Freekeh has been popular in Middle Eastern culture for centuries, but North Americans are only now starting to catch on. A great alternative to quinoa, Freekeh is wheat that is harvested while it’s still green and roasted over an open fire to burn off the husks. This firm, chewy grain has a nutty flavour and is sold whole or cracked. Additionally, because it’s young wheat, it has a high protein and mineral content. Freekeh is also a great source of B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Health Canada says humans can eat canary seeds
Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved canary seed for human consumption.
Similar in size to a flaxseed, this high-protein, gluten-free grain can now be incorporated whole into energy bars, snack bars, hamburger buns, bagels, and ground into flour for use in baked goods.
The bulk of the world’s canary seed crops are grown and exported by farmers in Saskatchewan, so this new finding greatly benefits them.
Carol Ann Patterson, food scientist with Pathfinders Research and Management Ltd., says, “From a protein perspective, compared to other cereals, canary seed ranks up there and that’s why it’s so good for gluten-free applications because right now a lot of the flours that are used … don’t have the same nutrient composition as canary seed would have in terms of fatty acids, in terms of the vitamins, in terms of fibre and in terms of protein content.”
Suro Exclusive
Suro, an organic medicinal company, has just signed exclusively with Purity Life. Purity Life is Canada’s number one supplier of natural health products, directly servicing over 5,000 health food, pharmacy and practitioner accounts across Canada.
Suro previously had their line divided with Purity Life and Eco Idea.
How much do humans really prioritize physical activity?
While the physical, social and mental benefits of physical activity are globally understood, a recent study from Reebok suggests that we may not be putting our knowledge into action. The report, which investigates how humans spend their time on earth, suggests the average human will spend less than one per cent of their entire life exercising. This research was done to support the launch of “25,915 Days,” a new Reebok brand campaign.
The campaign correlates to the average number of days in a lifetime, and aims to inspire people worldwide to honor each day they have been given. Nine countries were assessed during the study, which disclosed that the average human would spend just 0.69 per cent of their life exercising – or 180 of their 25,915 days. To put this number into perspective, Reebok also looked at the time we spend using technological devices, discovering that 41 per cent of an average human life—or 10,625 days—is spent engaging with objects like mobile phones, computers and tablets.
“As a brand dedicated to promoting and supporting health and fitness around the world, we felt compelled to shine a light on the disparities between what we may aspire to achieve and what we’re willing to do about it,” says Yan Martin, vice-president of brand management at Reebok. “It gives us a renewed urgency to get out there and live fuller, healthier lives. If we all traded in 30 minutes of phone time for a jog, we could actually help change the dynamics of global wellness.”
While the aforementioned numbers themselves are cause for concern, the study also contains hope for our physical wellbeing. According to Reebok, the average person will climb Mount Everest nearly 45 times during their 25,915 days on earth and run the circumference of the earth almost twice. “The spirit of 25,915 isn’t one of fear, but of hope and opportunity,” adds Martin. “This study will hopefully help to push and inspire people to do more. Run one extra lap, climb a few extra stairs – it could mean one more lap of the earth by the time your 25,915 days are up.”
Cover Up Canada
On May 2, Melanoma Monday, the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund, Hudson’s Bay and HBC Foundation are encouraging Canadians to ‘Cover Up’ this summer to reduce the risk of melanoma. They have launched Cover Up Canada—a national hat program and skin cancer prevention campaign.
“Melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, is unfortunately on the rise in Canada,” says Danielle Paterson, executive director of the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund. “Fortunately, melanoma can be prevented by protecting your skin in the sun using hats, sunglasses, long clothing, sunscreen and shade. We were so pleased to work with the Hudson’s Bay Foundation to make this program a reality.”
The Cover Up Canada hat program will be available in a variety of colours and styles, with sizes for the entire family. For every Cover Up Canada hat sold, $10 per adult hat and $7 per child hat will be donated to the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund. Hats are available to purchase exclusively in select Hudson’s Bay stores across Canada and on thebay.com.
Empowerment program from the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre (OICC)
The OICC is starting Babes4Breasts Head Start Program—an empowerment program for women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The initiative is covered through funding provided by Babes4Breasts—a National Benefit Concert fundraising for a variety of breast cancer charities.
This educational program will show participants how they can take better control of their health by making the right decisions. They will also learn more about the role of nutrition, natural health products, mind-body techniques and stress management.
The workshop series are scheduled for Wednesday, May 4 and Thursday, May 5, and weekly group support sessions will take place every Wednesday from May 11 until June 1. Weekly walks and yoga are also part of the program.
According to the OICC, this program “ is a new, novel approach, and is part of a revolution in health care.”
More information here.
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Loblaws Appointed new Senior Category Manager
Linda Abbruscato will be stepping down as Senior Merchandising Manager for Fortinos and will be joining Loblaws as Senior Category Manager, Natural value on the discount side. No categories have been finalized yet, but this will be the start of many new relationships.
She will be joining the Loblaws team next Monday and will be training her replacement until the end of this week. Johnny Larocque will be welcomed into the Fortinos world of health.
Walmart Phasing out Price First
Price First will be phased out of Walmart over the next year. Introduced in 2014, along with Wild Oats, another brand retiring from the shelves, Price First was created to help Walmart’s Supercenters and Neighborhood Market stores compete for price-sensitive shoppers.
Walmart published reports this week that its deal with Wild Oats owner Yucaipa Cos. is winding down. With Wild Oats being phased out, and with Price First also making its exit, the suggestion is that Walmart’s national brand equivalent, Great Value, will be stepping up to appeal to both organic food shoppers and bargain hunters.
CVS offers a new level of convenience with Curbside deal
CVS Health recently announced a partner with Curbside, a company known for creating seamless store pickup experiences, to launch CVS Express. CVS Express is a digital solution offering consumers a new level of convenience.
“Retail pharmacy is an exciting, competitive landscape that is ripe for digital innovation,” said Helena Foulkes, Executive Vice President, CVS Health and President, CVS Pharmacy. “This partnership with Curbside allows CVS Health to offer new and more convenient ways for our customers to shop with us ultimately making it easier for them to enjoy a healthy lifestyle in a way that works best for them.”
CVS Express is the industry’s first retail solution that integrates Curbside’s technology right into the CVS Pharmacy App. Customers can make in-app purchases from their local CVS Pharmacy and have their order delivered to them when they pull up to the store.
