Make no bones about it, our bones do a lot more for us then give us creative expression for conversation or scaffolding made of calcium and other minerals to hold up our organs, muscles and skin.  Our bones are dynamic living tissue that serve the body in many ways. They are ever-changing throughout our lifetime and not just during the growth phases of childhood and adolescence.

We all know that bone repairs itself when broken. But did you know that bone repairs itself even when we are full grown – beyond the growth spurts of youth – and have no fractures to heal? That’s right, new bone formation occurs to replace old bone that has been broken down. This coupling together of the bone breaking down and then rebuilding is a normal, daily process known as bone remodeling — a state of continual bone turnover that allows fully developed bones to maintain and renew themselves. If there is more bone building (formation) than breaking down (resorption), our bones become stronger. If the two processes occur at equal rates, our bones are stable. If resorption is greater than formation, our bones weaken.

When the imbalance in the rate of bone resorption and formation becomes greater as we age, bones weakness intensifies becoming a crucial factor in our concerns about osteoporosis, osteopenia, and the potential for hip and spine fractures.  So it’s important that we understand what our bones need, and attend to those changing needs at each stage of life to help our bodies function better later on as we age.

Want to learn more? Come hear Liz Malgieri, RD, CDN, speak at our free health class: Maximizing Bone Density. Two seatings: 2pm & 6pm on Wednesday, May 15th at our Saugerties location at 31 Market Street and 2pm & 6pm on Thursday, May 16th at our Woodstock location at 79 tinker Street. Seating is limited, so please call ahead to reserve a spot! Call Carmen in Saugerties at 845-247-0010 and Liz in Woodstock at 845-679-0790.

Anyone who’s ever had GI (gastrointestinal) upset or distress knows that maintaining a healthy digestive tract is crucial to the body’s well-being.  However, many people may not be aware that maintaining a healthy, balanced digestive system has the most profound effect on overall health out of all the internal organs in the body. In fact, in addition to the digestion of food, one of its primary functions is to defend against harmful bacteria and infections.

An average adult’s gastrointestinal tract is 28 feet long and contains over 65% of the body’s immune system.  One of the immune system’s primary defenses is the good bacteria – known as intestinal microflora – which prevent the overgrowth of potentially harmful bacteria in the intestines and also form a barrier on the intestinal wall so that harmful bacteria and germs cannot enter into the blood and lymph systems.

Therefore, maintaining a healthy balance of intestinal microflora is one of the best ways to not only build and enhance digestive health and immune health but can also help other common problems such as: frequent yeast infections, skin health, inflammation and mood and depression disorders!

Want to learn more? Check out our free health class: ‘I’ve got a gut feeling’ presented by Josh Boughton on Thursday, April 11^th – 2 & 6pm at the Saugerties Store (845-247-0010) and on Friday, April 12^th –  2 & 6pm at the Woodstock location (845-679-0790). Seating is limited, so please call to reserve a spot.

Over the generations, our eating habits have changed from home cooked meals prepared for hours to be enjoyed at the family dinner table – like the ones our moms used to make – to an occasional layover at our kitchen table to grab a quick bite, as each family member hurries out the door again to yet another scheduled event or last minute obligation.  Gone are the days where we would take the time to sit down with a bowl of fresh green beans – snapping off the ends in preparation for cooking – while discussing the day’s events with our mothers, grandmothers or our children.  Maybe even picking up or giving out a few words of advice or wisdom along the way.

Not only has our fast paced way of living affected our time with our families, but our diets have suffered tremendously as well.  It seems that no one has much time anymore to cook a real meal, sit down with the family to eat it, and then clean up after it, do we?

The irony is that with our strained schedules and continued life demands, wholesome, complete meals are needed now more than ever to help our bodies and minds keep up with the pace of this modern day.

To add to the dilemma, we are in an era of information overload. One day THIS is good for you and the next day that same product is the cause of every illness known to man. What to believe? Even if we have the desire to eat a healthful diet, there are so many contradictions and so much misinformation out there that it feels like we are doomed to make the wrong decisions even before we begin. If we’re setting ourselves up for failure, why even try? Right? …. Wrong! There are many ways to eat healthy in today’s world. Getting back to basics is a great way to start. And the basics of any healthy home cooked meal are whole foods!

Come hear our FREE educational lecture called “Bridging The Gap:  Whole Foods = Healthier You” presented by our Natural Products Advisor, Liz Malgieri, RD, CDN. Learn the truth about the foods that you are eating and the answer to a healthy and practical diet!

Saugerties Store: Thursday, March 14th – 2pm & 6pm – 845-247-0010

Woodstock Store: Friday, March 15th – 2pm & 6pm – 845-679-0790.

Fifty years ago, two Danish epidemiologists (medical scientists who study the transmission and control of epidemic diseases) pondered why Greenland’s native Inuit could have a very low rate of heart attacks despite eating a High-Fat diet full of whale and seal meat. The Greenlanders’ cholesterol numbers were good but not enough to explain their healthy hearts. Back in the lab, they found chemicals that they had never heard of before, called Omega-3 fatty acids. The chemicals, they argued, might explain the heart protective effects of the fish oil. And so…. The journey of proof began.

Decades of research now back up the claim that the types of Omega-3s found in fish oil, called EPA and DHA, protect the heart of people who already have cardiovascular disease as well as in healthier people at high risk of developing heart disease. In fact, Americans spend billions of dollars on foods and supplements containing Omega-3 fatty acids. However, not all of it is money well spent.

We – the public – are bombarded with information and studies (not all valid) addressing what is the proper food source and proper dosages of Omega – 3 fatty acids to obtain the ultimate health benefit. Food sources containing Omega-3s range from flax, chia & hemp Oils to krill, wild-caught fish and grass-fed meat and dairy products. The questions that remain for many of us are:  What is a bad source and what is a good source of Omega 3?   Are Food sources better than supplements? How do I know the supplements I choose are the right ones?  In addition, what is the beneficial dosage? How do I know I’m getting the proper dosage(recently updated)?

These are all great questions, and we’ve got the answers for you and more! Come hear our expert, Josh Boughton, speak on the latest updated research on Fish Oil at his FREE educational lecture: ‘ Have you checked your oil lately?’ on Tuesday, February12^th at both 2pm & 6pm at the Saugerties Store and again on Wednesday, February 13^th at 2pm & 6pm at our Woodstock Location. Seating is limited, so please give us a call or stop in to sign up for the event.

We start off each year promising ourselves that  ‘this year’ we will work on our eating habits, go to the gym, and practice balance in all areas of our lives. Although we enter into our New Year with the best of intentions, we – all too often – fall short of our goals within a few short weeks, falling back into the trap of fast food, skipping the gym and feeling guilty about breaking our resolutions.

One of the most challenging pitfalls in achieving success is trying to eat healthfully while juggling our fast paced, on-the-go lifestyles. It is so easy to turn to fast food, pizza or even a coffee shop when squeezing a quick meal in on the way to work or in between picking up the kids from school and getting them to their afternoon sports event.

“Meal-Replacers” can be a lifesaver for many.  However, in the past, our only options have been filled with…well, fillers – corn syrup, food dyes and artificial flavors! Not exactly what you’re looking for in a product that claims to be a “Nutritional Shake”.

So, what’s the answer? Short of dropping all of our obligations and running off to a health spa in Tahiti – a tempting solution –  there are several practical and effective ways to help you make your New Year’s resolution stick!

Come hear our Natural Products Advisor, Liz Malgieri, talk at her FREE Educational Lecture:  ‘Staying healthy with an active lifestyle’ on Thursday, January 3^rd at 2pm and 6pm at Village Apothecary, 31 Market Street in Saugerties,  or at the Woodstock Store on Tinker Street on Friday, January 4^th at 2pm and 6pm.  Seating is limited so please come early or call ahead to reserve a seat.

Don’t be a New Year’s statistic; better your odds of success by learning the ins and outs of balancing nutrition while on-the-go!

Developing eco-friendly habits doesn’t have to be an all or nothing venture. You can engage in eco-friendly habits or practices by being more conscious of how you use resources. Taking small continuing  steps towards a common goal can have more of an effect than you know. Turning off lights in empty rooms or using a programmable thermostat- so you’re only heating or cooling your home when it’s occupied- is a good place to start.

At Woodstock and Village Apothecary, we are always looking for ways to help contribute to green living.  In addition to our daily recycling efforts, our recent switch to using thermal labels is one more small way to lessen waste and help promote healthier living for the planet and its inhabitants.

Thermal labels are significantly smaller and therefore result in approximately a 300% reduction in paper. No ink is needed and the hardware is smaller and lasts longer than traditional printers resulting in less waste.

Working together, we can maintain a healthier planet as well as a better quality of life for ourselves and our future generations.

We’d like to have local Woodstock artists turn our store into a public art display!

We will be hosting a Window Painting Contest for the two large multi-pane windows on the 2^nd floor of the building.  All ideas must be health, pharmacy or community related.  All artists entering the contest should be willing and able to apply their design to the actual store windows (paint and supplies for actual windows to be provided by Woodstock Apothecary).

Entries should consist of two 8.5” x 11” mock-ups of the artist’s idea, one for each window.  The deadline for the entries will be Tuesday, July 31^st.  However, the sooner the entries are submitted, the better.

Employees will vote for the top 3 designs.  The Top 3 will be displayed publicly and voted on by the community from Friday, August 3^rd through Saturday, August 18^th at the Woodstock Apothecary.

On August 18^th, we will have a recognition event at the store where the winner will be announced.

The winner will be recognized in store, in social media, and in press releases.  The winner will receive a gift certificate to the Catskill Art Supply along with bragging rights and satisfaction of having their creation be another wonderful public art display in Woodstock!

Please drop off entries to the Woodstock Apothecary at 79 Tinker Street. Please include your name and contact information on the back of your entry. As stated, the deadline for entries will be Tuesday, July 31^st. However, the sooner the entries are submitted, the better.

We are excited to see our local talent in action!

If you have any questions, please contact Marian at  845-247-0010. Good Luck!!

Dimensions:

The windows measure 7’9” Wide X 4’9” Tall (No wood included in measurements). One individual pane of glass is 17.5” wide X 18.25” Tall. There are 15 individual panes per window.

Luckily for us, Hudson Valley Harvest was created in 2011 to provide a reliable source of local, all-natural food to the New York City (and surrounding areas) marketplace. They couple the highest-quality products from a collection of sustainable, small-scale farms across the Hudson Valley with modern distribution and sales efficiencies to offer a unique, cost-effective local food source.

Hudson Valley Harvest believes in keeping food close to the source, both by keeping it local and by minimal processing. They feel that – and we agree – keeping things simple and food grown from the ground and put on your plate is the healthiest, best way to nourish yourself and your family. Hudson Valley Harvest only works with farms and product from the Hudson Valley. This isn’t the easiest way to do things but they believe that it’s the right way.

Getting your food from Hudson Valley Harvest means you can finally count on easy access to the incredible bounty of the Hudson Valley: fresh, flavorful local food. In contrast to national distributors who mix produce and meat from multiple regions into one untraceable national inventory, they operate locally. Everything you get from Hudson Valley Harvest will be transparent and traceable to its source. Each package tells a unique story: the variety of vegetable or breed of animal, the farm of origin, the farming methods used, and the distance traveled from farm to processor.

Everyday we learn more about irresponsible — and often cruel — commercial farming practices. Product recalls seem to happen weekly. Supermarket shelves are packed with highly processed products that, to us, barely resemble food. Hudson Valley Harvest is different. Their farmers produce food — good food. For a farmer to make it into their network, they have to respect the earth and the animal, and cherish that a harvest reaped from such respect is unparalleled in quality.

We know food has gotten confusing. Put simply, food that travels the shortest distance from the farm to your plate is healthier and tastes better than conventionally grown meats and produce.

To find out more about Hudson Valley Harvest, check out their website: http://www.hv-harvest.com/. You can also find a list of locations on their site where their products are sold. To get you started, try Adams FairAcre Farms in Kingston, Wappingers, Newburgh and Poughkeepsie, Bistro-To-Go in Kingston, Vinnie’s Farm Market in Saugerties and Red Hook Natural Market.

Erika’s biological father had passed away and her stepfather had always been a great support and father to both her and her son. When he was diagnosed with cancer, she knew within a very short period of time what she needed to do.  In order for her stepfather to have the best possible chance of survival, he would need a liver transplant from a living donor. Unfortunately, the donor waiting list was long and the expected waiting period could jeopardize his chances of recovery. Knowing the sacrifices she would need to make, Erika bravely made the decision to become that donor.

In order to become a liver donor, Erika would have to go through numerous tests to qualify and prepare for the procedure. To start, she would have to be a blood match.  She had a thorough evaluation process including required meetings with a social worker, psychiatrist, and hepatologist. She would also have to undergo medical testing, including an MRI, and many additional blood tests. The procedure would include having her entire left lobe taken (about 36% of the liver, in her case). She would also need to have her Gallbladder removed (routine in liver transplants). The surgery would take approximately 5 hours. Despite the medical risks she would herself endure, Erika felt that the “chances of risk for her were small” compared to the chances of risk for her stepfather without the transplant.

Erika was approved as a donor and underwent surgery this past February. Erika is healing well and recently returned to work. She still feels some fatigue but, overall, is doing fine. Her stepfather is still in the recovery process at the hospital addressing other health complications but is, happily, cancer free.

Erika is pleased with the outcome and wants people to know that “people can donate organs and live to tell about it”. In fact, many people may not be aware that the liver is the only organ that can actually regenerate itself. Erika’s liver is expected to grow back within 3 months from the date of the surgery.

Erika currently lives in NYC but comes to Woodstock every weekend. She and her husband, Gregg, hope to live in Woodstock full time someday. Neal and Josh originally met Erika when she came into the Woodstock Apothecary seeking advice and supplements to help her with her liver recovery. Her story of bravery and selflessness was too good to keep to ourselves.

Our hats go off to you Erika! We are truly inspired.

Sprout Creek Farm’s creamery, located on 200 beautiful acres in LaGrange of Dutchess County, NY, is where the magic happens: where milk becomes cheese. But not just any cheese. This cheese is made from the rich and creamy milk of their herd of grass-fed Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, Normande & Holstein Cows and their Nubian, Toggenburg & OBerhasli goats.

These artisan cheeses (antibiotic and hormone free) are made in the age-old tradition of European farmstead cheese, using a method that enhances the innate quality of the milk. From season to season you can actually taste subtle differences as the pasture grasses change with fluctuating temperatures and amounts of rainfall. The farm’s unique aging process is what delivers the milky conversion of soils & grasses to your palate and creates the distinct flavors and textures in the cheese.

The goal of the farm’s grass – based product is to provide their animals with their ideal eating habitat. Pasture-raised animal products have less harmful fats, cholesterol and calories than grain-based ones. They have more antioxidants, high levels of the beneficial omega -3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory) and more of the cancer – fighting fat, CLA (shown to help in the prevention of breast cancer). A pasture raised system also means less tractor work, less fuel consumption & no herbicides or pesticides.

Sprout Creek Farm is not only a real working farm but it also offers both children and adults alike a fun & educational experience through the farm’s year round educational programs. Check out their website, sproutcreekfarm.org, for information on their daily, weekly and summer programs. You and your children can stay at Sprout Creek and learn the workings of a real farm including how to milk a cow and gather eggs. More importantly, they teach us to love our fragile earth, to understand our connectedness to it and develop a passion for protecting its integrity. Not to mention, you will have a lot of fun and an opportunity to try some great tasting cheese.

If you have a healthy food highlight of your own that you would like to share, let us know. Friend us on facebook and share your favorite healthy food and we’ll check it out.

Bon appetite and remember to eat healthy.