Have you ever heard that eating chocolate causes or worsens acne? While you may have thought this is just an old wives’ tale, studies have shown that diet plays a big role in skin health. Instinctively it makes sense that eating clean foods supports clear skin, while eating junk food leads to skin issues.

My mother-in-law’s favorite holiday has always been Halloween. At her house, Halloween was a full evening event composed of a dinner party with her children’s friends, and then group trick-or-treating. She loved helping dress up her children and then handing out candy to the neighborhood. Afterward, the kids would congregate to go through their candy loot and trade for their favorites.

October is non-GMO month, and we are excited to be a 2015 retail participant! Genetically modified foods pose a very real risk to human health and the environment, and they are in the vast majority of products available at conventional grocery stores, so educating consumers about how to avoid GMOs is vital.

Full disclosure – I love dessert. While I know all the various ways that too much sugar can do a person in, I still accept that scoop of ice cream or slice of gluten free cake when it is offered, and I enjoy every bite!

With work demands, family responsibilities, and the need for some downtime, some days just seem to have too little time to allow for healthy eating. But the reality is that even on our busiest days, we can prioritize nutrition with some quick tweaks to family favorites. This month our blog posts are focused on how to build healthy habits in 10 minutes or less.

My family and I love the creamy mouthfeel and distinct flavors in both sweet and savory recipes that call for butter, sour cream, cheese, or any other dairy product. I get even more enjoyment when I know the dairy products I am cooking with and feeding to my family are as nutrient dense as possible.

Ahh, summer time! The skies are blue, the flowers are blooming and the children are out of school. “Mom, what is there to eat?” will soon ring through the house on a regular basis.

If overindulgence in treats and too much eating out has left you feeling bloated and tired, it might be time to consider a dietary detox boost. The liver is always working to make our bad decisions not so bad for our bodies, and as a thank-you, we can bulk up on the foods that bathe the liver in the nutrients it needs to do its best work.

Tomorrow, September 1^st, we are kicking off the celebration of Organic Month here at your organic headquarters, Natural Grocers, by giving every customer* an organic apple in a small reusable bag!

About a month ago I noticed the first festive lights go up in my neighborhood and I realized that the holidays were right around the corner. In the coming weeks, our relaxed family weekends would be replaced with events and parties, and the overscheduled, emotionally demanding season would be in full swing.

I first heard the term “antibiotic resistance” almost a decade ago in a microbiology class.

You’ve probably heard of gluten free or a gluten-free diet, but what is gluten? And why would you want to avoid it? Where did gluten come from and why is it only in the last decade that gluten-free has gained prominence?