We've been in the granola business for almost 20 years, although Berkshire Grain is less than 2 years old.  Our products are beginning to get distributed to various retail stores outside of the Berkshires at some Whole Foods, however depending on your travels you may have already experienced our delicious Organic Granolas at such places like Tasti D-Lite Ice Cream Shops, Six Flags Theme Parks, The Pierre Hotel or Intercontinental Barclay Hotel in NYC to name a few. We're always looking for recommendations and referrals to spread the good food to more and more people.

Berkshire Grain like Macheesmo advocates eating good quality food, with ingredients you understand and trust.  We hope that by exploring our company you will see we try and practice that good living mantra too.  To make it easier on your wallet and food budget and give us a try we've come up with the following promotion.  

The sale starts Friday Feb 4, 2010 and ends Feb 14, 2010  -- the offer of free shipping will remain in effect for the entire month, a new code will be issued after Feb 14.  At checkout please use the following code, we've made it easy to remember -- Macheesmo

 RECIPE CONTEST

Since many Macheesmo Fans are quite accomplished foodies we thought we'd have some fun by offering the following contest.  Send us your extended product use for Berkshire Grain Granola.  Some imaginative way that you use granola in a recipe and if we select your entry from among all those we receive you will win a 1 month supply of Berkshire Grain Granola of your choice, along with a beautiful Hand-Made Stoneware Cereal Bowl by Beaconsfield Designs  -- send your entries to contest@berkshiregrain.com - there is no purchase required, no limit on the amount of times you may enter only that each entry submitted must have a different recipe each submission.

It seems researchers are constantly looking at certain indigenous groups for answers to their health, vitality, strength, even in the face of otherwise poor living conditions as compared to Modern Industrialized Countries with world class health care -- yet why do they have lower incidence of cardio-vascular disease, low obesity rates, and other common diseases and disorders that are becoming all too common for the rest of the world.

Chia Seeds and Oils comes to be one of the answers.  As an Ancient Crop preceding the arrival of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World -- Native Amercians, Aztecs, and other indigneous groups introduced Chia to foreign visitors. For whatever reason Chia Seeds never caught on with the Europeans and Amercian settlers, and remained a diet staple, and crop for Native Americans in the Southwestern US and Northern Mexico Regions.

Chia seeds were originally used by the Mayans as an energy supplement. The running messengers used to carry a little pouch of the seeds around with them. So, chia has been called the “Indian running food”.

Now as you will read on about the many worthy properties and health benefits of the Chia Seed, we can have an appreciation and gratitude that this Super Food is still available, and gaining in popularity.  This resurgence is also leading to further clinical research connecting the dots to how Chia Seeds effectively works in our bodies.

 

Much like yourself we discovered Chia Seeds doing research on the internet.  Here at Berkshire Grain we are always looking for ways to improve our products and in doing research for Hemp Seeds, we believe we found something even better.  What we found was that Chia seeds and Flax seeds have more electrolytes and fiber compared to Hemp seed.  However Chia Seeds have a significantly longer shelf-life (especially important for our granolas), while Hemp and Flax are prone to go rancid in relative short periods.  Chia Seeds need no special processing to eat, and are best when consumed whole, without the need to be converted into a ground meal, in order for proper absorption to take place in the body.  Many people enjoy Chia Seeds by creating a gel, when mixed with water or fruit juice -- you'll find a gel recipe on in this article.

We live in a world bombarded by slogans and bumper stickers, labels -- so while an accurate descriptor of Chia Seeds no doubt is "Super Food" if something like that turns you off -- then why not thnk of Chia Seeds as real food with some rather high essential nutritive values and properties.  Best of all Chia Seeds are odorless and take on the flavor of the food or liquid you mix it with.

The gel-forming property of Chia Seeds tends to slow digestion and sustain balanced blood sugar levels, which can be helpful in preventing or controlling diabetes. Whole, water-soaked Chia Seeds can be easily digested and absorbed. This results in rapid transport of chia nutrients to the tissues for use by the cells. Chia also facilitates the growth and regeneration of tissue during pregnancy and lactation, and aids the regeneration of muscles for conditioning athletes and bodybuilders. For the dieter, this means feeling full with no more peaks and valleys in blood sugar levels.

Chia Gel causes a slow release of carbohydrates and an equally slow converting of carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar) forenergy. The outer layer of Chia Sseeds is rich in mucilloid-soluble fiber, intended to keep the seeds from drying out in desert air. When chia seeds are mixed with water or stomach juices, (GERD sufferers rejoice) a gel forms that creates a physical barrier between the carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down. The carbohydrates are digested eventually, but at a slow and uniform rate. There is no insulin surge or spike needed to lower the blood sugar level after eating chia.

Chia seeds and oil naturally contain more than 60% Omega-3 fatty acid, this is the highest 

percentage of Omega-3 of any commercially available source.

The body converts Omega-3 from Chia into EPA and DHA. Chia has no odor, doesn’t go rancid, 

easy to store, easy to use, has very little flavor/taste and is not contaminated with pesticides,

chemicals or heavy metals.

 -- Chia Seeds have many significant benefits if you already suffer from many common inflammations, diesease, and dietary conditions.  There is lots of other beneficial research on the internet in support of how Chia helps bring your body's systems into better balance.  We suggest you to make your own decision, but rest assure Chia Seeds first and foremost is a clean, chemical and pesticide free crop that's been around for centuries and an economical choice for your health, fitness, vitality and strength.

All Berkshire Grain Granola contain Certified Organic Chia, we also have Organic Black Chia Seeds availalable for sale in 1lb and 5 lb Pouches.

The phrase Kosher is used many different ways in our culture.  In almost every case that we know of the phrase Kosher, means something is OK.

Here are some common signage consumers see on product packages.  On a food package it stands to represent that the product has been inspected and meets the criteria for a "Kosher Diet".

Some common misconceptions are that a rabbi has offered a blessing over a food for a fee and it is now Kosher.  If only it were that simple -- McDonald's, Wendy's, BK would all be Kosher -- which is not true, those foods are not. 

Certain foods are inherently Kosher in accordance with Kosher Dietary Laws, whole grains, and vegetables are good examples.  What is also important is that everything to do with a given food source must also be practiced in accordance with Kosher Dietary Laws.  This means that the growing, harvesting, handling and storage are also part of the equation -- that a food is not cross-contaminated.  Sometimes we purchase produce or dried foods that have been cured, part of the preserving process with oil -- that oil must also be of Kosher Origin.  An All Beef Frankfurter, cannot be packed inside a "casing" made from a Pig or other animal that is not Kosher.

The Kosher Certification is a protection for consumers that a food is truely Kosher, that a thorough and complete inspection has taken place.  Typically monthly meetings are staged by Rabbi's doing continuous, routine site inspections in order for a food facility and products to maintain their recognition as being Kosher.

Kosher Dietary Laws in some instances are tied to good health and digestive practices.  Likewise there are different distinctions of Kosher.  Kosher Dairy, means there is the presence of dairy products either directly in the food or a food has come in contact with Dairy Products.  Kosher "Pareve" is the term used to distinguish that a food is neutral -- it is neither from the meat or a dairy group. If you are a Vegan or Vegetarian Kosher Pareve is an instant identifier that this food is safe for your diet.

In the case of Berkshire Grain products we have gone through the thorough evaluation by a recognized leading rabbinical authority, the Orthodox Union and our granola products all meet the criteria of Kosher Dairy.  For many this may not be important -- it does however indicate that our products have gone through not only an Organic Certification process, but also has been thoroughly evaluated and meets the criteria for acceptance by those following a Kosher Diet.

Another misconception is that Kosher Certified Foods are only for Jewish people.  Not at all true.  For many non-religious groups of people there is the appreciation that Kosher represents a certain standard of dietary conditions that they strive to achieve in their own diets.  Kosher Dietary Laws are similarly accepted by by several different religions, and not just Orthodox Jews.  

For more information about Kosher Dietary Laws the internet has a wealth of information.  If you've heard of Kosher, but never knew what it was 

 -- see the following link.

http://kosherfood.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=kosherfood&cdn=food&tm=19&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm