GRILLING SEASON HAS BEGUN!

As Memorial Day approaches and the warm Nashville weather sets in, many of us are planning family get-togethers and dinner parties with friends. It’s time to fire up the grill! The Turnip Truck has an amazing selection of local and organic produce- our produce stand at both locations is at least 80-90% certified organic year-round and this time of year, we have lots of local organic produce available. Portabellas, onions, peppers, tomatoes, squashes, cabbage, and asparagus are all great for grilling.

Photo: Kathryn M. Johnson

Not only does The Turnip Truck have a great organic produce selection, but we also have a full service meat counter at our Gulch location which is headed up by our meat manager, Ty Bass. Ty has worked in the grocery and meat industry for nearly thirty years and is always eager to assist customers. He and his staff cut and prepare a large variety beef, pork, and chicken daily and send a nice selection over to our East Nashville location each day. We also stock a nice selection of seafood at both stores and source the most sustainably caught that we have access to.

And don’t limit grilling to meats and veggies- try grilling some watermelon, pineapple or peaches!

We also carry Woodstock Lump Hardwood Charcoal. Lump charcoal is produced by partially burning wood or by heating wood without oxygen. Unlike charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal contains no additives and is not compressed or molded; instead, it retains the shape of the wood from which it was produced. If unlimited oxygen is available, lump charcoal will burn hot and fast. Therefore, lump charcoal is best suited for grills that allow the user to control the airflow, thus regulating the temperature and speed at which the coals burn.

To avoid using lighter fluid, which gives off petrochemicals that can penetrate your food, try a chimney starter. To use these, fill the bottom with newspaper and the top with briquettes. After lighting at the bottom with a match, the briquettes will be ready to pour into the charcoal grill in about 20 minutes.

The Turnip Truck also has Woodstock All-Natural Wood Chips which are perfect, used wet or dry, to flavor meats and veggies. A product of the USA, derived from 100% renewable resources, and packaged in a biodegradable bag, wood chips are not only an environmentally-conscious grilling option, but also a zero-calorie, no fat, no sodium way to add flavor. These can be used with either gas or charcoal grills.

If bugs are an issue for you while cooking or dining outdoors, remember to use an earth friendly bug spray. The Turnip Truck has several to choose from- Greenerways Organic Bug Spray, Herbal Outdoor Spray by Theraneem, Buzz Away by Quantum Health, Herbal Armor by All Terrain, High Woods Herbals’ Chig-R-Blok, and Quit Bugging Me by Jason. Or, you can make your own using Aura Cacia essential oils and the following recipe…

Aura Cacia Protecting Patio Spray
Ingredients:
4 oz distilled water
1 tsp grain alcohol or high-proof vodka
15 drops citronella essential oil
5 drops grapefruit essential oil
5 drops Texas cedarwood oil

Directions: Place alcohol in a spray-mister bottle. Add the essential oils and shake. Add water, cap and mist the atmosphere around your outdoor activities. Always shake well before use.

IS YOUR CALCIUM MADE
FROM ROCKS?

Unfortunately, most calcium supplements are made from limestone -- rocks – making it hard for our bodies to break down and absorb the calcium. That's why New Chapter's Bone Strength Take Care® is plant-based, sourced from the calcium-rich Lithothamnion plants along Iceland's coastline. Its whole-food calcium your body recognizes and absorbs. And considering preliminary evidence that suggests calcium from whole-food sources may produce more favorable effects in bone health than isolated calcium supplements,* you have to ask yourself:

Do I really want my calcium from rocks or do I want it from whole food?

Vital for both women and men… If you're 30+, you're losing bone.
Both men and women will begin to lose 0.5–1% of their bone density or degree of bone mineralization per year starting around age 30. In women, the rate of loss will spike to 2–3% per year for the first 3–15 years following menopause.

Beyond bone health: The critical need for calcium.

Calcium is a critical mineral that is important not only for bone health, but one that also aids muscle and nerve function, blood pressure regulation, blood clotting, cellular health, and the release of certain hormones. Calcium is even required for a normal heartbeat!

Not surprisingly, given this vital role, the body maintains a constant level of calcium in the bloodstream. To support this constant level, our bones also act as a storage bank for calcium. If blood calcium levels are low due to dietary intake, calcium is taken from our bones and used by the body — which over time can affect bone density.

The body also loses calcium through sweat, urine, cut hair and nails, so replacing this lost calcium on a daily basis is essential to prevent further removal of calcium from the bones.

Are you getting the right kind of calcium? Not all calcium is created equal. The whole-food calcium in New Chapter's Bone Strength Take Care® is easily recognized and absorbed by our bodies because it's plant-based. But the calcium in most conventional supplements comes from limestone – rocks. The body simply doesn't recognize or absorb it in the same way.

Is Calcium enough? Not even close. The body also needs sufficient levels of Vitamin K, Vitamin D and trace minerals in order for calcium to be utilized by the body to build healthy bones. Without sufficient natural Vitamin K2, calcium ends up in your arteries and soft tissues, where you don't want it. And without sufficient Vitamin D, the body absorbs only a fraction of the calcium it normally would. Think of Calcium as the bricks, and Vitamins K and D as the mortar. One cannot function properly without the other! That's why New Chapter's Bone Strength Take Care® contains a highly bioavailable, bioactive, and long-lasting form of natural Vitamin K2 (MK-7), along with Vitamin D3, which has been found to aid in bone support and function in several studies.*

An ideal bone health protocol would pair the necessary building blocks for bone remodeling – bioavailable whole-food calcium, magnesium, trace minerals, Vitamins D3 and K2 (MK-7) – with a formula that promotes a healthy and natural inflammation response.* Zyflamend, the patented herbal formula, coupled with Bone Strength Take Care®, a whole-food source of these key bone-building nutrients, is the comprehensive approach to total bone health.

Emerging clinical and molecular evidence suggests that inflammation activates the production of osteoclasts, cells responsible for the breakdown of bone.

Zyflamend®, the patented formulation from New Chapter, is a clinically tested herbal approach for promoting a healthy inflammation response.* Its ten herbs and spices, including Ginger, Turmeric, Green Tea, Holy Basil, Oregano, and Rosemary, work together to safely promote a healthy inflammation response.* Recent in vitro studies suggest this may be an effective strategy to promote healthy joint function, normal cell growth, and bone health.*

Purchase Zyflamend and Bone Strength Take Care together and SAVE even more! Ask the supplement staff for the special combo coupon.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to
 diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

SPRING CLEANING: JUICING

Have you taken advantage of the awesome juice and smoothie bar at The Turnip Truck Urban Fare in the Gulch yet? It’s a popular spot, especially in the warmer months. The Turnip Truck is one of the few places in town where you can get fresh juice made with ORGANIC produce. We use as much organic produce as we can- occasionally, depending on the season, it is cost prohibitive for us to have 100% organic but we are happy to let you know on a day to day basis what is available and we are always striving to have more organic and local produce available. Our juices come in two sizes- 16 oz. and 20 oz. and we use a Vitamat PowerJuicer, one of the best commercial juicers around. Below is a list of our specialty blends:

The Doug Funny has apples, lemon, carrots, beets, and ginger.

Blossom is made with carrots, apples, and ginger.

The Ninja Turtle has celery, spinach, parsley, broccoli, and cucumber.

Mister Rogers is a blend of carrots, apples, oranges, and celery.

Baby Dino has carrots, apples, beets, cucumber, celery, and ginger.

And a favorite of both staff and customers is The Turnip Truck Green Lemonade that is made from apples, lemon, spinach, and kale.

Spring is a great time for some internal cleaning. If you’re doing a juice fast or just simply enjoy a glass of freshly juiced fruits and veggies from time to time, stop in and let us make you up one of our favorite blends, or come up with your own mix. Be sure to check out our smoothie menu, too. There is no better way to cool off on a hot day than with a healthy, refreshing, cold smoothie!