Archive For The “Health” Category
Glendale, Calif. –Disney Consumer Products (DCP) continues to introduce new “better for you” foods featuring some of its most popular characters to inspire kids worldwide to eat more fruits and vegetables and lead a healthier lifestyle. More than 4.1 billion servings of Disney-branded fruits and vegetables have been served in North America since DCP began tracking in 2006. Disney’s Frozen and Marvel’s Spider-Man-branded bagged apples by Sage are the latest additions and available now at grocery retailers nationwide.
“Beyond the toy aisle, Frozen is also keeping the produce section fresh and cool,” said John T. King, vice president of licensing, consumables, Disney Consumer Products. “The global appeal of our stories and characters gives Disney Consumer Products an opportunity to continue to expand our produce portfolio and empower parents with more nutritious food options for their kids.”
Disney Consumer Products’ summer fruit program with Albertsons significantly increased traffic and produce sales at participating locations. Select Albertson stores created in-store displays to highlight the robust selection of Disney-branded fruits, and hosted kids and family events to encourage healthier eating. Through a recent collaboration with Winn Dixie, consumers were greeted with signage featuring characters from popular Disney properties including Frozen, Disney Princess, and Cars. Select Winn Dixie stores also hosted Disney-themed events with music, activities, and samples of fresh fruits and vegetables. Through new collaborations with DCP, licensees and retailers have seen their produce business thrive, and the impact on families multiply.
Research has shown that more than 94 percent of moms say healthy living is important. More than 60 percent of moms say that making healthy living fun is important to their family, and they look to Disney over other kids’ entertainment brands to be a leader in health and wellness.* As a part of the Disney Magic of Healthy Living initiative, Disney Consumer Products transformed the landscape of Disney-licensed food offerings and maintains a balanced portfolio with 85 percent of all of its U.S. licensed food and beverage products meeting the company’s nutrition guidelines with only 15 percent reserved for special occasion treats. Many of Disney licensed foods also carry the Mickey Check, a tool to help make it easier for kids and families to identify those products that meet the company’s nutrition guidelines.
Disney Magic of Healthy Living partners with parents to inspire kids and families to lead healthier lifestyles. Through engaging content, useful tools and unique experiences, this company-wide initiative helps parents by making nutritious eating and physical activity simple and fun. Under the umbrella, the TRYit campaign, inspires kids to try new foods, fun moves, and simple ways to be their best.
by American Pistachio Growers
FRESNO, Calif.- Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, and another 86 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diet and exercise changes can help to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and new research suggests that eating pistachios may help to lower blood sugar and insulin levels while reversing some indicators of prediabetes.
The study, published in Diabetes Care, a scientific journal of the American Diabetes Association, suggests that pistachios may have glucose- and insulin-lowering effects and promote a healthier metabolic profile in people with prediabetes. This is because the great nutrition in American-grown pistachios – protein, healthy fats and fiber – may all help lower blood glucose. The findings of this new study add to the literature on health benefits of nuts in general, and pistachios in particular.
If recognized early, prediabetes can be prevented and treated. It is estimated that more than 900 million people worldwide exhibit some risk factors and if left untreated, up to seven percent annually will progress to type 2 diabetes. “Something as simple as eating pistachios may help lower blood glucose, improve insulin sensitivity and lessen your risk of diabetes, heart disease or stroke. This is good news for the many people who may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” says Dr. Arianna Carughi, nutrition consultant to American Pistachio Growers, “Additionally, pistachios are lower in calories than other nuts and have higher levels of bioactive compounds like lutein, beta-carotene, gamma tocopherol and phytosterols.”
This randomized, cross-over, controlled clinical study ran from 2011 to February 2013. The study consisted of 54 adults with prediabetes who were divided into two groups. One group ate two ounces of pistachios daily for four months, and then followed a control diet of olive oil and other fats instead of pistachios for four months. The second group began with the control diet followed by the pistachio diet. The diets were matched for protein, fiber and saturated fatty acids.
The researchers confirmed fasting blood sugar levels, insulin and hormonal markers decreased significantly during the pistachio diet compared to the control diet, where these levels and markers actually increased. Signs of inflammation were also reported to have decreased among the pistachio diet. In addition, neither group experienced weight gain.
This is the latest study in a growing body of research that indicates pistachios can play an important role in the diets of those who have or are at risk of developing diabetes. For more information on research related to pistachios and diabetes, visit www.AmericanPistachios.org/Nutrition-and-Health
Supported in part by American Pistachio Growers, the study was undertaken by researchers with the Universitat Rovira I Virguli, Reus and Instituto de Salud Carolos III, both in Spain. None of the funding sources played a role in the design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data.
About American Pistachio Growers
American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit voluntary agricultural trade association representing more than 650 grower members in California, Arizona and New Mexico. APG is governed by a democratically-elected board of directors and is funded entirely by growers and independent processors with the shared goal of increasing global awareness of nutritious American-grown pistachios. APG pistachios are the “Official Snack” of USA Water Polo, professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, British pro cyclist Mark Cavendish and the Miss California Organization. For more information, visit www.AmericanPistachios.org
By the California Walnut Commission
FOLSOM, Calif. — A new animal study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease indicates that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Research led by Abha Chauhan, PhD, head of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR), found significant improvement in learning skills, memory, reducing anxiety, and motor development in mice fed a walnut-enriched diet.
The researchers suggest that the high antioxidant content of walnuts (3.7 mmol/ounce)1 may have been a contributing factor in protecting the mouse brain from the degeneration typically seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Oxidative stress and inflammation are prominent features in this disease, which affects more than five million Americans2.
“These findings are very promising and help lay the groundwork for future human studies on walnuts and Alzheimer’s disease – a disease for which there is no known cure,” said lead researcher Dr. Abha Chauhan, PhD. “Our study adds to the growing body of research that demonstrates the protective effects of walnuts on cognitive functioning.”
The research group examined the effects of dietary supplementation on mice with 6 percent or 9 percent walnuts, which are equivalent to 1 ounce and 1.5 ounces per day, respectively, of walnuts in humans. This research stemmed from a previous cell culture study3 led by Dr. Chauhan that highlighted the protective effects of walnut extract against the oxidative damage caused by amyloid beta protein. This protein is the major component of amyloid plaques that form in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.
Someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease every 67 seconds, and the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are expected to rapidly escalate in coming years as the baby boom generation ages. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may nearly triple, from five million to as many as 16 million, emphasizing the importance of determining ways to prevent, slow or stop the disease. Estimated total payments in 2014 for all individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are $214 billion2.
Walnuts have other nutritional benefits as they contain numerous vitamins and minerals and are the only nut that contains a significant source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) (2.5 grams per ounce), an omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health benefits4,5. The researchers also suggest that ALA may have played a role in improving the behavioral symptoms seen in the study.
This study was supported in part by funds from the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and the California Walnut Commission.
About California Walnut Commission The California Walnut Commission, established in 1987, is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers. The Commission is an agency of the State of California that works in concurrence with the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The CWC is mainly involved in health research and export market development activities. For more industry information, health research and recipe ideas, visit www.walnuts.org.
By The U.S. Potato Board
DENVER — Research published recently in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition demonstrates how people can include potatoes as part of a weight management program.
The study, a collaborative effort between the University of California at Davis and the Illinois Institute of Technology, sought to gain a better understanding of the role of calorie reduction and the glycemic index in weight loss when potatoes are included in the diet.
“Some people have questioned the role of potatoes in a weight loss regimen because of the vegetable’s designation as a high glycemic index food,” explained Dr. Britt Burton-Freeman, PhD, the lead investigator of the study. “However, the results of this study confirm what health professionals and nutrition experts have said for years: it is not about eliminating a certain food or food groups, rather, it is reducing calories that count,” said Burton-Freeman.
Ninety overweight men and women were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) reduced calorie/high GI, (2) reduced calorie/low GI, (3) control group with no calorie or GI restrictions. All three groups were provided potatoes, healthful recipes and instructions to consume 5-7 servings of potatoes per week. At the end of the 12-week study period, the researchers found all three groups had lost weight and there was no significant difference in weight loss between the groups.
“There is no evidence that potatoes, when prepared in a healthful manner, contribute to weight gain. In fact, we are seeing that they can be part of a weight loss program,” said Burton-Freeman.
Interestingly, even the control group reduced their caloric intake and lost weight despite not being provided with a specific calorie restriction. “The fact that all groups, even the control group, lost weight is a curious finding and provides cause for future research,” said co-investigator Dr. Tissa Kappagoda, MD, PhD.
The study results are good news for potato lovers and any consumer who craves the satisfaction of wholesome yet healthy meal options. One medium-size (5.3 ounce) skin-on potato contains just 110 calories per serving, boasts more potassium (620g) than a banana, provides almost half the daily value of vitamin C (45 percent), and contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol.
This study was funded by the United States Potato Board. Visit www.PotatoGoodness.com for a wealth of potato nutrition information and healthy recipes.
For more information on the USPB as the nation’s potato marketing organization, positioned as the “catalyst for positive change,” and the central organizing force in implementing programs that will increase demand for potatoes, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. In an effort to enhance diversity of the Board, USDA encourages women, younger growers, minorities, and people with disabilities to seek positions on the board.
By Produce for Kids
ORLANDO, Fla. – After the close of the 2014 Produce for Kids campaigns, the organization reached a milestone donation of more than $5 million raised to support local children’s charities. Through in-store campaigns, the digital Power Your Lunchbox Pledge, and with the help of retail and produce partners, Produce for Kids is making a substantial impact in local communities.
During Produce for Kids’ 12th year, campaigns were supported by 17 grocery store chains and more than 40 fresh produce companies, raising $453,000 to support children’s charities in retail partners’ local markets.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce that Produce for Kids has surpassed the $5 million mark in total donations raised,” said John Shuman, president, Produce for Kids. “When we started Produce for Kids 12 years ago, we never imagined that it would turn into such a year-round healthy eating resource for families or make the impact it has had in local communities throughout the country.”
New in 2014, Produce for Kids launched the first Power Your Lunchbox Pledge, a digital campaign encouraging families to pack healthier lunchboxes. Through a dedicated microsite, media and blogger outreach, and social media efforts, more than $5,000 was raised to support health and wellness classroom projects through DonorsChoose.org. The campaign resulted in nearly 15 million media impressions and more than 20 million social media impressions. The second annual Power Your Lunchbox Pledge will run from August 3 to September 18, 2015.
Moving into its 13th year, Produce for Kids’ flagship in-store campaign welcomes on several new retail partners. Partnership opportunities are open for produce companies at the following retailers: ACME Markets, Ahold’s GIANT and Martin’s Food Stores, Giant Landover, and Stop & Shop divisions; Associated Wholesale Grocers’ Major Savings, Advantage, Independent, Country Mart, Homeland and United divisions; Meijer Stores; Price Chopper; Publix Super Markets; and Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc.’s Pick n’ Save, Copps Food Center and Metro Market divisions.
In addition, Produce for Kids will be launching a new longer-term kids club loyalty program at Associated Wholesalers, Inc. and Niemann Foods. The full marketing program will include in-store signage, shopper coupon booklets and promo item shipments.
If you’re interested in finding out more about a campaign or how Produce for Kids can support you with your healthy eating initiatives, please contact Mallory Hartz at mallory@produceforkids.com.
About Produce for Kids®
Produce for Kids® is a philanthropically based organization that brings the produce industry together to educate consumers about healthy eating with fresh produce and raises funds for local children’s non-profit organizations. Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc., Produce for Kids has raised more than $5 million to benefit kids. To learn more about Produce for Kids and healthy eating, visit www.produceforkids.com, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.
7 -Eleven, the world’s largest convenience store chain recently rolled out a test in 104 Los Angeles area to sell a line of what the chain calls “nutritionally balanced” fresh sandwiches, wraps and salads — and even cold-pressed juices — under the banner of fitness guru Tony Horton Kitchen.
Horton is the health and fitness executive whose DVD home workout series P90X has sold more than 4 million copies. More recently, he’s delved into better-for-you foods.
For 7-Eleven, it’s not about getting rid of other stuff in order to sell better-for-you items. It’s about offering both. It still will sell beer and cigarettes and Twinkies and hot dogs, but as Millennials and other core customers demand more better-for-you offerings, the chain is eager to expand its lineup of fresh foods and drinks. Health and wellness, after all, is a $50 billion category in the U.S., and growing.
The new menu includes two sandwiches (including Grilled Chicken with blueberry mustard on a whole-grain sub); two salads (including Spicy Quinoa Salad with Chimichurri dressing); two wraps (including Spicy Black Bean Hummus & Vegetables); and four cold-pressed juices (including one that combines apple, celery, beet, ginger, parsley, spinach and lemon).
7-Eleven sells seven times more bananas than it sells Snickers. If the new product line is a hit, it could be extended throughout Southern California and maybe even go national.
Sesame Street-branded products are in, or are planned for over 40 retailers representing more than 19,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada. It is part of what is known as the Eat Brighter! movement.
A series of updates have been added to the program and marketing to allow produce industry members to incorporate the Sesame Street character images, royalty-free, into their marketing strategies. according to a press release from the Produce Marketing Association.
Five retailers received their own licensing to display Eat Brighter! in-store signage and dozens of other retailers have said they will accept Sesame Street-branded in their stores. More retailers are expected to become licensed in coming weeks .
“We’re delighted by the response from both the supply- and buy-side of the industry,” Cathy Burns, president of PMA, said in the release. “We’ve spoken with each and every one of these companies, and they believe in the movement to help kids eat more fruits and vegetables. They are all industry leaders and recognize that success is defined through the collaboration and support they lend to one another.”
“The goal here is grand, but simple — to change the conversation around fresh produce and inspire kids to think about fruits and veggies in a completely different way,” Todd Putman, chief marketing officer of Bolthouse Farms and chairman of PMA’s marketing taskforce, said in the release. “The U.S. is in a serious health crisis — one third of all kids are obese and our industry has the answer. The Eat Brighter! movement is exactly what we need to help the entire industry come together, change that conversation, and ultimately create healthier generations for decades to come.”
By Produce for Better Health Foundation
Hockessin, Del. – Produce for Better Health conducts an annual survey of moms with children 10 years of age and under to assess fruit and vegetable consumption, barriers to increased consumption, and awareness of the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters brand. Key findings over time indicate that moms continue to strongly believe in the benefits of fruits and vegetables and continue to be concerned that their families are not consuming enough of them. The 2008-2009 recession had a significant negative impact on moms’ attitude and behavior regarding fruits and vegetables. In addition, while the Internet remains the top preferred source of information regarding fruits and vegetables, family members were becoming more influential, while other sources were becoming less so.
Providing moms with practical information to increase their family’s consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially while on a budget, will help them follow through with their intentions. PBH’s consumer website, MoreMatters.org, developed specifically with moms in mind, continues to be a growing, reliable source of information for this audience. Insight gleaned from the annual surveys, outlined in PBH’s PBH’s Moms’ Attitudes and Beliefs Related to Fruit & Vegetable Consumption, 2007-2014 report, assist PBH in our continued effort to reach moms.
To make it easy to identify relevant findings, PBH developed an infograph visually highlighting key results of the 2014 annual mom survey. PBH donors and supporters are able and encouraged to reproduce and utilize the infograph as needed. PBH is pleased to recognize the sponsors of the 2007-2014 research report: Bayer CropScience, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Monsanto, and Produce Marketing Association.
About Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) fruit and vegetable education foundation. Since 1991, PBH works to motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables to improve public health. PBH achieves success through industry and government collaboration, first with the 5 A Day program and now with the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters is the nation’s largest public-private, fruit and vegetable nutrition education initiative. To learn more, visit www.PBHFoundation.org and www.FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org. Follow Fruits & Veggies—More Matters on Facebook or Twitter.
PBH is also a member and co-chair with Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) of the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance (NFVA), consisting of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry working to collaboratively and synergistically achieve increased nationwide access and demand for all forms of fruits and vegetables for improved public health. To learn more, visit www.NFVA.org.
Despite all the cheerleading for healthy eating, Americans still eat only about 1 serving of fruit per day, on average. And our veggie consumption, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls short, too.
So, with the back-to-school season underway and families thinking about what to pack in the lunch box, grocers are hoping to entice young consumers and their parents to the produce aisle by creating new, kid-focused snacking sections.
Giant Eagle is in the process of installing the go-to kid sections in about 200 stores in the mid-Atlantic and Ohio. And Walmart is piloting the concept in 30 stores in California, with plans to roll it out to 1,500 stores later this fall.
Bolthouse Farms, the produce company that rolled out the successful extreme baby carrot campaign, is behind the effort.
The company has been developing products such as pureed fruit tubes that kids can suck and slurp, all-fruit smoothies and bags of baby carrots called Veggie Snackers that come with pouches of bright-colored, bold-flavored seasonings.
When kids open the package and shake in the seasoning, the carrots take on some of the characteristics of chips like Doritos. “They give you that crunch and flavor,” says Jeff Dunn, CEO of Bolthouse. “You’re going to lick your fingers, and get that same sensory [experience] you get with salty snacks.”
Dunn, a former Coca-Cola executive, is borrowing a lot of the marketing and design tactics used in the soda and snack industries to drive up demand in the healthy snacks business.
And many grocery retailers are eager to get in on the action. Laura Karet, CEO of Giant Eagle, says when she was first pitched the kid-focused destination in her stores’ produce aisles, she thought, “This is a win-win.”
“When I go into the produce section,” Karet says, “there’s not quite as much going on for [kids] compared to, say, the cereal aisle or the candy shelves.”
And she’s hoping the new approach will make the produce section pop for more kids. The price point, at $3.99 for multi-packs of Fruit Tubes and Veggie Snackers, is competitive, too.
By American Pistachio Growers
FRESNO, Calif. — The benefits of including pistachios in a healthy diet extend to adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a Pennsylvania State University study published online in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, who were otherwise healthy, participated in a randomized, controlled clinical study and showed a more positive response to stress following a diet containing pistachios than when following a standard low-fat control diet. The healthy diet, which included two servings daily of pistachios, significantly reduced peripheral vascular resistance, increased cardiac output, improved some measure of heart rate variability and importantly reduced systolic ambulatory blood pressure.
Dr. Sheila G. West, principal investigator and professor of biobehavioral health and nutritional sciences at Penn State, and her colleagues reported similar beneficial results in a study of adults with elevated LDL cholesterol and stress, published two years ago. Increasingly it has been found that pistachios, both salted and unsalted, contribute to a heart-healthy diet in high-risk groups. Pistachios contain good fats and fiber, potassium and magnesium.
In this Penn State study, test diets included a low-fat control diet with high carbohydrate snacks (27 percent fat and 7 percent saturated fat) compared to a moderate-fat diet (33 percent fat and 7 percent saturated fat) that included 3 ounces, or 20 percent of the calories, from pistachios. The servings consisted
of equal amounts of salted and unsalted nuts. All meals were provided to the 30 participants, an equal number of men and women, ages 40-74. The calorie levels for the subjects were based on the Harris-Benedict equation so that calories and body weight did not change throughout the study.
A two-week run-in period on a typical western diet preceded the first test diet. Participants discontinued all dietary supplements at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the study. These adults were then administered each test diet for four weeks, separated by two-week compliance breaks, randomized and in a counterbalanced order. At the end of each diet period, including the run-in weeks, participants underwent comprehensive testing.
Researchers measured blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance, both at rest and during stress tests, which consisted of holding a hand in ice water for more than two minutes and a difficult math challenge. “After the pistachio diet, blood vessels remained more relaxed and open during the stress tests,” confirmed Dr. West. She continued, “The pistachio diet reduced their bodies’ responses to stress.”
Twenty-four hour systolic blood pressure was significantly lower following the pistachio diet compared to the control diet, with the largest reduction observed during sleep. According to Dr. Kathryn Sauder, a co-investigator who conducted the measurements, “This finding was important because individuals who do not display a dip in blood pressure during sleep may be more likely to experience a cardiovascular event.”
Dr. West concluded, “A moderate-fat diet containing pistachios may be an effective intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk in persons with type 2 diabetes.” In spite of being obese and having a diabetes diagnosis, participants had normal blood pressure and only moderate dyslipidemia. However, even in relatively healthy diabetics, there is room for improvement. The results of this study suggest that a healthy diet containing pistachios can add to the protective effects of drugs for persons with type 2 diabetes.
The researchers suggested future studies should enroll larger samples, include ambulatory blood pressure as a primary outcome and test the effectiveness of pistachio consumption on cardiovascular risk factors in a free-living setting.
The study was supported by the American Pistachio Growers, Fresno, Calif., with partial support from the National Institutes of Health-supported Clinical Research Center at Pennsylvania State University.