Archive For The “Health” Category
By Melissa Ackerman
Prescription produce is on a mission to reshape healthcare by proactively addressing diseases like heart disease and diabetes through dietary management. Shocking statistics reveal that only 1 in 10 Americans consume the recommended fresh produce, while 8 out of 10 healthcare dollars treat preventable chronic diseases. This shift underscores the preventive potential of a nutritious diet, extending beyond conventional medications.
The National Produce Prescription Collaborative notes a rising trend in healthcare providers and insurers advocating for these prescriptions among eligible patients facing health risks or food insecurity. With over 100 pilot programs nationwide, spanning Medicaid, Medicare, private employers, and federal healthcare systems, this movement is expanding rapidly—and Planet Harvest is excited to be a part of it.
Planet Harvest is spearheading innovation in healthcare accessibility, partnering with entities like UT Health and impactful nonprofits such as Brighter Bites to enhance fresh produce availability within communities.
Going beyond typical delivery methods, Planet Harvest deeply integrates itself within communities. Through strategic alliances with distributors and dedicated nonprofits, the company distributes fresh produce in innovated access points in rural areas, religious establishments, community centers and shelters.
Resourceful in their approach, Planet Harvest is in enhancing healthcare accessibility by leveraging their established network of distributors and last-mile solutions. For instance, their introduction of mobile food ‘farmacies’ utilizes assets from distributor partners, strategically parking them within five miles of the patient’s residence and deploying last-mile delivery solutions directly to their doorsteps.
Recognizing the shortcomings in current infrastructure, Planet Harvest steps in to bridge these gaps, positioning itself as a driving force in transforming healthcare through prescription produce.
Planet Harvest actively works to move products into commerce that were historically considered unsaleable through its affiliated distribution network, thereby minimizing the environmental and economic impacts of food losses.
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Melissa Ackerman is the founder and CEO of Planet Harvest, a mission-based company dedicated to revolutionizing the way people enjoy fresh produce. Committed to driving consumption and accessibility, the company focuses on refining supply chains and introducing rescued produce into daily lives, all while championing a sustainable future. With over 14 years of leadership experience in the produce industry, Melissa Ackerman possesses a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing growers, distributors, retailers, consumers, and healthcare providers. Her passion lies in finding the right balance between doing business and doing good, all the while seeking innovative solutions to improve the quality and accessibility of fresh, nutritious food.
DALLAS — Avocados From Mexico®, the number one selling avocado brand in the U.S., is uniting good health and good times with one partnership. As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, the brand is joining forces with the Cure Bowl, a college football postseason bowl game benefiting breast cancer research. Avocados From Mexico will be the title sponsor of the 2023 Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl, held in Orlando, Florida on December 16. Funds raised from the Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl will directly benefit cancer research organizations.
Now in its ninth year, the Cure Bowl is more than a game: It’s a platform that brings football teams and fans together to find a cure for cancer. Since 2015, the Cure Bowl, operated by the Orlando Sports Foundation in collaboration with ESPN Events, has helped raise $4.1 million for cancer research, fighting cancers like breast cancer, which affects one in eight women.1 A cause that matters to so many women is a cause that’s also important to Avocados From Mexico, as 74% of avocado buyers are female.2
The brand is also a proud partner of Susan G. Komen®, the world’s largest nonprofit source of funding for breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer, and teamed up with the organization for the third consecutive year to turn produce aisles pink during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“We’re honored to be a part of the Cure Bowl, to support breast cancer awareness and research, and to make a positive impact during football season,” said Alvaro Luque, President and CEO of Avocados From Mexico. “Football games are one of the top occasions for Avocados From Mexico to be enjoyed, and avocados are a nutritious food that can support a healthy lifestyle. Now, we have the opportunity to bring our brand’s good times and good health together with the Cure Bowl for a good cause.”
And as any football fan knows, a big, sharable bowl of guacamole is an iconic part of a good game day celebration with family and friends. Half of the shoppers who are preparing for football watch parties say that avocados are served at their gatherings in connection with football games3 because no football watch party is complete without guac. And, avocados have good fats and almost 20 vitamins and minerals that support a healthy lifestyle4.
“Every year, we hold the Cure Bowl to use football as a platform to raise funds and awareness for cancer research and we are so proud to be embarking on the ninth year of this mission with Avocados From Mexico,” said Cure Bowl Executive Director and Orlando Sports Foundation CEO Alan Gooch, “Football and guac are great partners, so we’re pleased to have Avocados From Mexico as our title sponsor, helping us deliver a college football bowl game that funds cancer research.”
The Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. The participating teams for this year’s game will be announced Sunday, December 3.
Sources:
1komen.org/breast-cancer/risk-factor/race-ethnicity/
2Numerator; Avocados From Mexico 2023 data
3 Shopper Journey A&U
4Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. They provide naturally good fats and nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. Source: https://avocadosfrommexico.com/avocado-nutrition/
To learn more about Avocados From Mexico, visit https://avocadosfrommexico.com, Facebook (facebook.com/avocadosfrommexico), Instagram (@avocadosfrommexico) or Twitter (@AvosFromMexico).
About Avocados From Mexico
Avocados From Mexico is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), formed for the purpose of advertising, promotion, public relations and research for all stakeholders of Avocados From Mexico. Under agreements, MHAIA and the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers & Packers of Mexico (APEAM) have combined resources to fund and manage Avocados From Mexico, with the intent to provide a focused, highly- effective and efficient marketing program in the United States. Avocados From Mexico is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
About Orlando Sports Foundation
The Orlando Sports Foundation (OSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for cancer research. The OSF holds several events throughout the year, including the Cure Bowl, which is an NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) college football bowl game played each December.
LOS ANGELES – POM Wonderful, the worldwide leader of California-grown pomegranates and the No. 1 pomegranate juice in North America, today launched its nationwide campaign, “Real Life is Scary: Protect Yourself With POM.” The campaign aims to empower consumers to fortify their defenses against free radicals – the unstable molecules that can cause damage to our bodies over time – by protecting themselves with the antioxidant power of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice.
In a series of comedically spooky ads, the health antagonists – manifested by ghosts, aliens, and vampires – represent free radicals that pop up in everyday locations: business elevators, the laundromat and movie theaters. With every sip of POM Juice, the polyphenols in POM protect the protagonist against the chaotic free radicals.
While the human body naturally maintains everyday levels of these free-radical molecules, external factors including smoking, stress, and environmental pollutants can escalate their production. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals and can reduce damage over time.
“The past few years have brought an even greater awareness to our health,” said Margaret Keene, chief creative officer at Wonderful Agency. “Through this campaign, we wanted to bring a lighthearted approach that shows how these moments are made easier when you have an antioxidant defense, highlighting POM’s health benefits in an imaginative yet relatable way.”
The campaign was developed by The Wonderful Company’s in-house creative team at Wonderful Agency led by Keene. The spots were filmed in Prague and directed by Randy Krallman.
“I’m excited to bring a new approach to our marketing that is playful and promotes the well-being of our consumers,” said Benal Serin, senior vice president of marketing at POM Wonderful. “In a time when consumers are looking for better-for-you options, POM Juice is the Antioxidant Superpower® and a daily defense against free radicals. We hope to educate and inspire consumers to take control of their health.”
The campaign will run on targeted in-stream on connected TV, digital and mobile, linear TV, and cinema, as well as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and at select Spotlight Cinema theaters.
For more information, and for the latest updates on POM Wonderful, please visit POMWonderful.com or @POMWonderful on Instagram.
About POM Wonderful
POM Wonderful is the largest grower and producer of fresh pomegranates and pomegranate juice in the United States as well as the worldwide leader in fresh California pomegranates and pomegranate-based products including our 100% pomegranate juice, healthy juice blends, and teas. We grow, handpick, and juice our own pomegranates to ensure the highest quality. POM Wonderful is part of The Wonderful Company, a privately held company with a portfolio that includes other No. 1 brands such as Wonderful® Pistachios, FIJI® Water, Wonderful® Halos®, JUSTIN® wine, and Teleflora®. To learn more about The Wonderful Company, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To view the current Corporate Social Responsibility report, visit www.wonderful.com/csr.
As part of a food-as-medicine strategic initiative, Kroger Health, the healthcare division of Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co., is collaborating with Performance Kitchen to offer medically tailored meals (MTMs) aimed at improving consumers’ overall health and potentially saving the nation billions in health care costs.
The partnership marks the first time Kroger Health is offering evidence-based, registered dietitian-approved meals that will offer nutrition intervention for people who are living with various health conditions including diabetes, heart disease and cancer, according to a news release. MTMs are created to meet the specific needs of individuals and may significantly improve a person’s overall health and wellness while providing access to nutritious foods, the release said.
“We believe in empowering people with resources to help them make healthy choices that will deliver the best outcomes for them,” James Kirby, Kroger Health chief commercial officer, said in the release. “Offering MTMs allows us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to supporting individuals on their wellness journeys, while providing a personalized approach to help them transform their health. Through better options and access, we are assisting people in improving their quality of life, disease prevention and management.”
A recent evidence review and national simulation modeling study by researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University estimated that MTM programs could help prevent 1.6 million hospitalizations and save health insurers $13.6 billion across the country in one year after paying for the cost of food, the release said. Over 10 years, the health care cost-savings from MTM program participants where they receive 10 MTMs per week for eight months were estimated to reach $185.1 billion, on top of the cost of the MTMs.
Performance Kitchen and Kroger Health are focused on implementing food as medicine into people’s daily lifestyles, the release said. To encourage consumption, the medically tailored meals are crafted to meet nutritional standards while considering the needs of increasingly diverse populations and the inclusion of culturally relevant foods, according to the release.
The Performance Kitchen and Kroger Health MTMs include options such as Chicken Dijon with Kale, Moroccan Style Chicken with Quinoa, Vegetable Chickpea Curry, and Salmon Pasta.
Kroger Health is able to pair the MTMs with preexisting Kroger Health services such as virtual appointments with registered dietitians and access to healthy groceries for a holistic approach to improving nutrition security and patient outcomes, the release said.
Performance Kitchen’s team of chefs, doctors and registered dietitians seeks to deliver nutritionally balanced meals by using high-quality proteins, full servings of vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains and fiber, while limiting sodium and added sugar. The meals are frozen, single-serve and ready to heat, making them convenient for people who are concerned about the amount of time it takes to prepare and cook a healthy meal, the release said.
All Performance Kitchen meals crafted for the collaboration are also approved by Kroger Health registered dietitians, according to the release.
“MTMs help us achieve our goal of making sure people have access to food that helps them feel their best and improve their health,” Taylor Newman, Ph.D., a registered dietitian nutritionist and director of nutrition for Kroger Health, said in the release. “While the meals are personalized for an individual’s specific health condition, we’re also proud to offer a variety of culturally diverse recipes and flavors to make sure everyone’s needs are met.”
The collaboration with Performance Kitchen is the latest initiative from Kroger Health’s Food as Medicine platform, which comes after the release of SuperWIN, a retail-based randomized controlled trial, and the company’s participation in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
“We’re excited to work with Kroger Health in our unified goal of empowering the country to live healthier lives through food,” Mark Walker, chairman and CEO of Performance Kitchen, said in the release. “In a country where we spend $4.3 trillion on sick care annually, states and insurance companies that have begun offering millions of Americans these new meal benefits, along with organizations like Kroger Health who are making these benefits available, should be celebrated. Together, we are pioneering a new horizon of preventative care through nutritious food.”
Payers, providers, employers, and community organizations interested in learning more about Kroger Health and Performance Kitchen’s medically tailored meal collaboration should contact khb2b@krogerhealth.com.
Kroger Health and the Kroger Family of Pharmacies and clinics operate more than 2,200 pharmacies and more than 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 17 million customers annually.
Performance Kitchen says it provides the next generation of chronic disease management through healthy medically tailored meals, paid for by insurance and delivered directly to consumers’ homes.
By Ken Cavallaro Jr., ALC Boston
Pixar Animation Studios brought mental health to the big screen with its award-winning Inside Out, a movie highlighting the conflicting emotions humans face during major life events. These warring emotions can be especially difficult for truck drivers. Tasked with driving an 80,000-pound vehicle loaded with potentially over $250,000 worth of product through endless stretches of road and frustrating traffic snares for twelve hours a day is further complicated by carriers missing quality time with family and friends, disrupted sleep patterns, and often a less than stellar diet.
A survey by the National Library of Medicine shows almost 28% of truckers surveyed reported suffering from loneliness on the road, while 27% reported depression, 21% reported chronic sleep disturbances, 14.5% reported anxiety, and 13% reported other emotional difficulties. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “truckers experience higher rates of obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, divorce, drug use, and suicide.” After celebrating Truck Driver Appreciation Week last month, it’s important that we continue recognizing and advocating for these essential workers who contribute to making our day-to-day lives possible.
Ronald Allen of Points West Express, a second-generation truck driver, has traversed the country for the past 49 years. According to Ronald, missing family events caused the greatest stress during his lengthy driving career. He also attributes difficulty finding time to sleep as contributing to his high-stress level.
“Following what my father did, this is all I knew, which was the best way to provide for my family, and what got me through the day was knowing they were financially ok,” said Ronald.
At Allen Lund Company, we pride ourselves on providing exceptional service to shippers and growers nationwide. Supporting truck drivers that help us achieve this goal – hard-working people like Ronald – is a top priority at our company. As logistics specialists, it is important to remember the challenges drivers face and be sensitive to their struggles so we can help them feel like the respected and valuable members of the supply chain that they are. We might not be able to control their diet, exercise, or sleep habits, but we can listen attentively, share kind words, and practice patience.
Everyone should take a few extra minutes to engage with drivers and ask about their day. In the long run, our extra effort to treat a driver as a person and not just a load number will also benefit our customers. A driver who feels respected will most likely be calmer, more attentive, and ultimately deliver a load with more care. We might not be trained psychologists specializing in mental health, but kindness and sensitivity can go a long way to easing the emotional burdens of our drivers. Knowing we value the person behind the wheel as more than just another load might just be what a driver needs to settle those shifting emotions and safely deliver on time.
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Kenneth Cavallaro, Jr. is a carrier manager in the Boston office. He began his career at the Allen Lund Company in February of 2019. Kenneth has been in the transportation industry since May of 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Salem State University.
kenneth.cavallaro@allenlund.com
This is a post from the Alliance for Food and Farming on September 12, 2023:
Just in time for “National Fruits and Veggies Month,” a new study on the health benefits of produce prescriptions was published.
The peer reviewed study found that when doctors and health-care providers “prescribed” fruits and vegetables, patients ate more produce, lost weight and experienced significant reductions in blood pressure.
Researchers studied over 3,800 people from low-income neighborhoods who received food vouchers through nine programs in 12 states. The participants received vouchers or cards worth $15 to $300 per month to buy more fruits and vegetables from farmers markets and grocery stores.
At the end of the study, adults reported eating an average of 0.85 additional cups of fruits and vegetables per day or 30 percent more each day. Children in the study ate 0.26 cups more or about 7 percent more per day. According to the study authors, the effect of more fruits and vegetables on blood pressure in adults was about half that of commonly prescribed medications, which is notable for a change in diet.
This new study complements previous studies examining produce prescriptions.
One study from Tufts University found that “prescriptions” for fruits and veggies would prevent 1.93 million cardiovascular events (such as heart attacks) and 350,000 deaths, as well as cut healthcare costs by $40 billion.
With only one in 10 of Americans eating enough produce each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the health community continues to look for ways to increase consumption of these nutrient-dense foods.
Studies and analyses on produce prescription program results show promise in their ability to improve diets and consumer health.
The study results also underscore the importance of consumers having access to more affordable and available fruits and vegetables, especially during periods of rising costs and inflation.
Consumer choice is a key Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) message. The AFF encourages consumers to choose the fruits and vegetables they enjoy and are affordable and accessible for them but choose to eat more every day for better health and a longer life.
Step aside, kale—there’s a new superfood on the scene. Agriculture and nutrition experts have recently identified the healthiest vegetable on Earth.
The CDC assigns nutrition density scores to produce based on their concentration of essential vitamins and minerals. Usual suspects like spinach, chard, and beet greens all have scores ranging in the 80s. But the only vegetable to earn a perfect score of 100 is watercress.
“What’s watercress?” you may ask. This leafy green is part of the Brassicaceae family and grows in bodies of fresh water, like streams and ponds. It’s closely related to cabbage, kale, radishes, and mustard. Its scientific name, Nasturtium officinale, translates from Latin as “nose twister.” And if you’ve ever taken a bite of the mature leaves, you know why.
Daily prune consumption has promising effects on several biomarkers related to cardiovascular health, according to new research by the American Society of Nutrition (ASN).
The study was conducted in postmenopausal women and men 55 years and older, revealing that, in men, long-term prune consumption improved HDL cholesterol and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, while decreasing oxidative stress and the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein.
HDL is commonly known as “good cholesterol”, and inflammatory biomarkers are released during tumor growth. They are highly associated with stages of cancer progression
Previous research has shown that daily prune consumption can support gut health, bone health, and weight management.
As for older women, consumption had no negative effect on various metabolic measures related to heart disease risk including total cholesterol, total triglycerides, fasting glucose, and insulin levels.
“We want to advance the research on this topic area to better understand how prune consumption relates to cardiometabolic health outcomes, especially in the aging population that often experiences an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease,” says Pennsylvania State University professor Mary Jane De Souza.
The results of both studies were presented at the ASN annual flagship meeting in Boston, MA recently.
“While all fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients, prunes make for an easy, convenient and versatile snack or recipe ingredient that is accessible year-round and can help support consumers’ cardiovascular health goals,” adds Nutrition Advisor for the California Prune Board, Andrea N. Giancoli.
The ASN convenes researchers, practitioners, global and public health professionals, policymakers and advocacy leaders, industry, media, and other related professionals to advance nutrition science and its practical application.
Passion fruit is native to Peru’s Amazon region, and its high nutritional value has granted it popularity around the world.
The seeds have high oil content and are easily digestible, and its peel is rich in pectin, which is a natural gelling agent that can also be used to combat constipation.
It is low in fat, and has tranquilizing and detoxifying properties.
“Because of its important nutritional properties, passion fruit is in demand by the juice and cosmetics industry, hence it is expected to be in the top 5 of the most exported Peruvian fruits,” reports the Peru Exporter’s Association.
Daily strawberry consumption was linked to improved cognitive function, lower blood pressure and higher antioxidant capacity in a randomized clinical trial presented at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society of Nutrition (ASN).
The study, conducted at San Diego State University, builds on previous research demonstrating the cardiovascular, metabolic and cognitive health benefits of strawberries.
The double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 35 healthy men and women, aged 66 to 78. Participants consumed 26 grams of freeze-dried strawberry powder, equivalent to two servings of strawberries daily, or a control powder for eight weeks each.
Following strawberry consumption, cognitive processing speed increased by 5.2%, systolic blood pressure decreased by 3.6% and total antioxidant capacity significantly increased by 10.2%. Waist circumference decreased by 1.1% during both the control and intervention arms of the trial. While consuming the control powder, participants experienced increased serum triglycerides.
“This study demonstrates that consuming strawberries may promote cognitive function and improve cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension,” said Shirin Hooshmand, professor in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at San Diego State and principal investigator on the study. “We’re encouraged that a simple dietary change, like adding strawberries to the daily diet, may improve these outcomes in older adults.”
Strawberries are a source of many bioactive compounds. In addition to providing 100% of our daily vitamin C needs, strawberries contain heart-healthy nutrients like folate, potassium, fiber, phytosterols and polyphenols.
Previous clinical trials have connected strawberry consumption to improvements in several markers for cardiovascular disease, including reduced total and LDL cholesterol (TC) and lower blood pressure.
The link between strawberry consumption and brain health has also been well explored in both clinical and population-based studies. Strawberries and pelargonidin, a biochemical primarily found in strawberries, were associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s dementia in studies conducted at Rush University. Long-term observational studies, including the Health Professionals Study and the Nurses’ Health Study, found that strawberry consumers had lower rates of cognitive decline.