Vital Choices Newsletter

Thursday, February 18, 2010 Issue 341  

In This Issue
Vital Bonus Options Feb. 18 - 24
Bizarre “Sea Serpent” Captured on Video
Spot Prawns with Cucumber Salad and Tzatziki Sauce
Our Excellent Sardine Adventure in Portugal
Sardines are Back … Plus New Boneless-Skinless
Hunger Strike Turns Olympic Flame on Salmon Farms

Free Bonus Options
February 18 to 24

Choose from among our Bonus Options ...
... then start shopping to earn your reward!
 
Pacific Spot Prawns
 
Canned Smoked Sockeye
 
Organic Frozen Raspberries
 
Organic Trail Mix
 
Manila Clams
 
Click here for Bonus Details & Instructions ...
... all offers include Free Shipping!


Shop Vital Choice ...
Pick from 3 Easy Ways!
 
OR
Try our e-Catalog
OR
Call 800-608-4825

 

Utterly Unique ... Vitamin D in Salmon Oil
 
We are pleased to introduce a high-quality, higher-potency vitamin D supplement … one with unique attractions!
 
Each tiny, 300 mg softgel capsule of Vital Choice Vitamin D3 in Wild Sockeye Salmon Oil provides a generous 2,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D3.
 
D3 is the preferred, natural form of this amazing vitamin, and ours is certified pure and potent by NSF .
 
Better yet, our D3 comes in a base of whole, unrefined, certified-pure, sockeye salmon oil, certified sustainable by the MSC .
 
Each Vitamin D3 softgel contains 45mg of omega-3s, but health authorities recommend 500mg of omega-3s per day, so it doesn't replace fish oil.
 
A 3,000mg daily serving of our Sockeye Salmon Oil provides 460mg, so if you also take one Vitamin D3 in Salmon Oil softgel per day, that would bring your supplemental omega-3 intake to a perfect 505mg!

World's Finest Fish Oil



Our "whole food"
Omega-3 Salmon Oil supplements contain only unrefined oil from wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon: a fish whose renowned purity is reflected in the pristine contents of our naturally colorful capsules.

Unlike standard fish oils, our naturally pure Sockeye Salmon Oil does not need to be chemically refined: a process that can damage omega-3s. Instead, our oil's 
purity and potency are certified by NSF.

As a result, our whole, unrefined Sockeye Salmon Oil retains all of the omega-3s (EPA & DHA), vitamin D, phospholipids, and fatty acids natural to whole Sockeye Salmon. 

The rich orange hue of our Salmon Oil comes from its natural complement of astaxanthin: the super-potent antioxidant pigment that gives Sockeye their distinctive color and protects our Salmon Oil's abundant omega-3s from oxidation.

In addition, ours was the first Salmon Oil supplement certified as sustainably sourced by the Marine Stewardship Council
.

We encapsulate our Salmon Oil in pure fish gelatin, and offer special varieties for special needs:

 Smaller Softgels (500 mg)
 
Liquid Salmon Oil for children and folks who may have trouble swallowing our 1,000 mg softgels
 
Lemon-Flavored Salmon Oil for folks who experience bounce-back.



Vital Choice Salmon Oil (top left) vs. two standard fish oils


Point Your Patients & Clients to Great Food
 
Many health practitioners and wellness providers display Vital Choice catalogs to help their patients and clients find great seafood and supplements.
 
Each catalog includes a special offer that people will thank you for providing!
 
Just fill out our quick Catalog/Brochure Request Form.
 
And we can now offer clinics our new brochure on Omega-3s in Seafood & Health. Reviewed by doctors and experts, it clarifies a critical but often-confusing subject.
 
For information or to request extra catalogs and brochures, please send an email to arnie@vitalchoice.com.

Bizarre “Sea Serpent” Captured on Video
In a world first, marine scientists working in the Gulf of Mexico filmed a Giant Oarfish in the wild
by Craig Weatherby

Click for full story and printer friendly version. Photo: discoverfishingbc.ca
A team of researchers recently caught a rare, frightening, but oddly beautiful fish on video ... for the first time (view it below).
 
The Giant Oarfish captured on film was estimated to measure a jaw-dropping 16 to 32 feet in length.
 
The men in the photo at right are holding a dead Oarfish ... one that may only be half the size of the one filmed in the Gulf, and just a third of the documented maximum.
 
The biggest members of this bizarre species may be the biggest bony fish in the world. (Sharks have cartilage, not bone.)
 
It's likely that some of the “sea serpent” sightings by sailors over the centuries stem from the size, dragon-like dorsal fin, bright red streamers, and sinuous, snake-like motions of the Giant Oarfish (Regalecus glesne).
 
Oarfish sightings and landings are infrequent, but happen regularly around the world ... usually when one was dead or dying, at the surface or washed onshore. 
 
You'll find the story behind the landmark Oarfish video below. Just click the play button ... if you have trouble, see it at You Tube.
 

 
How the “catch” happened
The video was shot in the Gulf of Mexico by scientists from Louisiana State University and the UK's National Oceanography Centre. 
 
A smaller Oarfish, up close.
Photo: Gerry Smith 
They were based on the world’s largest oil rig, called ThunderHorse, and using its remotely operated vehicle (ROV) when they saw the fish swimming – sometimes backwards – at a depth of more than 1,500 feet (457 meters).
 
Team leader Mark Benfield, Ph.D., offered this account:
“What was interesting about the fish was its swimming behavior. It moved by undulating its dorsal fin in waves that propelled it backwards at quite a good speed. The fish was really big ... five to 10 meters [16 to 32 feet].”
 
How did we not know that the seas harbor a stunningly beautiful, scary-but-harmless “sea serpent”? Now that we do, we're glad it exists!
 
Saving the ocean's amazing creatures – many still undiscovered – is another good reason to keep greenhouse gasses, trash, and chemical pollution from killing the seas.
 
And saving the ocean and its food chain is essential to the health, welfare, and very survival of countless people.
 
 
Source
Louisiana State University (LSU). LSU Professor Records Video of Seldom-Seen Oarfish. February 10, 2010.
Accessed at
http://appl003.lsu.edu/unv002.nsf/GetMonthDetail?OpenAgent&View=MonthYear=2010Month=02

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
Our Excellent Sardine Adventure in Portugal
Vital Choice visits the fishermen who catch our Portuguese Sardines … and the people who hand-prepare and custom-pack them for us
by Dave Hamburg, Vital Choice COO

Sardine harvest by Dave Hamburg. Click for full story and printer friendly version
Sardines are a bit of a mystery to many Americans … including longtime fishermen like myself and Vital Choice founder Randy Hartnell.
 
So I invite you to read my brief account of a tour of Portugal’s sardine scene … and click the screen below to view the video I shot on the boat and in the cannery.
 
Before we decided to offer sardines, Randy traveled to Portugal in 2005 to scope out the scene and find the very best provider.
 
He selected the Portuguese sardines we offer both for their quality, and because it was so clear that the fishery supplying them was abundant and well-managed. (It was independently certified sustainable earlier this year by the Marine Stewardship Council.)
 
We’ve been eager to return and document the fishing and packing processes in photo and video, to give our customers an insider’s view. So last October, I traveled to northwest Portugal with two goals in mind.
 
I wanted to see the sardine harvest up close, and tour their cannery with the family that selects and packs our sardines.
 
The video tour stars when you click this screen, and my journal continues below it. (If you have trouble viewing it here, you can see it at YouTube.)
 

 
 
My Portuguese sardine sojourn starts at sea
I arrived in Porto, Portugal in mid-October, just in time to see sardines harvested at their peak of fat and flavor.
 
This is the harvest period during which our cannery's buyers can select the plumpest, fattiest sardines for Vital Choice.
 
The sardine harvest happens at night, so I left my hotel at 10:30 p.m. and was brought out to a large pier in Matosinhos, north of Porto, where the fleet was preparing to depart.
 
There, I met the captain/owner of the Deus Nao Falta – meaning “God Does not Lack” – who my hosts described as ...

[FULL STORY]
 

Sardines are Back … Plus New Boneless-Skinless
Click for full story and printer friendly version
Our succulent Portuguese Sardines arrive on nature’s own, non-negotiable schedule ... only after they reach their peak of fat, omega-3s, and flavor.
 
So when we run out, we can’t order more from a warehouse somewhere in the U.S.
 
We have to wait for the start of the fall harvest season in the often-rough seasonal seas off Portugal.
 
Then it takes weeks for the cans to sail across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal, up the coast to Seattle, then ride a truck north up route 5 to Bellingham. (We followed them all the way on a ship-tracker Web site.)
 
And for true sardine lovers, it’s well worth the wait to savor what many connoisseurs consider the world’s finest.
 
Now all four options are back … along with our NEW Boneless-Skinless Sardines! Click below to learn more about each variety and to order ... or call us at 800-608-4825.
 
By the way, “EVOO” means extra virgin olive oil … and ours is always organic:
 
 
Our NEW Boneless-Skinless Sardines 
Over the years, we’ve heard from quite a few folks who folks who like sardines, but would prefer them stripped of skin and bones.
 
In response, we’re please to introduce our new Boneless-Skinless Portuguese Sardines.
 
Like our regular Sardines, these succulent fish are harvested when fat and omega-3 levels are at their highest peak.
 
And they come from the same Portuguese family that’s been perfecting the craft of picking and packing sardines for more than 150 years.
 
Our new Boneless-Skinless Sardines are packed in certified-organic extra virgin olive oil, with a pinch of natural sea salt … and nothing else.
 
They're just as flavorful as their skin-on bretheren ... and while these boneless treats have a bit less calcium, they're every bit as rich in vitamin D and omega-3s.
 
Enjoy them in sandwiches and salads, with pasta or rice, on pizza … or straight out of the can!

Vital Recipes
Spot Prawns with Cucumber Salad and Tzatziki Sauce
Click for full story and printer friendly version
Tzatziki is one of the classic sauces in Greek cuisine, with as many versions as there are cooks who make it … the common element is yogurt, with cucumber, lemon, and dill used in most.
 
Note: This recipe goes easier if you make the Cucumber Salad and Tzatziki Sauce before prepping and cooking the prawns and vegetables.
 
Broiled or Grilled Prawns with Cucumber Salad and Tzatziki Sauce
Adapted from Health magazine, July 2009
Prep 20 minutes; Cook 15 minutes; Marinate 10 minutes.
Makes 4 servings
 
1-1/2 pounds Wild Pacific Spot Prawns (20 to 25), peeled and deveined
6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
2 tsp organic extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing grill
3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, divided
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or ½ Tbsp organic dried oregano)
1 Tbsp fresh mint (optional)
3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt, divided (use Greek-style yogurt for a thicker sauce)
2 garlic cloves, minced and ...

[CLICK FOR FULL STORY AND PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
 

Our Community Connections

 

Vital Choice contributes a portion of its net profits to the Weil Foundation, Adopt-a-Fry, the Live Strong Foundation, The Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and other causes devoted to improving the health and well being of people and the planet that sustains us.


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Published by Vital Choice Seafood
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Information in this newsletter is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by medical professionals, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Copyright is held by Vital Choice Seafood, to which all rights are reserved. Other than personal, non-commercial use or forwarding, no material in this newsletter may be copied, distributed, or published without the express permission of Vital Choice Seafood.
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