf of military families to their loved ones at APO and FPO addresses. This is all wonderful, but we didn’t want to stop there.

So this morning, we launched a new program…NUTS for Our Servicemen and Women. You can send a snack package (7 yummy pounds of our most popular, energy-packed treats) to someone posted overseas in the US military.

We are working to make sure these packages – priced super low at $30 (including the overseas shipping!) – get into the hands of folks in the line of duty who do not get much mail. So not only will your gifts reach those who are working hard to serve their country every day, but they will touch the hearts of people who could use the support most. We know that servicemen and women love to receive mail, so we hope you’ll join in with us and give this special gift. Check it out here.

We are so proud of this. We hope you’ll join in, and help make someone’s day very special.

Despite pleas to not send us anything, Jericho fans couldn’t resist with their big hearts. Here’s some of the stuff they sent us!!!