This month we’re thinking about your gut microbiome and the profound connection between gut health and the immune system.
Our goal is to support you to support your immune system and cultivate a healthy gut for sustained wellbeing. Do you know that 70% of your immune systems resides in the gut?! Yes, the gut and immune system have co-evolved, establishing a symbiotic relationship crucial for maintaining health. That’s why understanding and honouring the link between the two is vital for overall health.
Gut health encompasses the physiological workings of the digestive system and the fascinating world of the gut microbiome. This ecosystem, housing various microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, and fungi, plays a pivotal role in overall health. A diverse microbiome is associated with improved health, while imbalances can manifest as digestive symptoms, potentially impacting the immune system.
A balanced and diverse gut microbiome contributes to the resilience of the immune system. Disruptions in the gut ecosystem can compromise immune function, emphasizing the importance of preserving this delicate equilibrium.
Tips for a Healthier Gut Microbiome:
This February at Planet Organic is about embarking on the journey of prioritizing health and well-being through a good gut to improve your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
We’re here to help.
Renée x
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I hope you had a good week last week. I thought I’d let you know why we aren’t doing Black Friday deals this year.
I was surprised to look on-line and see definitions of Black Friday linked to shoppers in America going crazy shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. There are stories about retailers being in the red but then going into the black/profit on this big shopping day. It’s also described as the first big shopping day for the start of the Christmas season as historically, Americans wouldn’t begin anything to do with Christmas until after Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday of November.
The real history is that on 24 September 1869, the Panic of 1869 was kicked off because the Stock Market crashed. Two ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much of America’s gold as they could to try to corner the market, drive the price up, sell and profit. On that Friday, President Ulysses S Grant found out what was happening and unloaded $4m dollars’ worth of gold on the market dropping the price of gold and collapsing the gold market. The stock market plummeted more than 20% the next week, ruining many investors across society. Farmers were impacted more than most and saw the value of their wheat and corn harvests drop by 50%.
So, we’ve decided not to follow the crowd and promote Black Friday. Instead, our Buying Team will continue to curate wonderful promotions every month for you and we’ll continue with our programme of reducing everyday prices, where we can, to make heathy eating more accessible through the year.
Eat well; live better,
Renée x
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It’s been quite a year. At the beginning of 2023, Brian and I decided to cut down to four days a week so we’d have more time and space to…well, I wasn’t sure to do what exactly. We’ve worked so hard for so long, that although we knew we wanted to have time to have more fun, we couldn’t quite imagine what that meant.
I think we had a couple months of tying up loose ends and then started finding some ease and adventure when the Planet Organic administration bomb hit at the end of March. Through April, we decided to re-commit to this beautiful business and found ourselves on the retail roller coaster again. Good-bye to our four-day week. A good friend said to me this is what happens when we make space in our lives!
Just last week we made a list of all that’s been achieved since April. In my coaching, I teach the Four Stages of a Project – Start, Continue, Stop, Celebrate. These are important in terms of acknowledging achievements that at first seem heroic, but then become commonplace.
Of course, the progress made in the recovery of this business over the last six months is because of our brilliant team. Since returning to Planet, I have been impressed and moved each day by the commitment of people in our stores and support office. I can’t believe how lucky and blessed we are to have such a varied and skilled team of dedicated individuals who believe in our values and celebrate who we are in our communities. Big heartfelt hug to all of them, who I am often hugging in the office and stores.
I’ve said before and I’ll say again, a heartfelt thank you to our suppliers, brands, farmers and professionals. We wouldn’t be here without you.
And then there’s you, our customers. We had lost many of you over the months that Planet was declining, but so many of you are back. Thank you for your commitment that’s meant you’ve returned – your commitment to us, to organic, to the planet, to health – and most importantly – to yourself and your families. (I’ve hugged several you on the shop floors, too.)
So, soon it’s time to stop for the holidays, to have rest and CELEBRATE!! As we roll into November, I’ve started buying Christmas gifts, planning to see friends, looking forward to family coming to stay, re-jigging holiday menus and baking lists, and generally enjoying that familiar building of festive joy and excitement. In the run up to Christmas, the Support Team will be in the stores working alongside our store teams, so we look forward to seeing you.
My prayer for you through the rest of this year is health, joy, peace and connection.
May your days be merry and bright,
Renée x
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Our Dear Customers,
Welcome to Organic September!
We are excited to celebrate 50 years of Organic Certification with the Soil Association this month.
The work of the Soil Association is very close to my heart. When I was a teenager, I read ‘Diet for a Small Planet’ by Frances Moore Lappé. It felt like the ending of my innocent childhood when I discovered the detail of the meat industry in America – from what they feed the cows to how the soil and water is polluted from farming practices that don’t respect the animals or the earth. Why was no one looking after the health of the planet, the animals – and me, eating the final product?
I decided that going forward I would do my own research as no one seemed to be looking after my best interests. I believe this is when the seed of the idea for Planet was planted. Decades later, imagine my delight when I discovered organic and learned how organic agriculture holds the soil, plants, animals – and people – in high regard.
The Soil Association have supported and guided Planet Organic since we first opened in 1995. I personally started working with them from 1999, volunteering my time and energy to join various boards and committees, campaigning alongside them for better food and farming. Over these 50 years, they have developed ongoing high standards for food, farming, health and beauty and textiles, as well as for forestry - and work across Europe to influence legislation.
Organic standards define how an organic product can be grown, farmed and/or made. There is a detailed system of standards that are maintained by inspectors going into the fields, factories and shops. The certification process is rigorous and involves all aspects of the supply chain including manufacturing, packaging, storing, importing, distribution and labelling. Organic ensures the highest integrity in the food chain from the soil to your table and in body care products from the ingredients to your skin.
So, I did my own research and found organic as a thoughtful and comprehensive system and solution I can trust.
We are proud to be the first certified organic supermarket in the UK.
Join us in celebrating and supporting organic certification as we launch nearly 100 exciting organic products this month.
Regards,
Renée x
]]>Committed to providing a wide range of natural ingredients, Organic Kitchen aims to help you regain control over what you’re putting into your body, giving you confidence that you’re consuming friendlier, natural foods with no nasties. This is why we’ve compiled a complete guide to help give you an introduction to this innovative brand, now available at Planet Organic, who are wholeheartedly dedicated to putting people and the planet first.
Organic Kitchen offers a range of staple cupboard ingredients to help you create your favourite recipes in a quick and easy way, while safe in the knowledge that only healthy, whole foods are used. As a result of their health-focused range, Organic Kitchen is also fully certified as organic by the Soil Association, an organisation committed to changing the way we eat. This means that the brand uses only the finest organic ingredients without using any harsh or unnecessary chemicals. So whether you’re looking to cook a basic pasta dish or a more extravagant meal, the Organic Kitchen range at Planet Organic features a number of essential cooking ingredients, including a wide selection of pastas, sauces, cooking oils and much more.
Here’s some of our favourites:
Organic Kitchen Fusilli - £1.79
Made using Italian durum wheat and semolina flour, the Organic Kitchen fusilli pasta is a classic ingredient created following an authentic Italian recipe. Containing all the natural, organic ingredients you’d expect from this committed brand, this fusilli pasta provides a great starting point to creating a range of delicious meals.
Organic Kitchen Passata - £2.09
A kitchen cupboard essential, create a simple, yet delicious and highly nutritious tomato sauce to your pasta dish with the Organic Kitchen Tomato Passata. Made with 100% ripe tomatoes, this provides a versatile ingredient ideal for adding to pasta, or using in soups, stews, curries and more.
Organic Kitchen Italian Spinach Tagliatelle - £2.29
If you’re looking to switch up your go-to pasta dish, the Organic Kitchen Italian Spinach Tagliatelle provides the perfect alternative to traditional pasta. Combining all the goodness there is to be found in spinach, this tagliatelle is made with locally sourced ingredients and can be used in a range of dishes.
Organic Kitchen Extra Virgin Olive Oil - £9.69
The Organic Kitchen Olive Oil is great for using during cooking or as a dressing on a salad or pasta dish. Cold pressed and unrefined, this is the perfect essential ingredient to your kitchen cupboard.
If you’re looking to further refine your search, you can trust Organic Kitchen to provide the ingredients that allow you to produce a wholesome and nutritious dish that’s kind to your body, and of course, the planet too.
The range at Planet Organic can be catered to your dietary needs, giving you the ability to filter by keto, raw, gluten free, low sugar and more, as well as help you stick to your eco values by offering plastic free filters too. However, if you need some inspiration on the dishes you can make using these ingredients, why not browse some of the delicious recipes provided on the Organic Kitchen blog.
Organic Kitchen prides itself on being an inclusive and trustworthy brand that aims to make healthy, whole foods accessible to a wider range of people, no matter their dietary choices or limitations. This means that every ingredient produced by this natural brand is 100% planet-based, as well as officially certified as vegan by The Vegan Society. Ingredients from Organic Kitchen are therefore suitable to use in any vegan meal, whether you enjoy cooking up a plant-based curry, or you would prefer to keep things simple with a tasty dressed salad.
With an aim to create quality products that have as little artificial ingredients added as possible during all stages of the production process, Organic Kitchen aims for fewer pesticides, additives and preservatives to be used across their range of ingredients, making it worth switching to organic.
There are also absolutely no genetically modified ingredients in their products. That way, you can have full confidence and autonomy over what you choose to eat, as lowing your exposure to chemicals by changing to an organic diet can help you to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Organic Kitchen is UK-based and has products available to buy online and in-person. They are also huge advocates of creating a better future for our planet, with all ingredients mindfully sourced.
Looking to make the switch to an organic, or plant-based lifestyle? Or are you searching for ingredients that are better suited to your dietary needs? Discover the new Organic Kitchen range at Planet Organic and stock up on a selection of delicious, high-quality ingredients.
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