Have you participated in Meatless Monday yet? If not, today could be the day! Thanks to many Wild Oats items like organic pasta, grains, frozen veggies and vegetable-based sauces, whipping up a meatless main course is easy. Share your favorite, most delicious vegetarian dish with us for a chance to win a Wild Oats prize pack. Comment or reply with your selection on our Twitter or Facebook page and you’re automatically entered!

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

To share your dish on Twitter, tweet about it including #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

My, how the time flies.

This month marks the first anniversary of Wild Oats’ launch into the American marketplace with a mission to make healthy organic food more affordable and accessible.

Events over the past 12 months underscore why it’s so important that more families have access to organic food. The recent announcements by several large food companies and restaurant chains that they will be phasing out chicken raised with antibiotics follows a growing mountain of evidence that antibiotic use in agriculture is contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

In December, the United Nations declared 2015 the International Year of Soils, a move designed to draw worldwide attention to the fragile state of the earth’s thin layer that provides life for all of us.

And, last month, the World Health Organization declared glyphosate–the common element in the most prevalent weed killer in agriculture–to be a probable carcinogen.

The common element in all of these issues is food: How it’s raised, processed and sold. A typical shopper doesn’t have the time today to do the extensive research regarding which foods are healthiest, along with which are produced in harmony with nature.

Farmers markets have exploded across the country as one outlet to provide people with access to that healthy food. But even shoppers at farmers markets still purchase most of their groceries in a traditional brick and mortar store. And, the USDA organic seal of the food in those stores is a quick, simple way to know that the food was produced without antibiotics, synthetic pesticides, and with a strong respect for nature.

Unfortunately, until last April, most of that organic food was beyond the financial reach of a typical family.

Wild Oats began a revolution last April to change that. Wild Oats recognized that growing organic food involves additional costs and complexity. But the high cost of organic food has largely been the result of inefficient and expensive transportation, manufacturing and distribution expenses. The focus has been to make those segments of the organic pipeline as efficient as possible so that consumers—and organic farmers—can jointly benefit.

One year later, the battle is far from won, but thousands more families across America are now able to enjoy wholesome organic food.

April has been designated as National Cancer Control month. When did that happen? Well, on March 28, 1938 a joint resolution was passed by the U.S. Congress that each year the president of the United States will sign a Presidential Proclamation that will designate April as Cancer Control Month.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first proclamation in 1940 and for the last 75 years there has been a new Presidential Proclamation every year!

Here we are … 75 years later … and this dreaded health issue now affects virtually every American family!  According to the CDC ,   cancer is #1 non-trauma cause of death for all of us between the ages of 1 and 64! After age 65, heart disease moves ahead putting cancer into the #2 spot. The risks of being diagnosed with cancer and of dying from cancer continues on at an alarming rate.

When it comes to cancer, the best situation would be to never develop it!  We all can agree of that point. Prevention is so much nicer than intervention!

We cannot change our genetic component which accounts for 5 – 10% of cancers.  So, 90% of the time, any given cancer has developed because of lifestyle choices or exposure to cancer causing agents.  We can’t control everything but we can try to be aware and use good judgment!  Our choices can increase or decrease our risks.  A few examples  …
●  What foods do we eat?
●  Are we exposed to cigarette smoke and other chemcials in the air that we breath?
●  How much sun exposure do we have?
●  How do we manage our weight?
●  Do  we exercise and keep physically fit?
●  How much alcohol do we drink?

All of these, and many other lifestyle choices can make our odds of hearing the words ‘You have cancer” go up or down.  We are active participants in the storyline of our lives and our children’s lives.

Here is a quote from President Obama’s 2014 Proclamation  …. “I encourage citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other interested groups to join in activities that will increase awareness of what Americans can do to prevent and control cancer.”

Here at Wild Oats we are committed to providing healthy and economical food options, none of which contain any of the “125 no-no” ingredients.  This can be one very good part of your healthy choices plan!

Thanks to the scientific and medical community, survival rates after a cancer diagnosis are improving!  We can certainly be glad for all the advances that are being made there.

Let’s do our part on the prevention side.  What will you choose to do in this month of April?  Our blog posts are full of health promoting ideas.  Let’s pick a few new things to include in our lifestyle choices.  We have everything to gain!  And cancer to stamp out!

Looking to brighten up your look without buying makeup with questionable ingredients? Check out some reasons to choose non-toxic makeup and some easy natural picks to give you the fresh appearance you desire.

Foundation – Rejuva Minerals Bronzer and Powder
This amazing foundation product is like two products in one. You’ll find a variety of pure, natural ingredients including nourishing jojoba and antioxidants from fruits and berries. Apply with a makeup brush and build to a medium, silky smooth finish that makes your face glow! Plus, it’s free of common skin irritants including mica, bismuth oxychloride and titanium dioxide. A celeb favorite! www.rejuvaminerals.com

Nail Polish – Treat Collection Nail Polish
Did you know that conventional nail polish can be chalk full of questionable chemicals? Treat Collection offers an array of glamorous nail polishes that are free of the toxic five often found in other polishes – Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluoene,  DBP and Camphor.  Make sure to check out the nail polish called Date Night, which is a sexy, dark red that puts some va-voom into your beauty routine. www.treatcollection.com

Eye Makeup – Zuzu Luxe by Gabriel Cosmetics
Inspired by the European spa tradition, the ZuZu Luxe luxury color cosmetics line blends soothing ingredients such as spring water, herbs and vitamins. My favorites from the line are the amazing ultra-smooth, brilliant eye liner pencils that are enriched with vitamins and herbal extracts to gently smooth and protect the delicate eye area. www.gabrielcosmeticsinc.com

Should your boss or the principal of your school suddenly announce over the intercom today, “Okay, everybody, take a hike!” you might think it was his or her idea of an April fool’s gag.

But not if you know the “other” significance of the first day of April – that is, National Walking Day 2015.

In fact, today marks the ninth annual observance of the event, which is part of the American Heart Association’s “My Heart, My Life” initiative.

In keeping with the occasion, you’re invited to “join millions of people across the nation as they wear their sneakers to work or school and pledge to start a healthier lifestyle” by walking for at least 30 minutes.

Of course, the idea isn’t just to do that once a year. Promoters of the event hope it will make participants feel so good, they’ll continue to do it every day – or at least, as often as possible.

So why do all that walking – especially when you have so many other activities occupying your day?  Well, here are some of the reasons:

• Regular walking has been shown to improve cardiovascular health by helping to maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, improving your heart’s pumping capacity, stabilizing blood-pressure levels, reducing your resting cardiac rate and increasing levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol.
• Walking helps to alleviate stress, anxiety and depression – and is an excellent way of relieving the pressures of work or school.
• Taking daily walks increases the flow of blood to your brain, which makes you more alert, creative and productive. In fact, a study sponsored by the National Council on Aging found that people over 60 exhibited greater mental sharpness once they began walking at a rate of a mile every 16 minutes for 45 minutes a day.

One of the best things about walking, of course, is that you can do it either as a solo, family or social activity. Some companies even conduct informal business meetings while out on walks –turning what some employees might consider a sleep-inducing session into a zippy one instead. You can even walk while teleconferencing!

And you can do all that while you’re out enjoying the fresh air and sunshine – and even “communing with nature.”

Now, you may not have the time and endurance to do walk as many miles as some dedicated walkers I know are in the habit of doing (measuring their progress with a pedometer). Getting out for 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week, is what’s usually recommended to reap the many benefits of this most basic form of exercise. And the best part is, you can do it in increments – not necessarily all at once.

And, of course, if you own a dog, the chances are you’ll be doing at least that much walking, in all kinds of weather.

So even if you’re not in the habit of wearing sneakers or walking shoes to work, it might be a good idea to keep some at your desk – and if nothing else, “steal” ten minutes or so from your lunch break for a quick walk.

Just think of it as “walking for your life.”