Best Teacher Appreciation Gift at BOGO

Show the teachers some FUN FIT FOOD love!

It is especially meaningful for us to run this deep discount for Teacher Appreciation Week: BOGO on 12 packs being sent to schools anywhere in the US. That is 24 cups of quick prep, supercharged  breakfasts in the hands of America’s best! This is a once-in-a year opportunity to stock the teacher’s lounges with healthy, tasty and convenient treats is here. Your teachers will feel the Fun Fit Food love!

24 cups Superfood Oatmeal for only $30!

Teacher Appreciation Day is Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Use code ThankATeacher for BOGO on 12 packs

Here at Health Bear, we love teachers. Founder Lisa Matar’s mother was an elementary school educator for 30 years. She watched her momma work long hours starting at 6am and going until 6pm five days a week. Quickly prepared, healthy breakfasts helped. Then there were the weekends- more work to do. She did it with a smile knowing she was a meaningful influencer on her kids.

This year May 6th is National Teacher Appreciation Day. Our gratitude is LEGIT. During the time spent in quarantine, parents stepped in to fill the role of teacher to give their children a chance to keep learning at home.   They learned it takes tremendous patience, creativity, and commitment to be a teacher. Now parents across the globe truly understand and value our educators. Its time again to say, “Thank You”!

Teacher Appreciation Day is a chance for us to appreciate not only the classroom teachers, but sports coaches, gymnastic teachers, swim teachers, horseback riding teachers, foreign language teachers etc…  all of those extra experiences enrich our kids’ lives and mold them into the exceptional adults our society needs. The world would be quite different without these heroes in it. Use this week as a time to thank them too. We will honor the BOGO promo to all teachers.

Have a Fun Fit Day!

HB Founder’s Mother, Retired Teacher Kay “Erb” Dirks

Converging Roads of Gender Equality & Sustainability

International Woman’s Day 2022

Converging Roads of Gender Equality & Sustainability

Converging Roads of Gender Equality & Sustainability

 

The UN has touted 2022 as the year of Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow. Thank you, United Nations, for shining light on this important subject, as many of us in our comfy western bubbles don’t realize how climate change is affecting marginalized women across the globe at higher rates than their male counterparts.

 

Speaking of comfy western bubbles… from the gleaming skyscrapers that dot the skies of bustling Chicago, Opportunity International is a nonprofit organization known for traveling the globe to aid those experiencing extreme poverty. Many times, extreme poverty is made worse by changes in climate, resulting in drought, fires, floods and famine.

 

In countries like Malawi, Africa, women are more frequently leading the changes to farming practices to ensure more secure and prosperous futures. Opportunity International recently formed ‘Donor Trust Groups’ in the United States, donor groups who pool together their donations to fund special agricultural projects with micro-loans. These loans provide the women the ability to enhance, upgrade and or completely overhaul their farming operations to be more sustainable and profitable.

 

One Donor Trust Group we have learned about was formed in Silicon Valley by Johanna Mahal. Friend to HBFC, she brought together 10 Bay Area families willing to make an annual contribution of $5,000 each to enable farmers, many of whom are female, in Malawi to transition away from growing tobacco and into drought resistant beans. With financial resources behind the farmer, she is now growing a more sustainable crop that will aid in the health and wellness of the global community, reduce valuable time spent transporting excessive, and often times, hard to come by water, and increase personal earnings. Greater revenue in turn provides the farmer’s children with true possibilities to attend school for more consecutive years, and this helps break the cycle of poverty.

 

The Silicon Valley Donor Trust Group is using the experience to educate their own children about philanthropy, sustainability and wellness. As a former middle school educator, Johanna is using the experience as a chance for the family’s children to learn. “We are modeling, through our enthusiasm, what philanthropy can look like from a young age, in a very tangible way for our children,” says Johanna, whose 12-year-old son William was very involved in selecting their project.

 

Join us in applauding Opportunity International in making strides for gender equality and sustainability. If you would like to participate in gathering a Donor Trust Group with your friends and family, contact oppotunityinternational.org for more info!

Diabisity Explained

Health Bear partners with Go Red for Women, the American Heart Association’s in the fight for women’s heart health.   “Diabisity” is a new, unofficial term used to describe the combination of diabetes and obesity. Unfortunately, the condition is seen in populations across the globe and the ill-effects on the body is a real danger for those afflicted. The duo of closely related conditions increases your risk of Heart Disease: the #1 killer in the US.

Here at Health Bear, our aim is to bring healthy and super tasty food options to your table to help you make food choices that leads to greater health. Many of us need to end our toxic relationship with foods that are contributing to our health problems. The rub lies in FOMO (fear of missing out )… no one wants that!  We want super delicious food, not boring and bland food! That is why Health Bear was created: to bring you ‘Fun Fit Food’.

Looking to try some DELICIOUS, heart healthy food? Look for Health Bear at a grocery store near you- check out our store locator on our website! Pick up our convenient, DIABISITY fighting foods!


For those looking to change eating habits, it is difficult , if not impossible to go from enjoying foods laced with high fat and sugar to something along the lines of raw kale salads and wheat grass shots. To help our friends ease into this challenging transition,  we bring you flavorful and extraordinarily healthy oatmeal to help you on your journey. Health Bear is a helping hand leading your out of ‘naughty’ and into ‘nice’ food choices. “This is precisely why we created the fun flavor profiles found in Health Bear Superfood Oats’, says founder Lisa Matar. “Spices, fruits, seeds and nuts are full of flavor! Why muck it up with sugar?”

 The heart in our logo is a reminder of what Fun Fit Food is all about. Offering you healthy food that keeps Diabisity, Heart Disease and FOMO at bay!

Introducing Health Bear’s updated logo!

This Carcinogen may be Lurking in your Conventional Oats

Who’s up for a comforting bowl of piping hot oatmeal, mixed with sweet raspberries and topped with a generous spoonful of peanut butter…  laced with… a carcinogen called… glyphosate? Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Round-up, a chemical that acts as an herbicide. It is often sprayed on non GMO crops such as as oats, wheat, barley- especially those that are genetically engineered to withstand glyphosate- GMOs. The reason farmers use it to allow them to harvest and dry crops out more efficiently. Sounds helpful… what could be the harm?

Problem is- studies link glyphosate to cancer. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer categorizes glyphosate as a probable carcinogen for humans. The most telling nugget of truth comes straight from Monsanto, the owner of Round-Up. In an attempt to right the harms of glyphosate, they will be removing the herbicide from the US consumer market by 2023. Why admitting defeat? Quite easy… in response to the thousands off lawsuits brought by people who claim they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma from exposure.

OK, no freaking out allowed. Easy solution… only choose organic oats (like what Health Bear sources)! Rest easy and remember why oats are so good for you.

  • Oats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
  • Oats may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • Oats help you feel fuller longer- a great way to control daily calories
  • Oatmeal may help lower blood pressure.
  • Soluble fiber found in oats helps control blood sugar.
  • Oats may also help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • Oats are high in beta-glucans, a kind of starch that stimulates the immune system.
  • Beta-Glucans may aid in inhibiting tumors, reducing the risk of some cancer.
  • Introducing oats into a child’s diet early may help reduce their risk of asthma.
  • Oats are higher in protein and healthy fats, and lower in carbohydrates than most other whole grains.

 

3 easy New Year Resolutions for the Health of Yourself & Mother Earth

New Year’s Resolutions for Yourself and the Earth… 2022 is here and it is time to ‘Turn a Green Leaf’. Mother Earth is looking to YOU to fight for her healing.  Here, you will find 3 super cool, easy and meaningful resolutions you can make in 2022 to make an impact!

Resolution #1

  Eat Clean & Reduce Water Use

Did you know In the United States, most of the electricity generation is produced from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum)?  When we use water, we are burning fossil fuels. Now, imagine how much electricity is used to have your water treated, then transported, heated and finally disposed of. Taking shorter showers alone will not cut it. Did you know there is another way to greatly reduce your water use?

Reduce eating or consuming meat all together will reduce your water use.

The most efficient way to reduce your water use is by eating less meat. Nearly half of the water used in the US goes for raising animals for food.  Assuming if you eat one pound of meat/dairy/eggs between breakfast, lunch and dinner on a typical weekday- taking only one day off a week will reduce your water footprint by 124,800 gallons of water by year’s end! What an impact!

Call to Action: This year, commit to go meat, dairy and egg free at least one day a week. Better yet, make a massive impact and go full vegan. The planet and the animals will thank you and on top of that, your body will thank you too!

Resolution # 2

Buy Local Produce

Have you ever noticed stickers on fruits and veggies at the grocery store that identifies where it originated? It is maddening to see a sticker that says ‘Chilie’ when you know darn well oranges grow down the street! Instead of financially supporting this mayhem, shop at your local farmer’s market for your produce instead! Many commercial food operations use polluting fossil fuels to power their production. With shipping and packaging facilities, large scale refrigeration systems and shipping, thousands of miles are between the field and your plate.

Call to Action: Create a standard for yourself that your produce will come from the farmer’s market. If you do not have enough time or if there is no farmer’s market available, consider ordering from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in your local community or a farm delivery service such as https://www.farmfreshtoyou.com. A weekly trip to the farmer’s market will absolutely get you eating more veg and that is definitely a great way to take better care of yourself!

 

Fabulous article on buying local: http://www.gogreen.org/blog/the-environmental-benefits-of-buying-locally

Resolution #3

Zero Tolerance for Fast Fashion

 Treat Yourself to Quality

As stated earlier, water use exhausts our planet and adds to global warming. Did you know, to create 2.2 pounds of cotton, 2,641 gallons of water is used? To put that into perspective, is around 792 gallons of water to create a cotton shirt. What’s even more scary is to learn about the artificial fibers that are commonly used to create fast fashion collections.  Bad actors such as H&M and Forever 21 commonly use plastic microfibers, rayon, polyester and toxic dye. To make matters worse, these companies produce poorly crafted clothing which is designed to be worn for a season or less, they quickly tossed in the dump. Landfills get maxed out and then there is no choice but to burn the trash. This trash incineration sends toxic fumes into the environment that cast poisonous substances into the air. Eventually, these toxins end up in the oceans and streams.

Call to Action: Say NO to fast fashion and always share hand-me-downs with friends or non profits. Buy fewer but cherished, quality garments that are made to last for many seasons.

Only add durable garments to your fashion collection, not trash! Investing in yourself by buying quality items is another fantastic way to take care of yourself. Having less items in your closet but more quality will remind you every day that you are worthy of excellence. You are part of the solution and do not contribute to the problem.

https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment

Share with us which option(s) appeal to you or if you have any other environmental healing ideas to share!!

Happy New Year!

Fun Fit Recipes – Health Bear Granola Bars

Health Bear Granola Bars

We are excited to share some Fun Fit Recipes with you all!

4oz Health Bear Oats
1 ¼ c Rolled Oats
½ c Wheat Germ
½ t Salt
½ c Honey
1 Chia Egg (1T Chia seeds + 2T Water)
½ c Coconut
½ c Chopped Dates
½ c Vegetable Oil
1 ½ t Vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Granola bars can be made on a parchment lined quarter sheet tray OR in a greased
mini loaf pan (4” x 2.5”). Mini loaf pans will cook faster.

To create your chia egg, mix chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Set aside for approximately 3 minutes. The chia
seeds will soak up the water and become gelatinous.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, wheat germ, and salt. In the same bowl add in the coconut and dates and stir to
combine. Add the honey, chia egg, vegetable oil and vanilla to the dry granola mixture and mix thoroughly.

Pour the mixture onto prepared baking sheet or in mini loaf pans. Using a spatula or your hands, spread mixture
out evenly and press down firmly. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes on a baking sheet OR
8-10 minutes in mini loaf pans. Let cool and cut into 2” x 4” bars.

Enjoy!

Fight Climate Change with Your Lunch Box

The new school year is upon us and its the ideal time to take your lunch box game up to the next level. Not only can we use their mid-day meal as a tool to expand what they eat, we can use to teach our children about the health of the planet. That’s fitting 2 valuable lessons in one nifty little lunchbox.

How to make this happen?

Tip #1:  Keep it easy for you!

No one has extra time in the morning as we drag the kids through the morning route. With that said, the trick begins with smart prepping.  First, make pots of rice, beans and pasta- store in the frig. From there, you are ready for an easy re-heat and pack-up each morning. For example, you can make create variety from one pot of beans and rice. Think: a burrito bowl with tomatoes and avocado on Monday then beans and rice with plant based butter on Tuesday.  Keep a eye on my blog for more plant based lunch box ideas. I will regularly be adding ideas for you to learn my strategies for making creative plant based lunches in a snap.

 

Tip #2: Educate:

Our children love to take action on saving the planet from harm. On that note, so much good comes out of eating plant based: they will be motivated to nourish their bodies with healthy food and do their part to reduce pollution at the same time. This brief clip produced by Climate Friendly School Food Program is created for kids explains it all.

Statistics

LAND
  • Did you know It takes 75% less land to feed someone on a plant-based (vegan) diet than it does to feed a meat-eater since the crops are consumed directly instead of being used to feed animals.
  • it takes up to 10 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat, and in the United States alone, 56 million acres of land are used to grow feed for animals, while only 4 million acres are producing plants for humans to eat.
  • More than 90 percent of all Amazon rainforest land cleared since 1970 is used for grazing livestock
  • animals on U.S. factory farms produce about 500 million tons of manure each year. With no animal sewage processing plants.
SEA
  • Commercial fishing methods such as bottom trawling and long-lining often clear the ocean floor of all life and destroy coral reefs.
  • They also kill thousands of dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and other “bycatch” animals.
  • Coastal fish farms release feces, antibiotics, parasites, and non-native fish into sensitive marine ecosystems.
LEARN MORE WITH THIS QUICK LINK FROM PETA

Tip #3: Supplies:

Keep your kids eating more plant-based by packaging their hot lunch in an re-useable, insulated bowl. Your kids will feel the love when they open their lunch box to find a yummy, hot meal loaded with vegan goodness. My favorite shopping spot is The Container Store– they carry awesome lunchbox gear. Grab a couple of exciting hot serve containers, reusable straws, flatware, napkins etc. Your kids will be the envy of all their friends at the lunch table. They get extra bragging rights when they can claim their lunch was carbon neutral.

 

6 Healthy Oatmeal Flavor Boosters

Hello Healthy Bears…

We have found 6 Oatmeal add-ins to boost flavor while supporting your mission to be healthy. What better way to start this practice than with the first meal of the day? Over the years, we have discovered there are many amazing ingredients that can be added to oatmeal to up the nutrition, flavor and texture of your go-to oatmeal recipe. Here are some of our favorite add-in’s.

Peanut Butter: Many diet conscious folks are afraid to indulge in a spoon of peanut butter for the fear of adding too many calories. In reality, peanut butter is a great tool to curb hunger. Adding two absolutely delicious tablespoons of peanut butter adds just 180 calories and will guarantee to curb hunger throughout the day. If calories are a legitimate concern, try Powdered Peanut Butter. You get the protein benefits without the calories.

 

Banana: Too many dark polka dots? Do not fear and especially… do not throw them out! Throw them into your pot of oats instead. This wonder fruit will melt into your oats giving it a velvety texture and add natural sweetness. Bananas are famous for being a potassium powerhouse which is critical for heart health. Another amazing benefit to adding bananas is the satiation… your tummy will not start growling until well after the lunch hour.

Cream Cheese: Health Bear’s newest flavor is ‘Everything Bagel’. Just as you would expect, this flavor features a savory blend of sesame and poppy seeds, garlic and onion. A hot bowl of oatmeal flavored with these spice cabinet staples topped with a spoon full of cream cheese and a dusting of sea salt will have your brain wondering, “Is this oatmeal I am tasting or a fabulous toasted bagel with cream cheese’? We have yet to try adding lox, but let us know if you have!!

Frozen Berries: Next time your berries are turning a little soft, stash them in your freezer. When your oats are piping hot, toss them in the pot to defrost and ‘melt’ into your oats. The flavor and color will permeate your oatmeal- adding natural sweetness and an added boost of vitamins!

Seeds and Nuts: You can do just as Health Bear- add chia, ground flax and hemp seeds to the foundation of your recipe. These powerhouse seeds add Plant-Based Omega 3’s and fiber to your mix.  Don’t forget to use ‘ground’ flax meal… alternatively, the whole seeds will just pass through your system without allowing the fiber and Omega 3’s to get a chance to get in your bod.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Vanilla: You do not need to add sugar when you can add spices! You will notice we did not make any suggestions to add any sugar to your oatmeal. If you take us up on some of these suggestions, you can flavor your oats with real ingredients that can up your nutrition and flavor without sacrificing the healthy nature of these amazing oats!

Experience our Superfood Oatmeal cups by logging in and use code HBF20 for 20% off

https://healthbearfood.com

Fuel Your Inner – Athlete with Health Bear Protein Oatmeal

I love to workout and have been working up a sweat regularly since I was in college. For me, a good workout that I feel proud of would be something like an hour of strength training in the gym, a peloton ride for 30 minutes, an outdoor bike ride for an hour, a 30 minute jog around my neighborhood, or a long trail hike in the California countryside. When finished with any of these workouts, I always feel accomplished. My post-workout, victorious glow began to fade when I learned there are regular women among us who are in fact bad-ass athletes who can run long distances. And by that, I am talking FAR.

Health Bear Oat Porridge has become a go-to post workout meal for Susan, a Los Gatos woman who runs marathons and ultra marathons and stays on top of her game by running over 60 miles per week. She takes recovery 1-2 days a week by going for an easy jog or walk or cross training. Her time and distance goals are measured against her runs that are never fewer than 10 miles a day. The ultimate measure of her accomplishments are identified during her marathons and fifty mile ultra marathons. Health Bear is flattered to be a part of her success!

I had a chance to sit down and talk with Susan to learn how she continues living this incredible lifestyle year after year. Afterwards, I felt motivated to pick up my game and I hope this will do the same for you.

HB: “What do you typically eat and drink before/after your workouts”?

SUSAN: “Before I run, I have a large glass of water, a 1/2 of cup of coffee and a few bites of a protein bar. If I am doing a marathon or an ultra marathon then I have Oatmeal. After my workout, I have a small Chocolate protein drink. Then within an hour I have breakfast which is typically a banana and your Blueberry Almond with Lemon Oat Porridge. Sometimes I go for nonfat plain yogurt with lots of blueberries and almonds…  walnuts too. Always a banana with almond butter”.

HB: “How does your ‘Long Distance Running Group’ work? Is it for only running or do you socialize too? Do you run together?”

SUSAN: “When the group I run with runs, we socialize always during the runs!!

HB: “What other workouts do you do aside from running”?

SUSAN: “Besides running, I do strength training classes 2-3 times a week  Plus daily walks in my day for a break from working a lot.  The walks are super short just to stretch out a bit”!

HB: “Do you run marathons? Triathlons”?

SUSAN: “I do not do any triathlons at all. I do marathons at least one a year- I have 8 under my belt and I have done 9 ultra marathons”. (Ultra marathons are 50 miles long people, 50 miles!)

HB: “What is your favorite Health Bear Oat Porridge”?

SUSAN: “My favorite Porridge from you is the Blueberry Almond with Lemon!! Love it.”

HB: “Is Health Bear a better pre or post workout fuel”?

SUSAN: “Your Oatmeal is the best ever to eat after a run. But many like to eat it before. After is the best”!

HB: “Why do you favor our product”?

SUSAN: “Super easy to answer! The healthy ingredients. It is satisfying after a long run. Add some fresh blueberries and you are set! It fills you up and its super healthy, simply put, it’s good for you”!

Again, we are flattered to play a small role in Susan’s success as a long-distance runner. Pick up a 4 pack sampler of Oat Porridge today and let us know how you use our product as fuel to channel your inner athlete!

Thank you Susan for the inspiration. I think I will go for a jog… for 3 miles or maybe 4.

Thank You for Your Generosity!

Today Health Bear delivered a wide assortment of pantry goods including 50 cups of Health Bear Oat Porridge, 100 pounds of fruit, $200 in grocery store gift cards, $50 in Target gift cards and $25 in Starbucks gift cards to House of Hope. Jan Yount, the director of the House of Hope, was very appreciative. They are serving more people in need than ever before.

Many Silicon Valley families live pay check to pay check and can’t survive for long when the rug is pulled out from under them.

I am grateful to Jan for the work her team does. The house is small, but mighty. It is kept as organized and clean as a doctor’s office. Jan’s concern remains with the people she helps, which is indicated by her tight rules for cleanliness and keeping the environment free from COVID-19. “Many people we help are medically fragile”, she explained. All volunteers working there were wearing masks and gloves. Our donation quickly hit the shelves and refrigerator in preparation for it to be given to a family in need.

Many of her clients have never faced food insecurity before the COVID crisis. Many come in feeling hopelessness and fear. They are welcomed with respect and love by the team. Much needed fellowship continues while respecting the social distancing rules. Those who come to House of Hope for food leave with their hearts as full as their grocery bags.

Thank you to the many members of the community that gave the gift of food and love to our very first 

‘Fund and Food Raiser’.

Health Bear believes everyone deserves access to nutrient rich food. It was with great pleasure and pride we helped facilitate this for those in need. Together we will get past this horrific crisis if we continue to see and assist those who are in need. Sending love and light!