Love Wild Oats? Ready to learn more about the Organic and Natural Food industry, #AffordableOrganics and how you can help? Then join our Twitter Party on Wednesday June 10^th from 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. CST. We’ll cover a variety of interesting topics and best of all, you could win one of three $50 Walmart gift cards. That’s a lot of delicious Wild Oats products!

To enter, simple go on Twitter and join the conversation using #AffordableOrganics

Other than @WildOats, participants will include @BisonDave, @OrganicTrade and @OrganicCenter who will talk about hot topics like non-GMOs, organic farming, organic meal planning and how to make organic foods more affordable and accessible to everyone. Can’t wait to hear your questions and comments when we kick things off at 6:00 pm.!

Canned Tomatoes Nutrition Tidbit

Canned tomatoes are higher in lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Lycopene is a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red color, and is also an anti-oxidant that helps prevent against cancer.

The Nutritional Benefits of Wild Oats Organic Canned Tomatoes:

Nutritionally Authentic:

USDA Certified Organic food product

Nutritionally Accessible:

Shelf-stable pantry solution, easy to store and use quickly in recipes.

Nutritionally Affordable:

Save time: canned tomatoes have their skins removed, so no need to blanch and peel them when making a thin textured homemade marinara sauce, soup or Bloody Mary mix.

Save calories: tomatoes are a very “umami” food, so they are a natural, low calorie flavor enhancer.

Medical Nutrition Therapy Tips and Solutions:

Cancer: Prevent prostate, lung, and stomach cancers by consuming Wild Oats canned tomatoes which, because they are organic, also drastically lower in pesticide residue than conventionally grown tomatoes, further reducing your risk for all types of cancer.

Wound Healing: Tomatoes are naturally rich in Vitamin K, which aids in wound healing and the formation of blood clots.

Heart Health: Consume tomatoes to preserve a healthy cardiovascular system.

High Blood Pressure: Option for Wild Oats Organic No Sodium Added Canned Tomatoes to reduce daily salt intake.

Immune Function: Eating canned tomatoes helps ward off colds and prevent us from getting sick all year around, even when tomatoes aren’t in season.

It’s easy to get creative with this yummy and nutritious grain because it pairs well with all kinds of foods. We like mixing our Organic Traditional Quinoa with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and our Organic Red Lentil Harissa Hummus. Which Wild Oats quinoa do you prefer, red or traditional? Let us know your preference for a chance to win a Wild Oats prize pack. Comment or reply on our Twitter or Facebook page and you’re automatically entered!

To share on Facebook, simply comment on our Mission Monday post by 8:59pm PT/11:59pm ET tonight to be entered to win!

To share on Twitter, tweet us with #WildOatsMission and #sweeps by 8:59pm PT/11:59pm ET tonight to be entered to win!

Full Sweepstakes rules and details can be found here: bit.ly/1DoNN9U

One dietary plan that keeps showing up in the medical literature is the Mediterranean Diet (the “MedDiet”).  I have written about some of the health benefits before because …. well … the MedDiet is not a “diet”, it is a way of choosing our foods.  It has nothing to do with restricting calories.

Last week we looked at how the MedDiet improves mood and memory in just 10 days!  In February we looked at how the MedDiet combates Metabolic Syndrome .  In March we talked about the anti-aging effects of the MedDiet .

Now, a new study  from a research team at Columbia University shows that following a MedDiet is associated with preserved (larger) brain volume throughout adulthood.  As we age, our brains become smaller (this is called atrophy) and this is associated with things like decreased memory, problem solving, mental sharpness and even Alzheimer’s Disease.

In this study, the researchers did brain MRIs on the participants looking at brain volume (size) and cortical thickness.  Cortical thickness is directly associated with improved learning and mental functioning.  It is the “gray matter” of our brains!  This study included 674 people living in New York City.  Their adherence to a MedDiet eating style was scored from 0 to 9 (zero equaling no MedDiet and 9 being the highest adherence to a MedDiet).  The MRI results showed larger total brain volume and total gray matter volume in the participants scoring in the higher range (5 – 9) than the low scorers (0-4).

The researchers also looked at 9 different food components and found that higher fish intake was associated with the best MRI results as was lower meat intake.   In this study they did not look at how the fish was prepared but other researchers have found that eating baked or broiled fish was associated with cognitive ability and more gray matter too!

What’s our take home message?
●  There is more evidence that following a Mediterranean style eating plan is a good idea.
●  We don’t need to be a “poster child” for the MedDiet to experience its benefits.
●  Take steps to move our family eating style toward a MedDiet.
●  Progress is important here, not perfection!
Remember that the MedDiet is based on a different “food pyramid” than the SAD Diet (Standard American Diet).  The MedDiet Food Pyramid  has 4 basic food groups:
# 1  –  Every meal:  fruits, vegetables, grains (mostly whole), olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs and spices –
#2   –  Eaten often, at least two times per week: fish and seafood  –
#3   –  Eaten in moderate portions daily or less often but at least weekly: poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt  –
#4   –  Eaten on occasion: meats and sweets.

Last month was Mediterranean Diet month!  Were you inspired to pay attention to your food choices?  I hope you were.  And how about combining organic with it!  That is the focus around our house for sure.  We are consistent on “going organic” and each week we make a mental effort on “going Mediterranean” too.  It really isn’t an effort, it’s a habit that just gets easier all the time.  Hey, the food is delicious and healthy.  Delicious and Healthy!!  I can’t think of a good reason not to enjoy these benefits … and my gray matter agrees!  Yours does too I bet …

Additional Resources:
Why Metabolic Syndrome is not good

Baked or broiled fish boost brain health

The grey matter of the brain

Washington State’s List of Safe Fish

If you are having trouble figuring out what your children are going to do during the next three months of summer vacation, don’t blame the farmers. They aren’t responsible for school being out in the summer.

There is a common belief that summer vacations are a legacy of our agrarian history…a relic of a time when schools let out so that children could work on their farms. It makes total sense. That is, of course, unless you understand farming.

Every day is generally a work day on the farm, but spring and fall are the peak seasons.

In farming, the hard work for most crop farmers begins as soon as the spring sun warms the soil. That’s when there are long days tilling the ground and planting the crops. Meanwhile, cattle ranchers are out in their pastures around the clock helping mother cows deliver the year’s crop of calves.

In fall, crops must be harvested, processed and stored. Ranchers head out to gather their herds to wean the calves and check the health of their animals going into the winter months.

That’s not to say that summers aren’t busy. Winter wheat farmers will be harvesting their crops across the Midwest in June and July, and alfalfa growers will be out on summer evenings baling hay. But summer certainly isn’t the crunch time in farming. And summer vacations didn’t come about because of the farming calendars.

No, summer vacations likely came around because it simply gets so darned hot in the summer.