In This Issue
WG Stamp now on 10,000 Products
New Health Studies
Conference Videos
Donate Your Products
Goodbye Mallory, Hello Harley
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Whole Grains: Breaking Barriers
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Nov. 9-11, 2014 
 
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An Oldways Family Program

Oldways is a nonprofit food and nutrition education organization, inspiring good health 
through cultural food traditions and lifestyles.
October 2014

Dear Whole Grains Council members,

We're just back from the Lifestyle Medicine 2014 conference -- a gathering in San Diego of doctors promoting diet, exercise, and stress-management as our best "medicine," based on solid evidence that these lifestyle factors are at the root of 70-80% of disease. 

At a time when pseudo-science grain-bashing is widespread, it was refreshing to be surrounded by some of the nation's leaders in the understanding of healthy diets, all of whom recommend eating whole grains. Michael Greger, MD, was just one of many voices dismissing the idea that we should all pass up grains. He said, "Instead, we should all be sitting down at the table and saying, 'Pass the grains and spare the brain' ". Now there's a statement we can agree with!

10,000 Products Approved for WG Stamp

 

WG Stamp Last week the Whole Grains Council hit a major milestone: More than 10,000 products are now approved to use the Whole Grain Stamp. We review and approve several new products each day, so rather than annoint a single product as being officially Product #10,000, we'll tell you about a few products that were in the group that pushed us over the top -- and the trends they embody.  

  • Black Quinoa (R&S Blumos) -- quinoa's popularity continues
  • Vegan Sprouted Rye Flour (Silver Hills Bakery) -- more and more sprouted flours are on the market
  • Fitness Fibra Manzana (Nestlé/CPW) -- sold with the Stamp in Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and more.
  • Bulgogi Beef Street Tacos (EVOL Foods) -- these are NOT your grandmother's whole grains!
  • Bulgur Pilaf with Turkish Spices & Pistachios (Ana Sortun Chef Set) -- these ARE your grandmother's whole grains!

Keep those innovative -- and traditional -- new products coming. Consumers around the world are getting the message: whole grains can be creative, delicious and healthy, all at the same time.

New Health Studies on the WGC Site
Speaking of the health benefits of whole grains, we posted three new studies on the WGC website highlighting research published just this month. They're all very interesting:
  1. Whole grains promote healthy gut microbes -- a good thing, because more diversity in gut microbes is associated with better health.
  2. Whole grains + statins reduce cholesterol further than statins alone. Diet matters; don't count on medication alone!
  3. Whole grains are naturally high in antioxidants, but do these nutrients survive baking temperatures? The answer, fortunately, is yes.
If you have questions about whole grains and health, ask WGC Program Manager (and dietitian extraordinare!) Kelly Toups, RD (kelly@oldwayspt.org or 617-896-4884). She's happy to fact-check your marketing materials or web content.
Marketing Workshop, Videos at Conference
We're just two weeks away from our upcoming conference, and we continue to add sessions and speakers to our top-notch agenda.  One new addition you won't want to miss is our hands-on whole grains marketing workshop, at the end of the day on Monday. With facilitation from branding and social media experts 360PR, you'll get an opportunity to work in teams to learn more about what makes a whole grain message compelling to consumers.

We also have good news for any WGC members who aren't able to join us in Boston: we'll be making videos of the speakers' presentations and sharing as many as possible of them on our website before the end of the year. This is an agenda that's crucial to everyone who cares about setting the science straight about the proven health benefits of whole grains  -- so take advantage of all this key information, whether in person or later online.
"All the food has been simply delicious."
In September, for Whole Grains Month, we ran a fun contest called "Make the Switch" to encourage consumers to switch to whole grains. Nine WGC members donated prizes to the virtual gift basket we sent to one random consumer. That winner was Danielle Liszka, a nutrition and dietetics major at Miami University in Ohio, who wrote this week saying, "All the food has been simply delicious! I love all the wholesome ingredients used to make the foods." 

Donating your products for promotions like this can increase your visibility at almost no cost. Do you want to make sure you're notified next time we have a promotional opportunity like this? Email Harley Songin (harley@oldwayspt.org) to be put on our "I don't want to miss out!" list.

Congratulations also to our three recipe creator winners: Bobbi of Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen; Jennifer of Peanut Butter and Peppers; and Amy of Tiny Farmhouse. Details on our judging and our winners here.
Hello Harley, Goodbye Mallory
For most of the past three years, Mallory Cushman (left in photo) has been the primary contact for WGC members. She processes new memberships, guides members through the Product Registration Form process to get Whole Grain Stamp approval, and coordinates visibility and sponsorship opportunities for our members. Mallory will be leaving the WGC after our upcoming conference for a new job at (yes!) a company that makes whole grain products. Mallory has made tremendous contributions to the WGC -- in addition to gracing us regularly with her delicious home-baked goodies -- and we will miss her greatly.



Following in Mallory's footsteps is the newest member of the Oldways / WGC team, Harley Songin (right in photo). Harley, who previously worked as a clinical research coordinator at Boston Children's Hospital, is looking forward to focusing her efforts on ways to keep kids out of hospitals, through healthier diets. Her experience in areas including event planning and administrative management will ensure that the WGC will continue to run smoothly going forward. Give Harley a warm welcome, next time you call.
Best regards,

Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies
cynthia@oldwayspt.org

Kelly Toups, MLA, RD, LDN
Program Manager
kelly@oldwayspt.org

Mallory Cushman
Stamp Program Manager
mallory@oldwayspt.org

Harley Songin
Program Assistant
harley@oldwayspt.org

... and from all of the Oldways and Whole Grains Council staff