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Josie’s Frozen Yogurt is Good For your Health… and Your Tastebuds!

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:41:53 +0000

If you are looking to make some healthy changes to your snacking choices, look no further then Josie’s Frozen Yogurt!

Josie’s offers customers amazing flavor packed with healthy goodness in a fun environment that people love.

Most frozen yogurt and other desserts are loaded with high fructose corn syrup. This nasty additive to our food actually makes it harder to stop snacking and spikes insulin levels dangerously, causing weight gain and a whole array of health issues. With obesity on the rise, especially in younger children, parents need to be very aware of this, in their food.

Josie’s uses pure crystalline fructose instead, because it is much better for you and less of it needs to be used, when compared to other sweeteners. It is also quite low on the glycemic index at 22, while honey gets a 55, and high-fructose corn syrup gets a whopping 62, right behind sugar. A lower level is much better for your health and keeps insulin levels from rising and dropping dramatically.

Don’t think that a healthy alternative to your favorite snacks means you have to sacrifice taste, When it comes to flavor, nothing is lost at Josie’s. We offer over forty flavors, in everything from Angel Food Cake to Wild Cherry. You can enjoy all of this while still having a nutritious snack that is calcium rich and sweetened just right. Aside from all these amazing flavors, we also offer customers many alternative types of yogurt, such as, our energy fuel, low-fat brand, or their Stevia, no sugar added yogurt, for those who need a sugar-free substitute. In addition to these two, we offer a number of other fat-free or low-fat frozen yogurts.

Josie’s also offers its customers a great environment in which to enjoy their frozen treats by offering a unique self-serve approach to their business. This service concept has been tremendously popular with customers and it also helps them keep costs down while letting people build their own frozen dessert creations. With so many awesome flavors and unique, healthy creations to be made, it’s no wonder why this franchise has taken off so quickly.

Did You Know March is National Nutritional Month?

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:35:20 +0000

Attention Josie’s Fans: did you know that March 2012 is National Nutritional Month?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is sponsoring an education and information campaign designed to focus on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. Check out their informational sheet appropriately titled Get Your Plate in Shape for some great tips.

Remember, Josie’s Frozen Yogurt doesn’t contain any high fructose corn syrup, and it’s gluten free and contains vitamin additives. We also only use pure crystalline fructose to sweeten our frozen yogurt and it’s sweeter than table sugar so less is needed. We also offer hundreds of different flavors everyone in your family is sure to enjoy including: Angel Food, English Toffee, Papaya, Pear, Hawaiian Pineapple and more.

When you visit participating Josie’s locations in the month of March, you’ll receive 10% off all month long for showing a valid gym membership. Students will also receive 10% off when dressed in uniform.

Did you know frozen yogurt also has many other healthy benefits? Yogurt bacteria is proven to prevent and treat yeast infections, osteoporosis, relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and help reduce bloating. Frozen yogurt is more than a delicious dessert, it contains healthy ingredients that keep your body in tip top condition. Here are some great ideas on how to celebrate National Nutritional Month:

Check to see if your local Josie’s is celebrating too! The Josie’s Frozen Yogurt Fairfax location is giving customers 10% off for the entire month of March when they show their gym membership. Student athletes dressed in uniform also receive 10% off all month long.
Drink water instead of sugary drinks and choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored drinks.
Adults should get at least 2.5 hours of physical activity per week and children and teens should get 60 minutes or more per day.

How are you celebrating National Nutritional Month? We hope you decide to visit your local Josie’s for some delicious and healthy frozen yogurt that your whole family will enjoy. We look forward to seeing you in one of our many locations.

St. Patrick’s Day Promotion at Josie’s!

admin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:46:16 +0000

Because everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and our loyal Josie’s fan deserve the very best, we are creating special promotions just for you! That’s right! Each Josie’s location will be celebrating with different promotions so make sure you check first. For example, the Josie’s in Las Vegas is celebrating on March 17th, 2012 by Drawing for a Discount at the Register! You could win:

15% off your purchase
20% off your purchase
25% off your purchase
or 4 oz of delicious frozen yogurt for FREE!

The possibilities are endless! But don’t forget, you must wear green to participate. Fun St. Patrick’s Day Facts

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17 because that is the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. He died on March 17, 461 AD.
St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland and a provincial holiday in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!
One estimate suggests that there are about 10,000 regular three-leaf clvoers for every lucky four-leaf clover
One legend states that each leaf of a clover represents something: the first is for hope, the second is for faith, the third is for love and the fourth is for (you guessed it!) luck!

Have a Magically Delicious St. Patrick’s Day at your local Josie’s location!

Josie’s Frozen Yogurt Opens Shop in Tuscon, Arizona!

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:45:58 +0000

Hey Tuscon, get ready! Your frozen yogurt dreams are about to come true!

Josie’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt is opening up shop in lovely Tuscon, Arizona at 914 East Speedway Boulevard conveniently located right next door to The University of Arizona.

As part of our grand opening week festivities, we’ll give you a free 4 oz frozen yogurt when you check into the Tuscon Josie’s Facebook location for the second time. Talk about a tasty incentive to eat frozen yogurt!

Want to know what sets Josie’s apart from other frozen yogurt shops? We care about the choices you make when it comes to dessert options. We focus on providing you and your family with the healthiest and best tasting yogurt. We only use pure crystalline fructose which yields up to one-third few calories and less sugar than competitors. We also don’t use any high fructose corn syrup, stabilizers or emulsifiers in our frozen yogurt. Rest assured, you’re making a healthy choice for your family when you visit Josie’s!

So come on down to the Tuscon Josie’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt shop anytime between 11:00 am – 10:00 pm and don’t forget to check in! We’re super excited to meet our Tuscon neighbors and look forward to seeing you soon!

New Video! Josie’s Frozen Yogurt… Dessert is Growing Up!

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:05:40 +0000

Check out our new video Josie’s Frozen Yogurt… Dessert is Growing Up!

We know it’s hard to come up with healthy dessert options that everyone in your family will enjoy. Josie’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt is gluten free and has vitamin and antioxidant additives to help make your choice abundantly clear. Best of all, our frozen yogurt has no high fructose corn syrup! Additionally, frozen yogurt has a variety of benefits like it can prevent yeast infections, osteoporosis, urinary tract infections, relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and help reduce bloating. It’s more than a scrumptious snack, it contains healthy ingredients that keep your body in tip top condition. Read more fun frozen facts here. Want to know what makes Josie’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt even more awesome? It comes in a huge variety of delicious flavors including:

Angel Food
English Toffee
Papaya
Peanut Butter
Fresh Kiwi
Bubble Gum
Marshmallow
Wild Cherry
Pumpkin Pie
And more!

Make sure you check with your local Josie’s shop to check which flavors are being served up as they are subject to availability.

Desert is growing up! Come visit us at one of our locations today!

3 Terrific Reasons to Take Your Sweetie to Josie’s on Valentines Day!

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:44:30 +0000

With Valentines Day quickly approaching and the season of romantic outings upon us, we bet you’re wondering where to take your special someone. When it comes to what makes a date like this a perfect ten, everyone has their own ideas of what’s fun, but guess what’s always a hit? You guessed it – Josie’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt! Here are 3 terrific reasons why:

1.) Bring your Valentine into Josie’s on February 14 and get free frozen yogurt for your date! Everyone loves a delicious bowl of frozen yogurt, and you won’t break the bank. Talk about a win win situation! The second frozen yogurt must be of equal or lesser value of course at participating restaurants.

2.) There are so many delicious flavors to choose from! Is your date picky about where they like to eat? Are you worried about letting them down? You’ve come to the right place! Here are Josie’s current flavors:

Vanilla
Milk chocolate
Cookies and cream
Angel food cake
Peanut butter
Dark chocolate
Coconut
Honeydew
Watermelon (sorbet)
Plain tart
Strawberry
Banana cream pie (stevia)

3.) Your Valentine will love how healthy Josie’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt is! Do you know how much chocolate Americans consume over Valentines day? A lot! It’s no secret that gym membership sales boom after February 14th. Why not take your special someone out for a tasty treat that is also good for you! Yogurt contains calcium, Vitamin D, healthy bacteria and is also known to boost your immune system. Plus it tastes amazing!

Now that love is in the air, we at Josie’s, are striving to make your Valentines Day as delicious as possible. Don’t forget, drop in to your nearest Josie’s location and have your second Josie’s Frozen Yogurt is on us!

5 Fun Facts about Frozen Yogurt

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:00:53 +0000

Think you know everything there is to know about frozen yogurt? Think again! Here at Josie’s, we strive to know everything there is to know about this delicious frozen treat, and we guarantee to keep you up to date too! Without further ado, here’s 5 fun facts about frozen yogurt:

1. Yogurt is actually a cultured milk product, created by adding “good” bacteria to milk. These healthy cultures, L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, are what gives yogurt its unique qualities. Tiny organisms ferment and convert the milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid. This process creates the well known tangy flavor of frozen yogurt.

2. People have been creating and eating regular yogurt for over 4,000 years! Frozen yogurt was first introduced to the world in the early 1970s in New England.

3. Yogurt can be made by any mammal that produces milk. Goats, sheep and water buffalo are commonly used in the United States while other countries often use the milk from a yak or camel.

4. Frozen yogurt has had many names including: Frogurt, Humphreez Yogart and Danny.

5. Yogurt benefits the body in a multitude of different ways. Some of these include:

Boosts your immune system
Lowers serum cholesterol
Help overcome lactose intolerance and aid in the digestion of milk proteins
Prevents some yeast infections
Yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium, potassium and the vitamins B12 and Riboflavin

So there you have it, 5 fun facts about frozen yogurt that are sure to entice you into visiting your local Josie’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt Shop.

Vote for us! Help Josie’s Win the 2012 Best of Las Vegas Reader’s Poll!

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:26:01 +0000

We love our loyal customers, and we would love you to vote Josie’s Yogurt Shop your Favorite Gourmet Shop for the upcoming 2012 Best of Las Vegas Reader’s Poll. Guess what? You can also win some luxurious prizes just by sharing your favorite restaurants, people and places:

2 tickets to the Best All-Around Performer

2 tickets for the Best Show

Dinner for2 at the Best Gourmet Restaurant in a hotel

Dinner for 2 in the Best Gourmet Restaurant not in a hotel

Lunch for 2 at the Best Place for a Power Lunch

A gift certificate to the Best Mall

Grand Prize of a night out on the town, including dinner, a show and an overnight stay at a local hotel.

Everyone who submits votes will be eligible to win prizes, and voting takes place from January 22 through midnight on January 30. If you love eating Josie’s Self Serve Frozen Yogurt in Las Vegas, we kindly request your support and vote. Here’s how:

Go to http://bestoflasvegas.com/vote2012/ and scroll down to the New User Register section (click here if you’re already registered). Registration is required the first time to vote. Please note you’ll be sent a confirmation email and you must click on the enclosed link for your vote to count. This link will take you back to the voting page.

Under the Shopping section, in the Best Gourmet Shop category, type in Josie’s Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt.

Hit Submit Your Vote on the bottom right of the page.

Thank you to all who cast a vote for us already and thank you for continuing to spread the word. Our Las Vegas fans have been so good to us over the years and we appreciate it more than you know!

Probiotics: A Billion Good Bugs Friendly Bacteria for Your Digestive System

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:36:26 +0000

Probiotics: A Billion Good Bugs Friendly Bacteria for Your Digestive System — By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian Did you know that your digestive tract contains more than 400 types of “friendly” bacteria? These little guys, commonly referred to as probiotics (which means “pro-life”), help reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system. That’s right! Probiotics are live bacteria with clinically-documented health benefits. Health Benefits It appears that when the digestive system is kept healthy, other body systems greatly benefit as well. Probiotics may:

Protect against infection
Enhance and boost the immune system
Promote and improve digestive health
Alleviate diarrhea caused by antibiotic treatments
Promote urinary and genital health
Assist in the management of inflammation
Help alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance
Improve some types of eczema in infants and children
Reduce cholesterol levels
Decrease the risk of certain cancers

It is important to note that each type of friendly bacteria has a specific health benefit to the body. With over 400 different types of probiotics identified, researchers are just starting to uncover the health roles and benefits of each. Food Sources Currently, foods that contain probiotics are primarily dairy products and dairy beverages, including:

Yogurt
Drinkable and squeezable yogurts
Fluid milk with added probiotics
Fermented milk such as sweet acidophilus milk
Kefir

Through fermentation, probiotics enhance the flavor and texture of these particular dairy products. Dairy foods actually buffer your stomach acid and bile, thereby protecting the probiotics from the stomach acid so that they can reach the intestines. Raw (unpasteurized) yogurt is loaded with bacteria. Most yogurts today are pasteurized and these bacteria are killed. However, some friendly bacteria are added back. Look for a yogurt that contains the “live and active culture” sign on the label. Pay close attention to the expiration date because these live bacterial cultures can diminish with time. Probiotic Supplements Probiotic supplements are available in a variety of forms, such as freeze dried powder, capsules, wafers, and liquids. Remember to exercise caution before using a probiotic supplement. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements in the same way as it regulates medication. Legally, manufacturers can sell supplements, even with little or no research on how well it works or how safe it is. Supplement and medication reactions can occur, therefore seek the guidance of your health care provider before using any probiotic supplement. Grab Some Bugs! Why not give some fermented dairy products a try today? Little Miss Muffet did! Remember her curds and whey—a fermented dairy product filled with friendly bacteria? That old spider probably came and sat down be side her…because he wanted the probiotic benefits too! http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=576

‘Fructose-Slurping’ Cancer Could Sour the Soda Business

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:18:42 +0000

Soda and processed-food manufacturers have long insisted that all sugars are essentially the same. Yet, simultaneously they’re delicately backing away from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as one study after another links the corn-based sweetener to obesity and diabetes. While the market for HFCS declined by 9% in 2008, says Ken Roseboro of the Organic and Non-GMO Report, it was still used in 55% of all sweetened edibles in 2009. New findings published this month in the journal Cancer Research by University of California Los Angeles researchers could further sour the public’s sentiment toward the super-sweet, super-cheap syrup and reduce its use even further. HFCS is 55% fructose and 42% glucose. The study found that pancreatic tumor cells metabolized fructose differently than glucose and that the cancer cells “readily metabolized fructose to increase proliferation.” In other words, as the headline reads, “Cancer cells slurp up fructose.”

Lawsuits Are Sure to Follow

This is a direct challenge to the Corn Refiner’s Association, which made a splash in 2008 with commercials belittling consumers who disdained high-fructose corn syrup as self-righteous and incoherent. (The ads inspired a little outrage and a lot of spoofs and rebuttals.) In March 2010, the association put on its website a clip from CBS News calling differences in the chemistry of HFCS and table sugar “an urban myth.” And despite the occasional study linking HFCS consumption to obesity, as well as insulin resistance and diabetes, the prevailing sentiment of the food industry was that the difference between HFCS and cane or beet sugar was negligible. “Fructose is a natural, simple sugar commonly found in a variety of sweeteners, including table sugar, honey, and high fructose corn syrup, as well as in many fruits, vegetables, and juices,” says Audrae Erickson, President of the Corn Refiners Association in a statement. “This study does not look at the way fructose is actually consumed by humans, as it was conducted in a laboratory, not inside the human body. The study also narrowly compared pure fructose to pure glucose, neither of which is consumed in isolation in the human diet.” Despite the Corn Refiner’s Association’s best efforts, high fructose corn syrup is still being maligned. But it is this latest study linking the sweetener to pancreatic cancer that may be the weapon of choice for eager attorneys in defense of angry consumers. As Frost & Sullivan industry analyst Christopher Shanahan says, laughing, when asked whether there will be lawsuits, “Yes, I’d put money on it.” But as damning as the headlines of this latest study seem to be, other scientists caution that further research needs to be done before people leap to the assumption that fructose helps cancer proliferate. The science blogger known as “Orac” writes that the research is “rather interesting,” but far more work should be done before it’s seen as proof that HFCS causes pancreatic cancer. “It’s far too early to make any sort of recommendations about high fructose corn syrup and diet based on this study,” he writes. In a statement, the American Beverage Association said: “It is important to recognize that this was not a clinical trial performed on humans, but rather a test tube study. In addition, the isolated cancer cells were subjected to extremely high levels of fructose that are unlikely in normal human metabolic processes. In fact, human beings do not typically consume fructose by itself, as it is normally found in combination with glucose in fruits and vegetables, or in the form of sucrose or high fructose corn syrup as found in myriad foods and beverages. The fact remains that no single food or beverage causes cancer, including pancreatic cancer.”

Beverage Makers Under the Gun

The beverage companies are the easiest targets in the crusade against HFCS, says Shanahan. For “the corn manufacturers, the sugar manufacturers, the processed-food manufacturers, there is an underlying fear that, in the next 10 years, this is going to be a critical challenge similar to the top-down mandates that impacted the tobacco industry.” He points to a central problem of the U.S. agricultural system: Very few crops — soy, wheat and especially corn — account for a huge percentage of the American diet, especially when you consider the soy- and corn-fed livestock and myriad processed foods made from corn derivatives. “The recent obesity measure, weight issues, diabetes, all can be routed back to the American diet,” Shanahan says, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is complicit in the problem, with rich subsidies for wheat, soy and corn, the top recipient. The amount varies widely from year to year, but corn subsidies totaled $73.8 billion from 1995 to 2009. With corn so cheap, there’s incentive to put it in more and more foods in place of other, more expensive, ingredients. Now it’s in practically every processed food, and lots of nonfoods, too, including ethanol for fuel.

Getting the HFCS Out

Roseboro, of the Organic & Non-GMO Report, says change is coming. Big brands like Hunt’s (CAG), Gatorade (PEP) and Starbucks (SBUX) are reformulating some of their products to remove HFCS. “I think the fact that big companies [like Hunt's and Pepsico] are going to stop using it is indication that a trend is going to be that companies will be taking it out, using sugar instead, and the smaller companies will follow along.” Shanahan agrees. “Food manufacturers are starting to diversify their product line to include cane sugar,” he says. “The corn refiners are going to stop making corn sweeteners, and make ethanol instead.” It might be longer than he thinks before beverage companies and, most important, government agencies decide it’s time for change, however. Switching away from corn sweeteners won’t be easy. Cheap corn is, after all, the basis of many processed foods. It’s not just the HFCS, of course. Corn is the source of oil for salad dressing and frying, of coloring for sodas, juices and yogurts, of livestock feed that makes $1 hamburgers possible. “Over time, consumers will change their diets as they are taught the real cost of food,” Shanahan says. “This is going to be a diminishing problem.” Food and beverage makers have plenty of skin in this game and may as well get ahead of eventual regulation, he says, adding that a healthful product line is where the industry is headed. “Food processors are only doing what the man wants. They’re going to sell you healthy food if you want it.” Just as with tobacco, we’re in for a decade or two of growing awareness about the destructive effects of our subsidized cheap-sweetener system, with lawsuits and regulations to follow. But we’ll get over it, Shanahan says. “In this transitional period, people don’t want to eat the stuff, but they’ll be more than happy to put it in their cars.” This story was updated to include a statement from the Corn Refiners Association.